Features

Two new technologies for non-destructive testing offer key benefits, one suiting road surfaces, the other suiting concrete structures - Kristina Smith reports Dynatest has developed a new way to measure and record the state of pavements, using a machine that travels at the same speed as traffic. The Rapid Pavement Tester (Raptor) has been seven years in the making and offers road owners the chance to have comprehensive surveys without the need to disrupt traffic. “People have been wanting to do this for

Caribbean Leaders Chart Course Towards Safe & Resilient Roads Now in its seventh edition, IRF’s flagship event in the Caribbean confirmed its status as an essential gathering point for the region’s top transportation decision-makers and professionals, combining regional case studies and international insights. Close to 150 delegates from 10 countries, including senior policy makers from Jamaica, Belize, Guyana, Cayman, attended the 4-day event.

A contractor in the Netherlands has found that using Topcon’s latest machine control technology can deliver higher quality work at higher productivity The firm, Van Gelder, was looking for a solution to survey, mill and resurface a 7km length of the N518 to the island of Marken more quickly, more safely and more accurately. Together with Infra-Techniek, the company opted to use the latest package developed by Topcon for automatic milling. The N518 from Monnickendam is the only connecting road to the form

A contractor in the Netherlands has found that using Topcon’s latest machine control technology can deliver higher quality work at higher productivity The firm, Van Gelder, was looking for a solution to survey, mill and resurface a 7km length of the N518 to the island of Marken more quickly, more safely and more accurately. Together with Infra-Techniek, the company opted to use the latest package developed by Topcon for automatic milling. The N518 from Monnickendam is the only connecting road to the form

Trimble is offering new advances in machine control technology – Mike Woof writes An important technology advance from Trimble is now coming from its expanding range of EarthWorks machine control systems. These systems can help deliver more efficient earthmoving operations, increasing productivity while maintaining accuracy. The first EarthWorks system was developed for use with excavators and this latest system is designed to be used with dozers, utilising much of the same hardware. Meanwhile, other Ea

The Chairman, the Board and Executive Committee of the International Road Federation in Geneva have been deeply saddened by the loss over the past weeks of two IRF leading figures: Manfred Swarovski and Tony Pearce. "The IRF Family loses an exceptional professional and a very dear friend," said Kiran K Kapila, chairman of IRF (Geneva). Manfred Swarovski has been a leading figure of the International Road Federation (IRF) for decades. He has served in many positions not least as chairman of IRF in Geneva an

The IRF Young Professionals (IRF YP) is a platform for the next generation of leaders and specialists in the road and mobility sector to propose initiatives, share ideas and be engaged in the overall activities of IRF. IRF-YP gathers proactive graduate students enrolled in a Master or Ph.D. programme as well as young professionals working in the sector. Building on the IRF’s vast network and expertise, the Programme has as its mission to present the road and mobility sectors as a multidisciplinary area fo

Four tips for optimising concrete dowel drill performance - *Rick Walstad, E-Z Drill Inc president and CEO

Italy’s A3 Highway is being upgraded, which will improve transport between Salerno and Calabria. Upgrading Italy’s A3 highway is of prime importance for developing the south of the country and is a project that has been prioritised for construction. The A3 Salerno-Reggio-Calabria highway is a non-toll road managed by ANAS, Italy’s state-owned company that constructs and maintains highways. The route runs a total of 443km, with the road having originally been built between 1966 and 1974. However, the origina

Members of the consortium of the EU-funded SaferAfrica project met in Athens on 24-27 April 2018 to discuss advancements and to present first results to the management board. IRF (Geneva) is a member of the consortium and shared its experience on data collection during the dedicated workshop held jointly with the management board. Representatives from the African Development Bank, UNECA, SSATP/World Bank, FIA, WHO, IRTAD, RU and PIARC were also present to address the issue of data in Africa and the specific

Members of the consortium of the EU-funded SaferAfrica project met in Athens on 24-27 April 2018 to discuss advancements and to present first results to the management board. IRF (Geneva) is a member of the consortium and shared its experience on data collection during the dedicated workshop held jointly with the management board. Representatives from the African Development Bank, UNECA, SSATP/World Bank, FIA, WHO, IRTAD, RU and PIARC were also present to address the issue of data in Africa and the specific

Portable work zone messaging is now integral - not an add-on - when it comes to safety on large-scale highway projects. Andrew Williams* reports. Portable work zone ITS solutions have emerged in recent years as important flexible tools for managing major roadwork projects, from new-build to upgrades. They effectively ensure traffic disruption is kept to a minimum and lives can be saved. As such, the technology forms a central component of a major €1.7 billion project in the southern English county of Cambr

Iconic US manufacturer John Deere is back in Europe, thanks to its purchase of Wirtgen. David Arminas looks at what’s in store The gods were smiling on the Wirtgen Group for the company’s Road Technology Days 2018 event. This year it was held in summer-like weather at the recently expanded Voegele plant near Mannheim in Germany. Within days in northern Europe the season dramatically changed from dreary chilly late winter to glorious high temperatures, just in time to bathe the amassed demonstration equi

A new international meeting point gathers road innovators with the world’s top policymakers. Technology and innovations are evolving at a pace never seen before in the history of the road and transport sector. From innovations in materials, such as self-healing concrete and rubberised asphalt, to advances in construction equipment automation, and of course, the dawn of the connected and automated vehicle, many experts agree that road mobility is on the verge of a new era. “With such remarkable development

The upgrade to the UK’s busy A14 route will address a significant traffic bottleneck - Mike Woof writes The UK is suffering badly from traffic congestion, a problem that is particularly severe in and around its major cities. Lack of investment in road construction over many years has resulted in a major backlog of work, while the country has seen growing vehicle numbers. To make matters worse, there have been few additions to the major road network since the late 1980s and early 1990s. And the combinatio