Top Roadbuilding Equipment of 2024: Compactors, Pavers, Robots & More

The construction industry was blessed with many new, innovative roadbuilding machines hitting the market this year, including some prototypes and fairly "outside-the-box" tech. 

Announcements for new pavers came from Vögele, BOMAG, and HEM. Volvo CE teased an all-electric prototype. And Komatsu brought it's largest-ever motor grader stateside. 

It was a big year for compaction equipment, as well. You'll find 10 rollers in that category included on this year's list. 

Wirtgen also debuted several machines to the U.S., including a paver, compact tandem roller and binding agent spreader.

We also got some new concepts to consider (found at the end of this list): an autonomous pothole seeker and filler, an unmanned surveying robot and a concrete rebar-tying robot.

Here is the top roadbuilding equipment of 2024 as chosen by Equipment World editors: 

Asphalt Pavers

Equipment World

Vögele's New Super 2100-5i Paver for U.S. Gets Deere Engine, Compacting Screed

The Vögele Super 2100-5i tracked paver is newly available in North America this year. Boasting new operator ergonomics and faster setup times, it features a liquid-cooled 6-cylinder diesel engine, a nominal output of 250 horsepower and 106-gallon tank.

These units can pave up to 82 feet per minute at a max width of 31 feet 11 inches, lay down up to 1,210 tons per hour and have a hopper capacity of 15.4 tons. With an AB 600 TP2 Plus screed, the 2100-5i is at its heaviest at 54,680 pounds and its longest at 22.5 feet.

BOMAG

BOMAG Introduces Next Generation of CR Series Highway-Class Pavers

BOMAG has introduced the CR 1030 T-2 highway-class paver that features multiple design updates to improve operating efficiency and increase mat quality, the company says.

Available for the 2025 paving season, the CR 1030 T-2 comes with several new features including an independent auger/conveyor system and a new human-machine interface (HMI).

Concrete Pavers

HEM

HEM Intros SFP1800 Concrete Paver for Wider Thin-Overlay Projects

HEM has expanded its lineup of thin and ultra-thin overlay concrete pavers with the new SFP1800.

Designed for bridge deck overlays, patch and repair and whitetopping projects, the SFP1800 has a standard paving width of 10 feet. By adding or removing extension kits, it can adjust to widths up to 18 feet. The pan can also be reduced to an 8-foot width.

Wirtgen

Wirtgen’s SP 33 Concrete Paver Gets New Crosspave Function

Wirtgen recently unveiled to the U.S. market its SP 33 slipform concrete paver, which replaces Wirtgen’s previous SP 15 paver.

One key improvement in the new model is the ability to add a paving kit. Jim Holland, vice president of sales for Wirtgen North America’s concrete products, says this is made possible by having two cylinders on the rear leg.

Cold Planers

Caterpillar

Cat Adds 20-Plus Upgrades to PM300 Series Cold Planers, Including New Engine

Caterpillar’s PM300 series cold planers have been updated with multiple design enhancements designed to improve machine performance, operating comfort and milling power. 

The PM310, PM312 and PM313 cold planers are designed for small to medium-size applications where a more compact, maneuverable machine is required. These updates mark the third generation of this series since its debut in 2018. 

Wirtgen

Wirtgen Unleashes its Second-Largest Cold Planer, the W 220 XFi

Wirtgen has launched its second-largest cold planer, the W 220 XFi, designed for a range of operations such as pavement removal, surface layer rehab and fine milling.

The 83,334-pound miller has a milling width of 7 feet 3 inches and milling depth of 1.15 feet. Milling width can be extended as far out at 12 feet 6 inches with Wirtgen’s Multiple Cutting System. The drum assembly is designed for fast drum changes to different widths. 

Compactors

Equipment World

The New Hamm HD 9 VV Tandem Roller: Clear Side Drum & "Wasp Body" Design

New to North America from Wirtgen is Hamm’s HD 9 VV tandem roller. This unit features two 35.4-inch-wide vibrating roller drums, 21.6 horsepower and an operating weight of 3,682 pounds. Centrifugal force comes in at 3,825 pounds in the front and 2,475 pounds in the rear.

The roller measures 7 feet 6 inches front to back and 3 feet 5 inches side to side and has an inside turning radius of just under 7 feet.

