Asphalt milling, paving & compaction

CONTROLS reaches 50th anniversary and launches new technology

August 10, 2018

Testing equipment specialist CONTROLS Group is celebrating its 50 years of supplying testing technology for the civil engineering industry. Controls was founded in October 1968 by Umberto Granelli who is still operative today. What started as a business pioneering the development of compression machines has developed into a leader in testing equipment for the Construction Industry. Pasquale Di Iorio, CONTROLS Group’s president and shareholder and CEO from 1996 to 2017 said, “We want to mark this 50th Anni

Get under the surface of asphalt specification, says Keith Harvey

July 26, 2018

Specifiers must do more than just scratch the surface of asphalt specification, urges Keith Harvey* Improving the UK’s road network is a serious business. Amid an escalating population, 2016 saw a colossal 916,000 new vehicles registered in the country. The was a leap of 5% on the year before, bringing the total number of vehicles on our roads to 36.7 million, according to UK government figures. What is perhaps even more concerning, however, is the surge in commercial vehicle use of the network. As he

New non-destructive testing technologies for roads and bridges

July 11, 2018

Two new technologies for non-destructive testing offer key benefits, one suiting road surfaces, the other suiting concrete structures - Kristina Smith reports Dynatest has developed a new way to measure and record the state of pavements, using a machine that travels at the same speed as traffic. The Rapid Pavement Tester (Raptor) has been seven years in the making and offers road owners the chance to have comprehensive surveys without the need to disrupt traffic. “People have been wanting to do this for

Aggregate Industries wins contract extension from Highways England

July 9, 2018

Aggregate Industries has won a four year extension to its contract for road maintenance from Highways England. The new deal is managed through the new Category Management Framework. Worth some £2.3 billion, this will see Aggregate Industries working on five of the six Major Regional Lots to provide pavement works on projects where the pavement element is estimated at over £1 million, irrespective of overall scheme value. The value of the works to Aggregates Industries is estimated to be in excess of £500 mi

LafargeHolcim’s UK deal for pavement solutions

July 6, 2018

LafargeHolcim has won a major contract from Highways England in the UK. The £500 million package of works will be handled by its subsidiary, Aggregate Industries. The four year contract is to deliver pavement solutions for five of the six Major Regional Lots, under the new Category Management Framework. Under the contract Aggregate Industries will deliver asphalt and cement bound works on Highways England's Regional Investment Programme. Marcel Cobuz, Regional Head Europe and member of the Group Executive

Trakm8 signs telematics contract with Colas’s Czech operations

July 3, 2018

The Czech division of French civil engineering group Colas will install Trakm8 vehicle use and GPS tracking systems on at least 1,000 vehicles and machines. Installation of the telematics will take place over three years in an effort to improve day-to-day management of its assets and reducing fuel consumption. Colas will hook up cars and construction machinery such as excavators, cranes and asphalt pavers so data is collected on GPS positions within certain sites, hourly utilisation reports and fuel

Advances in asphalt paving equipment coming to market

June 27, 2018

Some of the key manufacturers are improving asphalt paving technology with key developments to machines as well as the electronics and telematics systems fitted – Mike Woof writes. Several of the major asphalt paver manufacturers have unveiled new machines and systems that can optimise operations. Improved operating features for the BOMAG BF 800 C-2 paver are said to help increase its output and efficiency when working on-site. An important development is the new traffic light system, which helps improve co

CONTROLS establishes partnership with Milan University

June 18, 2018

CONTROLS and the Politecnico di Milano have established a three-year partnership, due to start this coming academic year. The agreement was signed by CONTROLS CEO Andrea Certo (Alumnus 1992 of the Politecnico di Milano) and by the university chancellor Ferruccio Resta. This alliance brings together two areas of excellence to help the potential of the Italian industry and academic world to emerge on an international level. CONTROLS operates in 121 countries all over the world and is in constant contact wit

Compaction innovations from key firms

June 12, 2018

The major manufacturers are introducing an array of advanced asphalt compaction machines - Mike Woof writes. New compaction machines are coming to market from an array of manufacturers, aiming to increase output and efficiency for road contractors. One of the most notable developments is with Hamm’s launch of a production hybrid compactor model, while other firms say they are also working on similar systems. However, several manufacturers have introduced new and improved machines with superior performance t

The Danish Road Directorate is testing climate-friendly asphalt

June 4, 2018

Over the next few weeks, Denmark is hosting a world-premiere in the field of green infrastructure. A busy section of the motorway exiting the greater area of Copenhagen northbound towards Elsinore has been chosen is being used for the trials. This is the first of several roads on the Danish state road network to receive a special climate-friendly asphalt, as part of the development of pavements that reduce emissions from road traffic. This type of asphalt has been developed over the last decade and is the