News

CTE has upgraded its B-Lift High Range whereby all platforms offer 600kg of capacity at maximum working height. The first customer benefitting from this improvement is CTE German dealer Hematec Arbeitsbühnen, thanks to the purchase of a B-Lift 390 High Range. The High Range’s booms have a main telescopic boom with 3/5 elements (main boom + 2/4 extensions), main jib and secondary jib, as well as proportional electro-hydraulic controls with simultaneous manoeuvres. The vehicle cab has an anti-collision

An experimental 2km test track for electric heavy goods trucks will open in the Swedish area of Elväg Gävle in June. The track runs along the E16 highway between Sandviken and Kungsgården. Electrically powered trucks will be using the track around Gävle, a town by the Baltic Sea near the mouth of the river Dalälven. The Elväg Gävle project is financed and managed by the Regional Development Council of Gävleborg in cooperation with the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), the Swedish Energy

A Russian-Chinese joint venture Amur-Heilongjiang has been set up for construction of a road and rail bridge across the Amur River. The project, worth around US$275 million, will connect the Russian region of Blagoveshchensk, located at the confluence of the Amur and Zeya Rivers in the far east, and the Chinese province of Heihe. according to the Kommersant newspaper. The 2.2km bridge, expected to be open by 2020, was proposed in 2007 by Valery Solomonovich Gurevich, the vice-chairman of Russia’s Jewi

Lebuhraya Borneo Utara of Malaysia has awarded a highway construction contract valued at US$422 million to a 30:70 consortium comprising Dhaya Maju Infrastructure and Hock Seng Lee (HSL). Under the contract, the consortium is required to undertake related works for Phase I of the Pan Borneo Highway, according to a report by the New Straits Times newspaper. Works includes upgrading the Batang Rajang Bridge and construction of roads between Sungai Kua Bridge and Sibu Airport as well as between Julau Jun

The German Government's new transport investment strategy will see increased spending until 2030. The Ministry for Transport says that the emphasis will be on renovating existing infrastructure, instead of building new projects. Around 70% of investment will be for renovation and improvement projects, compared to 56% in the previous transport strategy. The plan is worth a total of €264.5 billion, an increase of €91 billion over the previous plan, with 49.4% targeted at road projects, 41.3% for rail and 9.3%

South Korean firm Hyundai is looking for a new partner to join the consortium that will construct Chile’s Chacao Bridge. The project has been planned for some years, having been cancelled once previously, and will connect with Chiloe Island, replacing the current ferry service. The new partner for the consortium would take the place of Brazilian firm OAS, which is currently embroiled in legal difficulties due to an ongoing investigation in Brazil. The aim is that a new partner could buy out the 49% stake in

Mott MacDonald Construction reports that the £56 million Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme - FARRRS - in Doncaster, UK, has been completed and open. Mott MacDonald provided Doncaster Council with the majority of pre-construction services on the project. Planning for a link connecting the south of Doncaster to Junction 3 of the M18 started over a decade ago. The first phase, known as Great Yorkshire Way, comprises 1.5km of new dual carriageway and 3km of single carriageway. It also includes

The global market for construction aggregates is projected to advance to 51.7 billion tonnes in 2019, representing an annual growth rate of 5.2%, according to a new study by the Freedonia Group.

Young drivers are at high risk from crashing according to a new survey carried out in France. The survey was carried out by the GMV Conseil engineering firm for Allianz France. This reveals that risky behaviour for young drivers poses a wider hazard. A key risk comes from dangerous attitudes linked to new technologies. The study says that 19% of the 3,000 young people aged 15 - 30 use a cellphone while driving, and 18% look at emails and messages. Meanwhile 12% admit that they have already driven after drin

Munich-based construction equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson reported growth in revenue for fiscal 2015, despite difficult market conditions. However, a company statement said profit dipped due to crises in key industries and regions, leading to “a cautious revenue and earnings forecast for 2016”. Group revenue was €1.38 billion for 2015, up 7% on €1.28 billion for 2014. When adjusted to discount currency effects, revenue grew by 3%. During the first half of the year, revenue grew 14% on the same

Colombia’s minister of transport Natalia Abello Vives has announced that nine 4G public private partnership projects will receive financing this year. Final financing for the Puerta de Hierro-Cruz del Visola road, part of the second wave of 4G projects, will be on June 14, with work to be carried out by Spanish construction firm Sacyr. Construcciones El Condor will carry out the Antioquia-Bolivar and Cesar-Guajira road projects which will also receive financing this year. Other projects include the

Brazil's national land transport agency ANTT has launched a public consultation concerning a proposed contract extension of 13 years for the NovaDutra highway concession held by CCR. The deal covers the Rodovia Presidente Dutra highway between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, according to a report by the Valor Economico newspaper. Consultations will run for 30 days until mid-April and include two sessions in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

A new and more compact slipform paver is being introduced by Guntert & Zimmerman, widening the firm’s range of models. The company has been known in the past for its large slipform pavers used in road and airport runway jobs but in recent years has developed smaller and more compact units. The S400 shares many of its features with the existing S600, which was previously the most compact model in the line-up. The firm’s German representative, Peter Hedke said, “It’s the smallest machine we’ve ever built.”

The European construction equipment market is performing relatively well in global terms. However striking regional disparities remain, according to the Annual Economic Report for 2016 from the European construction equipment manufacturing association, CECE. Data from the report shows that excluding Russia, the European market for construction machines grew by 3.5% in 2015 and it forecasts a slight increase in business for 2016.