Road improver makes HK grade
Peter Northam likes to think he's at the cutting edge of road safety. Hong Kong's Highways Department would agree.
His scarifying machines - the size of a lawn mower - cut grooves into road surfaces to help vehicles brake and accelerate on concrete surfaces in slippery conditions. 'During the wet weather that's when there are problems ... a lot of the concrete areas are too smooth,' he said.
The establishment of ACS Surfacers in 2005 was a natural step for a man who had first-hand experience of what needed to de done to make Hong Kong's roads safer.
British-born, he moved to Hong Kong in 1983 to join his expatriate parents after completing his education. His first job was marketing for a company contracted to do concrete repairs. He moved to a company selling British-made machines and was sent for training in Britain, where he learned about surface preparations and concrete finishing. It was while selling and renting the machines that Mr Northam recognised the need for specialist contractors in Hong Kong to make road surfaces safer, particularly during the typhoon season. He also recognised the demand in the construction sector.
ACS Surfacers uses a range of machines that scarify concrete by applying a tungsten-tipped cutting wheel to the surface. The machines have recently passed the industry 'sand patch test', which determines the depth of surface texture.
Mr Northam said a major part of their work were bus stops with concrete surfaces, particularly where heavy vehicles are trying to pull away on an incline. Pitfalls are also presented by surface oil, which can make stopping a bus hazardous.
The company has recently done work at three locations in San Po Kong - one at a bus stop on an incline. Traffic junctions, which commonly have concrete surfaces covered in oil are also safety black spots that need to be 'grooved' for safety, Mr Northam said.
While Mr Northam is not critical of the Highways Department's own methods, he argues his company's methods are cheaper and longer lasting. 'They use epoxy overlays which are expensive, not so durable and cause more disruption to traffic as they take longer to apply. Our method is being adopted as an alternative to the currently employed procedures due to cost effectiveness, time and durability.'
Initial start-up cost of ACS Surfacers was around $350,000. The company bought 12 machines from the US at a cost of $15,000 to $20,000 each to do the grooving work.
Other start-up costs included the purchase of a vehicle, two fulltime administration and marketing staff, equipment, spare parts, tools, a workshop and website design.
Now the company is looking at a warehouse in which to securely store the machines and maintain them.
'We are also in the process of marketing this service to the Macau government, so we are ready to establish and commence operations there as soon as our company registration is complete,' he said.
Bigger highways, more cars and growing concern about traffic safety also makes the mainland an attractive proposition for ACS.
