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Although the asphalt paver has evolved since it was first manufactured, the asphalt paving equipment industry is seeing some recent trends and innovations that are influencing both current and future asphalt paver manufacturing.

Trends & innovations
Manufacturers agree that the trend toward electrically heated screeds is here to stay and might just be the biggest influence on current paver manufacturing. The trend toward electric screeds came about with a growing emphasis on fuel efficiency. Electric screeds eliminate the use of diesel fuel and the resulting fumes. They also offer an easier way to control heat and are cleaner thus eliminating some maintenance issues associated with diesel heated screeds, says John Sunkenberg, road industry manager for Volvo Construction Equipment.

These "cleaner and greener" screeds have been around the large asphalt paver market for nearly 15 years and have entered into the commercial paver market in the last three years, says John Hood, Bomag Americas' sales manager for paving and milling products in the United States.

The screed seems to be getting the most attention when it comes to innovations. In addition to electric screeds, manufacturers such as Dynapac are incorporating dual screeds to help compact asphalt. "Dynapac's Compact Asphalt unit has dual screeds which allows you to lay two lifts of asphalt," says Tom Chastain, Dynapac's product manager for paving and milling. "By laying these lifts simultaneously it offers better integration of the mix design and better adhesion for a stronger surface."

Another screed option is a high-density screed such as the tamping bar screeds used in Europe. These high-density screeds precompact materials before screeding, eliminating a portion of the compaction differential, Sunkenberg says. Manufacturers agree that these high-density screeds might become the standard for future asphalt pavers, and manufacturers, such as Vogele and Volvo, have or are looking to begin incorporating these screeds on their pavers in the U.S. market.