Features

At its high-volume asphalt facility in Hayes, UK, Tarmac has successfully integrated a state-of-the-art hot recycling drum plant into its operations. The Benninghoven RAP pre-dryer at the site, west of London, is currently capable of using up to 50% RAP material and processes road planings removed from nearby areas for use on local roads. Processed RAP is introduced at a constant speed to the Benninghoven system and is dried and heated at approximately 120°C in a uniflow largevolume drying drum equipped wit

ISO certified excavator ROPS cabs are coming for excavators. Mark Cherrington reports. It's been a long time coming, but certified ROPS cabs on excavators are a reality following the recent release of a standard, ISO 12117-2: 2008, which sets out laboratory tests and performance requirements for protective structures on excavators weighing between 6 and 50tonnes.

Some of the first quarries to benefit from Hitachi's new large wheeled loader range are those in Italy. The ZW330, ZW370 and ZW550 models are the result of an alliance between, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and TCM corporation. The first ZW370 in Italy was delivered by Italian Hitachi dealer SCAI to an aggregates quarry in May. Four companies operate at the site in Casal Selce outside Rome and all are owned by Gruppo Mezzanotte. It was founded in 1978 with three employees, including owner Maurizio Mezzanot

Airborne dust can be a major problem for quarry operators but enclosing equipment is not always possible. ABE takes a look at other innovative solutions. The location of many quarries close to residential areas means that the impact of airborne dust is a problem that has to be dealt with. But dust can be a very difficult issue to define, as what constitutes a nuisance is very subjective and can vary from site to site.

LeTourneau is a name that has become synonymous with the development of earthmoving equipment. ABE takes a look at the man behind the name. Working as an earthmoving contractor in the early 1920s led Robert Gilmore LeTourneau into a career of developing equipment for this application. Today, many quarries and earthmoving contractors still use equipment that can be traced back to the LeTourneau brand.

The legality of the UK's aggregates tax still hangs in the balance after an earlier ruling was overturned by the European Court of Justice. Minerals lawyer Robert Camp looks at the case. In 2002, the UK government introduced the Aggregates Levy (with the approval of the European Commission) in an effort to improve the environmental performance of its mining industry. Unpopular from the outset, it includes a tax in the form of a levy on aggregates, with an exemption for spoils resulting from the extraction o

The European Aggregates Association's partnership with the United Nations Environmental Programme on a biodiversity toolkit for the quarrying industry. The need for biodiversity at both restored and working aggregate extraction sites is widely accepted by the quarrying industry, but achieving biodiversity is not a straightforward process. However, plans to develop a new information source for the sector could help to ease the task for those implementing and regulating biodiversity plans.

Having recently rejoined Case after a gap of eight years, Israel Celli talks to ABE about his new role, the recession and plans for the quarry market. Few people return to a company once they have moved on and even less can be coaxed out of retirement to rejoin. But that is exactly what Israel Celli did when he returned to Case Construction Equipment last year.

Washing is a common part of aggregate processing but managing water resources is essential to ensure operations are profitable and environmentally friendly. Claire Symes reports. Filter presses usually achieve 85% water recovery, although we have seen up to 93% in some applications.

For the last 25 years Martti Kärkkäinen has managed the aggregates business of Finland-based Rudus. Claire Symes talked to him about his career with the company. In today's world few people stay with the same company for their whole career but when Martti Kärkkäinen retires later this year, he will be celebrating 38 years of working with Rudus. During his time with the Finland-based construction materials business he has seen many changes in the organisation but believes the company is on the right path for

Hardly a day goes by without the words recession or credit crunch hitting the headlines. Many question how many of these headlines are really media hype but how much will the instability of the banking world affect aggregates production in Europe?