Basic Introduction to the Rutting Tester

1. Safety Warning ：

The rutting tester is a safe and reliable instrument. Our company cannot anticipate errors or accidents that may arise from various improper operations or unspecified uses. Therefore, if a particular operation is not described in this manual, please consult our company first to determine whether it is permissible to use.

Before each work session, check the slide rail for foreign objects and ensure it remains clean.

When the test wheel is in operation, do not touch any moving parts; do not wear loose-fitting clothing or jewelry, and take care to avoid scratches or bumps that could cause personal injury.

When removing the casing to troubleshoot mechanical failures, be sure to disconnect the power supply.

This instrument must be properly grounded to ensure the operator’s safety.

When operating the instrument, make sure the support feet are fully grounded.

In the event of any abnormal situation, please immediately cut off the power and contact our company without delay.

2. Note:

Be sure to read the user manual carefully before using this instrument. In particular, the safety operating instructions are especially important.

When operating this instrument, keep the operation manual in an easily accessible location.

How to Use This Operating Manual

This manual contains important safety instructions for using this instrument, necessary safety warnings, basic parameter settings, frequently asked questions, and a complete operating procedure.

Failure to read the operating manual and using the instrument blindly may result in damage to the equipment or injury to personnel.

The precautions for labeling must be observed to ensure proper instrument operation.

3. Rated Power Supply Output:

This instrument operates on a three-phase four-wire system with a power rating of 3.5 kW, and the black wire serves as the neutral line.

4. Introduction: The rutting tester is manufactured by our company using advanced international technology, and it has seen significant improvements over similar instruments in terms of operational safety, ease of use, instrument durability, noise control, heat dissipation, and energy management. It features Android tablet operation, Wi-Fi wireless connectivity, variable-frequency drive electric actuation, and cloud server storage for test results.

The rutting tester can perform rutting tests at test temperatures ranging from 45°C to 85°C and wheel pressures between 0.7 MPa and 1.3 MPa, with a standard test duration of 60 minutes.

The wheel tracking tester is used to conduct tests on slab specimens that have been compacted using a wheel compactor, with dimensions of 300 mm in length, 300 mm in width, and 30–100 mm in thickness. It is also suitable for slab specimens cut on-site, measuring 300 mm in length, 150 mm in width, and 50 mm in thickness. Specimens with a thickness ranging from 30 mm to 100 mm can also be used.

The technical standards for this equipment comply with the industry standard of the People’s Republic of China: JTG 3410–2025.

5. Main Technical Specifications

6. Components and Accessories:

Displacement sensor: Located inside the wheel rut, it is used to measure the deformation of the test specimen.

Power cable: Provides power;

Stop block: Used for securing the test mold.

7. Unpacking and Inspection:

Upon receiving the instrument, it should be accompanied by a complete factory certification and relevant documentation.

Check whether the following accessories are included:

One testing machine

Power cable, one piece

Trial mold block, one.

Check that the above components are intact; if any damage is found, contact the carrier and manufacturer immediately!

Start operation

1. Unpacking and Installation:

Remove all transport restraints, lift the equipment off the wooden pallet. The instrument is reasonably designed and equipped with casters; by adjusting the leveling feet and using the casters, the instrument can be moved with ease.

Note: The instrument is relatively heavy; be extremely careful when disassembling or reassembling it to avoid personal injury or damage to the instrument.

The product shipping packaging boxes must be properly stored for future use during transportation.

Move the device to a fixed position, then turn the leveling feet back to their original positions, ensuring that the instrument is stable and remains essentially level.

The equipment should not be placed directly against the wall; leave sufficient space for maintenance.

2. Control Unit

Plug in the power supply properly. Verify that the power supply is three-phase, four-wire. After connecting, use a meter to verify that the installation is correct.

Note: The displacement sensor is a precision component; do not apply excessive force during adjustment to avoid damaging the sensor. The sensor probe must not be bent or impacted laterally, as this will cause damage to the sensor!

3. Power On

Run the rutting software, turn on the rutting power switch, and the real‑time temperature inside the rutting chamber will be displayed. Displacement is shown normally, the fan starts up, and the temperature begins to rise.

When the temperature control is turned on, the fan should start accordingly; otherwise, the machine should be stopped immediately for inspection.

Trial begins

1. Specimen Placement

Once the temperature inside the constant-temperature chamber has stabilized, load the cured specimens and securely lock them in place. The rolling direction of the test mold must align with the travel direction of the test wheel. After the temperature has stabilized, lower the assembly so that the test wheel makes full contact with the test mold, keeping it under continuous downward pressure.

Note: The test specimens must be cured according to the relevant standards, and the testing wheels should not be lowered when curing inside the instrument.

2. Begin the experiment

Click the “Start Test” button to begin the test; during the test, the elapsed test time will be displayed. Throughout the test, the curve display area will show red temperature and displacement curves that dynamically illustrate changes in temperature and displacement over time. When you hover your mouse over the temperature or displacement curve and click, the current deformation, temperature, and current time will be displayed. During the test, neither the file nor any of the setting options will be available.

After the experiment is completed, rutting automatically stops, and the experimental results are calculated.

3. Experiment completed

After the test is completed, first save the results: in the file, click “Save,” select the path and file name, then click “Save” again.

Then print the results: click “Print” in the File menu, and the test report will be printed automatically.

4. Remove the test specimen

Raise the test wheel and remove the specimen.

Note: Do not remove or adjust the displacement sensor to avoid damage.

5. Cleanup

After the specimen is removed, clean out the ruts and wipe the test wheel clean.

Note: Do not drop debris into the air inlet or outlet of the duct.

Testing and Debugging

Ground pressure

After the rutting tester has been in use for a period of time, the contact pressure must also be inspected. During inspection, invert the empty test mold onto the cart, thoroughly clean the bottom plate of the test wheel and mold, and preheat the specimen for two hours. Lay a sheet of millimeter‑grid paper on the bottom plate of the test mold, then place a new carbon copy paper on top. After applying the specified 700 N load, allow the test wheel to exert static pressure on the carbon copy paper; this will enable you to determine the wheel contact area on the grid paper and subsequently calculate the contact pressure. If the measured pressure does not fall within the range of 0.7 MPa ± 0.05 MPa, the load should be adjusted accordingly.

Recommendation: When the measured ground pressure differs significantly from the required value, it is not advisable to adjust the load directly; instead, you should replace the test wheel, as the current wheel may have aged.

Overall Maintenance

The rutting tester requires only minimal maintenance. To reduce damage to moving parts, it must be cleaned and lubricated regularly—especially the slide bars.

Note: If the fan is left unused for an extended period, it may fail to start due to dry bearings. You will need to add lubricating oil before you can start it again.