LeeBoy

Back in Compaction: LeeBoy Intros 3 New Asphalt and Soil Rollers

LeeBoy has re-entered the compaction market with the launch of three new rollers to complement its line of paving and pavement maintenance equipment – the SR48 single-drum soil roller, the BR36 vibratory asphalt roller and the BR48 asphalt roller.

Equipment World

Volvo CE Debuts its New, Largest Soil Compactor, the 12-Ton SD125

Volvo CE has expanded its soil compaction lineup with its largest model yet, the 12-ton SD125.

Designed for medium- to heavy-duty compaction jobs, the roller has an 84-inch smooth-drum and operating weight of 26,565 pounds. It has a 0.2-inch thicker drum shell and a heavier outer eccentric weight than the SD115, Volvo’s previous largest model. This spec change results in an additional 935 pounds of mass on the drum, increasing the static load and eccentric force for a different amplitude profile.

Hamm

Hamm Debuts HD10e, HD12e Electric Tandem & Combi Rollers in U.S.

Hamm has rolled out an eight-model lineup of electric tandem and combination rollers to the U.S. market.

The compact models are based on the HD10 and HD12 rollers, designed for asphalt and soil compaction. The battery-powered rollers have the same compaction power as their diesel counterparts, according to Hamm. The models include what Hamm says are the first electric combination-drum-and-tire rollers with oscillation.

JCB

Vibromax Returns! A Closer Look at JCB’s CT160 Double Drum Compactor

JCB announced its return to the North American paving market earlier this year with the launch of two Vibromax-branded double drum compactors, the CT160 and CT260.

JCB acquired German-based Vibromax Compaction Equipment in 2005, but the equipment has not been available in North America for over a decade.

Equipment World

Sakai Unveils its First U.S. Roller with New Object-Detection Auto-Brake

Sakai’s Guardman SW884ND highway-class roller made its American debut at World of Asphalt 2024.

The flagship roller is Sakai’s first model built in the U.S. to feature Guardman, an emergency front- and rear- detection and auto-braking system. The technology uses millimeter-wave radar and 3D LiDAR systems to alert the operator of any obstacle and stop the machine as needed.

Caterpillar

Cat Updates Mid-Sized Tandem Vibratory Asphalt Compactors for 2024

Multiple new features were unveiled by Caterpillar on its CB7, CB8, and CB10 asphalt compactors at World of Asphalt 2024 in Nashville.

The updated machines have options including climate-controlled cabs, edge management, split drums, and a new mapping display.

BOMAG

BOMAG’s New "No-Frills" BW 211 D Single Drum Roller

With BOMAG’s new BW 211 D Smart Line single drum roller, fleet managers can expect powerful compaction performance at a 20% to 30% lower price tag.

Specifically designed for the rental industry, the no-frills model offers a rugged design, simplified maintenance and operation, and the option to add additional comfort and technology features. 

Hamm

Hamm's New HC 250i C VC Roller Crushes & Compacts at the Same Time

Hamm's new HC 250i C VC compactor with vibration crusher drum can simultaneously crush and compact mixed soils, stone and other materials. 

By combining two processes in one, contractors can use fewer machines on the job, saving time and money and reducing carbon emissions by up to half in some cases, the company says.

Hamm

Hamm Unveils Two New Tandem Asphalt Rollers with Oscillation & Vibration

Hamm has introduced two new asphalt tandem rollers that can compact with vibration or oscillation.

The HD+ 120i V-VIO and the HD+ 120i VIO-2 HF are now available in the North American market. The release of the new models comes just months after new models weighing 15,433 pounds and 17,636 pounds were launched in the summer of 2023 spanning multiple weight classes.

Motor Graders

Komatsu

Komatsu Brings its Largest Motor Grader, the GD955-7, to U.S.

Komatsu’s new GD955-7 marks its largest motor grader for the North American market.

With a 50% increase in operating weight over its predecessor, the GD955-7 weighs in at 104,323 pounds, which enables it to increase the blade's downforce pressure and stability, the company says.

Electric Equipment

Equipment World

Volvo CE Teases New Electric Compaction Equipment Prototypes

Volvo CE is expanding its lineup of electric compaction equipment, but the new models aren’t ready for jobsites just yet.

The manufacturer teased prototypes of the DD15 Electric double-drum asphalt compactor and TC13 Electric trench compactor at its recent Volvo Days North America event in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. 

