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FSP has bought the intellectual property rights for the Frangible Post System from 3M. It is now supplying the passive safety market with reinforced composite posts that will carry signs on motorways and other busy roads. The FSP product (as previously commercially developed and marketed by 3M) is designed to be strong enough to withstand turbulent weather conditions, but light and flexible enough to collapse on impact, protecting the driver and passengers and causing minimum damage to the vehicle.

Topcon Europe Positioning has released its new DL-500 series digital levels. The new Topcon DL-500 is said to implement the world's first Wave-and-Read technology. "This feature provides an additional survey style option that allows a rod person to wave the staff back and forth, instead of keeping the staff plumb," said Ian Stilgoe, geomatics business manager of Topcon Europe Positioning.

An innovative approach to power generation is being taken in Japan, with highway companies planning to rent out space to utility companies to install solar power arrays.

Plans for a new highway connecting the African nations of Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi are gathering pace. The project is likely to cost up to US$600 million to complete and will provide a key trade route between the nations, with the economies of Malawi and Mozambique in particular need of development, while Zambia's copper mining industry will benefit from the link.Some $23 million will be required to construct the first section of the road forming the Nacala Corridor.

Trimble Dimensions 2009 takes a hard look at opportunities in a tough economy If attendance is the standard by which user conferences are measured, then Trimble Dimensions 2009 should be considered a success. The conference, which took place from 23-25 February at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, USA, hosted more than 2,400 attendees, slightly exceeding last year. The strong attendance, in the face of global economic concerns, was seen by Trimble CEO Steven Berglund as a show of support for the company's tech

Major repairs are required to roads and bridges in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro State following the recent spate of flooding.

Century deal for Volvo CE Volvo Construction Equipment sold 100 heavy excavators to mining, highway and real estate company Tang Sunrise Investment during its sales promotion in the Chinese city of Fuquing.

Work is now well underway on the new North Tarrant Express project in Texas.

Major infrastructure projects worldwide are relying on innovative formwork solutions for speed and safety as Patrick Smith reports. The 970m long cable-stayed Golden Ears Bridge crossing the Fraser River in Vancouver, Canada, is the core element of a six-lane, highway project near the Canadian west coast.

Nurock Mixers has developed an innovative compact volumetric machine.

GNSS road pricing a step closer. Today, road transport faces major challenges such as the ever-increasing need for safety, as well as for reduced congestion and pollution.

The latest survey from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association's (ARTBA) suggests a worrying trend for US road and bridge construction in 2011.

Wakeham Equipment is now offering attachments and machine forms for skid steer loaders. The new 2.235m grade trimmer features replaceable carbide teeth and a flip-up cover that throws material forward in low spots. Designed to increase productivity, this unit has been in the development and product testing for the last year. The unit can trim through hard packed clay as well as a mixture of hard sand, clay and rock, leaving a perfect grade thanks to the easily upgraded Leica Power grade system. This snap on

MINNESOTA CITIES including Minneapolis and Richfield have been testing pervious concrete on parking lots and other hard surfaces to improve storm water management. In Shoreview MN, the authorities went a stage further by opting to replace a storm drainage system with pervious concrete.

Five Canadian students received criminal charges when a fun prank they planned went wrong. The engineering students had intended to lower the carcass of a Volkswagen Beetle car from the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge in Vancouver. The students clearly need to spend more time studying as they miscalculated the stresses involved and the cables they selected failed under the load. The car then fell into Vancouver harbour and the students were arrested and charged for causing over C$5,000 of damage. Canadian engi

An Australian woman had her driving disqualification extended by one year after being convicted for crashing her Honda in a car park while driving without a licence. The pensioner has appeared in court more than 70 times on a variety of charges in recent years but claims that she is a good driver. The court heard that she continued to drive despite having her licence revoked until 2999 for medical reasons. The woman was convicted of negligent driving, driving without a licence and failing to give particular

Driving test errors will keep three drivers off the roads in South Korea, the US and the UK. In South Korea a 68 year old woman has notched up what may well be a world record, failing her written driving test examination for the 771st time.

Vietnam's new highway projects Key highway projects are being planned in Vietnam including the Ninh Binh-Thanh Hoa Expressway, which will run for 127km and is expected to cost US$1.6 billion to construct.

Caterpillar plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, to produce undercarriage components and track assemblies, which are utilised on Cat hydraulic excavators.

A new alliance has been formed to promote the benefits and implementation of technology for mobile plant in the construction and associated industries.