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The 2022 bauma Innovation Awards have been presented in five different categories which include Climate Protection, Digitalisation, Mechanical Engineering, Building Innovation, and Research Innovation. The winners are:

Climate Protection – Liebherr-France SAS for its R 9H2 hydrogen-powered crawler excavator:The H2 hydrogen drive in Liebherr’s concept R 9H2 crawler excavator does not require a permanent energy supply, and generates low NOx and CO2 emissions. Depending on how emissions are measured, and whether the entire life cycle of the machine is taken into account, the hydrogen combustion engine reduces CO2 emissions by almost 100 percent in day-to-day operations, or by 70 percent for the entire life cycle of the machine.

Digitalisation – MiC 4.0 Machines in Construction for its common digital language for construction sites: MiC 4.0’s aim is to create a universal, uniform, and manufacturerindependent data interface between construction equipment and attachments. Through the cooperation of over 25 users and machine and tool manufacturers, a data interface via the CAN bus internet protocol is defined under the name MiC 4.0 BUS.

Mechanical Engineering – Herrenkneckt AG for its continuous advance tunnelling process: Herrenknecht AG’s new continuous tunnelling process is for tunnel infrastructure in common soft ground formations with or without water-bearing layers. Using the latest technology, the continuous tunnelling process leads to a significant reduction in construction time for longer sections of tunnel as it eliminates the stop-and-go process of tunnelling.

Building Innovation – Holcim GmbH for carbon prestressed concrete (CPC): Instead of steel, the concrete of Holcim’s carbon prestressed concrete (CPC) panels is reinforced exclusively with prestressed carbon fibres. The thin concrete elements enable material savings of up to 80 percent, depending on the design, and reduce the component’s CO2 footprint by up to 75 percent.

Research Innovation – Freiberg University of Mining and Technology Mechanical Engineering Institute for deep sea sampling: The research project aims to electrify a compact trench cutter and transform it into a smart, semi-automated vertical mining unit for deep sea mining that can work through the pressure, darkness, and temperature challenges.

Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the national nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them, and their communities, has released the findings from its 2021 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) report. The annual DIRT Report provides a comprehensive accounting and analysis of damages to buried infrastructure in the U.S. and Canada to help stakeholders understand the current damage landscape and the factors contributing to underground facility damages.

The report analyzed all 2021 data submitted to DIRT by facility operators, utility locating companies, 811 centres, contractors, regulators, and other stakeholders from the U.S. and Canada. The report contextualized the data utilizing different models as part of a three-year trend analysis (2019 to 2021), which points to an overall plateau or slight increase in damages since 2019. At a time of increasing excavation activity and greater infrastructure funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the report underscores the importance of addressing the ongoing causes of damages to critical facilities to drive these damage numbers down.

The analysis of 2021 data suggests that ongoing challenges in the damage prevention process – including no notification to the 811 centre, failure to pothole and/or maintain sufficient clearance, facilities not marked or marked inaccurately due to locator error, and other improper excavation practices – are consistently responsible for more than 76 percent of damages that occur, and addressing these challenges would significantly reduce instances of damages and near misses. The report recommends that stakeholders tailor damage prevention efforts and investments to address the specific leading root causes, most effectively lowering damages and improving the damage prevention process. Additional recommendations from the report include strengthening engagement with public works stakeholders, expanding damage prevention outreach to address increasing construction activity, and enhancing excavator education around the consistent and efficient use of 811 as well as safe excavation within the tolerance zone.

The full DIRT report can be found at commongroundalliance. com.

Tractor Bob’s, a Yanmar America Corporation dealer, has designed and fabricated a tractor conversion for an operator who uses a wheelchair. The Yanmar YT3 chair lift is the first chair lift on a compact Yanmar tractor. It allows a person to access the tractor and operate it by hand when in a wheelchair. The further addition of a Jiffy Hitch allows the operator to easily change tractor implements.

When Tractor Bob’s was approached with a request to retrofit a Yanmar YT3 tractor for easy access for an operator in a wheelchair the team fabricated a custom seat lift transfer system and fitted it to the tractor. The system allows the user to transfer from their wheelchair to the lift, be raised to the tractor cabin, and easily transfer across to the tractor seat. The seat lift comes with a wireless remote that controls the lifting operations of the chair. Once in the cabin, a hand throttle and a hand-operated braking mechanism enable the user to operate the Yanmar YT3 tractor entirely by hand.

Turn to page 18 for this year’s top equipment and technology introductions.

Sunbelt Rentals has received its first Bobcat T7X all-electric compact track loader in Sacramento, California. Sunbelt Rentals has an exclusive rental agreement for the Bobcat T7X, which is the world’s first all-electric compact track loader and joins a Sunbelt Rentals fleet that also includes all-electric scissor lifts and skid steers. The T7X offers zero emissions and nearly silent operation.

Kubota Canada has opened a new Canadian corporate headquarters and distribution facility in Pickering, Ontario. This new facility, which comprises 500,000 square feet of industrial warehouse space and 65,000 square feet of office, meeting, and training space on three floors, was built with an $80 million investment from Kubota, which continues to expand its presence in Canada since it was founded in 1975.

United Rentals, Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of family-owned Ahern Rentals, Inc. for approximately $2.0 billion in cash. The board of directors of United Rentals unanimously approved the agreement. The transaction is expected to close prior to yearend 2022, subject to customary conditions.

The ARA Show 2023 will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, from February 12 to 15, 2023. The event provides an opportunity for those in the rental industry to meet with their peers for targeted education, networking, and a three-day trade show.

JAPA Machinery Group, which has offered equipment sales, rentals, and service in Alberta for five decades, is celebrating by adding a new location in Calgary – its first outside of the Edmonton area.

The facility in southeast Calgary is expected to open in early 2023, and will give the JAPA team a second location for sales of its line of XCMG equipment. JAPA specializes in earthmoving, compaction, and construction machinery from XCMG, the third largest equipment manufacturer in the world.

JAPA has been working with Alberta’s oil and gas, construction, and roadbuilding industries for 50 years, and is a family-owned company.

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