Paver (vehicle)

Construction equipment used to lay asphalt

A paver (road paver finisher, asphalt finisher, road paving machine) is a piece of construction equipment used to lay asphalt concrete or Portland cement concrete on roads, bridges, parking lots and other such places. It lays the material flat and provides minor compaction. This is typically followed by final compaction by a road roller.

The asphalt paver was developed by Harry Barber of the Barber Greene Co., that originally manufactured material handling systems. In 1929 the Chicago Testing Laboratory approached them to use their material loaders to construct asphalt roads. This did not result in a partnership but Barber did develop a machine based on the concrete pavers of the day that mixed and placed the concrete in a single process. This setup did not prove as effective as desired and the processes were separated and the modern paver was on its way. In 1933 the independent float screed was invented and when combined with the tamper bar provided for uniform material density and thickness. The main features of the paver developed by the Barber Greene have been incorporated into most pavers since, although improvements have been made to control of the machine. The paver should provide a smooth uniform surface behind the screed. In order to provide a smooth surface a free floating screed is used. It is towed at the end of a long arm which reduces the base topology effect on the final surface. The height of the screed is controlled by a number of factors including the attack angle of the screed, weight and vibration of the screed, the material head and the towing force. Increase in material stockpile or paver speed will cause the screed to rise resulting in more asphalt being placed therefore a thicker mat of asphalt and an uneven final surface. Alternatively a decrease in material or a drop in speed will cause the screed to fall and the mat to be thinner. When a dump truck is used to fill the hopper of the paver, it can make contact with the paver or cause it to change speed and affect the screed height.

Large freeways are often paved with Portland cement concrete and this is done using a slipform paver. Trucks dump loads of readymix concrete in heaps along in front of this machine and then the slipform paver spreads the concrete out and levels it off using a screed.