Concrete milling, paving & compaction

UK company Aggregate Industries is now using a Super 1302-2 model paver from Vögele for on the island of Guernsey. The company's Guernsey subsidiary Ronez is using the machine for maintaining the island's narrow lanes as well as other paving duties.

Chile's highway system has fared remarkably well considering the severity of the massive earthquake that struck the country a few days ago. This is a crucial factor in ensuring that emergency help, food and other aid can reach the worst affected area in the south of the country quickly. The Vespucio Norte highway collapsed and while the Costanera Norte route was slightly damaged, the Vespucio Sur and Autopista Central highways were unaffected.

Delays are now expected on work to upgrade the Dhaka-Chittagong highway to dual carriageway status. This delay has been caused by a dispute with the consultant, the National Engineer Service of Pakistan (Nespak). The firm was contracted to monitor implementation of the project but is now requesting a larger fee to carry out the work.

A loan from the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help Sri Lanka rebuild roads damaged by its civil war. The US$154.4 million credit facility will be put toward projects such as repairing or replacing bridges and around 140km of provincial roads that were damaged in the north of Sri Lanka, where the civil war was most intense.

Ireland's Ministry of Transport is focussing on road maintenance rather than building new links at present. With the country’s economy still struggling under a burden of debt, finances are limited. Around 30 road maintenance projects are planned to be carried out in in Ireland during 2012. The Irish Government intends to invest around €200 million/year on road maintenance until its finances improve. New road projects are being delayed and will be held back until 2016 or 2017.

A report on road maintenance in 13 European nations highlights Italy as spending the most on its network in 2007. According to the data, Italy spent €835 million on road maintenance followed by the Netherlands with €786 million, the UK with €753 million and Spain with €718 million.

Roads in the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, are set for a major upgrade following £364.6 million (E404 million) of government funding. The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funding will allow the Isle of Wight Council to carry out vital improvements and maintenance to local roads over 25 years including road surface improvement and maintenance; footway and cycleway improvement; maintenance on bridges and other structures; upgrades to traffic signals, signs, street nameplates and road marking

Malta National Laboratory (MNL) has asked the UK’s TRL to help it establish a construction materials testing facility. This will allow MNL to become an independent test house on the island, and it will then be able to undertake testing of road materials to the required international standards. A team of TRL experts with extensive knowledge of civil engineering materials testing and pavement materials technology and design, as well as large-scale project management skills, will deliver the project in two p

German company HUESKER, which specialises in geosynthetics for the construction industry and textiles for industrial and agricultural applications, is celebrating its 150th birthday this year. The business concept of the classical cotton weaving mill was originally founded by H & J Huesker & Co in December 1861. In 2010, the International Geosynthetics Society committee presented HUESKER with the IGS Award for the development of high-strength geosynthetic reinforcements from innovative raw materials.