Features

The Portuguese experience with road safety has proved that planning, development, introduction, and hard work do pay off in the end. Paulo Marques Augusto, president of the National Road Safety Authority (ANSR), explained that in the last 10 years a decrease of over 50% has been achieved in the number of fatalities on the road network despite a continuing growth in traffic demand (there are five million vehicles in Portugal), and a similar reduction in travel time on most of the connections between Lisbon a

One of the most notable developments in the loading and hauling sector though again comes from Liebherr, with the long awaited launch of its ADT range.

Volvo Construction Equipment says that its all-new F-Series ADTs will meet the tough Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB emissions legislation as well as delivering performance improvements over previous models.

With the Tier 4 interim/Stage IIIB emissions requirements due next year, further upgrades will be required for all wheeled loaders sold in Europe and North America.

The introduction of the latest emissions standards in North America and Europe are requiring major design rethinks for earthmoving machines such as ADTs, Mike Woof reports. With the introduction of the Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB emissions legislation, major changes are being made to off-highway machines. One of the machine types most affected by this legislation will be the articulated dump truck (ADT) and designers have faced major challenges in developing solutions that retain what are now seen as key oper

Twenty years ago Portugal was bottom of the European league in terms of roads and safety. A series of ambitious plans has seen the country rise to the top. Patrick Smith reports on how this was achieved

New generation concrete repair tools offer major safety benefits over earlier systems. Minnich Manufacturing says that its new concrete dowel drill delivers high productivity and a safer working environment on concrete patching jobs.

The signs are that this year's Bauma exhibition in Munich, Germany will be a record-breaking event. Work is well underway on-site for what promises to be the largest Bauma event ever. With over 3000 exhibitors planned to cover a record breaking 550,000m², Bauma is the biggest construction equipment exhibition and for the matter, the biggest exhibition of any kind in the world.

Sophisticated technology is now being used to make the testing of a wide variety of materials quicker and easier as Patrick Smith reports. Ever since the CE mark became mandatory for asphalt mixes, it also became necessary and important to update the testing equipment and systems used for testing such materials.

A range of key software innovations are now available for road construction applications from various suppliers - Adrian Greeman writes. Two significant and highly economic alternatives are now available to the major CAD providers both from Belgium and both offering interesting features. First is Pythagoras, which describes itself as a modern CAD program specially designed for topographical applications which include land surveying, road design and city planning.

The collection and handling of data are key technology drivers in the software sector. New methods of data collection and manipulation are driving significant developments in software at present. The latest technology allows designers and engineers to collect, store and manipulate ever larger amounts of data. Growing use of mobile field equipment for both data collection and field management is driving interactive systems. And in an interview this month Autodesk senior vice-president for the construction an

An advanced approach to maintenance is helping ensure that the UK county of Kent keeps on top of road drainage. Kent Highway Services (KHS) has a network of some 8,400km of roads and drains, which requires a fleet of vehicles to maintain and support. In order to keep traffic moving and avoid flooding hazards for motorists, road drainage systems have to be consistently monitored and maintained. Previously this was carried out on a reactive basis, but this has proved to be neither cost effective nor efficient

Concrete is a versatile construction product, but it must be tested to make sure that it is fit for purpose