Skip to main content

Paving on Algeria's mega highway

A fleet of 53 Dynapac machines is being used by a Chinese consortium to build the central and western sections of the 1,216km Algerian East-West Expressway. The consortium comprises CITIC and CRCC and was awarded the contract for the 169km central and 359km western sections of highway.
March 1, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Craig Walker with staff from the Jiangsu Transportation Research Institute (JSTRI) after training on Cooper Technology equipment at the central testing lab in Oran, Algeria
A fleet of 53 206 Dynapac machines is being used by a Chinese consortium to build the central and western sections of the 1,216km Algerian East-West Expressway.

The consortium comprises CITIC and CRCC and was awarded the contract for the 169km central and 359km western sections of highway.

To help meet the tight schedule, tough conditions and remote locations, CITIC-CRCC opted to buy equipment from Dynapac. The new Dynapac fleet comprises 20 F141C pavers; a F182CS paver; 18 CC624HFs and 14 CC622HF tandem rollers. The machines are being used to pave and compact the base course, binder course and wearing course.

French asphalt mixtures and testing procedures have been specified, and the testing laboratories were equipped with large wheel trackers, automatic large roller compactors, trapezoidal bending machines and Duriez testing machines. Among those supplying equipment is UK company 5941 Cooper Technology.

"The French asphalt mixture design method is an advanced, performance-based asphalt mixture design method. French asphalts such as EME2 are expensive due to a bitumen content which is around 1% higher than in conventional mixes, but prove cost effective in terms of life cycle cost analysis," said Mr Jia Yu, Vice Chief Engineer at the Jiangsu Transportation Research Institute in China.

For high modulus asphalt concrete mixture, there are two categories: EME is used in base course and BBME is used in binder and surface course. The two materials are both used in the Algeria East-West Expressway with a wearing course of BBMA.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Researchers trial 3D printing for both concrete and asphalt roads
    February 27, 2019
    Automated road repairs, using 3D printing, could save money and vastly reduce disruption, and researchers are already showing it’s possible - Kristina Smith reports It’s the middle of the night, and in the street below a team is busy carrying out repairs to the road surface. But there isn’t a human in sight. A road repair drone has landed at the site of a crack and a 3D asphalt printer is now busy filling in that crack. A group of traffic cone drones have positioned themselves around the repair location
  • Innovative advances in warm Mix Asphalts
    February 1, 2013
    Rising energy costs and increased awareness of safety and environmental issues have encouraged the development of Warm Mix Asphalts (WMA), which are typically produced at temperatures of between 130°C and 145°C, compared with around 175°C for traditional Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA). WMAs are regularly used in many European countries, as well as both North and South America. The three most common ways to lower the working temperature of asphalt are: a) foaming technologies; b) wax additives; and c) chemical (surfa
  • Increased use of reclaimed asphalt, reduced emissions
    February 10, 2012
    Reducing emissions and increasing the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement is among the key aims of plant manufacturers. Patrick Smith reports. Lower emissions and the use of recycled materials coupled with reduced costs are the aims of manufacturers of modern asphalt plants.
  • Compaction control boosts efficiency
    March 14, 2012
    Effective compaction control is one of a series of technical innovations boosting performance efficiency – Mike Woof writes. Maximising compaction efficiency can be a major cost factor on construction projects. Both for soil and asphalt compaction sectors, the risk from leaving an area under or over-compacted is substantial.