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In preparation for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the Black Sea health resort of Sotschi, Russia, is tackling its growing traffic jam problems.A 13km bypass and a new main road passing mainly under the city involves the construction of 15 tunnels and a number of bridges and flyovers.

Many countries had their most severe winter for years, but it could have been much worse without the right equipment and technology as Patrick Smith reports. As many countries faced up to the 2010-2011 winter, hard-pressed maintenance teams did their best to keep things moving on the roads. With some of the lowest temperatures and heaviest snowfalls on record, the UK, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, France, Scandinavia, Germany, and Belgium were among those affected. Russia, eastern Europe and the USA did

A new Caterpillar grade control system can be installed at the factory to certain Tier 4 Interim/ Stage IIIB emission compliant dozers, graders, scrapers and excavators. The technology improves operator efficiency and equipment performance while reducing the overall cost of a machine guidance system on site.

Productive performers provide increased output for customers in the loading and hauling sector of the earthmoving market - Mike Woof writes. Loading and hauling machines play key roles in earthmoving operations, with the excavator and ADT combination proving both versatile and productive. While machines such as scrapers may be more efficient in specific earthmoving applications, these do not offer the versatility of the excavator and ADT combination, reducing utilisation.

Komatsu Europe has invested in developing an efficient spare parts operation - Mike Woof writes. Komatsu Europe is reaping the benefit of its investments in the spares support facility in Belgium. During the financial crisis new machine sales plummeted across Europe for all manufacturers but Komatsu Europe was able to ensure steady income through its spares support service. With many European customers holding onto machines longer during the last few years due to the downturn, spares support has been pivota

The German construction equipment manufacturer's association, the VDMA, has said that the new EU-exhaust emission directive presents a major challenge for its members. According to the VDMA, the introduction of the EU-Exhaust Emission Regulation Stage IIIB has resulted in a great deal of investment at huge cost. For customers that has resulted in higher prices and the VDMA sees tighter regulation as being counter-productive.

New legislation has changed fuel specifications as well as engine emission requirements, writes Claire Symes. The latest Stage IIIB engines mean that on-site maintenance routines for newer equipment need to be changed. And at the same time, new fuel specifications also mean changes to management of fuel for all machines. The European standard for gas oil, EN590, changed at the start of the year in order to comply with the Renewable Energy and Fuel Quality Directives. This means fuels now must be low sulphur

Tunnels are the highest value assets on a highway, making their operation, safety and maintenance of paramount importance. Patrick Smith reports

The latest GPS systems will improve the accuracy of many construction operations. Mike Woof reports. The pace of technological advancement is fast in the GPS market. Despite a market downturn, the GPS solution providers continue to invest in research and development. And there is evidence to suggest that the contracting sector is more keen than ever to employ the latest technology because of the cost benefits this can bring.