News

A new bridge in Vietnam will be built by Japanese firm Sumitomo Mitsui Construction in a joint venture partnership with two local contractors. The 5.4km bridge will be the longest in Vietnam and the project is costing some US$347 million, with the Japanese company holding a 67% stake in the deal. The new bridge will connect Hanoi to the country’s new international port of Lach Huyen and the work also includes building a number of connecting roads. The bridge is due for completion in February 2017. The struc

A new partnership between the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and Messe München has seen the bauma Africa event renamed: BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA. The event has new dates and will now be held from September 15th to 18th 2015, but will remain in the South African city Johannesburg. The first event was held under the name of bauma Africa, and it celebrated a successful premiere with 754 exhibitors from 38 countries and 14,700 visitors from over 100 countries. As part of their cooperation on internati

Over the next two years, the Canadian government has proposed spending US$470 million on land purchases and other work associated with the New International Trade Crossing bridge project linking Detroit in the US and Windsor in Canada. In 2014, Canada, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Transportation, anticipates to begin purchasing land on the Detroit portion of the river, potentially as soon as spring 2014. Under the $2 billion plus project, a six-lane bridge would be constructed from D

The Holtekamp bridge; the Medan-Kualanamu Flyover; the Raja Ampat Ring Road; and the Oksibil-Waropko Road are among 19 proposed new infrastructure projects submitted to the Indonesian Ministry of Finance. The ambitious projects were submitted by the National Development Planning Agency, with finance sought from State Syariah Securities under the 2015 budget. The 19 projects are worth a combined US$ 540.18 million. The Holtekamp bridge has been valued at $51.643 million; the Medan-Kualanamu Flyover at $50.2

The Indian government has signed a pact with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for loans worth US$ 275 million, as part of its nationwide Rural Connectivity Investment Programme. The loan is the second tranche of the $800 million financing facility set aside for the project, and will be used to finance works of constructing 3,693km of rural roads in five Indian states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Assam. Further funds of $81.56 million will be financed by the government, taking t

JCB is reacting to the British flood disaster by deploying a €908,760 (£750,000) fleet of machines complete with operators to help stricken families. The company today announced that four of its high-speed, high ground clearance Fastrac tractors equipped with trailers and two of its iconic backhoe loaders were being despatched to the worst affected areas. The Fastrac tractors will be deployed in areas where people and livestock need moving from advancing flood waters. The JCB backhoe, with its ability t

Hyundai Heavy Industries Europe (HHIE) sold 3% more Hyundai construction equipment across Europe in 2013, compared to 2012. In the UK market, it was the heavy line crawler excavators (14tonne – 80.5tonne) that showed the most impressive growth performance – 308 were sold in the UK in 2012 and in 2013 a total of 522 machines were sold, which equates to a 69.48% increase in units sold. This increases the market (comparable products from construction equipment OEM’s) in the UK from 8.34% in 2012 to 12.69% in

Plans are now in hand for the AEMA-ARRA-ISSA-PPRA-IBEF-FP2 Pavement Preservation World Summit. This will be held from February 22nd – 25th 2015 at the Palais des Congrès Convention Center in the French capital, Paris. The website for the event is also in place: pprsparis2015.com and gives details of the programme. According to the organisers, the PPRS Paris 2015 event will provide a discussion focus for shared projects and ambitions. It follows the PPRA’s decision to organise an annual meeting in Paris in 2

Work is underway on the Causeway Upgrade Project in New Zealand. The US$183.3 million (NZ$220 million) contract was awarded by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). The route forms part of State Highway 16, with the fork being part of Auckland's Western Ring Route. The contract was awarded to the Causeway Alliance, a consortium made up of Aecom, Coffey Geotechnics, Fulton Hogan, Leighton Contractors, Sinclair Knight Merz and the NZTA.

Lafarge's Volos cement plant in Greece has set up a novel partnership with a local drinks company, allowing it to reuse the company's wastewater in the cement producer’s industrial process. The Volos plant has connected its water network to that of the drinks company, using a nearby pipe previously used to pump water from a now disused bore hole to the plant. Now, waste water from the drinks company is piped directly to the Lafarge works, where it is used in the conditioning tower, before de-dusting

JCB Chief Executive Graeme Macdonald has officially opened the company’s newest facility in Staffordshire, which has created almost 100 new jobs in just six months. JCB World Logistics took over the former 35,581m² Blue Planet warehouse in Newcastle-under-Lyme in July 2013 and since then almost 80 new warehouse and office staff and 20 drivers have been recruited. In the next two years employment levels are expected to triple to more than 300 as the facility becomes fully operational.

This new video from Pan-European police body TISPOL details the effects of a series of tragic road crashes in the UK. TISPOL’s UK council member Suzette Davenport gives a personal account of her experience as attending officer at recent road crashes in the UK.

The Ammann Group has acquired concrete plant manufacturer Elba in a move said to ‘round off’ the Group’s portfolio, while also representing an ideal complement to Ammann’s existing asphalt plant and machine divisions. Founded in 1948, Elba is based in Ettlingen, Germany and is considered a much-respected producer of high-quality concrete mixing plants. Ammann will complete the actual purchase process at the beginning of March 2014 once the acquisition has been approved by the cartel authorities. The Elba