ForConstructionPros.com

An asphalt paver is really three systems in one. A tractor powers the paver, a material handling system moves hot mix from the hopper to the screed, and the screed "levels and profiles" the material. How this all gets done varies from one manufacturer to another, with the goal being to provide a smooth, homogenous mat out the back end of the paver.

The Asphalt Institute's Asphalt Handbook describes the screed as "the most important component of the asphalt paver" and with good reason. The screed provides an initial placement, finish, and compaction to the hot mix asphalt. But getting the hot mix asphalt properly and efficiently to the screed might be the most important job of the paver.

"The head of material is probably the most important thing for a paving crew, to keep that consistent," says Larry Spring, road machinery product specialist for Volvo. "As the head of material goes down, the screed goes down and the mat becomes thinner. If the head of material goes up, the screed goes up and the mat becomes thicker. The key is to keep the head consistent because that keeps the mat thickness consistent."

So here's an insight into a paver's material handling system, how it does what it does, and how that affects what the screed can do for a contractor.

Hopper
Starting at the front, where the haul truck meets the paver, there are the hopper and the hopper aprons.