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A new project aims to bring Europe to the forefront of developing the future of transport. A three-year project has set itself the challenge of developing a "truly inspiring vision" of how roads will be built and maintained in the 21st century. Forever Open Road is a revolutionary concept led by the Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL) and supported by the UK's influential TRL (Transport Research Laboratory).

While international diplomatic negotiations on how to tackle climate change are faltering, the International Road Federation (IRF) is taking action and leading the way to meet calls for greener transport systems

Funding and assistance from Australia, South Korea and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help finance key road and bridge projects in Vietnam.

WORK ON a major upgrade at a busy German road junction is expected to be completed by the end of 2011. To assist in the project, two Putzmeister large-boom concrete pumps, an M 58-5 from Berger Beton and an M 62-6 from BFM Betonförderdienst in Munich, arrived at the Neufahrn motorway junction, north of the city. The junction, when viewed from above, looks like a flatly pressed four-leaf clover, and can no longer cope with traffic volumes. Two national motorways, the A 9 and the A 92, intersect at the

An innovative asphalt plant is allowing the use of recycled materials and achieving major cost benefits - Mike Woof reports. UK construction firm FM Conway is seeing the benefit of the €11.5 million (£10 million) it has invested in its asphalt production facilities at Erith in Kent, close to UK capital London, since buying the site in 2005. The biggest single investment in the facility has been a new Benninghoven asphalt plant, which was commissioned in June 2010 and is now the core of the Erith operation.

Innovative formwork systems have been used to construct a variety of bridge structures. Patrick Smith reports. As part of the work on Germany's new A4 autobahn near Eisenach, the contracting joint venture awarded the formwork contract for two of the three viaducts to Doka. What makes this assignment so special to the company is that although the two steel composite bridges each have very different cross-sections, the JV is using the same overslung composite forming carriage to pour the carriageway slabs of

Developed in 1933 by the French engineer M Rouaze, the Atomix(r) mill is now used by many customers across five continents and is able to make all types of emulsions including SBR [styrene butadiene rubber] and SBS [styrene-butadiene-styrene].

GROUP FAYAT highlighted its Secmair Serviroute multipurpose bitumen sprayer with a new 5m telescopic spray bar at the SMOPYC show in Zaragoza, Spain. Traditionally fitted with a 4.5m bar, the primary function of a Serviroute machine is to fix a coating layer with a layer of binder with a tack-coat layer. The unit carries 3,000-6,000litres of binder; 1,000- 6,000litres of water and 450-900litres of fuel, according to the various options and type of truck retained. According to Secmair, the machine's

CASE CONSTRUCTION Equipment operators and customers from Europe are honing their skills at the controls for the return of the Case Rodeo operator competition, which follows an inaugural European championship last year. Competitors will have to show off their skills in a range of machines, from skid steers and backhoe loaders to larger hydraulic excavators and wheeled loaders, and demonstrate technical skill, safe working practice and productive capability.

CASE CONSTRUCTION Equipment introduces three new F Series wheeled loaders to European customers. The 721F (operating weight 14,929kg), the 821F (17,633kg) and the 921F (19,857kg) are said to offer faster acceleration, reduced cycle times, higher travel speeds and increased productivity, yet boast up to a 10% reduction in fuel consumption. The F Series loaders are powered by Tier 4 interim diesel engines, with improved programmable power modes. An optional five-speed transmission further boosts fuel

Innovative formwork solutions are helping to get projects completed on or before time, meaning savings in time and money as Patrick smith reports. The use of flexible, modular formwork to create innovative structures out of concrete is helping to increase productivity and thus drive down completion time and costs.

Companies are coming up with innovative formwork solutions to overcome "challenging" designs for bridges. Patrick Smith reports

A survey of a number of Europe's motorway filling stations have thrown up surprising results: some good, some bad. Experts from EuroTest have travelled almost 34,000km to check out 77 filling stations along the most important travel routes in Europe. Keeping a close eye on cameras and staff that might "blow their cover," the results they brought home with them showed that not a single facility [visited] warranted a very good rating.

An authority replaces container wharf pavement damaged by forklift loads in world's first commercial use of high-performance asphalt base course. By Paul Fournier

The International Road Federation's (IRF) conference in Portuguese capital Lisbon was a major success, attracting 1,500 industry professionals from all over the world

GTZ highlights a pioneering scheme illustrating the potential of Bus Rapid Transit systems as a viable approach to alleviate the traffic and social problems faced by large cities worldwide

The authorities in Guatemala are presently carrying out feasibility studies for an inter-oceanic logistics corridor that would connect both sides of the country.

Demolition is a highly specialised business, as the machinery required to carry out the work on high-rise demolition contracts can be very site specific. Today's high reach demolition rig is no longer simply a tracked excavator with a long boom, indeed some machines cannot be used as excavators at all. Likewise a machine that is dedicated to carrying a 2.5 or 3tonne shear or hammer will need to be built to take the stresses and strains of demolition life.

The World Bank Global Road Safety Facility and IRF work together to reduce the toll of road deaths and serious injuries in low and middle-income countries

The sector for machine guidance systems is growing fast as contractors become more and more aware of the benefits of using this technology. Increased speed, working accuracy and cost effectiveness are key benefits of this technology, with just three firms, Trimble, Topcon and the Hexagon Group, dominating the market. The Hexagon Group is perhaps the newest entrant to the sector, having acquired Leica Geosystems and Scanlaser in recent years. John Fraser is sales and marketing manager at Scanlaser, and expla