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The market for concrete pavers continues to fuel research and development into new models writes Mike Woof. The range and breadth of concrete slipforming and paving equipment on the market continues to grow as firms develop new and improved models. Prior to the recent CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 construction equipment show in Las Vegas, some of the best known manufacturers had already announced their new and improved slipforming machines. GOMACO, Guntert & Zimmermann, Power Curbers and Wirtgen all had recent or ne

According to the US-based Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the extension of the country's highway and transportation legislation is a short-term measure.

In Australia local authorities are facing increasing pressure to keep roads properly maintained while cutting costs at the same time. This presents a major problem, however two local authorities have begun using a novel solution to road maintenance and repairs, based around using the latest version of Caterpillar's RM300 rotary mixer.

Plans are in hand in Paraguay for a total of 13 major road projects for 2011.

The project to build a new orbital motorway to bypass the Spanish city of Barcelona has benefited from the use of the world's largest asphalt paver. This represents one of the first jobs in Europe for the power paver, Vögele's SUPER 3000-2, which was first launched at the Bauma exhibition in Munich in 2010.

A strong market for road maintenance work is expected in Mexico, prompting several key contractors to tender for bids.

French funding will finance a key contract in Cameroon.

Shem Oirere reports on how major highway projects in eastern African will improve links and the economies of a number of countries in the region

The tender process for Turkey's third Bosporus Bridge project is now open.

The E60 highway project forms a key route of strategic importance for both Europe and Asia. This long road from the port of Brest in France, crosses Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Switzerland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and ends at Irkeshtam in Kyrgzstan.

Italian access equipment specialist Barin has supplied one of its novel ABCLS units to a customer in Germany. The underbridge inspection machine is being used by rental firm Theo in Tecklenburg. Barin previously supplied two similar units for bridge inspection to Germany, with one being bought by Munich-Kirchheim firm Roggermaier Arbeitsbuhnen and another by Berlin company Easy Lift. Versatile and compact this latest machine has been mounted on a Mercedes Axor 1829 truck chassis with a GVW of 18tonnes.

Road transport is the key to improving Africa's links within its own territory, and further afield as Patrick Smith reports. Development of road transportation is the key to the future of the African economy, and countries on the continent are making great strides. According to a report by a transport infrastructure expert at the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), within the next 15 years the value of trade in Africa could reach US$250 billion if a $32 billion investment is made to integrate

In Lithuania, cold mix asphalt containing recycled asphalt pavement has been installed in a new base course overlay for a section of the A1, the country's most heavily trafficked motorway.

Atlas Copco says that the third generation of its COPROD drilling system offers even better performance than before.

The new CNH Industrial Complex in Brazil, which comprises a Case factory and a modern CNH parts logistics and distribution centre, has opened in the city of Sorocaba, São Paulo state. The opening of the complex will generate 3,000 direct jobs (up to 6,000 including indirect jobs) in the region according to a forecast of up to two years, when the factory reaches it full production capacity.

Our series of profiles on winning projects from the 2010 Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA) continues with the traffic management and intelligent transport systems (ITS) category, won by AECOM for its work on Florida's first managed lanes project

The Chinese contractor building the fourth bridge over the Babahoyo River in Ecuador says that the project should be complete by August 2011.

The CESAR Home Office approved construction equipment security scheme will be showcased at Intermat 2012. Delivered by Datatag ID, CESAR scheme registered machines are said to be four times less likely to be stolen and six times more likely to be recovered than unregistered equipment.

Doosan has a new DXB170 hydraulic breaker for use on 18-28tonne excavators. Features include a simple, robust design, low maintenance costs, operator comfort and carrier protection. DXB technology ensures the carrier is protected from the effects of reduction in pressure peaks. The DXB170 breaker includes an energy recovery system and a patented valve system, increasing performance; a high quality piston and cylinder manufactured to precise tolerances; and an advanced dampening system to protect the breaker

Mixtures with special additives are being produced for roads, offering noise reduction and aiding recycling. Patrick Smith reports. Noise-reducing road surfacings have been used in motorway construction for some time. But relatively new are noise-optimised surfacings used on roads in towns that do not follow a standard concept.Road trials with these materials have taken place in Germany since 2007 and have been prioritised due to the European Union Guidelines on the Assessment and Management of Environmenta