News

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts to bring down the federal debt by classifying it as its top priority going into 2013. AEM’s board made the Association’s federal debt-busting pledge at its 2012 Annual Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California on November 9, 2012, and have joined the chorus of national business leaders calling for immediate bipartisan action to comprehensively solve America’s debt crisis by adopting a balanced approach t

Brazil’s Ministry of Transportation is giving the go-ahead for a project that will see the upgrade of a 100km stretch of the BR-381 route. Located in Minas Gerais, the BR-381 will be widened and improved with the addition of extra lanes, making it a dual carriageway. The Ministry of Transportation has opened the first phase of the project to bids and bids have to be submitted before December 17th 2012.

Discussions are in hand in Denmark over the proposed project to build a new bridge over Storstrøm that would link the islands of Zealand and Falster. While there is agreement that the bridge would prove beneficial to the islanders, the source of financing for the project has proved rather more troublesome for Denmark’s political parties. While the Danish Government is keen to source the €523 million needed from unused funds for the country’s railway network, a number of opposition parties want to finance th

In the Canadian province of Ontario a budget of US$221.75 million (C$220 million) has been set for 19 key infrastructure projects. The projects include a series of important bridge upgrades. The Grand River Bridge on Highway 403 will be improved with the work costing someC$10.7 million. Other bridges on the important Highway 403 route, from Mohawk Road to Highway 2, will also benefit from major improvements, costing in the order of C$30.5 million.

Global turnover recorded by Italian construction equipment companies in 2011 totalled €2.69 billion. Despite their global turnover increasing by 6.4% in 2011 compared to levels achieved in 2010, Italian construction equipment company turnover is still down 42% compared to 2008. Details of Cribis D&B’s findings following research commissioned by the Unacea trade association were revealed during the recent Construction Equipment Day at Ecomondo Fair in Rimini, Italy. Further Cribis D&B figures for 2011 show

The Vietnamese authorities are planning a series of major road infrastructure investments. During the 2013-2016 time period, two major traffic projects will be carried out in the country and the Vietnamese Government is planning the necessary works. Some US$2.88 billion will be raised for the work required, which includes an upgrade of Highway 14. Another priority project is for upgrading and widening Highway 1A between Can Tho and Ha Tinh north-central province.

Plans are in hand in China for construction of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor road project. This massive project is expected to cost in the region of US$4.8 billion to construct. The environmental impact report and design proposal for the project has been released by the Guangdong Provincial Transport Department. The feasibility report should be complete by March 2013 and this is expected to receive its approval by June 2014.

A study carried out by German motoring association ADAC reveals that the country’s autobahn highway network needs to be extended and improved. Unless the work is carried out, the country will face severe congestion by 2025, particularly on key routes. The autobahns shown as requiring the most investment and at risk of congestion include the A3 between Würzburg and Nuremberg and the A5 between Frankfurt and Karlsruhe. The area around Dortmund, Dusseldorf and Cologne is also a notorious blackspot for congesti

LuiGong Machinery was given China’s Best Brand Award for Acquisition Efficiency at the 2012 Global Brand Summit. The construction machine manufacturing giant is said to have achieved outstanding results in brand building through implementing a modern and unified brand strategy. After 2008, LiuGong began cooperating with international branding and public relations companies, which is said to have greatly enhanced its brand image. The professional and effective brand promotion is said by LiuGong to provide gr

Cat hammers deliver high blow energy and frequency, which means more breaking power on the job. The H75Es delivers 1,356Joules of energy at 840 to 1,650 blows per minute. The H95Es delivers 2,034Joules of energy at 700 to 1,260 blows per minute. The H75Es and H95Es hammers feature a gas-fired system, said by Cat to maintain constant power between service intervals. The E Series housing is also said to be made for strength. A curved front and back profile is said by Cat to eliminate stress points and transfe

India’s massive highway expansion programme is continuing, boosting the country’s construction industry. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) awarded contracts for some 4,375km of roads in the first nine months of 2012, with the work worth an estimated total of some US$70 billion. With this strong construction sector, prospects are also good for the upcoming bC India construction equipment exhibition in February 2013 in Mumbai. This news is a welcome change following a slowing of new Indian road p

An incomplete bridge in Slovakia surprisingly defied an attempt to bring it down with high explosives, officially authorised after the death of four workers in an accident during its construction. The attempt to blast off the part of the under construction D1 highway bridge between the villages of Iliašovce and Kurimany (Prešov region) was made on Tuesday, November 13, 11 days after the tragic incident which also resulted in injuries to a number of other workers.