Moba has introduced a system that produces a complete thermal profile of an asphalt paving project, thus enabling contractors to detect material segregation in real time.

According to the German manufacturer, segregation is a leading cause of premature failure in roads. "The Pave-IR's temperature histogram provides an easy to use gauge of variation in pavement temperature, thus highlighting a problem as it happens," said a spokesman.

The system is based on 12 infrared sensors imbedded in a beam that attaches to the screed. The beam is scalable up to 7.3 m with 24 sensors. A distance encoder provides precise measurement of distance and paving speed, thus pinpointing and logging the exact point of any temperature variations.

The on-board Pave-IR computer features a full colour touch screen monitor and 2 GB internal memory. As well as real time monitoring, the histogram files are stored so they can be transferred to an office for review.