News

Topcon technology expanded to include haul trucks
March 11, 2014
Topcon Positioning Group is applying its technology to haul trucks, the company announced on Wednesday. “Our objective has always been to automate a construction site as much as possible,” said Kris Maas, manager of machine control product marketing for Topcon. “We know we can’t, or at least shouldn’t, remotely operate any vehicle. But, we can and should do the next best thing—manage and track the whereabouts and payload of site material. That’s what HT-30 does.”
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Strongest ever year for testing equipment firm Humboldt
March 11, 2014
Construction testing equipment manufacturer Humboldt has the strongest forward order book ever, said general manager John Lamond at Conexpo. The firm relocated at the end of last year to a bigger manufacturing facility: a 6,970 sq m factory in Elgin, Illinois. “We needed to expand,” said Lamond. “It’s a bigger and better location for us as a growing business.”
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Esco launches six new/expanded products at Conexpo
March 11, 2014
Esco Corporation launched six new products or expanded product lines at Conexpo. The Ultralok tooth system, designed specifically for the construction industry, has expanded to fit more machines, including bolt-on adapters for many popular wheeled loaders and several new point shapes for utility and quarry applications. Ultralok is hammerless and integrated with the point, thus making field replacement safer, easier and faster. Esco’s embedded E3 tungsten carbide blades are said to deliver up to five ti
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Chicago Pneumatic is to launch a new range of light towers
March 11, 2014
Chicago Pneumatic is to launch a new range of light towers for the European and international markets. Announced at Conexpo, the two new light towers will suit a variety of applications across the construction, mining and oil and gas industries, as well as public sector lighting and entertainment. “The new light tower range will live up to Chicago Pneumatics’ well-known reputation for ease-of-use, reliability and manoeuvrability: both light towers have been carefully designed to be extremely easy to posit
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ZF’s NMV pto drive suits high torque applications
March 11, 2014
ZF used Conexpo to reveal a production-ready version of its NMV pto gear drive system. Mounted between the engine and transmission of a vehicle, the NMV assembly allows an auxiliary mechanical drive to be engaged without having to the run the driveline through a transmission.
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Longer oil drain intervals with Castrol Hypuron AF
March 11, 2014
Castrol claims that its latest semi-synthetic engine oil, Hypuron AF, can extend oil drain intervals significantly with the introduction of a new additive pack. The firm said its 10W30 oil has the ability to double oil drain intervals from the near industry standard 500hours to 1000hours with the use of frequent oil analysis. It has been drawing on the experience of several US mine and quarry operators who are already achieving 1250hour oil change intervals, who are chasing a target of 1400hour for their
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IPAF and NCCCO use Conexpo 2014 to call for increased power line safety
March 11, 2014
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and the North American National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) have joined forces to raise awareness of the dangers of working near to overhead power lines. Speaking at Conexpo 2014, both organisations have found that a high percentage of reported fatalities involving either aerial work platforms or mobile cranes - almost 50% in the case of cranes - involve collisions with overhead power lines. Given that most work platform o
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FLK hydraulic filtration from Donaldson
March 11, 2014
Donaldson has developed a new range of heavy-duty hydraulic filter systems for mid-pressure applications, called the FLK series. The cartridge-type filter includes a re-usable bowl that carries a raised rib profile – the latter allowing the filter housing to be tightened and released without the need for tools or filter wrenches. Locking tabs on the cartridge filter have been included to help correctly locate the cartridge within its bowl. The FLK series uses Donaldson’s Synteq XP filter media to resist
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Successful overnight bridge demolition
March 10, 2014
In the UK a contractor carried out a successful overnight demolition of a highway bridge. Demolition firm S Evans and Sons carried out the work, as a sub-contract to main contractor Balfour Beatty. The work involved removing the pedestrian bridge located close to the town of Stafford. The bridge spanned the busy M54 motorway and the work was carried out at night to minimise disturbance to the traffic flow.
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Approval given for expressway in China’s Anhui Province
March 10, 2014
Official approval has been given to the feasibility report for the Chuzhou-Huainan Expressway project in China’s Anhui province. Construction of the US$1.35 billion expressway will be carried out during 2014 and the projects is due for be completion within 3 years. The 125km route will feature four lanes in either direction and will have a speed limit of 120km/h. The expressway project includes seven interchanges.
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Tunnel construction for Gdansk, Poland
March 10, 2014
Work is now underway on the second section of a new tunnel project in the Polish city of Gdansk. The tunnel runs underneath the Martwa Wisla River. The project is of note as it is the first time a TBM has been used to drive a tunnel in Poland. The tunnel will feature twin tubes, each measuring 1.07km long. The tunnel forms part of the Trasa Slowackiego project and is worth some €210 million.
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Oman awards Indian firm road project
March 10, 2014
The Oman Government has awarded a major road upgrade project to Indian contractor Larsen & Toubro. The 76km project is worth just over US$249 million. The route is at present a two lane road and will be widened between the towns of Bidbid and Sur. The work includes building 10 interchanges, seven pedestrian underpasses and five underpasses for vehicles. It also includes building service roads.
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Projects planned for Colombia’s highway connections
March 10, 2014
From Colombia comes news of a US$13.4 billion funding package that will be directed towards the construction of nine highway projects. This package of works includes construction and concessions for a series of highways, which will be carried out under the PPP model. These include the Conexión Norte, Autopista al Río Magdalena 1, Autopista al Río Magdalena 2, Autopista al Mar 1 and Autopista al Mar 2. They also include the Autopista Conexión Pacífico 1, Autopista Conexión Pacífico 2 and Autopista Conexión P
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New study reveals worrying trends amongst German drivers
March 10, 2014
A new study from Germany reveals that young drivers are increasingly interested in vehicles equipped with modern communication facilities. This report is of concern as data shows the increasing use of communication devices to boost the risk of crashes. According to a study by Samsung, the entering of a telephone number while driving increases accident risk by a factor of 2.8 and the typing of a text message by a factor of 23. Meanwhile a study by insurance company Allianz suggests that 30% of motorists read
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Atkins is working on major deals for Texas and Florida
March 10, 2014
Atkins is working on major contracts in Texas and Florida for tolling and design and build services respectively. In Texas the Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reselected Atkins as its state-wide prime consultant for toll-plaza planning, development, and implementation. Under the terms of the five-year, $10 million contract, Atkins is providing planning, development, infrastructure design and coordination, and construction oversight services, as well as system installation, integration, and testing serv
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