Wireless surveillance system

Hoss Equipment Company and Remote Monitoring Technologies have launched a new, long-range wireless surveillance system. The SiteWatch Camera Tower System delivers network video with capabilities that allow control of the system from an office PC, laptop computer, or handheld PDA, as well as providing the ability to transmit the image and control over the Internet to any off-site, password-secured computer.

A typical installed system consists of up to four cameras and a server and is available in either fixed-mount or portable configurations. The self-contained system is built for trouble-free operation in remote, rugged, and harsh environments.

Rotary Broom

The Grasshopper rotary broom handles dirt, debris, slush and can clear up to 8 inches of snow.  Fixed angle 48- and 60-inch models are available, as well as a 60-inch bi-directional model that uses a hydraulic lift.  

The PTO-driven rotary brooms are available for all FrontMount Grasshopper TrueZeroTurn power units.

Automatic tire chain system

Onspot’s Automatic Tire Chain System allows the operator to engage and disengage tire chains with the flip of a dashboard switch, in forward or reverse, without stopping. The system is permanently mounted so it can be engaged anytime enhanced traction and braking is needed; eliminates wheel-well damage from broken conventional chains; lasts longer because it is used only when needed; and is DOT approved in all states. The system is designed to fit vehicles from half-ton pickups to class 8 tractor trailers, both with and without air brakes.

Diaphragm pumps

Thompson Pump’s line of 2- and 3-inch diaphragm pumps are designed around a full-capacity, yet lightweight, abrasion and corrosion resistant pump casing with a large shock reduction chamber to reduce pulsation in the suction line. The only moving parts that come in contact with the pumping fluid are neoprene rubber diaphragms and flapper valves. The diaphragm is activated by a spring-loaded connecting rod. The spring attached to the connecting rod reduces the risk of damage from lodged objects in the two-piece replaceable pump casing, thereby extending the life of the pump. The pumps are capable of handling solids as large as 2 inches, have a maximum capacity of 90 gallons per minute, and a maximum head of 50 feet.

Right-of-way trimmer

Asplundh’s new Right-of-Way Trimmer is capable of side trimming vegetation as high as 30 feet or cutting vegetation on slopes. The trimmer features seven double-locked blades, self-cleaning radiators, and low ground pressure tires. The 215-horsepower machine’s maximum horizontal reach of 12 feet allows it to reach behind guide rails and up slopes. Unlike a typical rotary brush mower, the trimmer doesn’t shatter the end of a branch. Instead, it provides a clean cut on both small and large limbs of even the toughest tree species.

Glyphosate herbicide

A new glyphosate herbicide is now available from Agrisel USA Incorporated. ClearOut 41 Plus is composed of 41% glyphosate and fully loaded with 15% surfactant, providing superior performance without extra cost. The herbicide kills weeds quickly, kills the root, is rapidly rainfast, and is environmentally friendly. The broad spectrum postemergence herbicide prevents the plant from producing an essential amino acid necessary for synthesis of protein. The effects may take one to four days to affect annual weeds and up to a week to affect perennial weeds. Over time, glyphosate in the soil biodegrades into natural materials like carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

Special Product
Reflective Crack Relief, Grade Control Systems

Koch Pavement Solutions recently introduced a new paving product aimed at improving and prolonging the lives of pavements. While mixed and placed like any other hot mix, the Strata reflective crack relief system includes a pavement interlayer designed to resist reflective cracking longer than conventional hot-mix asphalt products. It is specially engineered to delay reflective cracking while protecting the pavement structure from moisture damage.

Another new technology from Koch is a computerized grade control system. PAVESET is connected to the existing controls on asphalt paving machines. The system increases the degree of accuracy of the finished surface, while eliminating the time necessary to set up string lines to guide the paving machine. Surveys and calculations can be done ahead of time so the information is readily available when the contractor is ready to pave. The biggest advantage is the improved quality of the final product without the time required for setting string lines.

Wisconsin became the first state to use these two new technologies successfully to speed construction and provide a superior finished product in the rehabilitation of a runway at the Rock County Airport in Janesville.

Fast-dry urethane patch kit

Sherwin-Williams Industrial and Marine Coatings’ new low-odor, water-based patching material makes quick work of concrete repair with one-coat application. 

ArmorSeal ExpressPatch Fast Dry Urethane Patch Kit is designed to protect concrete from thermal shock, impact, corrosion, chemical attack, and abrasion while offering return to service in as little as four hours. It may be applied directly to damp concrete using a flat trowel at a minimum thickness of 0.375 to 0.250 inches. No primer is required.

