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The International Road Federation (IRF) Geneva is reaching out to the next generation of leaders and professionals by launching the IRF Young Professionals Programme (IRF-YPP) The IRF YPP provides young professionals involved with the road and mobility sectors a platform for communicating with their peers, exchanging ideas, getting involved and contributing new ideas to the road sector, and engaging with the IRF. The mission of the IRF-YPP is to present young professionals with opportunities for their

The secretary general of the International Road Transport Union, Umberto de Pretto, has been awarded the International Road Federation's highest and most prestigious individual distinction Established in 1951, the Professional of the Year Award recognises eminent public, private and education sector professionals with an outstanding track record of leadership and commitment to the road transport industry. Throughout the years, the award has recognised some of the world's most influential transport leader

Telematics is giving contractors a greater oversight of the location and performance of their machinery In simple terms, telematics is any integrated use of telecommunications and ICT (information and communications technology). It concerns the sending, receiving and storing of information via telecommunication devices. Typically, this is in conjunction with machine or device control and includes use of global positioning systems, or GPS.

In Iowa, the Simex CT 2.8 vibrating compactor wheel is playing an important role in building a subsurface, road drainage system The topsoil of Iowa is famous for its fertility, a characteristic that explains the high agricultural productivity of this state located in the American Midwest. However, the composition of the soil lends itself poorly to the dispersal of rainwater, as its fine granulometry and low level of permeability (12.7cm/hour according to the American Association of State Highway and Tran

Innovations in asphalt plant technology will help boost the use of recycled asphalt. Mike Woof writes. An Ammann asphalt plant located in Australia has been successful in using a high percentage of recycled feed materials. The Australian producer Downer recently created and laid an asphalt mix consisting of 99% recycled materials, including feed from somewhat unusual sources. The feed included toner from printer cartridges, tyres and glass and this is thought to be the first time a mix has been produced usi

Internationally, airports are being upgraded and expanded to increase capacity and safety – Mike Woof writes. All around the world, airports are being expanded and upgraded, both to cope with massive increases in passenger numbers and also to handle larger aircraft. Runways have to be rebuilt with stronger structures and surfaces to handle greater air traffic volumes as well as increased loads from larger aeroplanes. Building airport runways, however, poses many challenges for construction crews. Paving qua

Three years ago a welder’s cut halved Canada’s old Port Mann Bridge. David Arminas reports from the banks of the Fraser River. By the time this issue of World Highways reaches you, one of Canada’s iconic steel arch bridges will be a shadow of its former self. It’s been a three-year demolition job since the first cut across the deck of the old Port Mann Bridge just outside the city of Vancouver on Canada’s Pacific coast. A new 10-lane 2.2km Port Mann Bridge opened in 2012 (see box). It runs parallel to the o

Brazil's improved Mercosur route will boost capacity and cut travel time - Mauro Nogarin writes. The Régis Bittencourt Highway is one of the main access routes of the Mercosur traffic. It has a length of 400km and connects the main cities of São Paulo and Curitiba, which allows for products to enter from the southeast toward the rest of the southern part of Brazil and later transit to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Products also flow into Brazil from Mercosur through this major highway. The cost of the hi

A quarrying operation in India is seeing the benefit of new machines for its fleet Indian quarry firm Pearl Mineral and mines, extracts some 7,200m3 of granite/year from its two granite quarries at Chimakurthy and Andhra Pradesh. Pearl Mineral and Mines is one of the top producers and exporters of Indian granite, with more than half of its produce sold overseas. Located on India’s south-eastern coast, the company produces stone, ranging from giant blocks to tiny chips. The Green Pearl granite quarry