From The Editor: Hands On, From Afar
There might be something as to why one industry trade show survives and another does not. Comdex, the once massive computer show, has gone away; yet shows like Bauma, thrive. Comdex is held virtually now (online) with attendance just 1% of its hay day. Bauma 2013 is expected to set records with 500,000+ in attendance. Now these .... Read the Article

Positioning the Sun's Energy
It is predicted that by 2030, global consumption of energy will have increased 40%; thus, many world leader's and energy executives are concerned about how to meet these accelerating energy demands. While most energy debates focuses on the cleanliness and eco-friendliness of .... Read the Article

Perfect Paving Required
Not all auto racing is the same. The most popular racing series in America, NASCAR, has very little in common with the most popular racing series in the world, Formula 1. NASCAR tracks are oval, while F1 circuits are road courses featuring a combination of twists, fast turns, and long straights followed by heavy braking zones. F1 circuits include purpose .... Read the Article

MNDOT Highway Rehab Benefits from Machine-Controlled Milling
The repaving in 2012 of State Highway 212 was the site of an interesting 'first' for MNDOT, Minnesota's Department of Transportation; on this project machine control was used for both paving and, for the first time, milling as well. "We didn't set this project up as a model," says Bill Knofczynski, project supervisor in MNDOT's District 8. "In fact, this was .... Read the Article

Learning Never Stops—The Art of Keeping Current
If you thought that learning stopped on your last day of school, you're probably not reading this. Nope, those folks are still living in their parents' basement. Albert Einstein said it best: "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." Life is a learning experience. The world demands more. To be successful a contractor needs .... Read the Article

Planets Align to Nurture Grid Storage
America's grid is the largest and oldest grid in the world, requiring the most attention, improvement--and money. Mark Johnson of the Department of Energy's ARPA-E agency program commented at a conference that the grid is the "world's largest supply chain without a warehouse"--a simple statement with resounding implications. And now grid storage .... Read the Article

Curbing Impediments to Efficiency
A recent retrofit of a parking lot on the West Virginia University campus in Morgantown, WV was anything but ordinary. To do the curb work cost-effectively, the contractor would have to maintain a precise curb height amid tight radiuses and reach down below the existing asphalt pavement 14­16 inches .... Read the Article

3D Milling—Repairing Earthquake Damaged Road in Christchurch NZ
When the February 22, 2011 Christchurch City earthquake erupted, this powerful natural event severely damaged New Zealand's second-largest city and has been described as one of the nation's worst peacetime disasters. To add context, the Canterbury region had been experiencing earthquakes since the September 2010 Darfield event, with over ten .... Read the Article

Creating a Safer Workplace with Proximity Warning
Regardless of what industry you are involved in, safety in the workplace is the number one priority. Safety can be achieved through the application of legislative requirements, education, correct working practices, personal responsibility, personal awareness, and any associated and subsequent use of safety related product and tools. However, even .... Read the Article

New MOBA Solutions for Mobile Automation at Bauma
One system, many possibilities: MOBA 3D-matic. With the new 3D-matic, MOBA offers a precise and flexible 3D leveling system for graders, dozers and blades that can also be used as a 2D system. The compact "2 in 1" controller combines 2D and 3D computers in a single housing. The display as well as the sensors are also designed for use in 3D and 2D .... Read the Article

The Three C's of Data: Correct
As machine control equipment continues to become more accurate and accessible, a greater audience of users is forced to get over the hurdle of data: what it is, how you get it and how you use it. With such a large audience trying to get a handle on data, there is bound to be a lot of misunderstood ideas of what data should be and what .... Read the Article

What GPS Field Crews Can Learn From Surveyors
GPS for civil construction is a new technology. We have benefited from meteoric growth in the equipment and its adoption. Many of us can clearly remember having the surveyor come out and stake the job. Things have progressed quickly and we enjoy the combination of a surveyors work and GPS accuracy to supplement it. Before GPS, jobs .... Read the Article