Demolition Hub Magazine - February 2022

DeMOLITION

HUB MAGAZINE February 2022 | Issue #9

TAKING NO LIBERTIES

We speak to the man helping to bring Liberty Industrial to the UK

DEMOLITION DISCUSSION James Milburn from Chicago based Milburn Demolition

UK, European & worldwide demolition

matters DEMOLITION HUB REPORTS BACK

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PUBLISHER

Ben Chambers ben@chambers.media 01903 952 648

EDITOR

Toby Wilsdon toby@chambers.media 01903 952 645

DEMOLITION EDITOR Paul Argent paul@chambers.media 07813 064 590

Our third calendar year is now well underway and we promise to continue in the same manner, delivering quality content showcasing the best in interviews, innovation, site-visits, and features.

Since Christmas we have reaffirmed our international media partnership with the EDA, signed-off a comprehensive advertising campaign with the NFDC and NDTG and are working closely with all those linked to demolition to bring you the best in UK, Irish, European and global demolition content.

I mention global as we can legitimately consider ourselves ever more so. This issue has an international bent, with our editor Toby speaking to James Milburn of Chicago-based contractor, Milburn Demolition as well as the Demolition Discussion interview with Steve Andrew from Liberty Industrial regarding the Australian company opening an office in the UK. We were made very welcome at the World of Concrete event last month at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where we were able to meet with, discuss and even get some cracking video content with North American divisions for brands such as LiuGong, Liebherr, CASE, Husqvarna as well as meeting face to face long time Zoom friends such as the team at demolition industry software maestros FieldFlo. It is now about that time of the year where we look to start promotion of the LiuGong-sponsored British Demolition Awards. Please keep an eye on the official site www.britishdemolitionawards.com and www.demolitionhub.com for entry and attendance requirements for this now well established industry occasion taking place at 6pm on Friday 2 September at Leicester City FC’s King Power Stadium.

Finally, I would like to welcome the new readers we have added to the circulation in abundance and a thank you to the new advertisers who have kept an eye on us over the past year and a half and have now entrusted us as a medium of choice to speak to the industry. That is all well and good, but we are certainly not forgetting the loyal readers and advertisers that allow all of this to happen. I will always value your inclusion and opinion and as I always ask, please do drop me a message any time at ben@chambers.media.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue,

Ben Chambers Publisher, Demolition Hub ben@chambers.media

demolitionhub.com

COLUMNISTS

Jacqueline O’Donovan Richard Dolman Terry Lloyd

SALES

Ben Chambers ben@chambers.media 01903 952 648 Luke Chaplin luke@chambers.media 01903 952 643

DESIGN

Nicki Chambers nic@chambers.media Aaron Lloyd Alex Jarrett

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Demolition Hub are proud supporters of National Federation of Demolition Contractors

Demolition Hub are the media partner for the European Demolition Association Demolition Hub is published six times a year.

The subscription rate is £60 per year.

Subscription records are maintained at Global News Media Ltd, Suite 5 & 6, Chapel House, 1-6 Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1EX. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Global News Media Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 3

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CONTENTS

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6

NEWS

Yanmar Compact Equipment sees red JCB Livelink simplifies machine location with what3words Hyundai invests £125m in Ulsan facility Agg Pro awarded McCloskey Environmental dealership

14

THE EUROPEAN DEMOLITION ASSOCIATION NEWS

We’ll meet again. The EDA’s annual convention takes place from 9-11 June in Paris Guide to End-of-life of industrial facilities enters final stage of production EDA advocates translation of reference guides New member: The EDA welcomes P Olesen into the fold

18

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

53

James Milburn of MILBURN DEMOLITION, based in Chicago Illinois, speaks to Demolition Hub about his career, values and projects his company has worked on

26

EVENTS

bauma: • Bookings booming at bauma – 97% of available space filled at Munich trade show World of Concrete 2022: • Ben Chambers’ personal review • It’s a wrap – World of Concrete summary • Doosan displays new 7 series crawler excavators and wheel loaders • Aquajet unveils Aqua Cutter 750V

36

SUPPLIER TALK

Matt Bastable of BPH Attachments reveals all about his company, its values and what its new depot in London has to offer 4 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

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42

ATTACHMENT FEATURE

ALLU Transformer series CMB, supplied by Approved Hydraulics Hill Engineering partners with Cohidrex in Spain and Portugal Epiroc CB Range Sucking it up – Multi tasking and saving money with the DYNASET vacuum bucket Inmalo – GIDA Magnets VTN Demolition Crusher – PD Series VTN PlusLine+ supplied by ECY Haulmark OilQuick OQTR-E tiltrotator series MB Crusher MB-R500 Rotar Demolition Pulveriser, by Worsley Plant MB Crusher – Time is priceless

