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Austrian construction group Strabag has maintained its Standard & Poor (S&P) investment grade rating of BBB – while also retaining its stable outlook. Explaining its decision, S&P cited Strabag’s well-diversified and vertically integrated business, its access to raw materials, and the group’s adequately high liquidity. However, S&P says Strabag is in a cyclical and intensely competitive market with high project risks and low margins. According to S&P, Strabag currently has sufficient room to manoeuvre regar

CNH Global says it’s entering the ‘next phase’ of agreements with Kobelco Construction Machinery, following an ongoing strategic review of its construction equipment business. Under the new, non-exclusive licensing and supply agreements, which took effect on January 1, 2013, CNH and Kobelco Construction Machinery are unwinding their joint ownership and equity participations in all the companies formed in connection with their previous alliance and eliminating any geographical exclusivity rights associated w

In Europe leading transport research specialists are calling for the Horizon 2020 budget for Smart, Green and Integrated Transport to be maintained at the €7.69 billion proposed by the European Commission. These specialists comprise European associations representing industry, research providers, academia, infrastructure, operators and users in the road, rail, air and waterborne transport sectors. These are calling for an appropriate budget share for transport research in the future Horizon 2020 Framework P

Work is progressing well in the Province of Zeeland in the Netherlands to construct the new Sluiskill Tunnel. This project forms part of a plan to develop the region alongside the Ghent-Terneuzen canal. The tunnel project was commissioned by the BV Kanaalkruising Sluiskil (BV KKS), the Combinatie BAM-TBI (CBT), a consortium comprising BAM Civiel, Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau, Croon Elektrotechniek and Mobilis. Construction of the Sluiskil Tunnel under the canal commenced in early 2011 and the twin tubes eac

Lighter and less costly batteries providing higher power densities could be a major benefit to the take-up of electric vehicles (EVs). At present, the cost and performance of electric car batteries present a barrier to the EV market. But new research in battery technology is suggesting promising alternative solutions. While such batteries will not be available commercially for some years, tests suggest these technologies could meet demands in terms of cost reduction and power density. Batteries using lithiu

The new CDE Asia factory in Kolkata, India, has been officially opened on the same industrial area as the company’s existing factory. It has been developed to ensure the company can accommodate growing demand for the range of washing equipment it produces for the market in India and south-east Asia. “Our new factory will allow us to build on the success we have enjoyed in India over the last five years and expand our territories into neighbouring countries,” said Manish Bhartia, managing director of CDE Asi

Ritchie Bros sold around US$3.9 billion of equipment at 328 unreserved equipment auctions around the world in 2012. This represents a 5% increase in gross auction proceeds over 2011 and the highest gross auction proceeds in the company’s history. The firm achieved gross auction proceeds of $1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012 alone, highlighting the strong industry demand for used machines. Ritchie Bros says that it also attracted record online bidder registrations and sold approximately $1.3 billion of

Astec, an Astec Industries company, has divided its Latin American sales territory. With the goal of better serving customers and delivering the very best service to the Latin America market, Astec brought Humberto Flores on board as director of sales for the southern Latin America territory, which includes Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador. Flores is based in Peru. Astec director of sales Moises Esquivel will retain the northern Latin America territory including Mexico,

After a slowdown in road projects last year, the road construction sector in India has picked up in 2012. With the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) awarding new projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) programmes and the their execution picking up, the Indian construction industry is looking at making up for lost time with a flow of funds and EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contracts in 2012. The effect of the sudden surge in demand for construction machinery, building

Authorities on the North East coast of the United States have begun repairing damaged highways and road bridges as part of a multi-billion dollar huge clean-up operation following the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. More than 250 people were killed in the superstorm that also wreaked havoc in parts of the Caribbean and Mid-Atlantic, with lesser impacts also felt in South Eastern and Mid-West American states and Eastern Canada, in late October 2012. This photograph taken of a Hurricane Sandy-hi

Atlas Copco intends to acquire the Swiss MEYCO business, a move that widens its product range for the tunnelling market. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed and Atlas Copco’s Swiss subsidiary will acquire the MEYCO Equipment business from BASF Construction Chemicals Europe. This move brings a comprehensive range of mobile equipment for shotcreting in underground operations. MEYCO has offices and an assembly facility in Winterthur, Switzerland and its products include carrier-mounted concrete spray