Pavement engineering specialist Dynatest has improved its best-selling falling weight deflectometer, allowing it to not just collect more data, but collect it faster.
The Danish company said its FastFWD8002, which was unveiled at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting in Washington in January, is five times faster than the previous model.
The FastFWD8002 collects 75% more test points per hour, meaning it can have around 45% less traffic exposure. The previous unit is upgradeable to FastFWD80
German firm Vögele has built the world's largest and most sophisticated paver manufacturing facility - Mike Woof writes. Part of the Wirtgen Group, Vögele has benefited from the massive investment the company has made in all of its major manufacturing operations. The Hamm, Kleemann, Vögele and Wirtgen facilities in Germany have all been improved, with both Kleemann and Vögele now using brand new, purpose-built factories constructed on green field sites.
Hamm pioneered the concept of compaction using oscillation rather than vibration and now offers a wide range of machines with this feature, both for soil and asphalt applications. The firm has developed a strong following for its oscillating compactor range, with many contractors now appreciating the benefit of this technology.
New compaction machines will meet the latest emission standards for Europe and North America while firms from China are also competing globally - Mike Woof writes. The market for compaction equipment has become very competitive in recent years, most notably in the segment for soil compactors. The major US and European firms have developed more productive machines for use in both developed and developing markets. Meanwhile Chinese manufacturers are also competing in the soil compaction segment for the local
