Construction of a new road in Crete Island, Greece

by Erik GeisBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

Construction of a new road in Crete Island, Greece

The New National Road is currently the longest Cretan road that runs along the entire northern coast of Crete. It starts in the port of Kissamos in the west and ends in the port in the city of Sitia in the east of the island. At the moment, it is the fastest route on the island to travel, and at the same time one of the most dangerous roads, where many fatal accidents occur each year. In a few years, however, the current New National Road will go down in history, because it will be replaced by a completely new route, which start allready this year.

A new northern road axis will also connect Kissamos with Sitia, with a total length of approximately 300 km. It will be the largest road project in the coming years. It will be financed by the European Union and the budget allocated for this purpose exceeds EUR 2 billion. According to the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, it will also be the most difficult motorway to be built in Greece. The project assumes, among other things, the extension to two traffic lanes in one direction and the route of the road with several dozen viaducts and over 30 tunnels over a total length of over 40 km. The mountainous terrain of Crete makes it the only way to lead long straight sections.

The new road will not only make it easier to move around Crete and improve the comfort of traveling. It will also allow you to shorten travel time and reduce transport costs. It is estimated that it will not take more than 1.5 hours to drive from one end of the island to the other after all the works are completed. Shorter travel times will also allow for lower costs of transporting goods. The convenient road connection will also contribute to the further development of tourism on the island. Those of you who have had the opportunity to travel a lot during your stay on the island know that currently traveling the entire length of Crete is very time-consuming. As a result, most people give up visiting places far from their place of stay. Shorter travel times will allow you to quickly travel to tourist attractions located further away.

An important goal is also to reduce the number of tragic road accidents that are now commonplace on the island. There are so many accidents on the current road that the statistics for this road are kept separately. It is also significant that most of the people who suffer accidents are young people. Improving road safety is therefore one of the fundamental assumptions of this project.

The first small part of Paving Project was the Highway Detour of Iraklion City. The construction company MARIS SA, is a company active in the sectors of production and trade of asphalt mix and other asphalt products, the production and trade of concrete, as well as in undertaking and executing public and private works used our BIG SONIC SKI at a VÖGELE Paver1900/2. Our local dealer MOBACT support and gave a training at the jobsite to the construction company to get a high level of quality during the paving process.

Project facts

  • Length of the Road Project: 13 km 2x lanes =26km
  • Width of the Project is 11 meters on each direction divided by New Jersey.
  • Milling Surface: 80% of the Top layer until 4cm and milling the rest 20% from 4 cm to 8 cm.
  • Paving Project: 1 wedging layer of variable thickness + 1 Surface Course Asphalt layer of 4 cm thickness.
  • Customer: Super happy and excited about the results.

The local authorities considering the whole project to be constructed by setting the use of BIG-SONIC-SKI mandatory.

Motorway construction speed up in Romania

by Erik GeisBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

Motorway construction speed up in Romania

The expansion of the motorways is one of the projects for which Romania wants to attract foreign partners. Funding is flowing from Brussels for this purpose.

  • EU provides 875 million euros for road construction in Romania
  • Expansion projects are not new
  • A lack of staff in the authorities and actions for annulment delay projects

In Romania, the expansion of the transport corridors has not progressed for a long time. The corona pandemic has led to a trend reversal. The government has pulled some long-planned projects out of the drawer and firmly intends to pursue them again. This emerges from the plan for restarting the Romanian economy after the Corona crisis by 2030. The government estimates the investment backlog at 31 billion euros. Around 3,000 kilometers of new motorways and expressways are to be built in Romania by 2030. There are currently 386 kilometers of motorways and expressways under construction, which are funded by the European Union.

The project sponsor is the National Society for Road Infrastructure CNAIR. (Source: National Economic and Investment Plan of the Romanian Government, National Road Infrastructure Company CNAIR)

EU provides 875 million euros for road construction in Romania

The European Commission has released 875 million euros from the Cohesion Fund for road construction. Romania is to use the money to finance the expansion of the first stage of the A1 motorway from Sibiu to Pitesti. This route runs through the Carpathians and is the last major section connecting Romania to the Rhine-Danube corridor. The highway is scheduled to be completed in 2026. Then the port city of Constanta will be connected to Strasbourg in France via the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). 

