According to Doug Coleman from Ammann distributor Conplant, the new Ammann compaction system, the ACE Plus, may eventually be used in place of the additional independent testing. “Currently, compaction needs to be tested separately after the roller work is done, and the process can be very time consuming,” Coleman said. “Work has to stop while the compaction test is completed – and if the test shows the level of compaction is not right, then the area has to be ripped up and started again. “Many contractors put the rest of the job on hold while they wait for confirmation of compaction test results, so there’s a lot of lost time. “With ACE Plus, the operator knows that the compaction level is right, so contractors can be confident that they can get on with the job while they await results. “Meanwhile, they’re hoping that in the future the RTA and other like governing bodies will allow them to use ACE Plus instead of the separate testing process.” ACE Plus comes just a year after the launch of the Ammann Compaction Expert (ACE).ACE was the first electronic measuring and control system to automatically adjust amplitude and frequency to suit individual ground characteristics. The new generation technology combines GPS capability with “intelligent compaction” to take the guesswork out of the job.Coleman said that like the original ACE system, ACE Plus lets the operator know when optimum compaction levels have been reached, drastically reducing over and under compaction. “With the new ACE Plus system, GPS capability means the system can not only track the passes made, it can relay this information in real time. “So, for instance, information about the stiffness in a specific location could be sent back to head office for review by an engineer while the operator is still on the job,” he said. The first roller fitted with ACE Plus is currently at work on a joint Thiess/RTA highway upgrade project from Herons Creek to Coopernook in northern New South Wales.