58

DEMOLITION DISCUSSION

Steve Andrew, Global Business Development and Asset Closure Director, Liberty Industrial

66

CASE STUDY

Paul Argent visits Wembley Way

72

INTERVIEW

Blue Machinery (Central) on its appointment as Doosan dealer for north west and North Wales

76

CASE STUDY

ALWAYS IN REACH

Paul Argent meets the Marquis de Fylde

78

PRODUCTS

Cat hammers home consistent power Handrail safety breakthrough – first in 90 years EU Stage V power for 13 to 15-tonne Hyundai A-Series excavators

88

CASE STUDY

Paul Argent: Healey hands.

Keith Healey enjoys a “nice little in and out job”

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OPINION

Richard Dolman Jacqueline O’Donovan Terry Lloyd demolitionhub.com

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 5

news

Yanmar Compact Equipment sees red

6 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

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news

Yanmar Compact Equipment has adopted a Premium Red paint colour across all its machines globally, bringing its compact equipment in line with the group’s image.

Jeff Pate, Sales Director, Yanmar Compact Equipment North America said: “Just as the quality and reliability of our products stand out from the competition, in a sea of yellow competitive machines, our Premium Red colour stands out too.”

For Yanmar Compact Equipment, the colour change is more than cosmetic.

CEO, Giuliano Parodi said: “We aim to be a global leader in compact equipment. For us, Premium Red sends out a clear signal that we are one company, with a clear product strategy.

“But our transformation goes far beyond our machines.

Indeed, we are challenging the way we think and the way we work, to transform our products, our business, and our brand to create even more value for our customers.”

Yanmar CE is evaluating alternative fuel and powertrain technologies and recently

unveiled its first electric mini excavator prototype, the new SV17e.

Cedric Durand, Director Product Management EMEA, said: “Our prototype is significant because it demonstrates our capability to bring the quality and reliability of our highly respected conventional engine technology into the arena of electrification.”

Yanmar Compact Equipment is continuing to invest in manufacturing infrastructure and in expanding its global dealer network to increase the proximity to customers, reduce lead times and improve service.

Elsie De Nys, Global Director Channel and Brand Development, said: “We have the ambition to be a leader, not only in machines but in the customer experience too and are working hard to get closer to our customers to identify new and innovative ways in which we can add value to them.”

The change to the new Premium Red coincides with the launch of the company’s new tagline, ‘Together We Build’.

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 7

news

JCB Livelink simplifies machine location with what3words

The JCB LiveLink telematics portal has been updated to include full integration with the what3words global location system. what3words is a pioneering system that maps the entire globe into 3m x 3m squares, giving each location a unique three word reference. The addition of what3words functionality to JCB LiveLink means that every single machine connected to the system can instantly be pinpointed to a specific location at any time.

This incredibly simple yet effective system makes it possible to identify an exact location without a postcode or a street address. For

JCB equipment – which regularly works on sites without post codes – it is simple to use what3words with LiveLink. With a single click, the what3words location of any machine is shown. This integration benefits not only the customer, but crucially it aids JCB dealers and service technicians in locating the machine, and also helps police forces in the recovery of stolen machines.

Notably the system is used internationally by emergency services, such as mountain rescue teams trying to locate an injured hiker, where they are far from a road and certainly without a postcode.

Launched in 2011 and now

monitoring over 300,000 machines, JCB LiveLink gives machine operators and fleet managers easy access to all fleet data through an online portal and mobile app.

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news

Hyundai invests £125m in Ulsan facility

Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) is investing £125 million in its Ulsan production plant in South Korea, increasing capacity by 50%, to more than 15,000 machines per year. The move will support Hyundai’s growing presence in the booming global construction equipment market, while providing a manufacturing base for a new generation of electric and hydrogenpowered equipment.

The investment, to be delivered over the next four years, will increase production at the giant plant by 4,800 units a year.

The company will merge the production and assembly functions currently in Factory 1 and Factory 2, into a single facility simplifying the flow of processes and increasing savings by maximising efficiency.

This will reduce the working hours 10 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

involved in machine production and cut logistics costs throughout the supply chain. The move will also reflect HCE’s environmental, social, and governance factors, using eco-friendly sub-materials when conducting interior and exterior finish work.

HCE announced in 2020 that it plans to bring to market a range of excavators powered by hydrogen fuel cells, produced in cooperation with Hyundai Motors, which has its largest automotive plant in Ulsan. The company has already unveiled a range of hydrogen-powered industrial forklifts that are due to launch in 2023, as it continues to develop the low and zero-carbon emissions equipment that will be demanded by the customer of the future.

