Hired polyplaner ‘at cutting edge’ on motorway upgrade

A specially modified polyplaner, hired from Kennards Concrete Care, has been playing an important role in the Hills M2 Upgrade, the biggest road project presently being undertaken in Sydney.

The Schibecki polyplaner, attached to a mini loader, is being used to scarify the edge of the existing concrete roadway to enable better bonding with new pavement.

Kennards Concrete Care modified the machine so that, instead of working horizontally, the tungsten teeth cut into the vertical face.

The skids were relocated so that the head could float along the top of the pavement.

The upgrade project involves widening the existing motorway generally between Windsor Road, Baulkham Hills, and Lane Cove Road, North Ryde, and will deliver four new ramps to improve access to the motorway. It is expected to be completed in the first half of 2013.

The majority of work is being undertaken by Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd, the principal contractor engaged by toll road operator, Transurban.

Project engineer for the paving team, James Stewart, said scarifying with the polyplaner provided a mechanical interlock between the two concrete faces.

He said the machine was being used on both sides of the existing paving, and the total length to be covered was nearly 40km.

“When we have the area available, we can do about 600-700 metres a day,” he said.

Kennards Concrete Care has two branches in Sydney, at Artarmon and Moorebank, and also has outlets in Brisbane Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.