Features

Morocco's road programme boosts economy
February 9, 2012
A major road programme instigated by King Mohammed VI of Morocco is helping to boost the country's economy and modernise infrastructure. This forms part of a plan to boost tourism, a key part of the country's income from 8 - 10 million. There were less than 300km of motorways existing when King Mohammed VI inherited the throne from his father in July 1999. Since then, the figure has increased to over 1,000km and this is set to almost double in the next five years. A hugely significant highway programme was
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Tackling winter maintenance
February 9, 2012
Winter weather often brings traffic chaos, and authorities have to be ready to tackle it as Patrick Smith reports Good winter maintenance is rarely noticed, and it is only when things go wrong that it becomes a public issue. "When sudden bouts of cold weather bring traffic chaos, icy roads receive high-profile coverage and local authorities are criticised, often unfairly, for not affording greater protection," says the Highways Term Maintenance Association (HTMA), the UK's top trade body for road mainten
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Advanced excavator range
February 9, 2012
Turkish firm Hidromek is serious about its plans for the future and is gearing up production of its excavator range. High performance is claimed by the firm for its machines, which feature sophisticated electronics and hydraulics as well as the latest low emission engines.
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Permanent DMS in work zones
February 9, 2012
Forty-four state agencies currently rely on Daktronics for a total of more than 3,500 dynamic message signs (DMS) to provide important information to motorists. As soon as a new construction project begins, approaching motorists need to know exactly what to expect. Permanent DMS provide the information ahead of time, ahead of the congestion.
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ROPS excavator cabs now a reality
February 9, 2012
ISO-certified excavator ROPS cabs are coming for excavators. Mark Cherrington writes. It has been a long time coming, but certified ROPS cabs on excavators are now a reality. This follows the release of an international ISO standard that sets out laboratory tests and performance requirements for protective structures on excavators weighing from 6 - 50tonnes. In addition, an update to the EU's Machinery Safety Directive (MSD) took effect at the end of 2009 and brought in a number of changes, including a requ
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Boom in Asian infrastructure investment
February 8, 2012
Investment in China and India continues unabated, but other nations on the continent are eager to attract companies as Patrick Smith reports Asia is still booming despite the current economic crisis, and new infrastructure programmes are constantly coming on stream. Powerhouses China and India, with their double-digit growth figures and huge infrastructure plans (in scope and cost), are leading the way and are still magnets for businesses wishing to expand, both in terms of facilities and customers. But oth
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Improving truck parking security and quality
February 8, 2012
The innovative LABEL project lays the foundations for reducing cargo theft and promoting greater transport security on Europe's road networks. In Europe, cargo theft is a criminal phenomenon that has an important economic impact. Research has put the total loss caused at approximately €8.2 billion yearly. The calculation includes costs such as the re-production and the re-packaging and resending of the stolen goods. According to data from the International Road Transport Union (IRU), one out of six drivers
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Planning the world's rural transport systems
February 8, 2012
China Hosts Major International Convention on Rural Roads. Given the crucial importance of rural roads in the global development context, IRF is according the issue priority focus this year by co-hosting its 2nd International Convention on Rural Roads. This will be convened in Jinan City, Shandong, China, from 26-29 October 2010, in association with the global Transport Knowledge Partnership (gTKP) and the China Highway and Transportation Society (CHTS). Following the landmark success of the inaugural IRF g
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IRF Far East road safety training
February 8, 2012
For the past two decades, road safety advocates have faced an uphill battle of convincing governments of the very real epidemic of road fatalities and to invest resources to combat the carnage. And after several years of awareness campaigns, most, if not all, public road officials now agree that the world's roads must be safer.
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Developments in workzone safety systems
February 8, 2012
Raising awareness of safety in highway work zones is a global issue, and various initiatives highlight this as Patrick Smith reports. So seriously is work zone safety taken in the United States that each year since 1999 a special week has been set aside to highlight it. Each year in April, National Work Zone Awareness Week is held to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones.
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'Soft' option gets results
February 8, 2012
Soft engineering techniques, used to prevent soil erosion and stabilise steep cuts and embankments, have allowed engineers to successfully widen the M1 motorway in the UK. Over the 50km length of the work (25km northbound, 25km southbound) on a busy section of the motorway near the city of Nottingham, a total of 48km of slopes had to be modified, split roughly between cutting and embankment. The UK Highways Agency requirements for the work meant that wholesale widening of the corridor was not possible: the
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Promoting advances in sustainable roads worldwide
February 8, 2012
The International Road Federation (IRF), founded in 1948, is the only world forum advocating better and safer roads through better road design and construction bearing in mind the user. It is a unique institution that brings together members active in road infrastructure from both the private and public sectors.
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Weigh in motion technology reduces road damage
February 8, 2012
Overweight vehicles cause enormous damage to road structures but they can be caught, even at high speed. Weigh-in-motion or WIM devices are designed to capture and record axle weights and gross vehicle weights as vehicles drive over a measurement site.
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Optimising investment and uptime
February 8, 2012
Tight deadlines, inclement weather, long travel times and inadequate tank capacity are a few of the challenges facing road marking contractors. But with the right equipment and careful planning, road marking contractors can optimise their investment and uptime, says Borum Industri. "Timing plays a key role in every road marking job. On new roads it is the last part of a project, and if there have been delays along the way, road marking contractors are under pressure to complete the job fast. On existing roa
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LA gets Smartstud technology
February 8, 2012
In January, a US$3.2 million project saw the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in the USA start operating a dynamic lane in Los Angeles. The lane at the northbound Pasadena Freeway (SR-110) connector to the northbound Golden State Freeway (I-5) provides more capacity and provides congestion relief, and is the first of its kind to be introduced in the state. It operates as an optional connector lane during peak hours and a through-lane on SR-110 during general hours, and includes Smartstuds
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