All-wheel sweeper

Johnston’s J 3000 street sweeper is now available with an all-wheel suspension. Operator fatigue is minimized, road handling is enhanced, and shock impact to the vehicle’s electrical system is virtually eliminated. This option, in addition to a new luxurious cab, ensures the ultimate in comfort and safety for the operator. Features include a 5.6-cubic yard hopper, a front- and center-mounted cab for panoramic field of vision, a center-mounted hopper for stability and even weight distribution, a safety drive lock-out when the hopper is in the raised position, a stainless-steel hopper floor and front, and electrical components housed in a weatherproof locker.

Compact sweeper

The new CS500 compact sweeper from MadVac cleans litter from congested pedestrian-filled municipal streets quietly and efficiently. The unit reaches where no other large sweeper can reach such as sidewalks, pathways, and alleyways, yet also does large surfaces such as downtown districts, airports, and universities. 

The sweeper features two independent brushes that sweep a width of 10 feet, 6 inches; joystick-controlled brushes that extend an extra 3 feet for hard-to-reach areas; an ergonomically designed operator cab that provides an unobstructed view; a maximum travel speed of 25 miles per hour; and a turning radium of 6 feet, 3 inches.

Patching and repair materials

Sika Corporation has introduced several new products. SikaQuick 2500 (above) is a one-component, very rapid hardening, early strength gaining, cementitious patching material for concrete. The material can be used for overlays, roadways, parking areas, bridges, dams, and ramps. For full-depth repairs deeper than 1 inch, it may be extended 60%. It can also be overcoated with a non-breathable, moisture-sensitive coating four hours after placement. SikaQuick 2500 meets the NYDOT specification requiring 2,500-psi compressive strength in only one hour.

Sikacrete 211 is a pre-extended, flowable repair material that may be pumped or poured onto horizontal surfaces and into form work for vertical surfaces. This material can be used for partial-depth repairs greater than 1-inch and full-depth repairs. The material can be used on decks, beams and other structural or non-structural elements of bridges, parking garages, and more.

SikaGrout 300 PT was designed to fulfill the requirements of three different types of applications — horizontal, vertical, and repair. It offers a greater resistance to bleed for improved protection to the post-tensioned steel, and improved flow that makes it more user friendly. The grout has been formulated to meet the revised Florida DOT specification section 938.

Convertible water jet pumps

The NLB 350 Series water jet pumps, convertible units with engines rated as high as 425 horsepower, feature a quick-change fluid end that lets users operate at any of five pressures to meet different job requirements. Pressures range from 8,000 to 20,000 psi and flows from 27 to 74 gallons per minute. The series includes diesel and electric units and features a dependable plunger pump design that minimizes wear and reduces operating costs. Maintenance is simple and so is operation.

Composite turf reinforcement mats

North American Green’s Vmax3 Composite Turf Reinforcement Series consists of three different permanent mats — SC250, C350, and P550 — designed to maximize performance through all three development phases (unvegetated, vegetation establishment, vegetation maturity). All three mats feature a patented composite construction that elevates their erosion control and permanent turf reinforcement.

SC250 is constructed of a permanent, high strength 3-D matting structure incorporated with a straw/coconut fiber matrix that can be used in applications where 24-inch rock riprap was once the only alternative.

C350 is constructed of a permanent, super-high-strength, 3-D matting structure incorporated with a 100% coconut fiber matrix that provides a cost-effective, environmentally friendly green alternative for severe erosion control projects for up to 36 months.

Proven in independent laboratory and field research, vegetated P550 can resist greater than 12 pounds/square foot of shear stress — which establishes a new maximum for vegetation reinforcement. Installation cost is about one-third less than for rock riprap or concrete.

Modeling and analysis software

Transoft Solutions’ new swept path modeling and analysis software is now compatible with the latest versions of popular CAD platforms, AutoCAD 2004 and MicroStation 8.1. AutoTurn 4.2 is a powerful software program used extensively in the design and analysis of roundabouts, intersections, and anywhere vehicle maneuvering must be assessed. The software upgrade includes new vehicle libraries for Caltrans, Scandinavia, The Netherlands, and Switzerland vehicles, adding to the constantly growing library of standard design vehicles.

Reprinted from the December 2003 issue Better Roads Magazine