The future of compaction
Cordless battery-powered units come on the scene for emissions-free operation.
By Fred Paul, Wacker Neuson University manager
The evolution of compaction machines has come a long way since the days where early roadbuilders determined that their cut-stone road surfaces were only as good as the foundation in which they rested.
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| Today, continued emission regulations and operators’ health and safety concerns have pushed for new developments in confined area compaction equipment. To that end, Wacker Neuson has introduced the industry’s first cordless, battery-powered rammers and plates. |
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| Wacker Neuson engineers developed the battery-powered compaction equipment platform as a modular concept. The battery and charger can be used on the rammers and plate compactors, which increases flexibility and economic efficiency. Under typical working conditions, one battery charge can last a standard working day |
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Wacker Neuson’s battery powered rammers and plates are easy and safe to transport. |
Obviously, the equipment used for soil compaction has vastly changed and improved over the years, but one thing remains true: soil compaction is an integral part of the construction process and it is vital that any project including structures, roadways, walkways and earth-retaining structures have a plan for compaction. Properly done, soil compaction adds many years to the useful life of structures by increasing the foundation’s strength.
Soil compaction is commonly specified for large and confined areas on most job sites. To compact soil in confined areas, vibratory rammers and plates are typically used. Traditionally, these machines have been powered by gasoline and diesel engines, however, due to increasingly strict environmental regulations, rammer manufacturers were required to engineer new solutions to comply to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards. Wacker Neuson redesigned its two-cycle rammer engine to exceed all EPA emissions regulations, but the engineers didn’t stop there
No cords, no fumes compaction equipment
Today, continued emission regulations and operators’ health and safety concerns have pushed for new developments in confined area compaction equipment. To that end, Wacker Neuson has introduced the industry’s first cordless, battery-powered rammers and plates. Its new line of zero-emission compaction equipment offers a new solution for contractors and rental customers to access commercial interior construction or indoor renovation projects, use in poorly ventilated areas including trenches and tunnels and can be used on projects with strict emission and noise guidelines such as hospital, schools and residential areas, or any project where a non-spillable fuel source is required.
The Wacker Neuson AS50e cordless, battery-powered rammer was the perfect solution for a plumbing company replacing sewer pipes on a school renovation project near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trenches throughout the interior floor of the school’s athletic building were dug and sewer pipes replaced. The job specified the vibratory compaction be used on the backfill of the trenches. Due to the students and staff using the building, the contractor was informed that no gasoline-powered equipment could be used during working hours.
“Typically, we would use a gasoline compactor on a job like this, but that wouldn’t work for this sensitive application,” says Ryan Fetterolf, lead operator and plumber for the job. “The cordless rammer worked just like a gas model but is emission-free and performed really well for this job.”
Using cutting-edge battery technology, the compactors offer a variety of advantages that are ideal for contractors and rental houses. The maintenance-free electric motor dramatically reduces service time, contributing to the low cost of ownership. The machines are extremely easy to operate. A simple, push-button start is all that is needed to begin working and the charging indicator light on the battery keeps the operator informed as to the status of the charge.
Modular concept
Wacker Neuson engineers developed the battery-powered compaction equipment platform as a modular concept. The battery and charger can be used on the rammers and plate compactors, which increases flexibility and economic efficiency. Under typical working conditions, one battery charge can last a standard working day.The charge on the Li-ion battery will last under continuous run time for about 60 minutes for the plate compactor and 30 minutes for the rammer. At first glance, this may not seem like a long time, but typical use during the compaction process is to run the machine for just a few minutes at a time. The battery can be easily be removed without tools and placed into the charger during idle times to keep the necessary charge.
A common option is to have two batteries on site, so a fully charged battery is always at the ready. The battery system also provides constant power output over the entire discharge phase, providing full compaction performance from the first to last minute of work. The battery system has been designed to retain 80 percent capacity even after 1,500 charge cycles and is able to withstand tough construction site conditions.
To put that into perspective, a rammer with a single battery can compact up to 9,000 linear feet of trench in a day, while a plate compactor can compact over 18,000 square feet, about 40 yards of a football field, in a day. These numbers increase dramatically when a second battery is on hand and charging while the machine is in operation.
As industry trends continue to move toward zero emission, easy to operate and low maintenance machines, rental center operators and environmentally conscious contractors will find that cordless, battery-powered compaction equipment will become essential to their equipment fleets.and contractors. They are easy to operate, offer zero emissions require no maintenance.
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