Choi Cheol-gon, CEO of HCE, said: “Strengthening the competitiveness of the Ulsan factory is the first challenge that needs to be addressed to reach the global top five, the goal of the construction equipment division of the Hyundai Heavy Industries group.”

In November 2020, HCE completed the construction of a technology innovation centre, investing £47.8 million. The new centre includes 16 laboratories, employing more than 100 researchers. It is involved in research and development projects focusing on eco-friendly technologies, high efficiency and noise reduction technologies and a virtual verification system. The site also performs quality research and verification of components and completed equipment. demolitionhub.com

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news

Agg Pro awarded McCloskey Environmental dealership

Quarry and recycling specialist Agg Pro has been awarded a new dealership for the McCloskey Environmental range of shredders, trommels, screeners and stackers.

McCloskey Environmental is the result of dynamic expansion and the realignment of McCloskey International’s recycling capabilities. The new business unit will support the company’s evolution and reinforce its commitment to the waste recycling sector worldwide.

The mission statement of McCloskey Environmental is “Build smarter equipment to minimise the world’s waste”.

This is intended to capture both McCloskey and Agg Pro’s recognition of the significant role they play in developing long term environmentally sustainable solutions.

Speaking about the launch, McCloskey Product Line Director, Ben Frettsome, said: “Our customers are always seeking modern, flexible and cost effective waste processing solutions. Our customerdriven approach to product development has led us to invest significantly in the establishment

12 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

of this new business unit, focused on the design and manufacture of high-quality recycling equipment.

“The products produced by McCloskey Environmental will deliver significant advantages to customers, including lower cost of ownership, lower cost of production, and ease of operation and maintenance.”

Commenting on the new dealership, Geoff Caves, Managing Director of Agg Pro said: “We are delighted to be working with McCloskey in delivering a range of products that not only promote more cost-effective solutions for

our customers but also sets a precedent within the market to emphasise the hugely significant need to promote environmentally sustainable solutions.

“McCloskey Environmental demonstrates the innovative and forward-thinking nature of McCloskey as a whole. The brand echoes everything we stand for, and together I believe we can achieve great things.”

Over the past twelve months the team of highly skilled and experienced design engineers at McCloskey has developed an impressive range of smart solutions for the sector.

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Let’s meet again!

Demolition Hub are the media partner for the European Demolition Association

We start the year with very good news. After a few years without being able to see us in person, the European Demolition Association is bringing back its traditional Annual Convention. An event that brings together the entire European DDR industry.

In the association, with the emergence of the pandemic caused

by COVID-19, we were able to adapt easily to the online format, a format to which we have found many advantages, such as the ease of joining meetings without the need to travel, which has led to a significant increase in participation. We have even launched new initiatives, such as webinars, which are here to stay.

But we have missed the personal contact, without a screen in between. We are therefore particularly happy and excited to confirm that the EDA Annual Convention 2022 will take place from 9 to 11 June in Paris.

The city of light, the city of fashion or the city of love. It is also known as the city of art or the city with the tastiest croissants in the

EDA Annual Convention 2022 to take place in Paris, from 9 to 11 June world. But at the beginning of June, the French capital will become the European capital of demolition, decontamination and recycling.

DDR professionals from all over the continent are expected to attend.

The convention’s professional programme, to be announced in the coming weeks, will be held at the Pavillon Dauphine Saint Clair, an unbeatable location in the city centre, just a few minutes from the Arc de Triomphe.

In addition to this professional programme, which will be composed of different blocks of conferences on specific topics related to demolition, decontamination, recycling or circular economy in construction and spaces for networking, EDA has prepared some leisure activities

that will make this an unforgettable experience.

Paris city tours, a welcome cocktail, a dinner and show at Lido de Paris and the jewel in the crown, a gala dinner at Gustave Eiffel Hall, located on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, make up the leisure programme.

Anyone wishing to register for the professional programme and leisure activities can do so at a special price until 31 March.

If you would also like to propose a topic for a conference, you can do so until 18 February.

Finally, the sponsorship campaign is still open, although spaces are limited and flying.

If you want more information, just go to www.europeandemolition.org/ convention-2022.

End-of-life of industrial facilities guide enters final stage New EDA guide to be published in first quarter of 2022

After work, meetings and progress throughout 2021, we can confirm that the End-of-life of industrial facilities guide has entered the final phase of its development.

The guide already has all the contents and has entered the layout phase. It will be available in the first quarter of 2022, being the first informative publication of the association this year.

The main objectives of this guide are to guide facility owners with the steps to take when facing a scheduled deactivation or an unexpected event; to highlight the main challenges and risks, as well as the steps and solutions; and to highlight the relevance of working with professionals to deliver a successful project.

