Connected Construction

US-based engineering firm Michael Baker International has received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate several types of fixed-wing and vertical take-off and landing unmanned aircraft systems. The company said its UAS can capture robust, real-time aerial photographs and video as well as conduct aerial mapping for surveys or site inspections. "Integrating our FAA-certified unmanned aircraft program with our other advanced data collection capabilities allows us to take data

Plans for a cross-continent upgraded road were recently boosted when Chile’s senate approved construction of its share of a major US$1.6 billion tunnel in the Andes Mountains. The Chilean approval comes after the Argentinian government gave the nod in March for construction on its section of the Agua Negra project. A tender for specific design work could be put out by September, according to the Argentinian newspaper Diario de Cuyo. The approvals resolve a number of bilateral issues including taxation

Work is underway in the Australian city of Adelaide on a US$657 million upgrade of the Torrens Road to River Torrens section of the North-South Corridor. Nearly 500 workers will eventually be on site to upgrade the 3.7km section of road, of which 3km will be made into a non-stop roadway. The project includes a 2km section of non-stop lowered motorway as well as an overpass for the city’s Outer Harbour rail line. Contractors will deliver six intersection upgrades as well as improved cycling and pedestr

Mott MacDonald has been appointed by the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic to design sections of the R35 and R55 expressways. R35 connects the Bohemia and Moravia regions and runs parallel to the D1 motorway, the longest in the country. Mott MacDonald will design a 5.8km section of the expressway, including three bridges, two interchanges, two roundabouts, four overpasses and one railway viaduct. One watercourse will also be relocated as part of the scheme.

It may be early days for using drones – unmanned aerial systems (UAS) -- to map construction sites, but technology and legislation are moving in that direction. At the moment drones can fly within only a 500m radius of the ‘pilot’ standing on the ground, making the flight area a 1km diameter. This is the key limiting issue for any sector, especially road construction, says Jonathan Gill, a robotics engineer and a qualified drone pilot for the past seven years. The logic is that a drone remains withi

Engineering specialists Mouchel and Hyder team are now working jointly on a feasibility study worth €1.87 million (£1.3 million). The contract is to investigate the feasibility of the proposed Trans-Pennine tunnel. This link would connect the cities of Manchester and Sheffield. The cost of the road tunnel running is expected to be high but a new route is needed as the existing connections are nearing capacity and from an environmental perspective, taking the traffic underground would be preferential. This s

Fast repair of Cairo’s busy urban highway has been achieved using paving equipment. And MOBA levelling technology played an important role in ensuring finish quality met requirements. Cairo is Egypt’s fast-growing capital city, with an estimated population of around 20 million living in its catchment area. The city’s fast growth rate however has placed enormous demands on its infrastructure, with transportation creaking under the strain. An increasing numbers of people use the roads in and around Cairo ev

Improving technologies for machine control systems continue to deliver increases in efficiency for contractors - Mike Woof writes Machine control technologies have continued to develop as the specialist suppliers in this fiercely fought sector seek to find a competitive advantage over their rivals. The key players, Leica Geosystems, MOBA, Topcon and Trimble, have all been pushing the boundaries with their latest technologies. Although the systems these firms are introducing are aimed at a number of differen

Machine control technologies are revolutionising construction – Dan Gilkes writes Electronic control of engines, transmissions and hydraulic systems, primarily to reduce exhaust emissions and boost productivity, is also providing manufacturers with an opportunity to incorporate increasingly complex machine control into their equipment. This in turn has the potential to make the machinery more productive, further cutting fuel consumption as part of a virtuous operational circle.

Trimble has launched what it claims is an affordable and easy-to-use site positioning System for superintendents, foremen and field engineers on heavy civil construction sites. Instead of using paper plans, the Trimble SitePulse System empowers field managers with the same 3D constructible model and digital information that is used by construction surveyors, grade checkers and machine operators. Trimble SitePulse field software is ideal for construction managers who do not have a surveying background. The