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As part of the government’s plans to accelerate economic growth, a major expansion of India’s road network is underway Many cities in India are set to benefit from the government’s ambitious plan to use infrastructure investment to boost the economy. There are currently 11 ongoing projects across India’s road network, funded by the World Bank. Once complete, the road network will make travelling more efficient and boost India’s economic activity. The initiative will see the construction of new major

A number of new bulldozer and grader developments are now coming to market - Mike Woof reports Bulldozers and graders are often overlooked as earthmovers, with the focus all too often concentrating on excavators, wheeled loaders and ADTs. However, key manufacturers are rolling out new graders and bulldozers too, which are also benefiting from the latest low emissions engine technology as well as advanced telematics systems and improved cabs with better all-round visibility. Caterpillar’s 26tonne 14M3

India is setting its sights on a huge programme of works to upgrade its transport network. The Indian Government has plans to allocate a massive US$58.17 billion to develop transport systems within the country. Road and highways will be amongst the transport systems benefiting from the investment. Some 2,000km of coastal highways will be developed under the plans, along with a series of other highway projects commencing. $2.2 billion is being invested in upgrading 1,253km of roads in Assam. These roads will

India is setting its sights on a huge programme of works to upgrade its transport network. The Indian Government has plans to allocate a massive US$58.17 billion to develop transport systems within the country. Road and highways will be amongst the transport systems benefiting from the investment. Some 2,000km of coastal highways will be developed under the plans, along with a series of other highway projects commencing. $2.2 billion is being invested in upgrading 1,253km of roads in Assam. These roads will

Key manufacturers reported a return to business confidence in China at the recent bauma China 2016 construction equipment exhibition The event was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) and attracted 170,000 visitors from 149 countries, despite the cold weather and constant rain that plagued its first two days. The healthy attendance is a reflection of the gradually improving Chinese market. The Chinese economy suffered a slump in business levels in recent years, following a boom per

LeeBoy is launching a series of new extraction earthmoving and utility machines manufactured at its facility in India. The firm intends to capitalise on the growing demand for construction machinery for the Indian market, as well as providing equipment for export to other developing markets. A key development from the Indian facility is the new blasthole drill rig, which is based on the undercarriage and slewing structure of its 23tonne class excavator. This features a Sandvik DTH unit and is designed for s

The Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping of the Government of India, Mr Nitin Gadkari has issued a formal letter of support to the 18th IRF World Road Meeting to be held in New Delhi on 14-17 November 2017. Commending the efforts of IRF to further the cause of Road Safety in India and across the world, Mr. Gadkari said, “We, as a nation, are proud to be hosting the WRM 2017, one of the largest events in the infrastructure industry." “Efforts are also underway by my Ministry to hold a mee

IRF Geneva held the first in a series of four roundtables on ITS in India in New Delhi, India on the 10th of November 2016. This first, by invitation only, roundtable was attended by representatives from both Government and industry. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Niti Aayog, the premier planning agency of the Government of India, the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation, and the National Highway Authority of India are supporting these Roundtables. Senior management from l

Singapore-based PRIMACH is now offering an improved range of small to medium sized batching plants. These units are designed to meet the needs of developing markets and can cope with use in remote areas with tough jobsite conditions. Rugged and reliable, the plants can cope with wide variations in climate, while producing high quality hot-mix at low cost according to the firm. The PRIMACH asphalt mixing plants have been specifically developed to meet customer needs in emergent markets such South East Asi

Road safety is an issue that rarely grabs headlines, although it is something that affects people around the globe. Road deaths account for a shockingly high percentage of deaths worldwide, with the risks being particularly high in developing countries. This poses such a threat to public health that the United Nations has been taking steps to address the issue, commencing with its Decade of Action on Road Safety in 2010. The focus has been on developing countries, due to the rapid increase in road deaths in

India’s Madhya Pradesh State is developing plans to upgrade existing roads to highway status. The programme will see up to 2,000km of roads being widened with extra lanes being added as well as new safety measures being installed. The aim of this programme is to boost connectivity in the state, with the plans have been developed by the State Government and now being submitted to India’s Central Government for approval. Funding for the widening and upgrade programme has yet to be announced however. Two of th

The Fayat Group in France is to buy the Dynapac Road Construction Equipment Division of Atlas Copco. This business makes compactors for asphalt and soil applications, as well as asphalt pavers and planers. With this key acquisition, Fayat says that it intends to strengthen its strategic position in road construction and maintenance equipment. The Fayat Group already has a strong portfolio of machines and technologies for the road construction sector with its BOMAG, Marini, Marini-Ermont and SAE, Secmair

India’s road crash rate continues to provide a serious cause for concern. The country’s rate of road fatalities is climbing steadily, as levels of motorisation increase. India's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported that there were 464,000 crashes in the country in 2015. Compared with the figures for 2011 of 450,000 crashes, this shows a 9% increase in incidents. Meanwhile there were 136,000 reported road deaths in India during 2011, which increased to 148,000 in 2015. Poor driving is thought to

India-based tyre manufacturer BKT is pursuing its goal of a wider market share of the industrial construction and mining tyre market with an ambitious programme of new product releases. BKT is a leading player in the agricultural tyre market, which still accounts for around 65% of its current turnover.

An improvement in European and North American sales could not offset continued weakness in Asia leading to Volvo Construction Equipment sales falling by 5% year-on-year in Q1 2015. Sales in China in particular were less than half what they were in the same period of 2014, the Swedish sector giant said. “We are working to adapt to lower volumes and are implementing a series of measures to reduce cost levels. However, our efforts could not fully offset the significant drop in volumes,” said Volvo Const

MB Crusher’s MB-LS140 screening bucket for skid-steer loaders, launched at INTERMAT, is its third new crushing and screening bucket unveiled this year.

Volvo’s Chinese manufacturing subsidiary SDLG is making inroads into the export market and could be destined to play a much more important role in the Swedish group’s global strategy. “As we grow our export strategy there is an opportunity for SDLG to become an increasingly larger piece of our total revenue,” said Martin Weissburg, president of Volvo Construction Equipment.

With plans to almost double its annual sales from $555m today $1bn in 2017, Alliance Tire Group (ATG) is keen to push its message of innovation at INTERMAT 2015. “It’s our ambition to be one of the top three global market leaders in the agricultural, forestry and construction sectors,” said ATG’s European president Peter Bauer, recently brought into the group to drive its expansion in Europe.

China’s Techking Tires introduced new crane and articulated dump truck tyres to its catalogue of off-road radial products. The ETCRANE range is the result of a seven-year research and development programme and features closed shoulder and multistep groove design to avoid irregular wear and stone ejection on off-road and highway applications. ECE approved size options include 385/95 R25 and 445/95 R25. The tyres are approved by crane manufacturers, such as Terex, Sany and Zoomlion, and are already in service

Magni has launched the world’s highest telescopic handler - the RTH 5.35 which stretches up to 35m. “Ours is the biggest in the world; the maximum reach of our competitors is 32m,” says Magni’s president and founder Riccardo Magni. “The normal market is 21m and 25m. We are trying to push the market up.” Since the machine was launched in November last year, Magni has sold to 20 customers in India, Turkey, UK, France, Holland, Sweden and the US. “The dealers like it because it is something different for them