Tarmac boosts highways productivity with cutting-edge logistics software
“It’s vital that we continue to adopt and develop technological innovations on major highways projects to drive efficiencies and identify techniques that can help us save time, step change productivity and embrace lean best practice.”
Paul Fleetham, managing director at Tarmac Contracting
Tarmac is the first in the UK to adopt a cutting-edge planning and real-time software technology to optimise road construction logistics and boost productivity.
Developed by consulting and process optimisation company Volz Consulting GmbH, the BPO ASPHALT software allows Tarmac’s Contracting team to plan not only highways projects but also inner-city sites in meticulous detail ahead of work starting on site.
Using GPS data to highlight the full project area including site entrances and exits for delivery vehicles, the software uses inputted surface area values to produce fully optimised planning documents and work schedules for people, plant and resources, enabling waiting times and delays to be minimised to maintain efficient project delivery.
Based on the site’s parameters and project requirements, the innovative software automatically calculates the time needed for mixing and loading asphalt at the plant and the number of wagons required for transportation, as well as the density of material and the maximum volume of asphalt that can be laid per shift.
Paul Fleetham, managing director, Tarmac Contracting, said: “Rolling out this innovative software across our Contracting business allows our experienced teams to create highly detailed project schedules and further enhance our strategic planning of material supply, resources and plant.
“It’s vital that we continue to adopt and develop technological innovations on major highways projects to drive efficiencies and identify techniques that can help us save time, step change productivity and embrace lean best practice.
Teams on the ground are also able to access information in real-time through a mobile app, allowing them to track deliveries, monitor data relating to the quality of the pavement installation and assess the project’s progress minute-by-minute. The real time data also allows decisions to be made immediately on site with the transparency across all parties, from asphalt production, to haulage and paving teams. This reduces the risk of over run of time that would adversely affect the programme schedule thereby minimising disruption to the public We used the new technology to great effect as part of the renovation of a busy 6.5 kilometre stretch of the M62 near Leeds for Highways England, which was completed earlier this year.