What Are the Common Types of Road Rollers

Rollers are used for large areas with different types of soil. You should choose heavy compaction equipment based on soil moisture content and soil type. The following are the different types of these equipment, we share with you.

Smooth roller type

The most suitable soils for these roller types are well graded sand, gravel, crushed stone, asphalt and other soils that need to be broken up. These are used for soils that do not require a lot of pressure for compaction. These rollers are usually used for dressing the upper surface of the soil. These rollers are not used for compacting uniform sand.

The performance of a smooth wheel roller depends on the load per centimeter of width it transfers to the soil and the diameter of the drum. The load per centimeter of width comes from the total weight of the drum. The performance of these rollers can be improved by ballasting the inside of the drum with wet sand or water to increase the weight of the drum. Steel profiles can also be used to increase the load on the drum by mounting it on a steel frame attached to the shaft.

In the case of vibrating smooth wheel rollers, the drum is made to vibrate by using a rotating or reciprocating motion. Vibratory smooth wheel rollers, although expensive, become cost effective in the long run due to their higher output and improved performance. The latest specifications for excavation work recommend the use of vibratory rollers because they are superior to static smooth wheel rollers.

Footing/Tamping Rollers

These rollers are similar to sheepfoot rollers in that the lugs have a larger area than sheepfoot rollers.

Footer/Rammer Rollers Static footer rollers also known as rammer rollers, these rollers are more popular than sheepfoot rollers due to their high production capacity and they are replacing sheepfoot rollers. The degree of compaction achieved exceeds that of sheepfoot rollers. The density of the soil obtained after compaction with this roller is more uniform. These rollers operate at high speeds and are capable of breaking up large blocks. These rollers also include leveling blades for spreading the material. The pad feet or tamping rollers are best suited for compacting cohesive soils.

Pneumatic Tire Rollers

Pneumatic tire rollers are also known as rubber tire rollers. These rollers are used to compact coarse grained soils with some fines. These rollers are least suitable for uniform coarse soils and rocks. Usually pneumatic tire rollers are used for pavement road base work, including earthwork and asphalt work.

Pneumatic Tire Rollers - Soil Compaction Equipment Pneumatic drums have wheels on both axles. These wheels are staggered and are used to compact the soil at a uniform pressure over the entire width of the roller. The factors that influence the degree of compaction are tire inflation pressure and contact area. The latest rollers have devices that automatically inflate the tires to the required pressure. The total weight of the rollers can be increased from 11.0 to 25.0 tons or more by ballasting with sections or otherwise.

Sheepsfoot rollers

Sheepsfoot rollers are used for compaction of fine-grained soils, such as heavy clay and pulverized clay. Sheepsfoot rollers are used for compaction of road subgrade in dams, embankments, pavements and railroad construction projects. This type of roller is generally used for compaction of the road base in the middle of road and railroad projects.

Sheepfoot rollers consist of steel drums that can apply pressures of up to 14 kg/cm2 or more. The weight of the drum can be increased by using water, wet sand ballast or by installing steel profiles, as in the case of smooth wheeled rollers. For the required pressure and ground coverage, parameters such as the gross weight of the roller, the area per foot, the number of lugs in contact with the ground at any given time and the total number of feet per wheel are considered. Soil compaction is primarily due to the pressure exerted on the soil by the foot penetrating into the soil. The pressure is greatest when the foot is vertical.

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