Wednesday 18th October 2006

Roads get magnet treatment

Tarmac attraction

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Road magnet

From the whatever-will-they-think-of-next department, comes this story. Motorways and trunk roads in the south-east are being kept safe with the help of a giant magnet.

The magnet, attached to a mechanical road sweeper, collects metal that has fallen from passing vehicles, which may pose a safety hazard to road users.

With more than three tonnes of nails, spanners, wheel nuts, money and more being collected from the M4, M3 and A34 in Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire so far, the new road sweeper helps roads to stay as safe as possible.

The road sweeper, supplied by Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services, is being used everyday and has covered more than 32,000 km on the hard shoulders of various motorways and trunk roads.

It is equipped with a bar magnet, a high-powered brush, a high pressure washing system and nozzle.

"The large bar magnet makes this an extremely useful machine which is helping us to improve safety for road users," said the Highways Agency's Angela Koenig. "The road sweeper completes four actions in one, sweeping, litter picking, cleaning gullies and picking up metal objects."

[smele]

I did no think that coins were magnetic.

[MrKipling43]

I was just thinking the same thing.

[sprinter885]

"...The road sweeper, supplied by Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services, is being used everyday and has covered more than 32,000 km on the hard shoulders of various motorways and trunk roads."

Now that's really safety-conscious ! Next time I'm on the HARD SHOULDER I'll be content in the knowledge that my tyres won't pick up a nail or whatever !!!

[GTRene]

Great thing! good to see at least on some road nails and metal objects gone!! I had several punktured tires caused of those nails in my carlife so a good thing! finally
guess he can pick up coins also cause it can do more then just the magnet stuf read here;

"The road sweeper completes four actions in one, sweeping, litter picking, cleaning gullies and picking up metal objects."

GTRene

[eldudereno]

Why not join in and tie one of these to the back of your car.

www.machinemart.co.uk/product.asp?p=051710375

Would consider it myself if money was magnetic.

[Neil_c]

Why can't they put the magnet vertically on the side and remove those useless lumps of scrap that are painted yellow and stuck by the side of too many roads.

[crazy of cookham]

Lost the nice nut from top of my airfilter, can I have it back please!

[chiz]

smele said:

I did no think that coins were magnetic.

Coppers have been made from steel for some time now, since 1992.

5p, 10p, 20p, 50p coins are made from copper and nickel and are not magnetic.
£1 and £2 coins are made from copper, nickel and zinc. Again, not magnetic.

[pesmo]

I think this is money well spent. I like others, have had many punctures, typically 2 a year, caused by nails screws and bolts etc on the hard shoulder (had one yesterday ). When I have a puncture it all too oftens means that I had to run on the hard shoulder a few hours before.

[GreenV8S]

pesmo said:

I had to run on the hard shoulder

How does that happen? Do you suffer from a lot of breakdowns?

[smele]

chiz said:

smele said:

I did no think that coins were magnetic.

Coppers have been made from steel for some time now, since 1992.

5p, 10p, 20p, 50p coins are made from copper and nickel and are not magnetic.
£1 and £2 coins are made from copper, nickel and zinc. Again, not magnetic.

Not much money to be made from picking up money then...

[cossiemetro]

it probably sweeps the money up with the brushes

[HUGE]

As someone rescued from something unpleasant by the last millimetre of my windscreen when a bolt flew up from the back tyre of a lorry,I for one think its a good idea.

[ploz]

What small metal object can a small magnet attached to the front of a road sweeper pick up that the industrial sized road sweeper behind it cannot? Surely someone has pulled one over on the Highways Agency here!

[pesmo]

GreenV8S, no its usually where they are doing temporary roadworks in the central reservation and move all the traffic over one lane and tell you to use the shoulder. Hopefully with a machine like this they will get in the habit of sweeping the hard shoulder first before laying the cones, but I ain't getting my hopes up

I guess a few punctures are an occupational hazard when you drive 40k a year plus like I do......

Edited by pesmo on Wednesday 18th October 15:21

[thirsty]

In the ten years I lived in the UK, I had to replace six wind screens due to $hit flying up from the road. That's six more than I have ever had to replace living elsewhere.

Great idea ... they should buy fifty more !

[Roley130]

This is the first relatively sensible thing I have seen come out of the Highways Agency !

[Pies]

So when are they going to do the ROADS

[trevorh]

and the hundreds of acres of chevroned sections?

[sprinter885]

Pies said:

So when are they going to do the ROADS

Exactly everybodys getting impressed with new device but seem not to have seen my earlier post. Just how much time is spent on hard shoulder?? What about other 2/3 lanes eh eh??