As a road and civil engineering contractor, Karsten Stirnberg frequently repaves footpaths and bicycle trails in the Sauerland region of Germany. Until recently, the owner of the business bearing his name was firmly convinced that the use of machines was not worthwhile when paving at such narrow widths.

After his latest rehabilitation project, entrepreneur Karsten Stirnberg changed his mind based on the performance of the Ammann AFW 150-2 Mini Paver.

The paver was put to the test on a restoration job in Menden – a routine undertaking for the business. A deteriorated pipeline needed urgent replacement, which was no big deal for the experienced and well-rehearsed Stirnberg team. The firm carries out comparable projects several times a year, many of them in Menden and the surrounding area.

The dilapidated pipeline, located under pavement that was only 80 cm wide, was wedged between the curb and front gardens, and ran through a residential street in Menden.

“We have always paved such narrow strips by hand,” Stirnberg said. Reluctant to deviate from usual procedures, he was initially convinced that using a paver would not be advisable given the small paving width. “It was simply too expensive – and too complex,” he said.

But on further consideration, Stirnberg decided to give the machine a chance.

Mini paver starts trial work

Anton Kreitz & W.H. Ostermann GmbH from the neighbouring town of Iserlohn made the AFW 150-2 Mini Paver available for testing on the project. The construction machinery dealer also offered on-site instruction and helped train Stirnberg’s staff to properly operate the paver on the jobsite. Kreitz & Ostermann supported the paver from start to finish and also provided practical tips achieving the best results with the AFW 150-2.

“The compact dimensions and unique performance data raised my interest in the machine,” said Stirnberg. The AFW 150-2 from Ammann is one of the most compact pavers around. It is only 2.9 metres long, 1.64 metres high and not even 88 cm wide. It is the only machine on the market that easily enabled the pave width of just 80 cm required for the project – and did so without any additional equipment. (The Ammann mini machine can even pave at a width as narrow as 25 cm with minor equipment adjustments.) It is fast, with working speeds up to 10 metres per minute.

The AFW 150-2 twice traveled down the 300-metre long and 80-cm wide footpath. During the first pass, the machine placed a 6-cm thick base course. Next came a 4-cm surface pass. The compact paver is capable of handling thicknesses up to 10 cm without difficulty.

AFW 150-2 raises and secures efficiency gains

Thanks to the AFW 150-2, the project was completed faster than expected. “After only four hours, the installation job was done,” said Stirnberg. “I am thrilled.”

Paving by hand would have taken at least eight hours and required more manpower, he said. The quality of the end product made the mini paver’s performance even more impressive. “The asphalt surface is flawless,” Stirnberg said.

The pavement on the Menden site had barely cooled before Stirnberg made a decision: He and his staff will never again pave an asphalt strip by hand – no matter how narrow. After the trial run, Stirnberg was won over by the advantages of paving by machine. The fast working speed, high paving quality and seamless process brought significant efficiency gains.

Because of these benefits, Stirnberg chose not to return the test machine to dealers Kreitz & Ostermann. Instead, he purchased the paver and already has future projects in mind for the machine.