Dynatest has developed and produced a giant machine for the U.S. Department of Defense. It will be used to ensure durable runways for military aircraft in the United States.

Dynatest, has just delivered a so-called “heavy vehicle simulator” to the U.S. Army.

“When the giant C17 military aircraft lands, enormous forces hit the ground. This requires a runway built for the purpose. When it comes to US defense equipment, nothing is left to chance. Everything is thoroughly tested. This also applies to the pavement on the runways that the defense has at its disposal,” says Jesper Rantala, CEO of Dynatest.

The world’s largest of its kind

The heavy vehicle simulator has been nicknamed “Titan”, which emphasizes that it is the world’s largest of its kind. The machine is 46 meters long and weighs 125 tons, and Dynatest has spent two years developing, producing, and delivering it. Now, it is up and running at the military base in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where the U.S. Army Development Department, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, will be using it in their research.

“It is unique to be involved in delivering such a large project for the American defense. It is a huge amount of work that our employees have put in to reach the goal. The fact that we can now see the finished machine standing one by one on the U.S. Army’s military is impressive,” says Jesper Rantala.

A pendulum wheel ensures better runways

With a wheel that goes back and forth, the task of the heavy vehicle simulator is to imitate the forces of a military aircraft and thereby test the strength of the runway.

“It is not possible to determine whether a runway is worn out just by looking at the surface. The pavement consists of several layers, all of which must be in good condition to ensure that the load-bearing capacity is strong enough. With the heavy vehicle simulator, you can test how 20 years of use affects the pavement in just three months. It provides an accurate and realistic picture of the condition of the runway, and in this way you get the opportunity to develop better runways,” explains Jesper Rantala.

At the military base in Mississippi, Jeb Tingle is a senior scientific technical manager at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Geotechnical and Structural Laboratory. He has no doubt that the machine helps ensure better research into transport infrastructure.

“The heavy vehicle simulator Titan is an important research tool for analyzing new materials, design methods and construction techniques to optimize infrastructures,” he explains.

American recognition

For more than 46 years, Dynatest has manufactured equipment and software to evaluate runways and roads. Over the many years, the company has supplied equipment to more than 70 countries and managed to establish itself as a recognized brand in the very special industry.

“There is no doubt that we are ‘nerds’ in our field. We have a strong focus on improving details and further developing our equipment. We know that it is because of the high quality that our customers choose us. But it is a great recognition without comparison that the US military chooses to use us for such a large task – and of course, we are proud of that,” explains Jesper Rantala, who became CEO of Dynatest in 2019, when the company became part of the technology group Electronic Group.