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Major gains in tunnelling productivity and performance are claimed for a series of new machines now coming to market These new tools will help contractors boost productivity and versatility in an array of applications. The new equipment items are designed for a variety of tasks, including drilling and shotcreting duties. One of the leaders in the underground equipment sector, Atlas Copco, has a new line-up of single and twin boom drill rigs, which suit duties in smaller tunnelling applications. The fi

Using ground penetrating radar to determine reason for serious pavement settling in Kentucky-Tennessee tunnel Just a few years after the opening of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, highway officials noticed moderate to severe settling of the continuously reinforced concrete pavement. The mountain tunnel provides an important link between Kentucky and Tennessee along US25E and the problem looked serious, with many voids discovered beneath the pavement surface. To investigate the problems, the Kentucky Transpor

Equipment from the Wirtgen Group has played an important role in stabilising the area being developed for a new industrial zone in Germany. The site of a new factory located in Backnang, including access roads and parking areas has seen the use of the Wirtgen machines to help address poor ground conditions. The contractor employed a Wirtgen WR 200i soil stabiliser, two Hamm compactors and a Streumaster SW 16 MC binding agent spreader to improve the ground properties the soil. The firm, Riva, expanded

Road recycling technology was one focus area at the recent World of Asphalt exhibition in the US city of Baltimore - Mike Woof writes. The economic and environmental benefits to be gained from recycling road materials are well understood. In many markets such as North America, Europe and now China, the percentage of road materials being recycled is on the increase. New technologies are helping make recycling more efficient and widening the possibilities for contractors and clients One innovative deve

Caterpillar vice president Paolo Fellin sums up the past year for the global equipment manufacturer and looks at the increasing importance of telematics and machine control. David Arminas reports from Caterpillar’s Demonstration and Learning Centre in Malaga, southern Spain First the good news. Despite the difficulties, especially of the financial markets, 2014 was “a record year for a lot of things” for global heavy equipment maker Caterpillar.Now the bad news. Hang onto your seats because despite some

Engine technology is advancing, with lower emissions, lower fuel consumption and longer service intervals being key developments - Mike Woof reviews some of the latest developments A huge investment in diesel engine technologies in recent years has seen manufacturers develop low emission diesels that are quieter, cleaner and use less fuel, while in many instances delivering more power. For machine manufacturers this has been a major benefit, allowing them to meet tougher regulations on noise and exhaust

Earthmoving equipment manufacturer Dressta is launching the first of three new hydraulic crawler dozers later this year, and has ambitious growth plans funded by parent company LiuGong, the Chinese construction equipment manufacturing giant. Guy Woodford reports Dressta’s trio of new hydraulic crawler dozers represent exciting additions to the dozer market and are the first results of parent company LiuGong’s significant R&D investment in the Polish firm, which it bought in 2012. Being launched in Q

Crying out for consistency Getting hold of the right product, or any product at all, is often the challenge, as delegates to the Argus Africa Bitumen conference heard Many parts of Africa have ambitious road building plans for the next few decades. But clients and contractors are facing problems with the quality and supply of bitumen, delegates at the Argus Africa Bitumen conference were told. If there was one overriding message to come out of the conference, held in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania in Feb

New technology was one key focus area for the World of Asphalt/AGG1 event run recently in the US city of Baltimore - Mike Woof writes Technology has been a major focus for the combined World of Asphalt and AGG1 2015 exhibition and conference held in Baltimore. The exhibition area attracted 450 exhibitors and covered a larger area than for previous events, while over 10,000 education season tickets were bought by those wanting to attend the presentation sessions. The event was held from March 17th- March

Kenya is introducing novel methods for funding its necessary road infrastructure development - Shem Oirere writes. Kenya has unveiled a new financing model for road construction and reviewed its design standards and construction methodologies, which forms part of a new strategy for the East African country. Under this new plan Kenya is planning to upgrade 10,000km of road, with these links featuring asphalt surfacing; the work being carried out over the next five years at a cost of US$2.8 billion. Despite t