Features

The United Kingdom’s Highways Agency has awarded its first commercial contract to survey thousands of road lanes using sophisticated Doppler laser equipment. Fugro is driving the project forward, reports David Arminas The Highways Agency Traffic Speed Defelectometer vehicle looks like an ordinary flatbed truck delivering a similarly ordinary steel shipping container. But looks are deceiving. Inside the container is a sophisticated Doppler laser measuring system collecting pavement condition data of the U

Tens of thousands of bridges in the United States are in desperate need of repair. But where to begin analysing their deteriorating state? Roger Roberts* investigates tips and techniques for ensuring bridge safety The average age of America’s more than 600,000 crumbling bridges is 42 years – many are 60 to 80 years old. The situation is dire, with many described as functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ latest edition of its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.

An array of innovative formwork solutions have helped in the repair and construction of key bridge links - Mike Woof writes Formwork producers are continually developing novel solutions for bridge maintenance and construction applications. Several key structures have benefited from the novel use of formwork systems, with suppliers such as Doka, PERI, Pilosio and RMD all working on important structures in recent times. In Estonia, construction work is underway on the bypass around Tartu, the country’s

Within 24 hours after the 6.5 magnitude earthquake, XCMG was hard at work on site XCMG recently provided a fast emergency response to an earthquake-stricken area of China. The firm’s rescue team rushed to provide help following the 6.5-magnitude earthquake which hit Ludian County in Yunnan Province. Rescuers reported 398 deaths, 1,801 injured, and in excess of 10,000 buildings having collapsed.

Cold-in place recycling method provides fast road rebuild in Brazil In Brazil a road contractor has carried out a high quality road rebuilding job, using novel techniques. Contractor Brown Brown is located in Santa Teresinha in the state of Bahia and recently carried out a two-week job for the company to rehabilitate sections of highway BR-381. The highway is an important route in Brazil and runs from Sao Paulo to Belo Horizonte. Highway BR-381 or Rodovia Fernão Dias, as it is called, stretches some 576km

This month we learn about a new test which is helping to predict the performance of asphalt mixtures containing recycled materials and modifiers, and we showcase some of the new testing equipment recently launched - writes Kristina Smith Researchers in the US have come up with a new test to help owners and contractors better predict the performance of their roads. “The problem is that the current tests cannot determine the performance of new materials,” said Dr Haleh Azari, manager of the AASHTO Advanced P

Even heavy rain showers on the first day of the bauma China exhibition in Shanghai did not dissuade the crowds packing the outside exhibition areas - Mike Woof writes Those firms exhibiting at bauma China 2014 in Shanghai benefited from a strong show that attracted a record attendance of 191,000, an increase of 6% over the 2012 event. A wide array of new equipment was on show from the 3,104 firms exhibiting, an increase of 14% from 2012. There was a strong focus on technology and new engines required for

Morocco’s massive motorway construction programme will improve transport connections and boost this North African country’s economy - Mike Woof reports A massive road building programme is transforming Morocco, with new motorways connecting cities and major towns, as well as many new rural roads being built. The Moroccan Government has set an impressive plan for its infrastructure investment that will see even the country’s small and remote villages having proper connections to the main road network. The

Komatsu has continued its development of Intelligent Machine Control (IMC) systems, in cooperation with global partner Topcon, with the launch of the PC210LCi-10, the first fully integrated OEM machine control crawler excavator. Unlike its IMC-equipped D61PXi/EXi dozer that was introduced last year, the popular 21 tonne excavator has been unveiled first in Europe, rather than in Japan or the USA. The machine, which is built at Komatsu UK’s excavator plant in Birtley in the North East of England, offers sem

On 18th and 19th September, the Association of Consulting Engineers Bosnia and Herzegovina (UKI BH), a member of the ERF, organised its 4th Congress on Roads, together with the Regional Cooperation Council. The UKI BH brings together stakeholders involved in consulting activities aimed at supporting the companies’ interests and improving the efficiency of the activities developed according to the international rules and regulations. The Regional Cooperation Council promotes the reciprocal cooperation, as

The increasing need for efficient and durable products providing greater road safety is a concern of many authorities around the world, with Mexico being no exception While the Mexican Government seeks to improve the safety of the country’s roads, many companies and local governments are also taking the initiative to make their mark. Over the past decades, cities around the world have experienced rapid urbanisation. The growth of urban centres like Mexico City, coupled with the expansive use of cars as a