The two largest American rental companies are merging.United Rentals Inc. on Dec. 16 inked a deal to buy RSC Holdings Inc. for $1.9 billion. As part of the deal, which United expects to close in the first half of next year, United will also assume $2.3 billion in debt, for a total value of $4.2 billion."This transaction marks a transformative moment in our company's history," says Michael Kneeland, United's president and CEO. "Combining the experience and resources of two top-performing equipment rental companies creates an exceptional company." Kneeland plans to stay in his position after the closing.Erik Olsson, RSC's president
We look at the lastest construction products, including a concrete mixer that delivers mix designs based on weight and a Tier 4i generator with a quieter design. Click on the image to begin the slide show.
Photo Courtesy of Cummins Inc. Eight ft tall, five ft wide and 14 ft long, this diesel engine will power offshore drills and generator sets. Mining companies want giant haul trucks to carry 500 tons. Today's threshold is 400 tons, and the biggest limitation is the availability of massive tires and engines. Cummins has the second part covered: The company plans to build a new 4,000-horsepower diesel in Seymour, Ind., by 2015.The new QSK95 powerplant "moves Cummins into a significantly higher power class, and we know that many of our customers have been eagerly anticipating us making that move," says
PHOTO BY TUDOR VAN HAMPTON / ENR While fleet managers are replacing aging machines, the rate of purchases is slowing down. This dip is mainly due to a lack of confidence in construction starts, which are expected to remain flat next year. While mining, oil and gas projects could be bright spots for big equipment next year, general construction, well, not so much.Even so, most fleets are still in need of fresh iron. During the recession, contractors, rental companies and truckers have stretched their machines far beyond their typical useful lives. At some point, fleets need to be upgraded to
CDC and NIOSH guide offers advice for preventing nail-gun injuries on the job. CDC and NIOSH are bridging the safety gap with Nail Gun Safety: A Guide for Construction Contractors. Related Links: NIOSH Nail Gun Safety Guide at CDC Website Nail guns are favored for their efficiency and convenience, but they're also sending users to the emergency room. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37,000 people each year are treated for nail-gun injuries, with foot and hand punctures being the most common. A study of residential carpenters in St. Louis found that two of every five
TOP PHOTO: Komatsu America Corp., BOTTOM PHOTO: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. How Green? Komatsus hybrid excavator, which the firm says is 25% more fuel efficient than the standard model, is one of two machines to be tested. If you are working out West and have been thinking about trying a hybrid construction machine, now is the time to take advantage of nearly $1 million in incentives available from the University of California, Riverside. The catch? Your new machine could take part in a statewide study designed to find out how “green” hybrids really are.Working under a $2-million grant from the
Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. New tool tests fluorescent bulbs and ballasts, in some cases, without a ladder. The electrician who walks around the office all day with a cart full of bulbs may be eager to try out Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp.'s new fluorescent-lighting tester, which combines bulb and ballast diagnostics in one handheld tool.Because few options exist to test fluorescent bulbs before replacing them, lighting technicians “have adopted a replace-and-hope strategy,” says Jon Morrow, director of product marketing for Milwaukee's testing and measurement line. “There is no meter out there to test and diagnose lights,” he
Photo by Greg Aragon for ENR Komatsu's 22-ton PC200LC-8 Hybrid Excavator, which went on sale earlier this year, is the first hybrid of its kind in the U.S. Related Links: How John Deere's New Hybrid Wheel Loaders Get Their Juice CARB, AGC Agree to Delay Emission Rules Until 2014 The California Air Resources Board is studying the effects of two pieces of hybrid construction machinery, the Caterpillar D7E bulldozer and Komatsu PC200LC-8 excavator, under a $2-million grant at the University of California, Riverside.The two-year project aims to analyze the emissions profiles of the hybrid machinery and develop incentive programs for
Related Links: Big Drop in Lake Mead Curbs Water, Power Southern Nevada's newest piece of mega-hardware—a custom $25-million Herrenknecht tunneling-boring machine—will make its long-awaited underground debut later this year.The machine works like a giant mechanical earthworm, gnawing through dirt, rock and muck while forming a protective tunnel that will eventually channel raw Colorado River water onto nearby treatment plants before the water is pumped to homes and businesses throughout the Las Vegas valley.The 1,800-ton, 600-ft-long TBM is the workhorse of a $526.6-million third raw-water intake tunnel project at Lake Mead, 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. A joint venture of
Traditional truckers may lament that their rigs feel more and more like cars, but a new heavy-duty rig, the Caterpillar CT660, makes no apologies about the comfort.
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