Photo By Tudor Van Hampton/ENR The 2015 Ram ProMaster City has more cargo space than most others in the compact-van class. Enlarge ENR Ram has more room but is also costlier than competitors. Related Links: 2015 Ram ProMaster City Compact Work Van Year in Review: Pickup Truck Wars One can be fooled by the diminutive appearance of the new compact cargo vans arriving stateside. Built for European cities yet adapted for American jobsites, these small vans are economical and capable enough for in-the-field workers who need to pack light gear and supplies, especially where space is tight and traffic is
Image Courtesy of Volvo CE Even pass Volvo's intelligent compaction approach relies on machine learning for proper density. Compacting asphalt pavement sufficiently is crucial to extending the life of roadways. Intelligent compaction technologies offer methods of evaluating the state of pavement compaction in real time, helping operators to avoid under- or overcompacting the pavement. Most intelligent compaction methods rely on measuring the relative stiffness of the pavement and displaying a real-time, GPS-enabled map of how many passes have been made over the pavement mat.The Federal Highway Administration has made intelligent compaction a priority investment for the future, and state transportation
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR New models of hydraulic excavators, the Caterpillar 313F L GC (left) and 336F XE aim to boost fuel efficiency and cut operating costs. Related Links: Telematics: Moving Data and Dirt Fleet Owners Stand To Gain From V-6 Pickups Equipment Makers De-Feature for Rising Rental Market Now that heavy-equipment manufacturers are closing the hood on a decade-long overhaul to meet stringent diesel-emission limits, known as Tier 4, research-and-development budgets are shifting to make those cleaner-burning—and more expensive—engines more efficient.“We have customers coming in and trading in older machines because of what they can save with fuel
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR The CT680 comes in two trim packages; this tractor has the L trim with chrome brightwork. Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR The cab is quiet and comfortable, and the switches are easy to operate. Related Links: Caterpillar's First Work Truck Takes Ergonomics to Task Caterpillar Brings Telematics Solutions to CONEXPO Caterpillar’s new CT680 rounds out the manufacturer’s construction-truck offering since it first moved into the category, in 2011.“We’re now expanding into Puerto Rico and Mexico,” said Ron Schultz, sales and product support manager, on May 14 at Cat’s demonstration and training center near Tucson, Ariz.The
Images Courtesy Getable Mobile apps from start-up firms allow contractors to rent idle construction equipment on demand from owners or other contractors. Related Links: Yard Club Getable EquipmentShare Idle construction equipment costs money. Not just in maintenance but also in the lost revenue from not putting it to work. Small contractors with a few pieces of iron or big firms with massive fleets often eat the cost of idle equipment or set up handshake deals to lend it out for a fee. But a few ambitious tech startups are taking this informal economy online with free mobile-based equipment-rental apps."It's about
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone / ENR Nobel Prize-winning physicist Shuji Nakamura (below), has developed a violet LED (above) with better true-color representation than commonly used blue LEDs, which he invented in the 1990s. Photo by Jeff Rubenstone / ENR Related Links: Soraa Looking to build a better light bulb, Shuji Nakamura led development of the modern blue LED in 1994. Initially considered too expensive, the blue LED is now ubiquitous, found in light bulbs, car headlights and Blu-Ray disc players. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 for his work, Nakamura has focused in recent years on his latest
Images Courtesy IDEAL Audacy's control devices are installed on each fixture, allowing total control of thousands of programmable lights from a tablet app. Images Courtesy IDEAL Related Links: IDEAL AUDCACY Wireless Solutions Bringing Bluetooth and WiFi to lighting controls is nothing new, but scaling them to larger facilities can cause issues. At Lightfair 2015, Sycamore, Ill.-based lighting-connector maker IDEAL announced Audacy, a system suited for large installations that can bring big energy savings."If everyone went completely wireless, the need for our connectors would be diminished," says Jim James, IDEAL CEO. "So, our team took a look at it, and we
Photo Courtesy Deere and Co. Deere's new 1050K is the largest crawler tractor the company has designed and built. Related Links: Test Drive: Deere 644K Hybrid Wheel Loader Telematics Report: Moving Data and Dirt With the introduction of the 1050K crawler dozer earlier this year, Moline, Ill.-based Deere & Co. moves further upmarket into production-size machinery and brings an end to a decades-long relationship with Liebherr."Being able to offer production-class equipment, trucks, dozers and excavators now, it kind of completes the package," says Todd Perrine, vice president of Deere dealer Leslie Equipment, Cowen, W.Va. "It's the last piece of the
Courtesy Daimler AG. The truck currently is in testing in Nevada. Related Links: New National Operations Center Will Research Future of High-Tech Highways Robots on the Jobsite Advancing in Construction While they may be years away from mainstream use, self-driving vehicles inched closer on May 5 in Las Vegas, where Daimler unveiled the Freightliner Inspiration truck.Now in testing on Nevada highways, the 18-wheeler is the first autonomous truck licensed in the U.S. It combines collision-mitigation technology, such as radar-based adaptive cruise control and camera-based lane-keeping control, to provide an autopilot mode the driver can engage.Not to be confused with a
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