Features

In March the construction equipment industry will be heading to Verona in Italy for the 28th Samoter exhibition. ABE takes a look at the innovations that will be on display. Italy's northern city of Verona may be world-famous for its star-crossed lovers but this March the focus will be on the latest technology from the construction equipment market as the city hosts the 28th Samoter Exhibition.

Delivery of a new Case excavator is helping one quarry in the volcanic Eifel region of Germany to improve productivity
Working with tough materials like basalt places extra wear on machines due to the high levels of abrasion, density of the material and need for large breakout forces. These were all factors that had to be considered when a new prime mover was needed at the Dockweiler pit in Germany's volcanic Eifel region.

Delivery of a new prime mover at Lafarge's Thrislington limestone quarry is helping to improve productivity. Output at any quarry is always limited by the capacity of the crusher, so to ensure productivity it is important to keep a steady feed of material. Delivery of a new excavator to one of Lafarge's quarries in the UK is helping the site to maximise its production.

Benninghoven's BRG 2000 granulator is a specialised recycling plant for the asphalt industry that the company claims can deliver high levels of production efficiently with minimum fines and dust content. In developing its machine the main criteria for Benninghoven's R&D team was to design a granulator capable of breaking reclaimed asphalt blocks and planings down to a perfect recyclable size without reducing the original stone content, and to handle trapped steel without damaging the equipment

Many machine manufacturers have selected Las Vegas’ Conexpo-Conn/Agg exhibition as the location to debut their latest innovations. While Samoter is the main focus for European launches in March this year, international attention will be firmly focused on Las Vegas in the US.

The EU Raw Materials Strategy offers the framework to secure access to minerals but good national interpretation is vital to delivering the benefits locally. The European Aggregates Association takes a look at some good examples
With the EU Raw Materials Strategy in place, implementation is key and it is now being driven forward through national initiatives. The strategy aims at exchanging good practice in respect of national minerals and land use planning so looking at how it is being used is important. T

Getting the right tyres for a quarry is not just a case of getting the right size for the machine - getting the right tread pattern and compound, as well as the right maintenance, can also affect tyre service life. Claire Symes reports
The high cost involved in buying new earthmover tyres for quarry equipment means that it is an investment that needs consideration to get the right result in terms of productivity and service life. Just specifying the same tyres that a machine was delivered with or fitting t

Installing a new crusher rotor has helped Serbia-based PZP Valjevo to ramp up production. ABE reports. Delivering higher production rates from existing equipment fleets is the aim of most quarry producers with the current limitations on capital expenditure for many sites in Europe. And that is exactly what one Serbia-based aggregates producer managed to do through installation of a new crusher rotor.

While maintenance can help prevent accidents caused by unsafe equipment, it is also a high risk operation that can place workers in danger. Common perception is that a well maintained site is a safe one, and that may well be true but, without proper plans in place, carrying out maintenance can also present considerable hazards to operatives. Good maintenance is essential to keep machines and work environment safe and reliable but maintenance itself is a high-risk activity and has to be performed in a safe w

Mobile screen technology is helping to cut costs on site but there is still a market for stationary solutions. Claire Symes reports. While aggregate demand from large population centres still calls for a static screens' capacity, on site screening using mobile equipment is helping to reduce costs on some construction projects. Last year ABE reported on the use of mobile equipment by Eren In?aat in Eastern Turkey to turn blasted material into aggregates as construction on the canal project progressed. This i

Use of secondary aggregates can help boost recycling rates but added legislation is bringing higher costs. Julie-Anne Ryan reports. The need for sustainable resources is an increasingly forceful driver for any manufacturing industry, and nowhere more so than in the production of aggregates. Recycling is an obvious and established part of most business plans in the field, and the use of secondary aggregates - usually the by-products of non-construction industrial processes - is adding a notable dimension to

Sometimes it is just simple things that can place people at risk of an accident. ABE takes a look at the role of site assessment and auditing in maintaining high standards. Achieving high levels of safety in a quarry environment calls for continuous action to maintain safety precautions and awareness of the risks. It is all too easy for workers to become familiar with their surroundings and fail to notice a slight slip in standards that can lead to an accident.