Features

For more than six months, German contractor Jens Weiss has been using Sandvik’s new surface drilling rig Ranger DX800, with noted low fuel consumption per metre drilled. The Ranger DX800 is a hydraulic, self-propelled, self-contained, crawler-type surface drilling rig. It is equipped with Sandvik-designed safety features to bring it into line with EU standard EN 16228. Typical applications are road cutting, pipeline drilling and foundation drilling, as well as production drilling in medium-size quarries.

The digital worksite topped the agenda at this year’s CECE congress. David Arminas reports from the Czech capital Prague* Europe’s equipment manufacturers and their clients are truly in an age of transformation driven by an increasing move towards the digital worksite. Because this transformation is so deep, there looms big challenges for the entire sector and its supply chain, noted Bernd Holz, president of the CECE – Committee for European Construction Equipment, Europe’s umbrella organisation for

Optimism about the future of highways worldwide abounded at the inaugural European Road Infrastructure Conference (ERIC) in Leeds, UK Around 500 delegates passed through the varied sessions during the three-day event at the Royal Armouries Museum in the northern English city of Leeds. They came away with many visions of what a motorway and road could look like. But what speakers at the event - co-organised by the Brussels-based European Union Road Federation (ERF) and the UK’s Road Safety Markings Ass

New tyre technology will increase productivity and cut downtime - Mike Woof writes Key advances in tyre technology will offer extended life for customers, as well as substantial gains in productivity and durability. Meanwhile, some major developments are also being seen in the market, with a number of smaller players now accounting for a substantial portion of sales. Important developments for tyre users include new strategies intended to improve tyre life and cut costs for consumers. One of the majo

Volvo CE is working on radical new concepts for earthmoving and extraction applications - Guy Woodford reports Volvo CE recently showcased a range of futuristic concepts and innovations from electromobility to intelligent machines and total site solutions at the company’s Xploration Forum in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Hundreds of Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) customers, members of the international press, government representatives and academics were given an exclusive look at a host of ground-breakin

A number of new bulldozer and grader developments are now coming to market - Mike Woof reports Bulldozers and graders are often overlooked as earthmovers, with the focus all too often concentrating on excavators, wheeled loaders and ADTs. However, key manufacturers are rolling out new graders and bulldozers too, which are also benefiting from the latest low emissions engine technology as well as advanced telematics systems and improved cabs with better all-round visibility. Caterpillar’s 26tonne 14M3

A look back at some of the developments this year, and a look ahead to what may come next reveals the increasing use of materials testing. New technology and new ways to process and analyse data will drive change even further - Kristina Smith reports For materials testing equipment manufacturers, constant change is business as usual. New tests emerge, new standards are written and new practices spread around regions and the world. There are also new materials to deal with: bitumen modified with polymers

New compaction solutions also come in compact form - Mike Woof writes New compaction tools are now being made available for the rental market, increasing efficiency over previous generation units. These new tools are more productive than earlier equipment, while also being quieter and safer to operate. Atlas Copco is introducing three new LF forward plate compactors, which can be used for soil compacting and asphalt patching applications. These now benefit from integrated water distribution systems a

A new airport project is benefiting from some of the latest developments in compaction technology Work started on a new airport for Istanbul in June 2014, with the facility set to be one of the world's largest and to set new standards when it opens for business. BOMAG has been playing a key role in the construction work at the new site, which is located close to the Black Sea coast. The construction equipment company has worked closely with the engineering team on site and BOMAG machines are now carr

HAMM is offering an innovative compaction crushing concept to construction customers - Mike Woof writes HAMM has put its novel crusher drum compactor system in series production. This is based on soil compactor technology, with the key feature being the innovative detachable tools. The idea behind the concept is that a large single drum roller can be used both for crushing and compacting rock. HAMM first unveiled its prototype in 2013 but has been developing and improving the system in a series of trials

Sunderland sees a bridge slide into place and two bridges inch their way across a Polish highway Slowly but surely, a 2,500 tonne section of a new bridge deck was eased out from the banks of the River Wear near Sunderland in northern England. It now straddles the water, pointing towards the opposite bank which it will eventually reach after another sliding operation likely to take place next year. The project to build the New Wear Crossing is now halfway through with the first half of the steel deck b

Terex cranes have been involved in a multiple bridge repair project in the US More than 96,000 vehicles per day travel a stretch of I-96, including its 52-year-old bridges. The Michigan Department of Transportation is in the midst of a two-year US$77 million project to repair bridges and relieve increasing congestion along Interstate 96 at the U.S. Highway 23 interchange in Livingston County. Toebe Construction along with joint venture partner Kamminga & Roodvoets are bringing in a lot of lifting powe

Software innovations can help road construction and asset management – Mike Woof writes New developments in construction software offer major benefits for civil engineers, contractors and maintenance firms. The latest advances will help optimise the construction process, while also allowing easier monitoring of existing assets. In terms of construction, Bentley Systems is again pushing the bar with regard to advanced software solutions. Its latest OpenRoads ConceptStation package is said to combine en

Software technology company Yotta has announced a five-year extension to its contract with Amey, a UK public and regulated services provider The extension, valued at more than €1.3 million, allows Amey to roll out licences for Yotta’s visualised asset management solution Horizons to subscribers in Australia, New Zealand and Spain in addition to those based in the UK. The service and maintenance provider will also be able to use Horizons in an additional six end-customers. Horizons is a visualised Softwar

Scientists at the University of Lancaster in England are using 3D data produced by Bluesky to refine a tree failure-risk model Pinpointing trees that might collapse onto roads and other infrastructure currently uses complex wind analysis techniques to assign a level of risk to individual trees. The data is Bluesky’s UK National Tree Map, laser mapped 3D height models, colour infrared (CIR) data and soil data. It will help identify individual trees and their proximity to roads as well as electricity insta