Features

Upgrades to a slipform concrete paver built in 1999 allow it to use current technology. US firm Streb Construction has taken a novel approach to its paving fleet by upgrading a CMI paver built in 1999 to use modern machine control technology. The company bought the CMI SF3302 machine new and this piece of equipment had logged a high number of hours since its purchase. However the company realised that this proven piece of equipment could be made to operate more efficiently and productively, as well as more

Machine control technologies were pioneered in the concrete paving sector with systems having been used for over 10 years. Leica Geosystems was the first of the machine control technology suppliers to offer these systems on concrete slipforming machines and has developed a strong position in this segment. However the company met resistance from some quarters in the construction market and specialist Karl Soar said that some contractors were very reluctant to give up using conventional stringlines. He said,

Recent exhibitions have been launch venues for key developments in aggregate production technologies - Mike Woof reports Efficient production of aggregates is crucial for maintaining cost-effectiveness and also lowering material costs. With contractors owning many of their own quarry operations, these firms understand the benefits of reducing materials costs for their road construction projects. Major developments in the equipment for crushing, screening and washing aggregates are now coming to market and e

Machine innovations and machine control advances are the latest news in the concrete paving sector - Mike Woof reports. While machine control systems were pioneered in the concrete paving market, continuous refinement of the technologies is offering major improvements for customers. Customers have a choice now of more than one supplier while the packages are said to be more user-friendly than before. And in addition, the systems themselves can be more closely integrated into the machines due to advances mad

There is massive development in design and construction of bridges in China and the Yingwuzhou Bridge over the Yangtze River is one key project – Mike Woof reports, with assistance from Route One’s Chinese publishing partner *CMTM Called the Mother River, the Yangtze is a focal point for China politically, economically and culturally. The river has been at the heart of China’s development for millennia, its history stretching back as far as the dawn of human civilisation. The name Yangtze, or Yangzi, is its

There is a great deal of innovation across the concrete plant, pump and truck mixer sector. Guy Woodford looks at what some of the sector’s biggest names are offering. CIFA managing director Davide Cipolla believes the Zoomlion-owned Italian firm has “not reached the limit” of what it can offer customers, thanks to a significant investment in research and development. Speaking about a US$2.57 million-a-year (€2million) R&D investment in CIFA and some Zoomlion products over the last five years Cipolla, who i

Although it has been around since the 1970s, roller compacted concrete (RCC) is starting to look a whole lot more attractive, thanks to the rising price of bitumen. Now the challenge is to define specifications and tests to help ensure quality - Kristina Smith reports. At a meeting of the American Concrete Pavement Association in December 2011, there was a sea-change in the attitude towards roller compacted concrete (RCC). Up until that point, the feeling among the 400-plus members, of which half are contra

Road marking manufacturers have many innovative new products either currently being used on major highways or set to be made available within the next couple of years. Guy Woodford reports. Daan Roosegaarde, an artist, and Hans Goris, a manager at Dutch construction and infrastructure firm Heijmans, are developing intriguing new products for the road markings market. One innovation involves painting road markings with glow-in-the-dark paint.

The Turkish Government has an extensive road-building programe - GÜLAY MALOKÇ provides an overview of the country's asphalt industry. Turkey covers an area approaching 800,000km2, of which about 97% is in Asia and 3% in Europe, while its population is close to 72 million. The country borders with Greece and Bulgaria on its European side, and Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Georgia on the Asian side. Commanding an important strategic position, Turkey controls the routes from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean

Barrier selection criteria should pay close attention to risks for stretches of road as well as regulations. Roadways need to have barriers to provide passive protection for users and to reduce the risk of injury or death in the event of a vehicle leaving the roadway. A wide array of regulations and legislation covers the design and installation of barriers on Europe’s roads. However, there are still a number of loopholes for certain types of roadside protection and further agreement is required to close th

New safety systems for highway work zones are helping to reduce deaths and injuries in the United States, while much work is being done in Europe to improve work zone safety. Guy Woodford reports. With more road building underway than at any one time in Texas history, the US Lone Star state’s Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is introducing its first highway safety system with queue-warning technology and temporary rumble strips to cut work zone collisions. Debuting along a central Texas stretch of the

A large bridge project is being planned in Venezuela, with ground investigation leading the way In Venezuela, preparation work is now being carried out for a major new bridge project. The European geotechnical specialist Lankelma is supplying its Combifloat C5 jack-up platform, JUP Sandpiper, to begin work on the ground investigation for the new Puente Nigale (in English: Nigale Bridge) over Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. The Nigale Bridge will be the second crossing over Venezuela’s largest lake. The link,

Rare Indian red granite is being extracted from four granite quarries across 24hectares of land in the south Indian villages of Purthagere and Kadur According to legend, Ilkal granite (also known as Cat’s Eye granite) was first discovered 2,000 years ago, but remained a little known rarity for two millennia. This all changed in 1983 when rich deposits were discovered in a small corner of south-west India, allowing Ilkal granite to be exploited for its beauty and decorative worth.

New roads and bridges are part of the US$765 million Salalah International Airport project in Oman RMD Kwikform Oman has supplied Larsen & Toubro Oman with a shoring solution to support construction of the new airport, which, once complete, will cater services for up to 1 million passengers/year. The project will involve the construction of a passenger terminal building, an air traffic control tower, and eight ancillary buildings, roads, and bridges. Located in the southern region of Oman, Salalah is a popu

An envisaged shortage in the supply of angular rock or crushed stone in Tanzania and a determination to conserve the environment by Kenyan authorities dictated the engineering design of a multi-national road linking the two largest economies in Eastern Africa. Shem Oirere reports The cost of buying crushed stone or hiring a site for mining the material and the expenses of moving it from the crushing site to the project area, saw designers opt for an intermediate alignment and discarding of the inner and out