The 122.1-kilometer Sibiu-Pitesti section was divided into five construction lots. The tender for the third construction lot includes a route of 37.4 kilometers between Cornetu and Tigveni as well as construction projects with a project value of an estimated 1.2 billion euros. The tender was published by the road construction company CNAIR on September 23, 2020, on the state tender platform. It is about offers for the planning and construction of the following structures on this route:

  • 1 motorway tunnel with a length of 1.7 kilometers - Romania's first motorway tunnel
  • 3 motorway junctions 48 bridges and 6 passages over valleys and rivers
  • an approximately 220 meter long ecoduct (serves animals as an aid to safely cross busy traffic routes)

Expansion projects are not new In addition to the tender for the third construction lot on the Sibiu-Pitesti route, the National Society for Road Infrastructure CNAIR is pursuing other motorway expansion projects that have been around for around 20 years. Some of them have failed so far because the feasibility studies were flawed or there was a lack of competent employees in the specialist departments of the authorities. It has also not yet been possible to implement projects in public-private partnerships (PPP). 

Key data on the highway expansion in Romania

  • Completed kilometers of motorway routes at the end of 2019: 866
  • Motorways built in kilometers in 2019: 43
  • Price range per kilometer in million euros (2020): 3.9-26.8
  • Realized PPP projects in Romanian road construction: 0

Xsite PRO 3D for Dozer

by Erik GeisBlog, EarthmovingPosted on Comments are Disabled

Xsite PRO 3D for Dozer

The new Xsite PRO 3D Dozer boosts your work and set the surface at the right level in one go! The Xsite PRO 3D machine control system makes working out with a dozer more efficient and reduce your surveying, material, time, wearing costs and fuel.

The system guides the operator and control the machine to set structural layers to the right elevation in one go. It works with centimeters accuracy, without unmercenary interruptions. With help of the machine control system the operator will find easy to tackle any task. The large touch screen with clear and illustrative graphics enable the operator to easily monitor the difference in the elevation of the blade and the target surface.

Different functions of the Xsite PRO are designed as easy to use as possible.  For example, selection and changing the active design model can be done by just one touch.

Features:

  • Large 8.4 touch screen display with clear graphics
  • Innovative user interface
  • Highspeed sensor with IMU technology
  • Remote support and cloud connection

Highway construction in Poland: success with the super ski from Budimex and MOBA

by Erik GeisBlog, Road Construction, Success StoryPosted on Comments are Disabled

Highway construction in Poland: success with the super ski from Budimex and MOBA

OEM manufacturer MOBA, dealer Bellator and construction company Budimex provide an example of the innovative power of the construction industry: thanks to the Super-Ski from MOBA, the Polish road construction expert achieved maximum evenness and efficiency when asphalting the A1 highway. The quick installation and robust construction of the Super-Ski were particularly impressive.
The construction industry, especially road construction, faces numerous challenges. Nowadays, roads not only have to be as even, robust and durable as possible, but also built as quickly and preferably with as little material consumption as possible. This means that (most) new roads are the result of a feat of engineering, preceded by highly precise, complex and demanding surveying.
Poland’s leading construction company, Budimex, was therefore looking for innovative solutions to make these processes more efficient. In particular, the laborious and time-consuming setup of conventional levelling systems, which require meticulous manual adjustments, was a problem for the company. The company found a solution in the form of the Super-Ski from MOBA.

The super ski solution: game changer on the A1

The Super-Ski was used as part of a project to renew the asphalt pavement on the A1 highway. Budimex, supported by Bellator, the MOBA dealer in Poland, mounted the system on a DYNAPAC SD 2550 paver. The result: extremely precise leveling – with uncomplicated, fast handling and maximum efficiency. “The Super Ski represents a technological leap forward and offers a solution that significantly increases productivity – without compromising on quality,” says Paweł Radecki from Bellator.

New standards in road construction

The Super-Ski was used as part of a project to renew the asphalt pavement on the A1 highway. Budimex, supported by Bellator, the MOBA dealer in Poland, mounted the system on a DYNAPAC SD 2550 paver. The result: extremely precise leveling – with uncomplicated, fast handling and maximum efficiency. “The Super Ski represents a technological leap forward and offers a solution that significantly increases productivity – without compromising on quality,” says Paweł Radecki from Bellator.
  • Exceptionally even results: The Super-Ski achieves outstanding IRI longitudinal evenness, setting new standards in terms of evenness.
  • Efficiency redefined: The quick and easy assembly has drastically reduced set-up times. “The simplicity and innovative power of the Super-Ski have fundamentally changed our approach to leveling,” says Slawomir Szak from Budimex.
  • Rugged and user-friendly: Specially designed for harsh construction site environments, the Super-Ski is particularly robust and offers users trouble-free working.

Partnership as a guarantee of success

In addition to the product, the constructive collaboration between MOBA, Bellator and Budimex was crucial to the success of the project. “This cooperation once again underlines our commitment to driving innovation in construction technology,” says Erik Geis, Director Sales EMEA at MOBA. “It is a prime example of how cutting-edge technology, supported by strong partnerships and outstanding customer support, can lead to exceptional results.”

