The hinged sides of the paver's receiving hopper, which crews raise to slide the mix piled against them onto the slat conveyors. That mix is usually the coolest and coarsest in the hopper, so folding the wings after every truck sends a slug of cold, segregated material to the screed and leaves a spot in the mat. Experienced crews fold them only now and then, and only while plenty of fresh mix is still in the hopper.
Quit flipping the wings every load, that's where those cold spots are coming from in the middle of the lane.
Also heard as
- hopper wings
- flipping the wings
Related terms
Paver
The self-propelled machine that receives hot mix, spreads it to width and lays it as a smooth, partly compacted mat.
Segregation
Separation of coarse and fine aggregate, or of hot and cold mix, that leaves open, low-density spots in the mat.
Dump man
The paving crew member who guides trucks to the paver, signals the dump and collects load tickets.