Features

The machine rental sector is undergoing significant expansion worldwide – Dan Gilkes reports. Plant hire, equipment rental, leasing, call it what you will, being able to use a machine when and where you need it, with no further concerns relating to ownership costs, depreciation or sudden repair bills, remains a compelling argument for many contractors. Which is one of the main reasons for the continued growth in popularity of equipment rental across the world. Rental has been big business in the UK, the US

Demand for telematics technology is growing, as equipment users begin to lean the value of these systems – Alan Dron reports With construction projects increasingly operating to wafer-thin profit margins, any technological assistance that can keep the accounts in the black is welcome. This is particularly the case with those projects where contractors can share a larger slice of the profits if they complete their work ahead of schedule. The downside, of course, is that they also share the pain if the

Customers can face the choice of buying used or new equipment – Dan Gilkes writes. The decision to buy either new or used equipment is almost as old as the construction plant market itself. However some of the reasons for choosing between the two might well be changing, to meet new demands from customers across the world and to cope with a changing supply base. Ever more stringent emissions legislation in Europe, the US and Japan, rapidly developing emerging markets that want the productivity of the latest

Caterpillar has raised the bar for articulated dump truck performance with the introduction of its C Series to replace its B series ADTs. All the new Cat 735C, 740C EJ and 745C ADTs have engines that meet US EPA Tier 4 Final/EU Stage IV emissions standards. The machines also incorporate many new and upgraded features designed to boost the operator’s efficiency, ensure a longer life cycle of the vehicle and save fuel. Rated payload capacities for the new models are 32.7tonnes for the 735C, 38tonnes for the 7

Volvo tracked pavers are helping China meet its ambitious programme of building 10,000km of roads annually. China’s ambitious road building programme is seeing over 10,000km of new highway being completed every year. Productivity, reliability and good uptime of equipment are key to this programme being achieved. And to the north of Xi’an, four Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) ABG8820 tracked pavers recently worked 14 hours/day paving the final layer of asphalt on a new highway. This 96km route opened

A German firm is helping increase output for construction sites in Oman. The company is providing training for a range of different machine types, aiming to reduce the risk of operator errors or machine downtime while optimising productivity, efficiency and profitability. Probst Greiftechnik Verlegesysteme is sending its service technicians around the world to provide training on proper operation and maintenance to dealers and end customers. During individual training sessions, the machine operators can

Local contractor Galvão Engenharia opted to use an SP 850 slipform paver from Wirtgen as one of the key machines in the job to upgrade and improve the Anel Viário de Fortaleza. This important highway connects Fortaleza, located in the federal state of Ceará, with the busy port of Pecém. The deepwater port in Pecém is some 60km from Fortaleza and since it was inaugurated in 2002, the city has become a primary port for exporting fruit products in refrigerated containers. Fuel and liquefied gas, fertilizer

Brazilian cement maker Brennand Cimentos now boasts a Bretec Breaker to boost efficiency A Bretec breaker has been used to solve a production problem at a materials operation in Brazil. Brazilian cement producer, Brennand Cimentos, has recently purchased a Bretec L20 hydraulic hammer. The unit is being used to carry out secondary breaking duties and split apart boulders that are too large to be moved or crushed. Introducing the breaker has helped the facility improve operational efficiency. The 1.34tonne

With the IRF Road Safety Challenge launched in Addis Ababa in early March, IRF reiterates its strong commitment towards making the recommendations for the Decade of Action a reality worldwide In its commitment to act as a catalyst in raising awareness and in promoting immediate practical actions, IRF has brought together Ministers from all over Africa under the auspices of the African Union, the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). An IRF Africa Chapter under the requ