Modern road construction makes higher and higher demands on a pavement’s accuracy and quality. Contractors, at the same time, are getting under increasing pressure in terms of cost and time allowed for completion of their jobs. This is a trend, manufacturers of road construction machinery have to face up to – by making available products which simplify life on job sites and enhance quality. As to road pavers, the focus primarily is on grade and slope control. In the following, we present the “Big Multiplex Ski” for NIVELTRONIC®, the VÖGELE Grade and Slope Control System.

The new Big MultiPlex Ski is based on the well-proven technology of the VÖGELE sonic grade sensor. Compared to a single sonic sensor, the Big MultiPlex Ski translates the advantages onto a greater length.

Calculating a reliable virtual reference

By arranging 3 sonic grade sensors in a row, it is possible to tap the physical reference at several points lying far apart from each other. Based on the values picked up by the sensors, NIVELTRONIC®, the VÖGELE System for Grade and Slope Control, calculates a virtual reference.

The 3 sonic sensors fitted to the Big MultiPlex Ski cover a distance of up to 13 metres. The advantage is that irregularities extending over a long distance are recognized and levelled out. In other words, this system offers higher accuracy than a single sonic grade sensor.

Irregularities are filtered out

Due to calculation of an average, minor deviations are neglected and not included in the process of determining the vitual reference. Large deviations the size of a stone, etc. are ignored and also not included in calculating the average. This allows use of the Big MultiPlex Ski for almost every kind of base, no matter what the nature may be. It qualifies the Big MultiPlex Ski for a wide range of applications. The variable design of the beam and the possibility to swing the sonic grade sensors at the front and at the rear in or out, the Big MultiPlex Ski is ideal for use also on curved sections. This is a very important advantage over the averaging beam with its rigid design. Swinging the rear sonic grade sensor towards the paver offers another advantage: set to this position, the sensor picks up actual values from the freshly paved layer right behind the screed. As a result, these values are included into the calculation and checked for correctness at the same time.

The preferred choice on many job sites

Thanks to its simple design, uncomplicated installation and easy handling, the VÖGELE Big MultiPlex Ski is ideally suited for use under most varied job site conditions. The system is ideal, above all, for levelling out long irregularities in the base on sites where an absolute reference is not available.