Modern technology is making testing more efficient and reliable, increasing productivity and reducing costs, as Patrick Smith reports A few years ago, visual inspection of an 18-year-old bridge by ARRB in Australia identified considerable cracking in the precast, prestressed deck planks as well as in the cast in situ deck overlay. Laboratory examination indicated that the deck planks and the deck overlay were suffering from a strong case of alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR). Testing of concrete cores drilled
Bomag is customer-testing a new Digital Field Service has the potential to redefine onsite maintenance … globally. The focus here is not digitisation for its own sake. Rather, it is an attempt to reduce downtime by linking a maintenance operator on site, wearing a construction hard hat with a built-in camera and a “heads up” mini-screen in view, remotely guided by a Bomag expert back at the company’s headquarters. Problems on site can be talked through, whether the machine is 1km or 1,000km away. Bomag
The efficiency of asphalt compaction performance has improved immeasurably in recent years with the development of more effective equipment. Manufacturers have honed the designs of the machines, making them easier and more comfortable to operate, improving visibility and also tackling issues such as maintenance downtime by making the equipment more reliable and quicker to service.
However one of the biggest advances in compaction performance has come not from the machines, but from the control and measur
Software mapping of air pollution along transport corridors is an important weapon for improving air quality, argues Arne Berndt*. Although power plants and factories play a large part in increasing air pollution globally, traffic is now the largest single contributor. Commercial vehicles account for a significant share of traffic around the world, with freight volumes projected to grow 40% by 2050.
Yet, despite modern vehicles being more environmentally friendly than earlier models, the sheer volume of th
