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The UK's world-renowned TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) is celebrating its 75th birthday this year, and the objective of its work has not changed In 1938 Richard Stradling, director, wrote that "the objective of all the research work at RRL [now TRL] is to accumulate that body of scientific knowledge which is an essential factor in the economical and efficient construction and maintenance of our roads. Practical application of the results must be the aim throughout." While TRL's remit today is far more

The EU funded SILENCE project maps the transport causes and possible solutions for reducing noise, reports Alan Peterson With Europe's ever-increasing population growth, the issue of noise for its 100 million citizens is becoming a pressing problem. Over 25% are exposed to critical transport-related noise, according to research by the EU funded SILENCE project, which reported its findings in Germany in May. The purpose of SILENCE is to develop an integrated methodology and technology for the improved contro

Speakers at the 3rd European Road Congress looked at ways of preparing infrastructure to cater for future demands. Patrick Smith reports Road accidents in Europe can be reduced substantially, but vehicles will have to make more use of technology, and they will cost more. The problems will not be made any easier with the knowledge that road transport is set to double between 2040 and 2050. These were just some of the forecasts made at the 3rd European Road Congress, held in Brussels, Belgium, a key road sect

Research is paramount in the development of better roads and safety. In a new series, Eurofile looks at the work and programmes of organisations dedicated to that end. In this issue: The German Federal Research Institute (BASt) The aims of BASt (an arm of the Federal Ministry of Transport) are to improve the cost-effectiveness of building and maintaining federal trunk roads, to increase the safety of road transport, to reduce the environmental impact produced by road traffic and construction and to improve

Those who navigate the labyrinth that is the European Union and the numerous trade and research groups will be struck by the number of acronyms. In a short series, EUROFILE gives a snapshot of those engaged in the roads industry. In this issue we look at FEHRL (Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories) based in Brussels, Belgium Established in 1989, FEHRL is made up directors of national research institutes: 30 in all from within the European Union, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) an

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

Kilsaran, a leading Irish contractor, building materials supplier and producer of concrete products, has completed construction of 11,000m² of hard standing at its first dedicated mortar plant using Vögele's most powerful wheeled paver. The plant in Brownstown, County Kildare, will produce a variety of mortars, including bagged products, for distribution throughout Ireland. The Vögele 1803-2 is one of four such machines operated by the company, and it complements a range of plant, including Hamm compaction

North of the Austrian capital Vienna, one of the region's biggest transport infrastructure projects for decades is currently under construction, the A5 Nordautobahn. This will give the Greater Vienna region its first-ever high-capacity link to the Czech motorway and arterial road network, greatly easing congestion on the old main road. In the first phase of construction, 22.7km of motorway are to be built. Work on the second section, all the way through to the Czech border, is to start in 2010. The A5 Norda

Lynch Plant Hire has bought five additional Terex TA30 articulated dump trucks, taking its total of Terex ADTs to 30 units. The new investment comes as a result of increased construction projects in the London area, according to Merrill Lynch, operations director for Lynch Plant. "It's encouraging that heavy equipment is still in demand, despite all the negative forecasts we're hearing about the construction industry," said Lynch. "The requests for articulated trucks just keep coming in: we've invested in f

Berco UK has officially marked its relocation to a new larger factory and office in Spennymoor, County Durham, north-east England, and announced plans to double its workforce during the next few years. Helen Goodman, Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland, officially opened Berco's new site, heralding the arrival of the company as a welcome boost to the town's economy with the promise of new jobs. Berco, whose headquarters is in Italy, is a leader in the manufacture of undercarriage components and systems