Features

A senior LiuGong figure says the company’s keenly awaited 900E Series excavator is a “very key machine” for its future. Dave Beatenbough, vice president of the Chinese construction equipment manufacturing giant’s research and development arm, said production of the model at LiuGong’s Dressta base in Poland was expected to begin “within three months”.

Market conditions are tough, according to Jean-Claude Fayat, executive managing director of the Fayat Group. He said, “From my point of view this crisis is not over. We have a slow recovery but this is a structural crisis and a new balance has to be found.” Despite the difficult conditions, the company is performing well and Fayat said, “Our group turnover is around €3.7 billion/year. We are a family group and we have never wanted to be on the stock exchange.” The European market has become less important

Volvo Construction Equipment president Pat Olney has stressed the importance of the bauma show to the industry giant ahead of the 2013 event. Speaking during the recent inauguration of Volvo CE’s new Americas HQ in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, he said: “Bauma is a major show in Europe and also attracts international visitors.

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.

An eight year project to construct the highest road in the UAE is now complete, with key help having been provided by a fleet of Volvo CE machines The work was carried out by local contractor General Mechanic Company (GMC), with assistance from Volvo CE dealer FAMCO as well as Volvo CE itself and Volvo Trucks. The 36km road climbs 1,910m to its highest point in a mountain range and required the transportation of 5.5 million m3 of materials during its construction.

A key road in Costa Rica has been upgraded and now features concrete construction CEMEX Latam Holdings, a subsidiary of CEMEX, supplied the cement needed for the project to upgrade a 50km stretch of the Inter-American Highway in Costa Rica.

A highway link to the north of Panama´s capital city that connects with a national park popular with tourists, has now been rebuilt Cement producer and concrete specialist CEMEX carried out a study into the project, to find a cost effective solution. And working with CEMEX, Panama’s Ministry of Public Works began planning for the project in 2015. A 5.7km stretch of the highway has now been improved, with the road structure being built from concrete.

Algerian firm SAPTA is currently using four Sennebogen cranes for a bridge project close to Algerian capital Algiers. SAPTA is a specialist in bridge construction and is using the cranes, a combination of crawler and telescopic machines, to lift heavy components weighing up to 60tonnes

A Chinese contractor is carrying out a major road project intended to cut congestion in Kenyan capital Nairobi – Shem Oirere writes Chinese contractor China Wu Yi has won a US$163 million contract for the reconstruction and expansion of a 25km highway leading out of Kenya’s capital Nairobi with financing from the World Bank. The contract was awarded by the country’s National Highways Authority (KeNHA), a state-owned road agency responsible for the management, development, rehabilitation and maintenance of i

Asphalt production is a complex process featuring many variables - Mike Varner, chief engineer at Astec Inc discussed methods with Mike Woof Asphalt production in a black art in more ways than one. It involves a complex process of mixing bitumen with aggregates under temperature and optimising this operation is crucial to maximise quality. But with so many variables, determining exactly what is going on inside an asphalt plant involves extensive research, sophisticated computer modelling and the use of a

Tunnelling technology is seeing major developments that will boost construction efficiency - Mike Woof writes Both in tunnel drilling and TBM systems, new machines are now being built that offer major gains in performance. Sandvik is introducing a number of major new models developments to its tunnelling drill range. Three new tunnelling jumbos are now available that suit different drilling requirements, the DD422iE, DT912D and DT922i. The firm says that its advanced DD422iE rig offers major advantage

Bolivia’s ambitious Santa Cruz road corridor connector project is providing an important link for the country - Gordon Feller writes The World Bank has been organising a US$230 million loan to upgrade a vital connector linking the country’s northern and southern transit corridors. Meanwhile, another $100 million is coming from Bolivia’s government.

A new tunnel between Chile and Argentina will boost trade and transport between the two countries - Mauro Nogarin writes The international Tunnel Paso Las Leñas will stretch 11.5km at 2,050m above sea level through the Andes. Once complete, it will greatly improve the connectivity and integration between the Chilean O'Higgins region with the Argentine Mendoza region.

It is not only the scale of the Tuen Mun to Chek Lap Kok tunnel that impressed delegates but the number of novel technologies that Dragages Hong Kong, a Bouygues Construction subsidiary, is employing on this project. The 4.6 km tunnel running 60m below sea level is part of a strategic new route linking Hong Kong’s airport on Lantau Island and the New Territories. Dragage’s contract includes reclamation of 16.5-hectares at the tunnel’s north end to accommodate the north portal and a ventilation building. Wo