Asphalt milling, paving & compaction

German company WEIRO has helped to introduce new microsurfacing technology to Estonia to upgrade its roads Estonia's rapidly growing road network requires modern and cost effective road surface rehabilitation technologies. As a result of technological and economical evaluations of the Estonian road network, it has been stated that repairs and upgrading of the existing network will remain the first priority, especially the repair of ruts, which represent a major problem in Estonia. The aim of a trial run of

The latest compaction technology offers users the benefits of more accurate performance by combining heat detection and compaction metering with GPS In Europe several leading manufacturers now offer more accurate compaction technology, with Ammann, BOMAG, Dynapac and Hamm all having developed advanced control packages. The technologies vary widely but the advantages are broadly similar, with smart compaction allowing the user a greater degree of control over the compaction process and delivering major reduc

Special reinforcements can extend the life of an old or new road, and also offer environmental benefits. Patrick Smith reports. Asphalt reinforcement can extend the service life of a resurfaced road by a factor of 3-4, says Huesker, developers of the HaTelit range of asphalt reinforcement. Aimed at preventing the propagation of reflective cracking from an old asphalt layer through a new surface course, Huesker claims the formation of reflective cracking is considerably delayed or even completely prevented u

Airport runway, taxiway and parking areas make high demands on paving requirements, both with concrete and asphalt techniques. Mike Woof reports. High quality surface finishes are required in airport environments for runways, taxiways and aircraft parking areas. Because of the speed at which aircraft take off and land and the massive forces exerted due to the weight of the aircraft, particularly during landing, runway structures need to be incredibly strong. The surfaces also have to be constructed to very

UK highway maintenance contractor Ringway has expanded its ABG paver fleet to 15 in all, with the addition of another Volvo 6870 wheeled paver. The ABG6870 is the latest in a long line of ABG machines to be used by Ringway, which also has a number of 273 and 473 machines. The new machine will be used for a wide variety of jobs by Ringway, who specialises in handling contracts for local authorities. Already the machine has been out on resurfacing contracts with the London Borough of Enfield and further north

Two technologies combined to give a heavily used bridge a new surface that should last for years The Avonmouth Bridge carries the M5 motorway over the River Avon, and is a vital part of the road infrastructure in south-west England, linking the counties of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall to the rest of the country. Completed in 1973, it carries commuters to the city of Bristol, and to South Wales, along with holidaymakers. The 1.4km long steel box girder bridge comprising a 16,000m2 steel decked central span a

Mike Woof reviews the latest compaction market developments In the run-up to the upcoming World of Asphalt event in Orlando, Florida in March, the leading compaction equipment firms are rolling out upgraded and improved machines. With market conditions tough worldwide, customers are also likely to be encouraged with competitive deals on purchasing new machines and replacing ageing fleets.

Mike Woof discusses some novel developments relating to bitumen In the developed countries of Western Europe there is an increasing shift away from new highway construction to maintaining and rebuilding existing roads. In Germany alone, a network of asphalt roads extending more than 600,000km will have to be maintained or repaired. Highway maintenance techniques do vary between European countries but some commonalities exist. There are techniques that have been sidelined in the last few years but which now

Caterpillar pavers were used recently to help improve drainage on a vital road into a popular tourist destination in Portugal. The Avenida Marginal is the main road access into Cascais, a village with historic hotels, winding roads and stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean attracting thousands of holidaymakers each year. However, the highway had been suffering from poor draining resulting in rivulets being formed in heavy rain, making travelling hazardous for cars and pedestrians alike.

India’s new Formula 1 motor racing circuit, with its tight construction tolerances, demands considerable driving skill. More than 500 million people worldwide watched the first Formula 1 motor race in India's history. The drivers were thrilled by the new asphalt circuit with its numerous bends and the peripheral area around the new race track at Greater Noida near the capital New Delhi, which were built by machinery from German company Vögele (a member of the Wirtgen Group). Working with four Super 1800-