Related Links: Are Equipment Rentals Cyclical or Secular? Ten Minutes With Michael Kneeland, CEO of United Rentals United Rentals Inc., the Stamford, Conn.-based supplier of construction equipment, tools and industrial machinery, each year turns over about $1 billion of its total equipment fleet, valued today at an original equipment cost of $8.44 billion. This allows United's branches to dispose of used iron, introduce the latest models into the mix and command competitive rental rates. As a result, United, which booked $5.7 billion in gross revenue last year, is sometimes referred to as the largest used-equipment manufacturer in the world.As construction
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton / ENR Rear camera (left) and blind-spot sensor (at right) will be mounted flush when the Caterpillar TL1055D ships in May. Related Links: Proximity Alarms Gain Ground on Construction Machines Which Construction Machines Have the Biggest Blind Spots? According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, most work-zone fatalities are due to a heavy truck or machine striking a ground worker, and half those deaths occur when a vehicle is backing up. Contractors looking to improve safety are pushing machinery suppliers to offer object-detection technology, which is now common on new cars and
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR In case of accidental bumps and falls, thick rubber handles, a shock-absorbing case and an internal damping system protect the Hilti PR 30-HVS from damage. Related Links: Hilti Updates Breaker, Introduces 'Vampire Chisel' Electronic Laser Meter Quickly Measures Difficult Distances Expensive precision instruments don't always hold up to the extreme use that construction work places on them, but Hilti's new PR 30-HVS rotating laser tries to solve that problem.Designed for leveling formwork, setting slopes and performing layouts, the 5.5-lb PR 30-HVS claims to be accurate to 1/8 in. at 100 ft, with auto-leveling and an
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone for ENR Hilti ran its new TE 1000 AVR breaker against competitor's breaker. Photo by Jeff Rubenstone for ENR The Wave Chisel has an undulating pattern along its sides, which prevents binding and helps eject dust and debris. Anticipating steady growth in the construction sector, Hilti has announced several new products at World of Concrete, including updates to its popular TE 1000 breaker. The second-gen TE 1000 AVR breaker is able to deliver 19 ft-lb of impact energy, and utilizes Hilti's newly introduced Wave Chisel, known internally during development as the "vampire chisel."Hilti's new breaker features
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR Hull demonstrates the TSA 230 Cutquik, which targets users that make infrequent cuts. Related Links: Cement Use To Grow 8% in 2015, But Low Oil Prices Won't Help Much Stihl Inc. has rolled out the industry’s first battery-powered cutoff saw, which it is targeting at general masonry, concrete and hardscaping work.“We’re seeing gas-powered saws with 100 hours of run time on them but 3,000 starts,” said Dan Hull, manager of dealer services for the Virginia Beach, Va.-based tool maker, on Feb. 4 at this year’s World of Concrete show. “It’s like starting your car, going
Growing job markets, consumer confidence and construction spending will contribute to higher cement consumption in the U.S. this year, rising an annual 8% to 93 million metric tons (MMT), according to the Portland Cement Association.
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR Caterpillar plans to make a pulse-radar rear proximity sensor (at right) standard on its new 10,000-pound telehandler, which ships later this year. Related Links: Bendix Collision-Mitigation Technology Stops Vehicles in Their Tracks Which Construction Machines Have the Biggest Blind Spots? The familiar BEEP-BEEP-BEEP noise of heavy machinery backing up is slowly starting to accompany another alarm that warns operators when they are about to hit an object.“We invented these for the mining industry,” said Teresa Prisbrey, director of marketing for Boise-based Preview Radar Systems on Feb. 3 at this year’s World of Concrete show. “We
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