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The supply and demand for bitumen around the world is changing; refineries, suppliers and contractors must all make changes too - Kristina Smith reports These are interesting times for those supplying and buying bitumen. Almost every part of the picture is in flux: global demand is shifting dramatically; major suppliers are following demand; refineries are closing down or stopping production of bitumen. “In Europe and globally there is a very big chain of events happening,” said Bernd Schmidt, CEO o

New machines are now being offered at the compact end of the asphalt compaction market - Mike Woof reports Manufacturers have developed an array of new machines and solutions for the compact end of the asphalt compactor market segment. These units have been designed to meet the latest regulations for Europe and the US, with low emission engines that are also more economical on fuel. But as these machines are made in large volumes, the market for smaller asphalt compactors sees fierce rivalry between fi

A UK student hopes his new lenticular road signs which ‘pulse’ at drivers will lead to a revolution in the way motorists are given information on the roads. Meanwhile, a leading road marking firm is helping keep tourists safe in a spiritually significant town in Umbria, Italy. Guy Woodford reports You may think Charles Gale’s vision of creating the first ‘pulsing’ lenticular road sign was the result of months, even years, spent studying traffic and driver behaviour on the roads of his adopted student c

An array of asset management technologies and capabilities are now available to help clients optimise infrastructure assessments. Global survey and geotechnical group, Fugro, has signed a multi-year agreement with Dutch pavement consultant, KOAC•NPC. This move will see the firms combine capabilities to undertake highway surface condition contracts in the Netherlands. Under the agreement, Fugro will collect surface condition data using its ARAN road scanning vehicle. KOAC•NPC, will carry out the post pro

The FEHRL Infrastructure Research Meeting 2013 (FIRM 2013) raised key issues in transport innovation The key theme for FIRM 13 was advanced and innovative construction and maintenance, highlighting the importance of efficient asset management. Infravation, or infrastructure innovation, was another focus area for the event. Joris Al, FEHRL president said, “We aim to bring interested parties together. We’ve decided to build on existing knowledge rather than starting with front edge technologies and working

Latest software packages from Bentley Systems will help optimise project design and construction efficiency – Mike Woof reports Software systems have come a long way in helping optimise construction projects from design through construction to delivery. And the latest software from Bentley Systems offers additional capabilities for road design applications. Bentley Systems is offering the V8i (SELECTseries 3) versions of its InRoads, GEOPAK, and MXROAD products. All of the products now share the

Cartagena, Colombia’s coastal city attracts large numbers of visitors, generating heavy traffic through the Rafael Nuñez International Airport. However the surface of the runway had suffered from heavy wear, r esulting in bumpy landings and this was in need of repair. In addition, engineers wanted to create a graded, ramped approach to aid with both take-offs and landings. However, the volume of air traffic using the airport meant that construction work had to take place in a tight timeframe, between mi

Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in the south-east of Poland is now benefiting from a new taxiway constructed over a 50-month period and costing some €22.5 million. The work was required as the airport needs to increase capacity to cope with growing passenger traffic. The main portion of the project was for the construction of a 3km long taxiway, which lies parallel to the airport’s main runway. This taxiway now allows aircraft to manoeuvre away from the single runway and free up capacity for take-offs and land

Canada’s vast tar sands operation is providing a major financial boost to the country and this industry has relied heavily on Fort McMurray airport. Situated in Alberta, Fort McMurray is a remote town that has seen a huge expansion following the upturn in activity in the tar sands operations nearby. Although the massive resource has been worked for decades, only in the last 15 years or so have new extraction methods made the operation truly economic. Since 2010 Fort McMurray’s population has increas