The pile of mix in the auger chamber directly in front of the screed. Its depth pushes on the screed, so a rising head lifts the screed and thickens the mat while a falling head lets it settle and thin out. Automatic feed sensors run the augers and slat conveyors to hold the head steady, ideally with mix covering about half to two-thirds of the auger flights across the full width.
Head of material's running low out on the left extension, turn up the auger sensor, we're starving the end gate.
A head that rises and falls with every truck shows up as a ripple in the mat at the same spacing as the loads.
Also heard as
- head
- material head
Related terms
Screed
The heated, floating plate assembly at the back of a paver that levels and pre-compacts the mat.
Paver
The self-propelled machine that receives hot mix, spreads it to width and lays it as a smooth, partly compacted mat.
Center streak
A narrow strip of coarse, open mix running down the middle of the mat behind the paver's auger gearbox.
Tow point
The point on the paver frame where the screed's side arm pivots, raised or lowered to control mat thickness.