To learn more about this guide and other EDA publications, visit www.europeandemolition.org/ library

Do you want EDA reference guides to be translated into your language?

Discover the steps to follow to translate EDA guides into your native language Throughout 2021, EDA has launched several reference publications on specific topics of interest to demolition professionals. These include the guide about Attachments for demolition and recycling and the guide about Carriers for demolition and recycling.

In addition to publishing them in English, the association offers an incredible opportunity to the national associations that are members. All those who wish to do so can translate the guides into their native language and the professionals of the EDA Secretariat will take care of the layout.

So far, the guide about Attachments for demolition and recycling has been published in Spanish, French, Serbian, Italian and Russian.

Other translations are already in the works.

If you would like to have these guides translated into your native language and you are an EDA member, just contact us (info@europeandemolition.org) so we can explain how to proceed. Let’s keep sharing knowledge.

Demolition Hub are the media partner for the European Demolition Association demolitionhub.com

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 15

Demolition Hub are the media partner for the European Demolition Association

The European Demolition Association is welcoming its latest member, P Olesen, a Danish company specialising in demolition, reprocessing wood and environmental remediation, including asbestos and PCB abatement.

The family business, based in Hovedgård, has approximately 160 employees and more than 50 years’ experience over several generations in a wide variety of demolition and remediation tasks. These include demolition and dismantling of large factory facilities, steel structures, chimneys and bridges as well as crushing concrete, rubble, asphalt and wood.

European Demolition Association welcomes new member P Olesen The company serves the entire country, operating out of sites in Hovedgård, Hasselager and Fredericia on the Jutland peninsular and Ringsted on the island of Zealand, 40 miles from Copenhagen.

The company sees its values as modesty, trust, orderliness, respect and self-knowledge, emphasising its attitude to quality, the environment and working conditions.

A spokesperson said: “The purpose and mission for us is to constantly be able to offer and perform professional demolition in all forms and such tasks that are closely related to it.”

The European Demolition Association, EDA, was founded in 1978 and is the European platform for national demolition associations, demolition contractors and suppliers.

It organises activities every year to get the demolition industry from all over Europe.

The most important is the Annual Convention, a meeting that includes technical part with presentations about key topics and optional leisure activities.

The EDA also produces reports about the industry, to measure and analyse its evolution.

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interview

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS James Milburn, Milburn Demolition, Chicago Illinois

Q

How did you start out in the industry, what attracted you to it and how did your career develop before MILBURN DEMOLITION? I attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA where I studied Building Construction Management (BCM). During my time in college I joined the National Demolition Association as a student member and cofounded the first college chapter of the NDA. I attended a few NDA conventions where I met leaders in the demolition industry and was able

18 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

to get my first job in the industry through those connections.

My first job in demolition was with Robinette Demolition (a well known and respected company based out of Chicago), where I started as a labourer and gained some experience estimating demolition projects. After graduating college I went to work for a large industrial demolition contractor where I became an assistant superintendent and worked on numerous large industrial demolition projects across the United States and Canada.

Eventually, I decided I wanted to get back home to Chicago so I found a job working as an Estimator and Project Manager for a demolition contractor focusing on interior/ selective structural demolition and abatement. I worked for this contractor for approximately six years, gaining a wealth of knowledge and contacts in the industry. During my time at this company I was able to attend NDA board meetings and conventions and was elected to the NDA board of directors for two terms as well as chairing the Education Committee. demolitionhub.com

interview 30,000lb precast concrete panel being held up by crane while labourer is torching the “clips” to release the panel

Everything about demolition attracted me to the industry – the work, the creative problem solving that we use every day, and most importantly the people and relationships that are formed.

Q

Tell us about the process of setting up MILBURN DEMOLITION Prior to forming MILBURN DEMOLITION I worked for a few great family owned demolition companies and learned a ton. I appreciated all of the opportunity I had at those firms but I knew that I

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would never be able to fully explore and operate the way I wanted to unless I started my own contracting business. In 2014, with the full support of my wife and parents I decided to give it a go. At that time, my goals were to bid and perform enough work in Chicago to be able to support my family and provide a safe and reputable demolition service for our customers to be able to count on.

Q

How has MILBURN evolved in size, scope and range of services? What kind of projects

do you work on most frequently and are you in the process of developing this further?

There has been a lot of evolution of the company since its start in 2014. We have grown tremendously in terms of revenue and scope of services that we are able to provide.

We started with 95% of our services as interior/selective demolition in the Chicagoland market.

