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EXA & UVW Boom Mounted Vibratory Wheels

The state-of-the-art in construction equipment typically moves forward in incremental steps. But occasionally, a game changing design enters the market. The UVW VIBRATORY WHEEL is a game changer for contractors engaged in trench and slope work. Productivity in these applications has long been constrained by the slow, often frustrating process of compacting soils to a geo-technical specification. UVW VIBRATORY WHEELS eliminate the compaction bottleneck by redefining expectations.

PRODUCTIVITY
Depending upon soil conditions and compaction equipment to which UVW Vibratory Wheels are compared, productivity increases of 100 to 1000% can be anticipated in most applications. On the low end of the range, UVW Wheels roughly double productivity in the compaction of sand when compared to boom-mounted vibratory plates and walk-behind or remote control vibratory rollers. On the high end of the range, UVW Wheels increase productivity up to 1000% on mixed and essentially cohesive soils when compared to vibratory pad drum trench rollers, boom-mounted plates and boom-mounted static wheels. Even greater productivity gains are possible where ever working space allows for replacement of manually guided compaction equipment with a UVW Vibratory Wheel.

UVWs are compaction attachments for excavators in the 20,000 to 60,000 pound range. In use, UVWs are subject to variable down pressure to one half the static weight of the host machine. In addition to down pressure, all UVWs produce intense vibration. The combined static and dynamic forces are brought to bear on the small footprint of the UVW’s padded drum. One cycle of the boom frequently achieves geo-technical specification.

VERSATILITY
Manually controlled and boom-mounted vibratory plates are excellent compactors. But low productivity and inability to handle cohesive soils are limitations. Cohesive soils respond best to compactors of a percussion and/or static mode, i.e., manually guided percussion rammers, pad foot trench rollers or boom-mounted static wheels. But each of these compactors suffers limitations in terms of their effectiveness on granular soils and/or productivity. UVW Vibratory Wheels combine static and dynamic forces and are effective on the full range of soils – sands, gravels, mixed soils, clay -- one compactor for the full range of soils.

COST
Relative to production, nothing comes close to the UVW in terms of cost. The cost of a UVW Vibratory Wheel is roughly 50% of a trench roller... and it takes 6 or more trench rollers and operators to keep up with one UVW in a large trench. The purchase price of a UVW is two to three time that of a boom-mounted plate, but UVW productivity rates are up to 1000% greater, not to mention that boom-mounted plates are ineffective on cohesive soils. UVW Vibratory Wheels are 2 to 3 time the purchase price of Static Wheels, but Static Wheels are entirely inappropriate for compaction of mixed and granular soils. The cost of a UVW is roughly equal to a large reversible plate, but UVW production dwarfs that of slow moving machines.

MAINTENANCE
Any analysis of compaction equipment is incomplete lacking consideration of maintenance issues. Rammers and trench rollers are notorious for high maintenance costs and for this reason are often viewed as rental equipment. Boom-mounted plates are known for isolation system failures, reversible plates for costly failure of shifting mechanisms, static rollers for a high incidence of bearing failures.

UVW Vibratory Wheels are comparatively low maintenance/downtime machines. The simple, patent pending design runs cool, isolator deflection is minimized under extreme down pressure or when a UVW is suspended in air. Bearings are grossly oversized as are drum shafts and frame components.

What Applications Are Best Suited To UVW VIBRATORY ROLLERS?

Trenching Operations
UVWs remove the compaction bottleneck in trenching applications. The result is an overall increase in trench work productivity.

Slope Compaction
UVWs are ideally suited to the compaction of slopes. UVWs are the preferred means of compacting the sloped sides and bottom of irrigation canals to reduce seepage (see "Canal Seepage Reduction by Soil Compaction").

Additional Features

Backfill leveling blade integral to all UVWs. Simple rotation of the UVW positions blade to quickly and uniformly spread backfill material.

Interchangeable 24 and 36 inch wide drum assemblies.

Methods of Attachment to Boom

UVWs attach to host machine booms via pins and bushings or quick coupler systems. MBW will machine bushings to dimensions provided by the user. Alternatively, quick coupler systems can be purchased from MBW or a dealer of the user's choice.

US and International Patents Pending

Articles

• Canal Seepage Reduction by Soil compaction - Charles M. Burt, Professor of Irrigation

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