A Chinese road contractor has highlighted the productivity of four Volvo CE ABG8820 tracked pavers.
Shaanxi Road and Bridge Group won a $928 million (¥5.7bn) contract to build a new 96-km highway in Shaanxi Province. The company believes the inclusion of Volvo machines in its bid played a part in being awarded the tender.
Before the road opened to traffic in November last year, the Volvo pavers worked 14 hours a day paving the final layer of asphalt.
New Chinese road-building standards require a surface to last 15 years, although few roads actually meet those requirements.
“From what we have seen elsewhere in China, Volvo tracked pavers in Shaanxi Province with its ABG double-tamper technology can certainly produce a more durable road surface,” says Zhao Wei, the company’s equipment manager. “When we are paving the road using a Volvo 8820 paver it can help us reach the national standard and the operations are easier.”
It is hot, sweaty work spreading the boiling screed on the four-lane highway as the summer sun beats down, but operator Xin Ming says he is in the most comfortable place – in the cabin.
“It is well designed with a person in mind,” he says. “I like the canopy above for hot weather – some other pavers don’t have that. And when you’re working and there’s a problem, the message on the control panel comes up in Chinese and that’s helpful.”
Volvo CE is already a market leader in tracked pavers in China even though they cost twice as much as some local Chinese brands. And Duan Yanfei, who runs the Xi’an Volvo dealership, Tongguan Construction Machinery Co, is convinced that the higher road construction standards will work in Volvo’s favor in the future.
“In China, the competition is becoming fierce. We think some low-quality brands will leave the market. We’re confident that with our good service and good-quality machines we are going to occupy more of the Chinese market.”
And it is an active market. The number of cars on China’s roads has increased from 23 million in 2003 to 140 million today – and that is not counting commercial vehicles. By 2015, the Chinese government’s goal is to complete more than 74,000 miles (120,000 km) of highway nationwide.