Testconsult has recently taken delivery of it's first Falling Weight Deflectometer. The Grontmij | Carl Bro FWD HWD PRI2100 trailer mounted system is capable of applying loads in the range 7-250 kN. This heralds the entry of Testconsult into the field of pavement testing services.

Falling weight deflectometers are an effective and rapid method of collecting information on the bearing capacity of road and airport pavements. They provide the key to precise performance when carrying out construction, ongoing maintenance work or when rehabilitating and reinforcing existing surfaces.

The FWD is currently being used extensively during construction on the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe project in Ireland. The system is being used to assess suitability of materials on site in accordance with the new analytical pavement design method laid out in IAN 73/06.

Testconsult SeniorTechnician, John Scott, who is operating the FWD in Galway, Ireland says that "IAN 73/06 encourages the use of new and innovative materials and also has the potential to deliver cost savings within the bound pavement layers. Quality and performance is assured by the requirement for significant amounts of testing both before and during the construction period. On the N6 scheme, the FWD is being used extensively on demonstration areas before main works are constructed. The FWD has also been used selectively on areas of sub-formation as well. When pavement construction starts in earnest, the machine will be used to test from formation level and upwards".

The Testconsult FWD has also been in use on the M7/M8 contract in County Laois , as well as the N2 Castleblayney Bypass.

For more information contact Simon French in the UK and Tom Callanan in Ireland

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