Leading earthworks contractor, house builder and plant hirer Bell Group took delivery of a new BOMAG BW 145 PDH-5 in April. Notably this was the first BOMAG fitted with a Stage 5 engine delivered in the UK. Stage V is latest and most stringent legislation to control and limit exhaust emissions from off-road vehicles, including all construction equipment. The legislation took effect in January 2019 for engines below 56 kW. The increasingly stringent exhaust emission legislation is the latest step from the EU to limit harmful substances in the exhaust gases coming from engines powered by fossil fuels. These substances include Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HC) and Particulate Matter (PM).
The 5.6 tonne single drum BOMAG roller is powered by a 55.4 kW Kubota V3307 CR-T engine. To meet the latest stringent emissions standards the engine is fitted with both a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), an aftertreatment component which converts carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water, and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) a component which reduces particulate matter in diesel engine exhaust emissions. In the BOMAG installation the DOC and DPF are housed in a relatively compact cylinder mounted behind the engine. All DPF units require ‘regeneration’ during which hot exhaust gas is used to incinerate the soot trapped in the DPF. In the BOMAG system active regeneration, whilst the machine is working, is implemented automatically. In rare circumstances when active automatic regeneration is not possible, if for example the machine has been working on a low demand work cycle, the system generates a warning light. The operator must then perform a ‘regeneration at standstill’ which takes around 30 minutes.
The new BOMAG joins 10 others in the Bell fleet. The new BOMAG was soon put to work on an earthworks job preparing a house-building site. The machine was specified with a BOMAG Terrameter, an integrated measuring system which turns BOMAG single drum rollers into rolling pressure plates over the compacted surface area covering, in real time. Terrameter measures the level of stiffness (EVIB)in MN/m². EVIB correlates directly to the EV1/EV2 values from the plate load test. This means the operator not only sees the trend, but also the specific, absolute measured value of soil stiffness under the machine’s drum. The operator can then continue to work towards the required stiffness level specified by the client. The standard DIN set values for EV2 of 45, 80, 100 and 120 MN/m² are shown on the display as a step change. This allows the target achieved to be quickly displayed. Additionally, the operator is notified by a red LED that compaction has not increased between two passes.
