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FOREWORD Listed here for easy access are all the back copies of the newsletter, and I hope you find some of my comments useful, however the comments will be more appropriate to the time when they were written, but some topics do not seem to change. It will soon be the beginning of 2009, nine years since I first created the site, and eight years since I began to publish the newsletters, a year after I realised the website had become popular amongst Engineers and Engineering Technicians . A large number of people, of diverse backgrounds not just those involved in highways maintenance and construction, now visit the site on a regular basis, so I hope the information it contains helps keep you informed in what is happening in highways maintenance. I continue to find the lack, and quality, of specific technical discussion in main stream highway engineering journals / magazines very disappointing, quite different to the content that these publications used to contain some years ago. I can remember that in my early days as a laboratory technician a great deal of my understanding of highways materials and testing, was obtained from these publications. It is unfortunate that this source of learning is no longer available to the young technicians and engineers of today. Perhaps this lack of true knowledge/information is to be expected because there are no engineering journals now owned by "Engineering" bodies, they are all owned by publishing and public relation companies. If the editors feel that their content accommodates what their readership is able to understand it is a poor reflection on the highways maintenance industry. But it is more likely that as long as the content does not upset the advertisers the editor will keep his/her job, especially in the situation where the publication relies solely on advertising to provide their income, being distributed free to those in the industry. And, you do have to bear in mind that a number of the "free newspaper" publications are published by trade associations, perhaps not the best source of independent information. I am beginning to contemplate the alarming conclusion the elements of the Industry are making a conscious effort to "dumb down" the level and quality of information possessed by those working in highways maintenance in order that less engineering criticism/discussion can be raised against many of the "new" materials and processes being promoted in the Industry. The idea of organisations being created to issue "bits of paper", to say that materials are satisfactory to be used whilst at the same time, and on the same "bit of paper", saying that they except no liability for their use is a "catch 22" situation if ever there was one. The BBC seem to provide the "shock" news on items relating to problems on highways and airfields but they never pursue it in any real depth, and it is soon forgotten, when in truth some of the situations reported could take a considerable time and a great deal of money to correct. The content of the programmes leave something to be desired from an engineering point of view, but I assume it has to be scripted for consumption by the general public, and the idea that it has had five minutes of "air" time makes everything alright. So where do you find genuine independent highways maintenance/engineering news, I do not know, if I did I really would share it. However, regarding highway maintenance/engineering technical information the situation is not as bleak as it may seem, just employ a good internet search engine, and then sort the information pages from the promotional pages, you will find good information if you search thoroughly. Good examples from the UK are, www.standardsforhighways.co.uk. provided by the Highways Agency (i.e. the UK government). And, a good example from a trade association, despite what I have said previously, is www.rea.org.uk the website of the Road Emulsion Association Ltd.. With regard to advertising on this website, the (Google) advertisers that choose to advertise on my web pages do so in spite of what I write, which may or may not tell you something. I exercise no control over these advertisers even though I could, I figure the readers will decide which offer a poor product/service, and disuse of these links will stop them/Google from placing unwanted ads on my site. I receive few emails, which is fine, I do not seek them, but occasionally I get more than I have the time to answer. So if I do not answer please do not be offended, but the site is not intended to be a free consultancy service, or a means of sorting out your problems. The site is meant to be a guide, providing information, and links to other sources of information, so that you the engineer, engineering technician, contractor, supplier can make your own reasoned decision relevant to the particular issue. Please be aware that if you do have comments to make, to me or anybody else, email is about the most transparent form of communication you can use, just about everybody and his dog can read your email, and possibly tamper with it, if they have a mind to. This does not detract from the excellent benefits you can derive from quick emails about the globe, and the information that is returned. But those little messages some of you put on the bottom of your emails about them being confidential really are not worth the space they occupy, although it may put the recipient on his/her honour regarding the confidentiality of the content, but that is all. It is possible that others less honourable could also be reading your email, as many organisations quite openly state that emails and internet use are routinely monitored, and of course there are others who do not even make this statement, and they are not all UK security related. Also, please note I have stopped opening email attachments from unsolicited sources as it is just too dangerous, so please do not be bothered to send them. I have nearly been caused severe inconvenience on several occasions as a result of virus infected emails, and virus protection software is always one step behind. Happy browsing. There is one more point, for any of you who are "researchers" and wish to track the changes in the way the maintenance (and construction) of highway networks has changed over recent years, reading the past newsletters may be of help. When I read them, I find it difficult to comprehend how much has changed in the "structure" of highways maintenance procurement over just the last ten years that I have been creating this website. However it is my opinion that the procedures and materials used on local highway networks twenty or thirty years ago will work just as well today, probably better than most of the "modern" materials currently being promoted, and certainly be more cost effective. Surface dressing, performed correctly, being one of the best examples of these procedures. To access a particular monthly newsletter select a link in the left hand column. |