Six months after our start, we had acquired enough work that we needed to recruit someone who had more field and operational experience. That is when we hired DemolitionHUB Magazine | 19

interview

our Director of Operations, Don Collier, who has since been brought in as a partner in the company.

With the help of Don and the rest of the team we have been able to successfully implement and perform complete structure removal, bridge demolition, industrial demolition, and complex demolition design-build projects.

We recently expanded with an office in Tampa, Florida and recruited a highly experienced industry veteran, Dave Geertz, as Director of Operations, Southeast so that we could provide the same quality of work and level of service in the southeast United States. We currently maintain a combined office team of 25 to 30 individuals with a combined field team of more than 150.

Q

Is there a fundamental company philosophy and where does this stem from?

We are truly a “people first” demolition contractor. Throughout my previous career I noticed quickly that labour was viewed as a tool and the people out there performing the actual work weren’t held as highly as those in the office. Since our start, we have been focused on placing all of our people first.

“Our mission is providing creative demolition solutions for our customers, safe careers for our people, and bright futures for our families.”

We are grounded in service to our people. Whether it’s for our customers, our employees, or our families, we’re here to help build a better future in whatever way we can. By going above and beyond for our clients, treating our employees like family, and giving back to our community, people always come first at MILBURN.”

Q

What makes MILBURN DEMOLITION different?

What are your USPs? • People first • Extreme ownership • Pursue continuous improvement • Everyone is capable of greatness • Think customer-first

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• Solution focused (not problem focused): Too often business, especially contractors, find themselves focusing on problems in a reactive manner. This can cause our business and work relationships to have a negative mentality. Our goal at MILBURN is to always focus on the solution. Focusing on the solution to a potential problem can eliminate problems before they arise and help our customers and employees interact in a positive solution focused manner. This creates an all around positive mentality which makes us more productive and happier.

Q

What are the interesting or standout projects from MILBURN’s history or your career?

We have completed over 2,000 demolition projects since formation in 2014. Among these projects there have been numerous standouts for a variety of reasons.

One project that will always stand out for me is the Oakmont Point demolition project. On this project we combined all of our company skillsets to perform a highly technical and multi-faceted project.

Scope of work: Demolition of four buildings on Oakmont Point campus, including asbestos abatement, full interior strip out and full removal of exterior precast facades. Engineering and de-tensioning/re-tensioning of posttensioned structures to allow for separation of and total demolition of two of the four buildings.

Our solutions based team managed and directed all scopes of work simultaneously to deliver this project in a tight timeframe. We recycled over 97% of the materials demolished and worked over 13,600 man-hours without incident. We were awarded the Ryan Companies Subcontractor of the Year award as a result of our successes on this project.

Customer: Ryan Companies Contract Value: $3.15 million demolitionhub.com

interview One of Milburn’s skid steers, known as “the Bobcat from heaven”, clearing the interior of one of the Oakmont buildings prior to demolition.

A linkbelt excavator with extended boom configuration processing and demolishing one of the buildings at Oakmont. In the foreground foreman and Ryan Companies Superintendent checking on progress.

demolitionhub.com

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interview

Q

Do you have a favourite type of project, technique or tool?

I love all demolition… interior, industrial, total teardowns and speciality.

The ones I seem to love the most are the challenging projects that require a lot of upfront planning and evaluation of options. Some of these project types include water tower removals, precast facade removals, adaptive reuse of historic buildings where all items are removed with exception of facade and historic interior components.

I really enjoy projects where we get to use our Volvo 480 High reach (right) to allow for safe and methodical removal of structures up to 90 feet tall. I also really enjoy when we get to use our Brokk robots for removal of slabs and walls from within structures to remain.

Q

Tell us about MILBURN’s approach to training and attracting young people to demolition We use an intense ‘onboarding’ programme for all field workers, which includes drug/alcohol screening, OSHA training, asbestos/ lead/silica awareness training; and a partner programme where we partner new hires with our experienced workers so that they can learn how to safely and efficiently perform their tasks. We have found that by training our people well and treating them even better we have a constant influx of talented and driven individuals that want to join our team.

Q

What ongoing training do MILBURN employees undertake?

Our team members take courses through the National Demolition Association with the goal of acquiring their Foundation in Demolition Management Certificate.

I am currently the Vice-President of the National Demolition Association, where I work as a volunteer to strengthen the demolition industry and its members throughout the

22 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

Milburn’s Volvo 480 high reach working in tandem with two traditional 80,000 lb excavators to remove a five story pre-cast concrete parking ramp structure

USA, Canada and the world through cooperation with the NFDC, EDA and others. Continuous improvement is important to our entire team.

