Features

New innovations in machine control are delivering highperformance, with advances to come showing future potential – Mike Woof writes In transportation, the potential for autonomous vehicles that operate without the need for a human driver is now being evaluated. A string of development projects are underway by an array of automotive and technology companies, sometimes in partnership with each other. In the mining sector, autonomous machines have been operating in underground facilities for 20 years and

A Kentucky concrete slipforming contractor is benefiting from new technology in optimising kerb and gutter work. Fox Enterprises now constructs offset kerb, gutter and parking lot island placements using an on-site guidance system. The system permits automated placement of those items, including tight radii. Its fleet recently expanded to include a larger slipform paver that can handle offset curb-and-gutter paving, but also inset pavement slab paving.

Guntert & Zimmerman (G&Z) is experiencing healthy sales for its concrete pavers, with the factory also benefiting from upgrades. Improved manufacturing processes at the G&Z factory in Ripon, California, will help reduce delivery times for customers. This is important given the strong orders that the G&Z plant is handling at present, with the workforce also the highest for many decades. Rolf Guntert is executive vice president, sales and said, “We’re continuing to grow.”

Power Curbers has seen strong sales of its machines during 2018, with demand expected to continue through 2019 – Mike Woof writes Power Curbers has seen strong sales for its slipformers during 2018, with customers keen to replace ageing equip-ment. Sales of the 5700-C have been very healthy. One of the key changes in the market that Power Curbers has observed is with the growing interest in machine control solutions amongst its customers. Power Curbers said that there has been a massive change in custom

Shell Bitumen has developed molecular technology that cuts 40% of air-polluting emissions -Kristina Smith reports Shell Bitumen is launching a new technology which drastically reduces the amount of harmful air pollutants produced when asphalt mixes are manufactured and laid on the roads. Called Shell Bitumen FreshAir, it reduces six of the seven pollutants produced by at least 40%. The seventh, ozone, is produced in too small an amount to measure changes. “The World Health Organisation has said that 90%

Automation in transport was the theme of the high-level segment (HLS) that opened the 81st session on the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva on 19th February. IRF was invited to share its view with the Ministers and 400 other representatives of governments and key transport stakeholders from over 70 countries present at the meeting. The HLS concluded with the adoption of a resolution on Enhancing Cooperation, Harmonisation and Integration in the

The theme of the 2019 ITF Summit which will be hosted in Leipzig (Germany) on 22-24th May has as its theme “Transport Connectivity for Regional Integration” and will gather as usual top decision-makers from the public and the private sector. IRF will be hosting together with China Highway and Transportation Society and the Black Sea Economic Commission (BSEC) a high-level debate on “The Belt & Road: Bridging the gaps for sustainable transport and growth in Eurasia”. Launched in 2013, the Belt and Road

The nearing-end of the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) calls on all of us to step up our efforts. The upcoming ministerial meeting, which will be hosted by Sweden in February 2020 and marks the start of a new decade, further offers the opportunity to renew our commitment by bringing to the table concrete action. As a member of the International Road Federation (IRF), Total Foundation is partnering with IRF for the launch of a private sector road safety coalition in Tanzania. Total Founda

Mobility services are expected to undergo spectacular changes within the next two decades with the introduction and widespread use of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology. However, the transition phase from human driving to self-driving will be gradual, requiring incremental interventions on the physical and digital road network to allow it to cope with mixed vehicular traffic. Cities such as Dubai have embraced the challenge by setting a target to reach 25% driverless trips by 2030 as part o

Rebuilding a runway requires special attention to detail to maximise efficiency and safety Airport runways face special challenges with regard to the loads they carry on a daily basis, particularly when aircraft are landing. A modern jet aircraft will typically land at speeds of around 240-260km/h, with a laden 747 weighing as much as 265tonnes at the end of a long flight. The stresses these large aircraft place on runway surfaces are enormous and not just with the massive impact forces exerted during

Roads everywhere are becoming high-pressure workplaces for millions of gig economy workers, meaning traffic police need a new way to regulate how highways are used. Geoff Hadwick reports from Manchester, UK The way in which the world’s highways are designed, built and used needs to change fast as the gig economy becomes a global phenomenon. Millions of low-paid and badly-trained freelance drivers are now using road as their workplace, all of them working hard under huge amounts of pressure. The tren

Kirk Steudle, longtime Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and a globally recognized authority on the development of connected and automated vehicles has been nominated to receive IRF's most distinguished individual honour. According to IRF Chairman Eng. Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel "This accolade crowns an exceptional career and a highly respected voice on innovation in transportation, at a time when road sector stakeholders everywhere are embracing creative thinking in anticipation of ne

The National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) at Auburn University has started its seventh cycle of tests on its 2.7km (1.7mile) Test Track.

New tests for cracking and rutting are easy to perform, use existing equipment and work well on mixes with different binders and recycled content - Kristina Smith writes Researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) have developed new tests for cracking and rutting, designed to be quick and easy to carry out, using existing laboratory equipment. The most advanced of these is the IDEAL Cracking Test (IDEAL-CT), which could be appearing in specifications in some of the US states in around six