Innovative Inventions

Equipment world

A Closer Look at "The Warthog": A Robot That Could Simplify Paving, Milling

Milling machines and pavers, especially those equipped with 3D machine control, require multiple crew members to keep pace with the machine and manually move total stations as work is completed. It’s a fast-paced job that will wear out even the most conditioned workers by the end of the day. But a new robot could be coming to help. It’s called "The Warthog."

The stout-wheeled unmanned ground vehicle, designed by Clearpath Robotics, is undergoing testing for potential construction applications with Trimble. Multiple units were on display at the company's recent Dimensions user conference to gauge contractor interest. 

Advanced Construction Robotics

TyBot 3.0: New Version of Rebar-Tying Robot Hits the Market

The next generation of the concrete rebar tying robot TyBot is now available from Advanced Construction Robotics.

The third-generation, called TyBot 3.0, comes with variable widths and other improvements, ACR says. It can also now be bought directly from the company, instead of only through ACR’s Robot as a Service model.

Robotiz3d

Robotic 'Pothole Police' Autonomously Hunts Down Potholes, Fixes Cracks

UK-based startup Robotiz3d says it has reinvented road maintenance with its new autonomous pothole-detection robot.

Using artificial intelligence, the Arres Prevent robot patrols the streets in search of potholes. It tracks the location, shape and severity of existing potholes and repairs cracks before they become a bigger problem.

Crafco

Repair Roads with Your Skid Steer with Crafco's New EZ Patcher

Crafco says its new EZ Patcher attachment for skid steers can speed up road repairs and make it safer for workers.

The EZ Patcher uses a weighted floating drag box that conforms to the surface for applying Crafco’s mastic repair material, a heated binder and aggregate mix. The attachment keeps the mastic material warm with a propane burner. The mastic’s flow, application rate and agitation can be controlled from inside the skid steer’s cab. The attachment also comes with a camera system to monitor the work area to help ensure precise mastic placement.

Miscellaneous

Equipment World

Streumaster Brings New SW 218 TC Binding Agent Spreader to U.S.

A new (to the U.S.) machine from Wirtgen is the Streumaster SW 218 TC binding agent spreader. The "TC" designates the unit is "towed" and features "cellular" wheels.

Designed to spread large quantities of binding agents during soil stabilization and small quantities during cold recycling, the SW 218 TC features 636 cubic feet of container volume, 7 foot 9 inches of working width and 18,519 pounds of unladen weight. Operators can spread up to 12.3 pounds per square foot at 1.2 mph.

Power Curbers

Power Curbers Launches the First HVAC Cab for a Curb & Gutter Paver

Power Curbers says it has the industry’s first climate-controlled cabin for a curb and gutter slipform concrete paver, and it’s now available for its popular compact 5700-D model.

The optional cabin provides a fully enclosed operator’s platform with air conditioning and heating – something that will come in handy during extreme temperatures.

FAE

FAE Intros RPL/HY Cold Planer Attachment for Compact Excavators

FAE has launched a new fixed-tooth cold planer attachment for compact excavators.

The RPL/HY is compatible with excavators weighing 5 to 8 metric tons. Its rotor teeth scrape and cut asphalt or concrete roads to prepare them for resurfacing and for recycling the millings. It can also be used for excavation operations.

Weiler Inc.

Weiler Expands into Self-Propelled Sweeper Market with "Super Broom"

Weiler Inc. has acquired the rights to manufacture and distribute self-propelled sweepers following a new agreement with Smith Challenger Manufacturing and Services Inc.

Smith Challenger is the designer and current manufacturer of the SCM 400 Super Broom. Under the new agreement, the broom will be Weiler branded and sold and serviced exclusively through the Caterpillar dealer network. The new product complements Weiler’s existing lineup of equipment for the heavy highway, commercial paving and quarry markets.

Ammann

Ammann ARW 65-S Walk-Behind Roller: Easier Movement with Less Muscle

The upgraded Ammann ARW 65-S Walk-Behind Roller takes less muscle to maneuver thanks to a new pivoting steering mechanism that enables the machine to move forward, backward and laterally.

Prior models could only move forward or reverse, requiring significant effort from the operator to direct the machine. Ammann says the new feature prevents operator fatigue, eliminates surface irregularities and provides consistency throughout the shift.