Q

What engagement does MILBURN have in the community We spend a lot of time and money supporting a variety of community charities. Philanthropy and giving back to our communities has been an important part of our business since day one. We are blessed to be able to call demolition our career and with that blessing comes a responsibility to our people and our community. We believe that all companies and individuals in the demolition industry should share this feeling and give back as much as possible.

Q

Tell us about MILBURN’s membership and your own directorship of the NDA To me, taking an active role in an association that strives to increase the industry you are involved in is a must. For me, the NDA is the association that means the most and allows me to donate my time and effort to help better

our industry and all its members.

The NDA provides a forum for the top demolition companies and individuals to address ongoing and upcoming concerns, provide new training initiatives, find and explore new tools/products/ techniques, and become more well rounded professionals. The NDA serves its members by trying to raise the bar for the demolition industry as a whole.

Q

Can you compare the NDA with the NFDC? I would say the NDA and NFDC share the common core goal of raising the standards of the demolition industry. Our goals and objectives are highly aligned in our initiatives, which include worker safety, training, and regulatory and legislative lobbying to serve the betterment of the demolition industry.

When I become President of the NDA I will hopefully be able to travel to the UK and Europe to attend NFDC and EDA events and continue our relationship by sharing ideas and learning from each other.

We have plenty to learn from each other on how to strengthen the demolitionhub.com

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interview

Q

What are the biggest innovations you have seen in the industry and what do you envisage will be the future game changers?

The biggest innovations I’ve seen in the last five to 10 years have been the major equipment manufacturers creating amazing equipment that is customised for our industry. These include the Ultra High Reach Demolition Excavators, Robotic Demolition Tools, and Top Down Demolition systems that envelope a structure in order to systematically remove in tight urban quarters without impacting neighbouring buildings.

Additionally, we have seen major strides in engineering and 3D modelling of demolition projects so we can understand the effects of a demolition method prior to proceeding with the work. This continuous improvement will provide safer and more productive demolition methods for generations to come.

Q

Does MILBURN have any notable projects in progress or in planning?

We have a lot of fun and challenging projects on the horizon, but none that we are able to speak of on the record.

Removal of an ageing fire escape in downtown Chicago. With no room for cranes Milburn had to use a roof mounted material hoist and two swing stages to remove this working from bottom up due to tight site constraints

global demolition industry. Reducing injuries and fatalities in demolition is a primary concern for both the NDA and NFDC.

Q

What differences between the demolition industry in the US and the UK and Europe are you aware of?

The biggest difference I see is that the US is less regulated in terms of demolition requirements for training and means and methods of performing work. It has been stated that the US demolition industry takes a more ‘cowboy’ approach, however, I don’t believe this to be the case for most NDA members.

24 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

This is a perception that we as an industry need to fix.

Additionally, here in the US owners of companies typically have not been held criminally liable for incidents occurring on projects and in UK/Europe that criminal liability has been passed down to the owners/managers of demolition contractors. The UK/Europe has been very quick at adopting newer demolition methods that are considered safer even if the cost of work increases.

This is something that I am constantly impressed by and look forward to closing the gap in that mentality here in the US.

Q

How do you see the outlook for demolition in 2022 and will you be doing things differently post-COVID? The outlook for 2022 is great, work seems to be consistent and plenty of major projects are in the planning stages. I do not see our firm doing anything differently post-COVID, other than learning from the challenges that we all went through and implementing plans that allow for us to work through any future issues that may arise in similar fashion.

Q

Tell us about the different aspects of your work, personally. What range of tasks do you undertake?

As the Managing Principal I am responsible for the overall success of our company. My role focuses demolitionhub.com

interview

more on development of business opportunities, estimating accuracy, culture and team building, and customer engagement. I enjoy estimating and managing some of our larger and ‘higher risk’ projects, from predemolition through to completion.

Q

What do you find most rewarding in work?

The most rewarding part of our job is to complete a demolition project without incident of injury and with the complete satisfaction of our customer. There is nothing better than getting a phone call or email from a customer that wants to compliment our team on their work.

Q

Which parts of work are most challenging?

Balancing competitive bidding of demolition without sacrificing quality, safety and values.

Q

How do you envisage your company in five to 10 years?

Our five to 10 year plan would be to continue to grow and enhance our current services and geographical presence. If we’re not growing, we’re shrinking and shrinking isn’t an option for our team. We have a lot of wonderful people and their families that count on our continued success. Letting them down is not an option. I don’t envision retiring anytime soon but we are continually planning for succession in the event that the time becomes right.

Using a 550 tonne crane to pick 36,000 lb a precast panel from the side of Oakmont building. The crane had to reach over the building due to the lake that was immediately adjacent to the structure

AND FINALLY Who do you most admire?

