After a presentation to journalists on improving fuel efficiency in wheel loaders, Gunnar Stein, Volvo Construction Equipment's global director of driveline systems, offered a sobering assessment of progress in the company's hybrid-wheel-loader program, saying, "All technology comes with a cost tag, and the hybrids are not there yet."
Related Links: People Dig Tunnel Boring Machines That Tweet Barnard Impregilo Healy JV Awarded San Franciscos Central Subway Tunneling Project Tunneling 100 ft below a busy city with varying substructure is a delicate job, especially when the work comes within 8 ft of existing tunnels. Such is the case on San Francisco's new $1.5-billion Central Subway Project, which began major subterranean excavation last month."The tunnels pass through both soft ground and Franciscan formation, which is heterogeneous rock that is not predictable except in its unpredictability," says Sarah Wilson, a San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) resident engineer.While underground conditions will
Photo Courtesy of Nissan North America The Nissan NV200 is the latest entry into the compact work-van market, with segment-leading fuel economy but not as much cargo room as other competitors. Photo Courtesy of Nissan North America Inside, the cabin is basic yet sturdy. Prices start at $20,000. Related Links: Import Vans Invade Work Truck Show Nissan Presents a Practical Alternative to the Basic Contractor Van With high fuel prices continuing to batter bottom lines, many contractors that depend on a van—or a fleet of vans—are beginning to question the conventional work-truck wisdom that says bigger is better.This industry-wide reexamination
Nissan North America The next-generation Nissan Titan will include an optional 5.0-liter Cummins V-8 diesel engine. Nissan North America Cummins will build the new 5.0-liter V-8 in Columbus, Ind. Related Links: New EcoDiesel Engine Boosts Fuel Economy on 2014 Ram Trucks Ford Offers Natural Gas Power in a Half-Ton Pickup In what Nissan claims will be the first full-size pickup to sport a turbodiesel V-8 engine, the next-generation, half-ton Nissan Titan will be available with an optional Cummins under the hood. Nissan also joins Chrysler's Ram unit in using a small diesel to boost fuel economy and towing performance in
Related Links: Facing Soft Demand in Second Quarter, Caterpillar and Terex Look To Refocus Exports of construction machinery fell 21% in the first half of 2013, according to data compiled by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Based on data from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and other industry sources, AEM says equipment makers shipped $10.8 billion worth of construction machinery in the first half of 2013, down from the $13.7 billion shipped at the midpoint of 2012.Deep declines were seen in exports to all global regions compared to the first half of 2012, with the exception of Central America, which
Photo Courtesy of SDLG Volvo is now producing four models of SDLG excavators in Brazil. Related Links: Volvo Imports Chinese Wheel Loaders to North America Volvo Opens $100-Million Factory Expansion Volvo Construction Equipment has started production of excavators under its Chinese brand at a $10-million assembly plant in Brazil. Excavators from China-based Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. (SDLG) are being built in Volvo's facility in Pederneiras, Brazil, for sale in the Brazilian market.The first production run will include four SDLG crawler-excavator models: the LG6150E, LG6210E, LG225E and LG6250E. These machines fall in the 13.8-metric-ton to 24.3-metric-ton weight classes. The
Courtesy Mammoet Mammoet's MTC-15 helps remote jobsites start up quickly. Valued at $6.4 million, the first unit will be ready to ship in September. Related Links: Heavy Lifters: How Much Can You Bench? Tools of the Trade for Heavy Lifting As more of the world demands electricity, the job of building powerplants in remote locations remains a huge logistical challenge that often requires expensive infrastructure and equipment to move the bulky plant components from ship to shore. Heavy-lifting and rigging firm Mammoet has developed a special-use crane designed to tackle the problem.The MTC-15, or Mammoet Terminal Crane, can lift loads
Related Links: Heavy Lifters: How Much Can You Bench? Today's heavy-lifting toolbox is diverse. Technology is constantly improving, making alternative lifting devices more feasible for large-scale modular construction. Below is a sampling of equipment riggers employ on these projects.PLATFORM TRAILERS: Calling this heavy-haul device a trailer "is selling it very short—it really is a rigging tool," says Jeff Latture, senior vice president at Barnhart Crane & Rigging. Whatever you call them, these modular machines come at a steep cost. Many are imported from Germany, with prices starting at $45,000 per axle for a trailer that requires a prime mover and
Courtesy Ford Motor Co. Ford Motor Co. this fall will roll out an F-150 pickup truck with a factory-installed gaseous prep kit. Courtesy Ford Motor Co. In addition to the $315 engine prep kit, the extra cost to add a CNG/LNG fuel system is $7,500 to $9,500, Ford estimates. Related Links: Test Drive: Life On the Road With Natural Gas Chrysler, Ford, GM Introduce Natural-Gas Pickup Trucks Starting this fall, Ford Motor Co. will offer natural gas power in a half-ton pickup truck. Previously, truck makers have installed factory kits into larger vehicles only.Available as a retrofit for years, the
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