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Early Lessons
August 10, 2012
A Chinese child has been given stern advice on road safetyfollowing an impromptu journey he made recently. The boy rode his motorised tricycle across a busy junction at Wenzou in Eastern China. His journey was viewed live on traffic cameras as the boy crossed the junction, apparently unconcerned at the rush hour traffic all around him. Footage that would turn any parent prematurely grey showed the boy happily driving his tricycle through the melee, as buses and cars roared past. The boy was being looked af
Aged Ice
August 10, 2012
Police in Chile confiscated a truck laden with ice taken from a glacier. The ice had been destined for use in cocktrails in bars and restaurants in Chilean capital Santiago. The ice is thought to have been frozen 1,000 years ago, somewhat before current regulations governing food safety were introduced.
Speed Cycling
August 10, 2012
A South African cyclist suffered a serious crash during a race in his country, due to an antelope’s lack of awareness of road rules. The cyclist was knocked off his bicycle by a Red Hartebeest buck, which charged across the dirt road he was riding along. The cyclist saw the animal spring from the side of the road but there was little he could do to stop. The antelope dazedly stood up following the impact and then bounded away, apparently unhurt. However the cyclist was left sprawled in the grass.
Canine Security
August 9, 2012
In China’s Guangxi Province, a cyclist is employing his dog in a bid to dissuade would-be thieves from stealing his bicycle, instead of using a chain and lock. When the man pops into a shop, he leaves his dog outside with his bicycle. The golden retriever patiently waits beside the bicycle, with a paw resting on the frame. Once the man returns and mounts the bicycle, the dog hops onto the rear carrier before barking to tell the owner he is safely seated. Local campaigners are working on providing the pooch
Cat’s ergonomic worker
August 9, 2012
The new Caterpillar M318D MH Waste Handler is a wheeled excavator designed for use in indoor or outdoor work areas with limited space. The new model, said by Cat to meet with accepted industry criteria for safe operation and high production when working in close quarters, incorporates significant undercarriage and boom modifications. It also retains what Cat says are the proven features of its conventional M318D MH counterpart. These include a fuel-efficient Cat C6.6 ACERT engine that meets EU Stage IIIB e
Atlas Copco’s appetite for demolition
August 9, 2012
Atlas Copco’s new BP3050 bulk pulveriser was due to get its UK exhibition debut this month at Hillhead 2012. The Swedish construction industry giants claim that due to the machine’s innovative angled shape, the BP3050 is ideal for a wide array of demolition tasks. It features huge jaw dimensions that facilitate energy efficient high throughput, with speed valves shortening the opening and closing time of the jaws to ensure less fuel consumption during pulveriser operation.
Contraflow with Mike Woof
August 2, 2012
‘Before I get down to this month’s main agenda, I’d like to draw your attention to a range of improvements that we’ve made to the content of World Highways. In conjunction with a fresher look, we have introduced features both long and short: At the ‘long’ end of the scale in our World Report…this month the subject is Australian roads…and at the ‘short’ end of the scale is the five-minute interview with an industry personality. Our equipment features have been beefed up with more analysis, and the signpostin
Safe signposts
August 2, 2012
The first of 3M's innovative new frangible post units are now being installed on the UK's M54 and M6 motorways. These units are designed specifically to reduce the risk to drivers in the event of a crash. At present 20% of road fatalities in the UK result from a collision with a road side feature, such as a post, a street lamp or tree. By replacing rigid steel posts with frangible posts that minimise occupant injury when impacted by a vehicle, this risk will be reduced. Passive posts are now being used on s
Heated road repairs
August 2, 2012
New infrared asphalt restoration technologies, such as the Patriot system, are more reliable than before and offer cost benefits over time-consuming, cut-and-fill asphalt repairs. This technology offers benefits over conventional repairs which leave seams that can allow water penetration. Where thes eams are not watertight, the repaired, filled-in portion can fail within a year or so, however infrared technology blends the new asphalt with the old by heating an area 152-203mm beyond the perimeter of the rep
Improved survey data handling
August 2, 2012
Leica Geosystems says that its Leica MobileMatriX v3.0 package can be used to synchronise survey data with an enterprise geodatabase, transfer digital images taken from a mobile phone via Bluetooth and link it with a feature, in addition to many other improvements. The firms says that its MobileMatriX v3.0 package offers a flexible and powerful mobile GIS application and can be used in both large projects and small projects involving only a few field crews. Survey data can be replicated within the editing p
Improved traffic information flow
August 2, 2012
Siemens says it is adding further performance features to its sophisticated Comet UTMC traffic management and information system. This technology now includes the complete integration of journey time monitoring (JTM) and can be linked directly to ANPR cameras. This development allows the latest generation of Comet equipment to monitor the network performance and improve the integration of urban traffic management information. The firm says that the new Comet UTMC system allows network managers to monitor lo
Be seen, be safe
August 2, 2012
Avery Dennison is offering the Omni-Brite S-9000, a flexible microprismatic material designed for use on safety vests and other garments. The company, which has a range of omni-directional reflective work zone sign sheeting and pre-striped barricade reflective sheeting for optimal visibility in hazardous work zone areas, says its Omni-Brite S-9000 offers high levels of reflectivity no matter which way work zone workers move, even in wet weather conditions. The product has been certified to meet or exceed ma
On-site computing power
August 2, 2012
Leica Geosystems is expanding its range with the launch of its Leica DX10 Field Controller. This robust site PDA is designed specifically for use in the tough construction environment, is compact, versatile and powerful. The Leica DX10 delivers high performance and reliability and can cope with vibration, shock and temperature extremes. It features an ergonomically shaped case and weighs just 482grammes. Features include Bluetooth capabilities, a high contrast colour display, a 520MHz Intel Xscale processor
Highway condition monitoring move
August 2, 2012
Geospatial surveying specialist Yotta DCL now has a contract with Southampton City Council for road surface condition monitoring and is using its advanced laser technology. Yotta DCL is surveying 300km of the city's roads using its sophisticated ARAN survey vehicle which uses innovative laser scanning and precision GPS systems. These surveys are operating as part of a UK Government-specified programme called Surface Condition Assessment for the National Network of Roads (SCANNER). This will provide the city
Polish road strengthened by Tensar
July 31, 2012
Consultants have specified Tensar techology in the rebuilding of a deteriorating Polish highway in order to meet current standards. The use of Tensar geogrids enabled consultants Drotest and Dro-konsult Warsaw to create a stable asphalt pavement quicker and more economically than using conventional construction methods, says Tensar. The 40km long road, which connects Bartoszyce and Ketrzyhn, had exceeded its design life and clearly showed its structural weakness with bad rutting, extensive fatigue crackin