My parents, Joe and Carol Milburn. These two worked tirelessly to put themselves through college and to work in careers that allowed for my brother and me to have an amazing childhood and young adult life. They are the two most selfless people, they always put others in front of themselves and taught me how to be a good husband and parent. I am blessed to be able to call them my parents and two of my best friends.

What’s your bucket list activity?

To travel around the world with my wife once the kids are grown and out on their own. There is so much to see in world and I would love to see as much as possible while I still can.

What do you do for fun?

I love spending time with my wife Jess and our four amazing daughters Bailey (10), Libby (8), Margot (6) and Dylan (3). We love to spend time on the lake in the summer and enjoying meals and sporting events such as Blackhawks Hockey.

What’s your tipple of choice?

I had to Google “tipple” to figure out what that meant… not a term used here in the US. My favourite drink depends entirely on occasion and mood.

I’m a huge fan of a dirty martini at a nice dinner. I also love trying new beers especially when travelling. I believe there is a lot you can tell about a place by what kind of beer they make and serve.

One of Milburn’s crews during morning stretch and bend prior to starting the shift

demolitionhub.com

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 25

events

Bookings booming for bauma More than 10 months before bauma opens its doors in Munich from 24 to 30 October, the world’s leading trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment is expecting a very high level of participation – 97% of available space has already been confirmed by exhibiting companies.

The numbers have given Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of Messe München, a reason to be very optimistic about the upcoming 26 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

fair: “This feedback is a clear signal of our customers’ intention to take part in bauma. In the personal conversations we have with exhibitors and visitors, we hear one thing over and over again; they are really looking forward to having face-to-face discussions and, of course, to experiencing the special atmosphere that only bauma can create. I am really confident that the situation will soon have improved to the point that we will be able to put on an exciting bauma that will attract a large number of international companies and visitors.” demolitionhub.com

events from France. Another returning company will be Minearc Systems from Australia, a key market for the mining industry.

Innovation hub The mining sector is hardly the only industry that is strongly attracted to bauma. For years now, the trade fair has been viewed as the world’s unmistakable innovation hub thanks to the tremendous number of innovations that exhibitors present there. This special position will be underscored this year by the innovation hall LAB0, an area that will include such special areas as the bauma Forum, virtual reality, MIC 4.0, startups and a science hub. Think Big, a programme that promotes talented young people, will also be included as a key issue for the industry.

Mining sector widely represented The mining industry, an area where bauma is the leader in Europe, will be well represented once again.

Exhibitors will include such industry heavyweights as BHS Sonthofen, Herrenknecht, Komatsu, Liebherr, Schulte Strathaus and Zeppelin Baumaschinen. Other companies attending the fair will be the Matrix Design Group from the United States, Resemin from Peru, Roco9 from Great Britain, Tesab Engineering from Great Britain and Weber Mining and Tunnelling demolitionhub.com

Webinar series covers five topics bauma is also a thematic pacesetter.

The trade fair will focus this year on five key topics that will be covered by exhibitors, the supporting programme and the trade fair’s very first series of webinars: Zero emissions; The digital construction site; Tomorrow’s construction techniques and materials; The way to autonomous machines; and Mining — sustainable, efficient, reliable. The webinar series will begin in March and will be conducted in English. Industry experts will use the new format to explore bauma’s key topics in depth.

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 27

events

Setting standards in Vegas

by Ben Chambers After a two-year hiatus from the full winter razzmatazz in Las Vegas, World of Concrete returned to its regular slot at the start of the year at the Las Vegas Convention Center last month and we were right there in amongst the action for the full four days.

This was my first trip abroad (save for a Welsh quarry with Molson last autumn) since we all learned the word coronavirus.

In fact, the last first plane journeys I had taken were flights to and from the 2020 World of Concrete event.

I don’t know if it was the twoyear absence, but for my money this was the very best ‘WoC’ show yet.

You get a fantastic mix of characters in Vegas and that is before you even reach the Convention Center. Upon entering the aptly named Paradise Boulevard, you are guaranteed an extremely warm welcome, with helpful staff giving detailed directions around the gargantuan exhibition centre to a lost Englishman.

Mind you, it was only on day three that we discovered the Tesla express – a series of brand new Teslas with gullwing doors offering you a trip through psychedelic tunnels lit up in all manner of fluorescent colours.

Going to a concrete event, you’d expect a modicum of demolition paraphernalia present, but I can assure you there were an awful lot of exhibits of interest to the demolition industry.

