Transportation Construction Equipment（交通建筑设备）.pdf

A2F06: Committee on Construction Equipment Chairman: Thomas B. Nelson, University of Wisconsin at Platteville Transportation Construction Equipment CHARLES T. JAHREN, Iowa State University Construction of the nation’s transportation facilities necessitates a substantial investment in construction equipment. Earth moving requires machinery to loosen, load, haul, spread, and compact soil. Portland cement concrete and asphalt cement concrete for pavement construction are produced in plants, hauled in trucks, and shaped by pavers. Bridge construction requires heavy lifting equipment, such as cranes, while large tunnels require tunnel-boring machines, some of which are custom built for a particular project. In addition to the above equipment, a myriad of additional specialized pieces of equipment, including rail and marine equipment, is required to complete transportation construction projects. Contractors, not transportation agencies, own the majority of transportation construction equipment. Equipment manufacturers and contractors will be responsible for most innovations in construction equipment at the beginning of the new millennium. By providing construction funding and specifications, however, transportation agencies will have a considerable influence on the amount and type of innovation that takes place. CURRENT ENVIRONMENT There is currently a high demand for construction of transportation facilities in the United States because of the expanding economy. In 1997, transportation infrastructure projects, including all modes, all levels of government, and private investment, amounted to $153 billion, or 1.89 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. The transportation construction market has increased steadily since 1982 and is expected to approach $200 billion by 2003 (1). Recent federal legislation has increased funding for transportation construction, so the demand is expected to remain high. Because the efficiency of