The Abu Hadriyah Road is an important highway in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. The highway runs from the United Arab Emirates' Batha' border crossing to Kuwait's border, passing near or through the cities of Khobar, Dammam, Qatif, Jubail, and Khafji over a distance of 646 kilometers (401 mi). The King Fahd Causeway, which connects Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, is also accessible via the motorway.This road is the major highway in the eastern province, since it moves goods and services as well as travelers between eastern cities and countries facing the Arab Gulf. 

There is a constant maintenance projects this road is getting all over the year, since heavy loads are being driven on it the road goes into rutting and cracking during the year. 

Rashid Contracting Establishment (RCE) is one of the main project contractors that are involved in the maintenance project. Their scope of work involves Cold milling up to the subgrade as well as paving new base course and wearing course of 70 Km stretch of road.

• Difficulties on Site

RCE current Bomag pavers came with rotary sensors and during the paving crew were using a steel rod layed on the ground and the Rotary Sensor above it. 

Their setup was creating a lot of irregulates specially since the Cold Milling and is not producing accurate level results. 

The Consultants were not happy with the end results of the paving that is being done and “they were looking for a solution to remove these irregulates and produce a smoother asphalt layer”.

The RCE project manager was approached by Mr. Ali Alrayes from SINTECHS the Local Partner of MOBA and a solution was introduced to solve their issues that is “The Big Sonic Ski”.

• The Big Sonic Ski Solution 

During the first stage of introduction to the system the RCE management needed some explanations and proof of concept regarding the result of the system. MOBA Local Partner SINTECHS have answered all the RCE doubts during the open presentation to the management and showed the success stories that has been already established in Saudi Arabia using the Big Sonic Ski.

On August 8th 2021 the Big Ski system have been installed on 2 Bomag Pavers that were on site. The old Rotary system with the steel Rod were discarded and the switch to the Big Ski were almost instant. 

• Training on the System

At first, the screed operators were afraid of the new levelling system but MOBA Local Partner SINTECHS have provided the training necessary for the installation and use of the Big Ski system. With small learning curve the screed operators were happy to use the system. 

• Results 

Based on the project locations that the system was used the RCE and the project Consultant were happy with the results of the Asphalt layer that was being resurfaced and the riding quality that was improved dramatically from the previous paving that was done using the Rotary system and steel rods. 

Due to the results, RCE decide to use this system and finish the project in the requested time period and paving quality was better than expected. The MOBA system has eliminated all existing waves and gave a smooth asphalt surface.

Special thanks to Jaber Alharbi the CEO of RCE which have taken the intuitive to use the Big Sonic Ski system and to be one of the Pioneers in the Saudi market that has adopted the system. 

As a result of this success story RCE is going to equip all of their Asphalt pavers with the Big Sonic Ski, specially in the long highways where riding quality and smoothness is key factor to the success of the project