Ammann Plant, Paver Drive Road Expansion

An Ammann asphalt-mixing plant and paver are helping to expand a key commerce junction in Bangladesh.

The Ammann ABC 120 EcoTec Asphalt-Mixing Plant is producing mix for NDE Readymix Concrete, among the five biggest suppliers of ready-mix concrete and asphalt in Bangladesh. The company, headquartered in Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh, serves highway departments and municipalities.

Its most recent high-profile project is a 17.6-km stretch of road that links Feni to Noakhali. Feni is the only connection between the area’s key tourist destinations and other important districts. Noakhali is a coastal district that produces key crops such as paddy, soybeans, peanuts and a variety of vegetables.

“Road connectivity is important between Feni and Noakhali for trade and commerce and agricultural production,” said Shak Md. Rejaul Karim, AGM (EME) of Electro Mechanical Engineering at NDE Readymix.

The project calls for resurfacing two lanes of existing highway, plus adding two more lanes. The scope includes earthwork, soil compaction and paving.

The Ammann ABC 120 EcoTec proved reliable and productive. It is also familiar to the NDE team.

“We have been using an Apollo drum-mix plant for seven years and it is still working well,” said Shak Md. Rejaul Karim.

The company also utilises 15 Ammann and Apollo pavers. “We wanted to give Ammann an opportunity for a batch plant also,” Shak Md. Rejaul Karim said.

The plant is performing well. “It is easy to operate and maintain,” Shak Md. Rejaul Karim said. “The control system layout is very user friendly, even for inexperienced operators.”

NDE Readymix used the standard plant configuration, which has served the company well. “The simplicity of design is what we like the most about this plant,” Shak Md. Rejaul Karim said. “The filler elevator being integrated in the tower leg allows for a smaller footprint, too.”

When it’s time to pave, NDE Readymix puts the Ammann AFW 500 Wheeled Asphalt Paver to work at widths up to 5 metres. “The paver has helped us on multiple jobsites,” Shak Md. Rejaul Karim said. “We have used this paver on four different sites since its delivery, and it has been meeting our expectations and the varying working conditions.”

The paver’s instrument panel is well-designed and features advantageous components, Shak Md. Rejaul Karim said. “The user-friendly dashboard color display includes the important parameters, and we found that very useful,” he said.

Both the plant and the paver are helping the company achieve all project deadlines. Meeting expectations is essential as NDE Readymix feels a great sense of accomplishment for its role in this vital undertaking.

“We feel proud doing every single project because we are part of building the important national infrastructure,” Shak Md. Rejaul Karim said.