Features

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

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

Traditional players in the European bitumen sector need to grasp digital technology in all its forms to survive. Kristina Smith reports from the recent E&E conference in Berlin.

Time is money, especially in Scandinavia where the short road construction season makes efficiency and flexibility a key factor for machines. That's particularly true on small job sites, where work has to be completed quickly but reliably day after day. As soon as the job is done, machines must be quickly loaded and ready to speed off to the next project. That’s exactly what the W 60 Ri small milling machine from Wirtgen delivers. Norwegian milling service provider Asfalt Remix - which uses exclusively W

Some of the key manufacturers are improving asphalt paving technology with key developments to machines as well as the electronics and telematics systems fitted – Mike Woof writes. Several of the major asphalt paver manufacturers have unveiled new machines and systems that can optimise operations. Improved operating features for the BOMAG BF 800 C-2 paver are said to help increase its output and efficiency when working on-site. An important development is the new traffic light system, which helps improve co

Whether you are in the global Volvo Ocean Race or working on-site locally, sustainability is about attitude as much as technology. David Arminas reports. Technology, sustainability and safety. We ignore these often related themes at our peril. This was the key point made by Volvo Group chief executive Martin Lundstedt during his brief opening presentation at the start of the Building Tomorrow Conference in Spain last October. The conference took place within the harbour of Alicante that was bustling wit