A long beam, often 24 to 40 feet, that rides on the existing surface or the adjacent mat beside the paver. The grade sensor reads its average height instead of every bump, so the screed bridges short dips and humps and builds a smoother surface. Non-contact versions carry a row of sonic or laser sensors along a beam, and crews call those skis too.
Run the ski on the old lane, not on the gravel shoulder, that shoulder's got more waves than the lake.
On new construction with no trustworthy surface to ride, crews trade the ski for a string line or 3D machine control.
Also heard as
- averaging ski
- averaging beam
- mobile reference
Related terms
Tow point
The point on the paver frame where the screed's side arm pivots, raised or lowered to control mat thickness.
Screwman
Crew slang for the screed operator, who sets mat thickness, slope and width at the back of the paver.
IRI
International Roughness Index: a measure of ride quality in inches per mile, collected with a laser profiler.