Materials

Developments in asphalt plant technology are seeing major gains in energy efficiency and the use of RAP but some manufacturers are moving in different directions - Mike Woof writes. Asphalt Drum Mixers is offering its EX120 asphalt plant as a solution for producers needing a portable counterflow plant that can process high percentages of RAP. The plant features single-drum counterflow technology and is said to be compact, with a capacity of 120tonnes/hour, while the firm says that the machine meets all fede

Asphalt plant builders continue to develop new technologies to meet different demands from clients. Marini says that in addition to developing new and more sophisticated asphalt plants, the firm is also meeting demands from customers looking to upgrade existing asphalt plants with the addition of new systems. These can be used to boost output and material quality, while also delivering new grades of mixes. At the same time, plant upgrades can reduce the environmental profile of a plant, while improving its

Scottish Highlands-based company GF Job has been one of the first companies to trial Sandvik’s Superior tooth jaw plates. Sandvik said that, among other benefits, it has doubled the lifetime of the company’s jaw plates. GF Job, based near Inverness, offers earthmoving, civil engineering, heavy haulage and recycling to contract crushing. It owns five aggregates quarries as well as a wide range of Sandvik mobile crushing and screening equipment, including four tracked jaw crushers. Predominantly, the quarries

Scottish Highlands-based company GF Job is been one of the first companies to trial Sandvik’s Superior tooth jaw plates. Sandvik said that, among other benefits, it has doubled the lifetime of the company’s jaw plates. GF Job, based near Inverness, offers earthmoving, civil engineering, heavy haulage and recycling to contract crushing. It owns five aggregates quarries as well as a wide range of Sandvik mobile crushing and screening equipment, including four tracked jaw crushers. Predominantly, the quarries'

Iceland, being a volcanic island and still active, must import aggregates and bitumen for road construction. The island’s 104,000km² and its 333,000 inhabitants are susceptible to daily seismic activity of some kind. However, airline passengers, either visiting the country as tourist or in transit, are increasing by around 20% per year so good airport services are essential. As such, Colas is resurfacing the main runway and constructing a third strip and contracting other road works. The highway network i

Kenya’s bitumen demand to grow - Shem Oirere writes. Kenya’s demand for bitumen products is set to increase with recent budget allocations for construction of new roads, ports and airports and for maintenance of existing transport infrastructure. The country’s economic growth rose from 5.3% in 2014 to 5.5% in 2015 and is projected to hit 6% and 6.4% in 2016 and 2017 respectively according to the African Development Bank, triggering demand for better and modern infrastructure particularly in the transport se

Volvo CE has developed an all-electric mini excavator, which it is now demonstrating in prototype form. The machine is powered by the latest generation Li-Ion battery technology and is said to be highly efficient. Volvo CE points out that the machine is a prototype intended to test the concept and that its configuration will be likely to change during development. The 3.5tonne machine also does without conventional hydraulic circuits, marking it apart from currently available electric excavators. Lars Stenq

In California, in-situ cold recycling with a Wirtgen 3800 CR recycler has proved to be the most economical solution. In the US’s Golden State – California – Wirtgen’s 708kW powerhouse the 3800 CR recycler resurfaced 160km of San José’s main traffic arteries in situ, on-the-spot. The 3800 CR worked with a Vögele VISION 5200-2i tracked paver in a rear-load process. With this method, the 3800 CR travels in reverse, removing the damaged asphalt layers in a down-cut process and transferring the recycled material