Shaping the future together

The Super-Ski project with Budimex and Bellator marks an important step forward in the road construction industry. It shows how innovative approaches can overcome traditional challenges and set new standards in terms of efficiency and quality. This partnership therefore promises not only long-lasting and sustainable roads, but also a future in which the construction industry becomes more innovative and efficient through collaboration.

Budimex: As one of Poland’s leading construction companies, Budimex has a long tradition of delivering high-quality infrastructure and construction projects. Their focus on innovation and efficiency enables them to overcome complex construction challenges and ensure the sustainability and longevity of their projects. Budimex Website
Bellator: Bellator, the official distributor of MOBA in Poland, specializes in the supply of advanced construction technology solutions. Thanks to its expertise in the local market and strong support, customers like Budimex have access to the best tools and innovative technologies. Bellator Website

4 Sensor Solution Big Sonic-Ski smooths the way to Alcázar de San Juan

by Erik GeisBlog, Road Construction, Success StoryPosted on Comments are Disabled

4 Sensor Solution Big Sonic-Ski smooths the way to Alcázar de San Juan

In Alcázar de San Juan, Spain, an example of our 4-sensor solution Big Sonic-Ski was found in road construction earlier this month. The driveway on the CM-420 and a section of the road to Manazaners had to be renovated. Since the track was known for its irregularities in the asphalt surface, MOBA was consulted with their expertise.

Precision Paving with BIG SONIC-SKI in Alcázar de San Juan

The solution: a paver by Pavalco, Alvac S.A., was equipped with the MOBA ultrasound technology Big Sonic-Ski. Four sensors scan the ground over a length of 13m and thus provide the basis for an absolutely even leveling during the paving process of the new asphalt layer. This even completely compensates for long bumps that cannot be detected by fewer sensors. The proven MOBA technology is particularly popular in the construction of race tracks because the built-in asphalt surface is extra smooth, durable and safe.

Building Safer, Long-Lasting Roads with MOBA Technology

Presented for the first time as a world premiere at bauma 2019, the MOBA 3D Paving System is a particularly quality-oriented technology for road construction. Thanks to 3D design files, complex surfaces with rapidly changing inclinations are easy to implement. Particularly precise work on given models – even closer to the thinnest layer thickness – provides the foreman with the necessary process reliability to concentrate on other tasks for road quality assurance. The entire team thus benefits from considerable material and time savings. Visitors to bauma 2019 can see what the system looks like on the paver at the MOBA outdoor booth between hall A2 and A3.

Formula 1 and Moto GP: new speed records thanks to new asphalt surface?

by Erik GeisBlog, Road Construction, Success StoryPosted on Comments are Disabled

Formula 1 and Moto GP: new speed records thanks to new asphalt surface?

Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Márquez, Rossi, Lorenzo, and many more will enjoy a particularly flat and smooth track this year at the Circuit de Catalunya de Montmeló. So,the one or another course record this year will not be a big surprise! For a good reason: the track has just been completely renewed with MOBA leveling technology!

Road testers are all set

Just this week, the company Firtec of the Soriqué Group, both asphalt specialist and road construction professionals, have successfully completed the renovation work of the Circuit de Catalunya! Tire manufacturer and Formula 1 supplier Pirelli is all set to send its engineers on the racetrack next week for the first asphalt tests. The roughness of the asphalt plays an important role in determining the ideal composition of the tires for Formula 1 vehicles. Shortly after, the first tests of Formula 1 preseason will follow on February 26.

MOBA technologies - Precision for Formula One

More than 45 years of experience in the development and manufacture of leveling technologies for road construction transform MOBA solutions into practical systems that are particularly focused on road quality. It is not surprising that the combination of MOBA-matic and 4-sensor solution Big Sonic-Ski are clearly the first choice in the construction and renovation of prestigious racetrac

Highest road quality - F 1 in our everyday lifes

Major brands such as Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault, Honda, Ducati or Pirelli not only participate in the races of the Formula 1 and Moto GP for image and advertising reasons. They also use their experience in these competitions to improve the quality and performance of their products.

Every construction of a racetrack also contributes to the broad experience of MOBA Mobile Automation. Over the years, their leveling systems and sensor solutions have been perfected to such an extent that today a large part of the racetracks worldwide are being built with MOBA solutions. Only then will the maximum evenness of the track be guaranteed. Thanks to its implementation in the systems, this knowledge is in turn applied to motorways, rural roads and large-scale road networks, too. This is why today everyone can enjoy a comparable driving experience as on the best Formula 1 racetracks in the world!

That seems exaggerated at first glance. But even if we do not race in everyday life, the quality of the road plays a major role in terms of economy, sustainability and driving safety. In addition to increased longevity of the road, premium quality offers significant benefits. These include less noise, lower fuel consumption, longer vehicle maintenance intervals and greater safety thanks to a better grip. In this way all parties profit equally: the environment, the polisher and the citizens.