Photo Courtesy of Terex/Genie Aerial work platforms are expected to grow in China as contractors look for safer working methods at height. Related Links: Rentals Rising in China Overturns and Falls Lead Aerial-Work-Platform Deaths China rang in the New Year with five deadly construction related accidents that left 26 people dead and more than 50 injured. Curiously, the Chinese government last year began tightening laws and implementation systems to reduce accidental deaths in construction sites.The recent accidents included a tunnel collapse, a foundation cave-in, a roof collapse and two cases of scaffolding breaking down.A worried government issued orders on January
Image Courtesy of InterBering LLC The Moscow-Beijing high-speed rail line may one day connect to a possible tunnel under the Bering Strait to North America. Related Links: Dream Projects: Bering Strait Tunnel China has bagged a Russian contract to build a high-speed railway that would connect Moscow to Beijing in just 48 hours. This is part of a more grandiose plan to connect China with the United States and Canada by creating a tunnel in the Pacific."If the funds are raised smoothly … the line can be completed in five years at the quickest," Wang Meng-shu, a tunnel and railway
Human-rights groups express concerns over conditions for migrant workers for a planned $27-billion museum and resort complex in Saadiyat, United Arab Emirates. Related Links: Sepp: FIFA 'Not Responsible' for Welfare of Migrant Workers in Qatar UN investigates claims of Gulf state abuse of migrant workers Productivity and safety on construction sites in Asian and Middle Eastern countries that depend on migrant labor have long been issues, but they now also have come under more scrutiny from the United Nations and human rights groups that complain about large scale mistreatment of workers. But Singapore is setting a higher standard by actually
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR DeFeo sees near-term expansion opportunities in India. Related Links: At Bauma China, Soggy Times for Machinery Under the longtime direction of Ron DeFeo, Terex Corp. has recently refocused product lines to curtail exposure to general equipment markets while increasing its global footprint in higher-end machinery, such as cranes, aerial work platforms and port equipment. Expecting Terex to achieve annual revenue of $7.3 billion to $7.5 billion this year, DeFeo spoke with ENR over the phone shortly after last month’s Bauma China exhibition wrapped up.ENR: What are the business prospects of Terex in the next two
Photo courtesy of Bauma China Soft global markets cast a pallor over the biennial Bauma China equipment exhibition last month. Related Links: Chinese Producers Hope 2015 Brings Better Times Machine Producers Suffer From Excess Inventory Faced with another year of flat global growth in 2015, executives in the construction-equipment business can barely hide their frustration."The U.S. market should be in a strong recovery," says Ron DeFeo, chairman of Terex Corp. "But because there is lack of confidence in the vision on infrastructure, we are still somewhat slow to recover." He did not see much business coming from reconstruction in war-
Photo by Saibal Dasgupta/ENR Su ZiMeng is Secretary General of the China Construction Machinery Association. ENR caught up with him last month at Bauma China. Related Links: At Bauma China, Machine Producers Suffer From Excess Inventory Where East Meets West, China's Uphill Battle Su ZiMeng, Secretary General of the China Construction Machinery Association, represents member companies that form a large part of China’s estimated $1 trillion manufacturing industry, arguably account for half of the world’s heavy-equipment production and include 11 of the world’s top 50 equipment makers. The bulk of business comes from government-financed projects, though export revenue is growing.
Photo Courtesy of Xinhua News Agency Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao holds a megaphone at a disaster site after a 2008 earthquake that killed 80,000 people. A dam in Wenchuan Country was near the epicenter. Related Links: Concerns Linger Over Risks of Mega-Dams in India's Far Northeast Chinese Data Hint at Trigger for Fatal Quake Two earthquakes this year that struck China’s southwest Yunnan province, dotted with major Himalayan rivers and dams, are stirring up concerns that the seismic zone may be becoming more active.This year’s Ludian earthquake, which killed 617 people and injured 2,400 in August, has shaken up
Photo courtesy Bauma China China's slowing economy has left its equipment vendors with more excess capacity than in 2012 (shown), when they last exhibited at Bauma China. This year's show promises to attract around 180,000 global visitors. Related Links: Where East Meets West, China's Uphill Battle New Blooms for China's Latin America Construction Romance For all the outward bravado Chinese companies have demonstrated in recent foreign investments and acquisitions, they are now feeling the effects of a slower economy that has left them with excess manufacturing capacity and large numbers of unsold machines."The extent of unsold machines could be 20%
Indian Railways The high-speed-rail current plan involves linking two major cities, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, in western India. Related Links: Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Link Plan Draws Global Interest Collapse of China Track Section Highlights Flaws in High-Speed-Rail Program Japanese rail companies, once considered high-speed-rail pioneers, have allowed Chinese rivals to overtake them to win more major contracts in recent years. Suddenly, though, Japan is aiming to gain back lost market share by competing against China on a new, unexpected battlefield: India.This September in Tokyo, for instance, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shook hands with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on a
Enlarge ENR Chinese dam building on Tsangpo River has India concerned about water diversion impacts. India has decided to launch a detailed investigation into whether the Brahmaputra River is at serious risk for flash floods due to dams the Chinese are building on the waterway's upper reaches in the country's Tibetan region.Delhi is worried because China has built one dam on Yarlung Tsangpo, the Chinese name of the Brahmaputra, and has started on two others in what could be a five-dam package.“We are going to study all aspects of the Brahmaputra to determine the potential risks involved,” Indian Minister V.K.