Case Nievelt
Falling Weight Deflectometer still going strong!
This 20-year-old FWD is still operating perfectly for Nievelt after all these years! Find out the secret behind it!
20-year-old Falling Weight Deflectometer still going strong!
About Nievelt
The Austrian company Nievelt is an expert in testing, measuring, analyzing, and assessing building materials worldwide.
Nievelt assists other businesses with construction and engineering projects, specifically in areas like roads, bridges, concrete, and airport construction.
Operating for 20 years and still going
For more than 20 years, Nievelt has been using Dynatest pavement testing equipment including the Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD 8002) and Heavy Weight Deflectometer (HWD 8082) to measure the bearing capacity according to Austrian and international standards.
Bearing capacity measurements
The FWD has mainly been used in Austria, focusing on bearing capacity measurements on rural roads to determine the progressive conditions of the asphalt pavement structure and the substructure. In addition, the FWD is used in research projects of various technical universities to examine the bearing capacity before and after construction activities.
Automated damage detection
Since 2021, the bearing capacity values have been merged with automated damage detection using laser scanning to provide the customer with a fully comprehensive overall condition of the respective road section.
More than 60.000 drops per year!
The FWD has covered about 1.000 km, with a measuring pattern of 25 meters, which has been recorded, checked, and processed annually on behalf of the state.
This project alone generates approx. 60.000 drops per year for this Dynatest FWD equipment alone, according to Ing. Michael Celadnik, from Nievelt.
Project in Iran 140 km
Besides Austria, Nievelt has also used the FWD in Italy, Germany, Serbia, the Czech Republic, and other EU and non-EU countries to test pavement quality.
The FWD has even been deployed to Iran as part of a large condition survey, in combination with layer thickness determination (using GPR), to record approx. 140 km on the highway between Sirjan and Shahr-e Babak to make recommendations for the repairment of the pavement structure and the construction of the expansion of the carriageways.
Data process – ELMOD
The data obtained from these tests are subsequently processed with the Dynatest software Elmod6 as a standard according to customer specifications.
The corresponding E-modules of the individual layer structures are calculated and provide our construction engineers with a basis for specific reconstruction or maintenance measures.
“I am impressed with the quality and endurance of Dynatest’s testing equipment. For more than 20 years, this FWD has been on the roads.
We have taken good care of our FWD and have regularly taken it to service. Just like you do with a car”.
Ing. Harald Aigner, Nievelt
A profitable investment in maintenance!
Due to the high workload and age of the FWD equipment, Nievelt has sent the FWD for regular service and maintenance checkups at the Dynatest workshop in Ballerup, Denmark, for calibration and replacement of any worn parts.
“The FWD is still operating perfectly after all these years because we have regularly prioritized service and maintenance at Dynatest, and I’m certain that we can use it for many more years to come. All we have to do is to take good care of it”, finishes Ing. Michael Celadnik, from Nievelt.
Dynatest Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)
Dynatest developed the first commercially available Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) The Falling Weight Deflectometer is a non-destructive and fast method to evaluate the structural capacity of pavements for research, design, and repair of the road and for pavement management purposes. The Dynatest Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) applies a dynamic load that simulates the loading of a moving wheel. The pavement response is analyzed with Dynatest’s ELMOD Software (Evaluation of Layer Moduli and Overlay Design) to determine the elastic moduli, stresses, and strains of each modeled layer. The FWD is available as a trailer or a truck-mounted version (the USA only) meeting all FWD standards worldwide.
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