Features

One Eastern European WIM manufacturer is finding commercial success in Russia, while another leading manufacturer is in demand in South America, as Guy Woodford reports Since Czech WIM technology manufacturer Camea secured type approval for its UnicamWIM system in early 2013, the firm has been installing a number of the systems in different Russian regions. These have included two UnicamWIM stations in Novosibirsk, one in the Kostroma region, and another on the M20 Highway between Belarus and Russia.

One leading traffic control solution company has announced a major acquisition to broaden its customer offer, while the delivery of an ambitious real-time journey information service for Scotland’s motorists is well on track. Guy Woodford reports Kapsch’s TrafficCom says its high-profile recent US$16 million acquisition of Transdyn will enable it to offer current and future customers worldwide an extended end-to-end product and solution portfolio for intelligent transport systems (ITS). The acquisitio

Cutting-edge barriers offering greater safety at the same time as limiting traffic disruption are proving in demand on busy world highways, as Guy Woodford reports Small footprint; minimum disruption after impact; lower labour costs; all said to be elements contributing to the growing popularity of the Trend terminal from Trinity Highway Products. This family of end terminals offers a range of safe and efficient solutions to barrier ends with quick and easy assembly and installation. Trinity claims th

The latest road marking systems from leading manufacturers are in demand in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America. Guy Woodford reports Ennis-Flint recently saw its Third Generation Waterborne Fast Dry Paint with low VOC applied on a Portuguese motorway by Trafiurbe and F.L Gaspar, two of the country’s leading contractors. The line marking is said to have been applied in response to demands from Portuguese authorities for higher specifications of line markings across the country’s highway net

Leading highway work zone safety solution manufacturers have developed innovative new systems offering greater utility and efficiency for work crews involved in vital highways’ projects. Guy Woodford reports Mobile Barriers is now offering its MBT-1 barrier with cranes, scissor lifts, camera-communication towers and other options to enhance the system’s utility and efficiency. “This has been largely client driven and an outgrowth of our ongoing development for the transportation and security/defence s

A novel technique is now being introduced in the UK that can help cut construction costs, as well as the time needed for road repairs. Connect Plus, the company that finances, operates and upgrades the 400km M25 network on behalf of the UK’s Highways Agency, has pioneered an innovative method for the replacement of life-expired concrete motorway The introduction of this method is helping reduce the delays experienced by drivers by as much as 80% in the sections of road where it is now being implemented.

Transnational collaboration on road infrastructure innovation is the aim of the ERA-NET Plus (EN Plus) Infravation event. The Infravation 2014 Call for this collaboration of 11 countries on road infrastructure innovation will be launched on 3rd March 2014. It will pool funding of some €9 million, of which one-third comes from the European Commission (EC). For the first time, the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will also contribute funding to an EN Plus Call however. This is a major development and

The innovative DURABROADS project will help deliver a sustained reduction of fatalities in the long term, writes the ERF’s José Diez In 2012, Europe recorded the lowest number of fatalities since the first data were collected. All in all, fatalities were down by 9% in 2012, which means that 3,000 lives were saved that year. Should the current pace continue, we can be confident that the ambitious objective of reducing fatalities by 50% by 2020, compared to 2010, will be reached. To achieve the goals of

An eye-catching state-of-the-art asphalt plant is making a big impact in South East Asia, while other new and proven asphalt plant technology remains in demand in Europe and other continents. Guy Woodford reports Marini China has ventured out of its traditional Chinese market to deliver to a Singaporean customer what is claimed to be Asia’s largest asphalt plant. An impressive 45m tall and capable of producing 360tonnes/hour, the plant model was in response to Ley Choon Group’s request for a new plant ahead

Atlas Copco’s Dynapac brand is launching new models aimed at the asphalt paving market - Mike Woof reports Atlas Copco’s Dynapac brand looks set to boost its worldwide presence in the road construction market, with new asphalt paving products forming a major segment of the firm’s improved portfolio. The launch of new pavers and an improved material feeder comes at a busy time for the Dynapac brand. When Dynapac was first acquired by Atlas Copco the business was left separate initially, however it has now

Part of an iconic US bridge has been given a new lease of life, as Mike Woof reports The western section of the historic Oakland Bay Bridge in the US state of California has recently benefited from a series of improvements to strengthen its structural integrity and also upgrade the running surface. Contractor OC Jones & Sons of Berkeley CA, paved large portions of the bridge, taking on two different projects as part of the work. First was placement of the specialised epoxy on the self-anchored suspension (S

The Silk Route is one of the oldest trading links between Europe and Asia and is being upgraded with some of the newest equipment. The nation of Georgia is located on what is known as the ‘crossroads’ between Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It lies to the east of the Black Sea and is on one of the shortest routes between western China and Europe. Since the Middle Ages this strategically important country has played host to one of the network of roads collectively known as the Silk Route. For much of the 20

Paolo Fellin, vice president of Caterpillar’s Global Construction & Infrastructure Division, has touched on the importance of the new dominance of booming African and other Emergent nation construction markets. Guy Woodford reports For Paolo Fellin, the last 10 years have seen the birth of a new order in world construction equipment sales.

Two factories in Russia’s greater Moscow region are using SDLG wheeled loaders to help distribute sand and gravel for use in new roads being built across the region With Russia one of the world’s fastest growing market economies, its need for infrastructure expansion has meant more roads and, as a result, a massive increased need for sand and gravel production. Two sand and gravel factories near Moscow are said to be helping produce the new roads, sidewalks, and also, buildings.

Indonesian infrastructure investment is seeing major highway expansion - Simon Gould writes Over the next 12 years, Indonesia has planned some massive infrastructure investments, under a master plan aimed at bringing it up to developed country status by 2025. Its Government’s Masterplan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI) envisages infrastructure spending of US$400 billion between 2011 and 2025 to help achieve this (see sidebar for more on MP3EI). With limited funds of