The March 2015 revision of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII, formerly the National Roads Authority) ‘Specification for Roadworks Series 900’ is completely new for high-friction surfacing (HFS), commonly termed ‘anti-skid’. This new 'performance’ specification within document CC-SPW-00900-07 supersedes the old Clause 924, and allows more opportunity of choice for highway engineers. This is a very constructive development by TII for due commendation. However, it has also generated ...

Project management applies previous experience to delivering current projects. Traditionally, this meant delivering ‘the agreed scope on-time and within budget’. Today, other parameters such as quality, environmental protection and safety are considered equally important. While the basic methods are mostly simple, it is their careful application which often makes all the difference. This article illustrates the importance of identifying and validating project assumptions. Projects are ...

High-friction surfacing (HFS), commonly termed ‘anti-skid’, refers to a surface treatment approximately 3-5mm thick that provides enhanced surface skid-resistance for drivers to brake under emergency conditions at hazardous locations. HFS is defined by industry as having a minimum skid-resistance value (SRV) of 65, measured using the portable skid-resistance pendulum tester (as defined in TRL Report 176, Appendix E). Typical locations for HFS installation include approaches to ...

If you were to step onto High Speed 2 (HS2) in the northern reaches of the UK for a trip to London, it may feel like you were stepping out into a different world. Particularly for passengers departing the serene greenery of York for London’s bustling industrialism, you would be witnessing a significant change in a relatively short amount of time. The same can be said for the journey of railway electrification, which, in the space of 133 years, has gone from a quarter mile of track to the ...

Dear Editor I would be the first to admit that my knowledge of electrical engineering is rather sparse. I once knew Ohm’s Law, but it has long since slipped away from my memory. However, as I understand it, if you pass a magnet over a copper coil, you get a flow of electricity. The notion that struck me whilst navigating the M50 was this: if all motor vehicles were to be fitted with magnets, and a copper cable were to be buried in the road surface, would that produce electricity? I ...

Author: Paul MacDonald MIEI, CEng, executive engineer/training officer, Kildare National Roads Office The M4 Leixlip-Maynooth-Kilcock Motorway Scheme is the primary road linking Dublin to the west and northwest of Ireland. It is located in the north of Co Kildare, running in parallel with the Royal Canal. The M4 Leixlip-Maynooth-Kilcock Motorway Scheme was proposed in the Road Development Plan for the 1980s (1979) and the Policy and Planning Framework for Roads (1985). The need for the ...