New Road Products: New Power Equipment, Materials and Supplies for the Road Market

Two machines, several new technologies

The Komatsu WA470-6

Komatsu America Corp.’s newest wheel loader, the WA470-6, features a large-capacity torque converter, 272 horsepower, an operating weight between 51,850 to 52,150 pounds, and dump clearance of 10-feet, 5 inches when equipped with a 5.5-cubic-yard general-purpose bucket.


The company has also introduced the WD600-6 wheel dozer equipped with a SAA6D170E-5, six-cylinder engine Tier 3 compliant engine that produces 502 hp at 1,800 rpm. The 108,280-pound WD600-6 is designed to work with either a straight blade or U blade in many applications. The engine is equipped with new technologies including an electronic control system to optimize vehicle performance; a heavy-duty High Pressure Common Rail Fuel Injection System; a new combustion system for reduced noise and fuel consumption; a cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation system and an air-to-air charge air-cooling system.


APWA: Special product coverage from the 2009 American Public Works Association (APWA) International Public Works Congress and Exposition

The patent-pending Edge-N-Blow from Sweeperman is touted as “the fastest edging system in the world” by its manufacturer, with a front-mount edger that can be reversed to the other side in minutes and swivels 30 degrees, combined with a turbine blower. The system, introduced at the 2009 American Public Works Association (APWA) International Public Works Congress and Exposition in mid-September, features a 20-inch cutting blade, bucket clamps that accept any 2-inch receiver for other jobs, and edging speeds up to 12 mph.

VueWorks Inc. at APWA released VUEWorks 2009, an expanded version of its Web-based solution that enables municipalities, utilities and other organizations to track the condition, minimize failure risk, prioritize expenditures and service delivery of their physical assets. The scalable suite of software modules is a management solution that incorporates condition assessment, risk analysis, valuation, budget forecasting, and project cost estimating for managing any infrastructure asset through its lifetime. The solution enables roadway condition assessment and prioritization, including recording the severity and extents of pavement distresses comparable to ASTM standards. Pavement condition can be color-coded and linked in real time to GIS data. The real asset this system brings is determining what are the risks and consequences of failure, Alex von Swoboda of VueWorks tells Better Roads.

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North American Salt Co. and Sifto Canada Co. unveiled an expanded lineup of deicing products at the APWA International Congress and Exposition. The new products include Thawrox, a solid, granular, treated salt; ArctiClear Gold, a proprietary line of salt brine additives; FreezGard, a liquid magnesium chloride products; and DustGard Dust Suppressant and Road Base Stabilizer, a high-performance magnesium chloride solution used for dust control on road surfaces and construction and other worksites.

Envista Corp. at APWA introduced the Envista 2009 Release 2 of its Web-based software for infrastructure project coordination. The map-based system facilitates the planning process for construction and maintenance work in and under roadways. The new version optimizes project timing and detects project conflicts among towns, cities, utilities and highway agencies. “Our application is trying to reduce street cuts in newly paved roads by enabling communication between the stakeholders,” Martha Bednarz of Envista tells Better Roads, adding that because it’s Web-based, it doesn’t reside on a server enabling several people to work together.” Users can track permits by status, applicant, applicant organization, type, location, date, and other variables. Email notifications and permit reports with embedded maps can be sent.