Features

A number of key manufacturers are offering major improvements to their product offerings for loading and excavating. Key developments have been seen in engines and transmissions in particular, with vast reductions in emissions as well as improved fuel economy and working efficiency. Caterpillar’s 966K XE wheeled loader is one of the firm’s most sophisticated new models, with power from a 240kW diesel being delivered through an innovative continuously variable transmission (CVT). This technology is new t

Eugene Gerden evaluates Moscow’s new ring road mega project The Russian government plans to complete implementation of one of the most ambitious projects in the country’s road building industry in recent years, which involves construction of The Central Ring Road around Moscow by 2018. The new road should be built by the next presidential elections, while its length will be 339km. It is expected to be comprised of five sections and will be located 50km away from Moscow Ring Road, a ring road encircling the

Imagine a megapolis rising, Atlantis-like, from the sea. An urban development similar in size to New York’s Manhattan that boasts thriving business and residential districts to help transform not just a city but an entire country. It sounds like the stuff of science fiction. But the Eko Atlantic project in Lagos, Nigeria, is real and has become one of the most dazzling and most discussed construction developments in the entire world. One hundred years ago, the area of land on which the new city will be bu

Brazilian consultant SOTEPA has been closely involved with infrastructure improvements in a series of projects in the southern state of Santa Catarina. One of the most important of these has been design work for the SC-477 state highway, which connects the east of the state to Brazil’s Littoral zone and the BR-101 federal highway. The SC-477 has had to be upgraded as part of it has been unsurfaced, without an asphalt surface between Itaiópolis and Doutor Pedrinho. The road provides an important link for the

Multilateral development banks (MDB) are determined to do all they can to encourage governments of developing countries meet key sustainable transport targets, according to a senior figure at one of the world’s biggest MDB’s. Guy Woodford reports Tyrrell Duncan, Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) director of Transport and Communications Division, East Asia has been at the forefront of MDB efforts to enhance sustainable transport and road safety in developing countries. Speaking during a break in talks at the In

Transport journalist Eugene Gerden reports on why foreign companies are likely to become keener to invest in Russia’s huge array of major road construction projects The Russian government led by president Vladimir Putin is stepping-up its efforts to get greater foreign company investment in Russian road building by creating favourable trading conditions, including the elimination of bureaucratic and administrative barriers.

A reliable knowledge base covering the effectiveness of different road safety engineering treatments allows informed decisions for the development of future road safety programmes. The information can be used to allocate resources to the most cost-effective projects, such as ones that will reduce casualties the most per dollar spent, as inaccurate information on treatment effect may lead to inefficient use of limited resources. A recent project undertaken for Australian and New Zealand road authorities (Aus

Caterpillar’s hybrid excavator represents evolutionary rather than revolutionary technology - Mike Woof reports One of the key things to understand about Caterpillar’s hybrid excavator is that its fuel savings come not from a single technology, but from a range of features that have been integrated together. The sophisticated engine works hand in hand with the advanced hydraulics, with electronics governing the whole operation and optimising efficiency. And while none of these technologies is new in it

Several of the major equipment manufacturers now offer sophisticated telematics packages fitted as standard to their machines. Caterpillar and Komatsu were amongst the leaders in this field, allowing a high level of access to a machine's systems and sub-systems for performance monitoring, maintenance management and geofencing purposes for example. To the customer this offers the chance to address fleet running costs and utilisation, reduce the risk of theft and increase overall efficiency. Customers can eve

New diesel developments from JCB and Volvo Innovative diesel technologies are being developed by all the major engine manufacturers at present. New emission requirements have pushed the boundaries in terms of technology, with all the firms working on new systems to ensure their products meet requirements. And companies are also developing new engine sizes to broaden their range of offerings to the market.

IROCK says that its RDS-15 mobile crusher suits duties in recycled asphalt applications. This horizontal impact crushing plant is said to be highly mobile and versatile. The rapid deployment system (RDS) the firm has developed is said to increase transportability from site to site and cut set-up times when the equipment arrives on-site. The RDS-15 is said to be ideal for processing smaller materials such as reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Versatile and compact, this crushing and screening system provid