People living near roadworks in England can look forward to a better night’s sleep thanks to the new Deck Scraper.
Looking like Batman has gatecrashed a Cars movie, the Deck Scraper vehicle uses a blade to shave off the road membrane more quietly – and without peeling off chunks of the surface. This is quieter and more efficient than using a large excavator to remove the waterproof layer on road surfaces.
The Deck Scraper is the first vehicle purpose-built for road scraping. It follows a £650,000 investment by Highways England.
Final trails were carried out at the Kier depot in Telford, following two years of development and testing in the United States. Deck Scraper will be taken to the market by National Flooring Equipment.
It’s smaller than excavators and diggers and does not require an arm or a bucket. It also gives the operator 360-degree visibility, making it safer for the workforce.
A further benefit of the Deck Scraper is reduced dust and noise, which is better for the environment and anyone living within earshot of the roadworks.
Deck Scraper will ‘set the benchmark’
Highways England innovations lead for the Midlands, Lisa Maric, said: “Current methods to remove the waterproof layer are quite antiquated, with environmental issues and some risk to the workforce. We wanted to develop a unique machine that would be more efficient and improve the safety of road workers while easing the impact on the environment and communities.
“Instead of essentially using a steel bucket with teeth to remove the membrane, we can use a blade to simply peel it off – quietly, effectively and without damaging the road, which will also save time and money.
“It is anticipated that thanks to the Deck Scraper, this method will now set the benchmark expected for membrane throughout the country.”
Kier highways senior project manager, Mark Sheppard, added: “This was an interesting opportunity to develop a prototype specifically designed to make the task of waterproof membrane removal techniques more efficient, cost effective and better for the environment.”
In 2019, Highways England used hydraulic piling equipment to minimise noise and disruption for people living close to the A500 in Staffordshire.
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