I was able to chat with the North American counterparts of leading UK and European manufacturers that already do business with us. These included 28 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

attachment manufacturer MB Crusher, Chinese excavator giant LuiGong, GermanSwiss multi-sector behemoth Liebherr, Barcelona-based dumper, forklift and telehandler manufacturer AUSA, WoC live streaming leaders Bobcat and our existing demolition technology friends FieldFlo. You can find many pictures and videos detailing these encounters on our socials, but there really was so much more to the event, including demonstrations, networking, product launches and talks relevant to construction as well as concrete.

A few pointers. Day one was absolutely rammed an hour after opening. I was at Bauma in 2019 and that seemed heavy on the footfall but it had nothing on this, so my advice would be to get there early next year and by early I mean 9:30am on the dot. You could even avoid day one entirely if there is nothing pressing that you would miss on later days.

Having said that, even on day one after the queuing you could easily navigate to the stands and demos you’d planned to see and others that captivated you on your way.

World of Concrete is a thoroughly enjoyable event. Two days normally about does us for content, but we went for a third as it was just so good. Our socials went through the roof with the viral content we were able to capture and share. Rest assured you will be speaking all things construction and concrete at the tables later in the evening. The WoC-ers really do take over sin city.

Until next year, I can’t wait. demolitionhub.com

events

World of Concrete 2022 wraps a highly productive and well-attended event World of Concrete, Informa Markets’ premiere exhibition serving the thriving construction and masonry industries, carried off the 47th annual event held on 17-20 January at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).

Convening close to 37,000 registered professionals, the consistent footfall in the expo halls, high engagement with educational offerings and overall vibrancy underscores the industry’s critical need for in-person connection.

World of Concrete took over more than 58,000 square metres of the newly expanded LVCC, hosting more than 1,100 industry leading suppliers in the expo hall, just over 150 of which were first-time exhibitors, offering attendees a wide range of brands to explore from the most sought-after global enterprises to niche SMEs spanning a variety of applications.

Jackie James, Group Director, World of Concrete said: “The level of engagement from companies of all sizes and corners of the industry was very encouraging, especially following the past couple of challenging years, and points to the revival of the trade show industry and continued growth of the construction and masonry sectors.

“We are thrilled with the positive feedback we’ve received from our community, buyers and suppliers demolitionhub.com

alike, and look forward to seeing a wealth of new business partnerships and industry innovation resulting from this week’s event.”

In addition to a robust expo floor, registered participants had the rare opportunity to engage with worldclass learning at the must-attend event. World of Concrete’s coveted educational programmes serve as an incubator for knowledge sharing and technical know-how, helping the industry overcome challenges and tap into new opportunities for growth.

With more than 11,000 expert-led sessions, this year’s highly curated education explored a balance of technical and forward-looking topics, ranging from 3D printing in concrete construction, women in construction, waterproofing: the next generation of solutions, and much more.

James continued: “Year after year, industry professionals flock to World of Concrete for its highly regarded education and the unique opportunity to garner technical certifications to help professionals navigate this complex industry.

This year was no different; we were pleased to see meeting rooms packed with engaged attendees bouncing ideas off peers – it is admirable to witness this industry’s continued ambition to grow and share ideas.”

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 29

events Not only does the industry gather at World of Concrete’s annual event for dealmaking and education, but to see and demo the most cutting-edge products available on the market and see the latest industry developments that lay the groundwork for the coming year. Trends from the 2022 event included: • Job site productivity, with new battery systems that deliver more power to hand tools used to perform demanding concrete tasks, such as drilling, cutting and demolition, • Equipment that is automating concrete construction activities, including 3D printing, rebar tying and drilling overhead holes, • New materials that increase contractor productivity while still ensuring durable repairs, • Streamlined data management systems that enable contractors to tighten a project’s critical path, • Product and equipment updates that reduce a project’s carbon Returning for the 17th consecutive footprint and increase contractor year, The Concrete Industry productivity.

Management (CIM) programme held its silent and live auctions, generating a record of more than £1,299,000. Donations from the live auction and online contributions marked a historic moment for the CIM programme, which is designed to give students entering the concrete workforce industry experience early in their careers.

World of Concrete is proud to partner with the CIM programme, a business programme developed specifically for the concrete industry to provide students with a fouryear Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management.

Published on the front page of the Las Vegas Review-Journal for its exciting and action-packed competition, the 2022 instance of the ever-exciting SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500 World Championship crowned Mason Cole Stamper as the “World’s Best Bricklayer,” along with his mason tender, Jeff Becker. The two took home top honours and bragging 30 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

rights in addition to a new Ford F250 4x4 truck and more than £7,000 in cash and prizes. Scott Tuttle and mason tender Brian Tuttle locked in the second most coveted award at the event, the SPEC MIX TOP CRAFTSMAN, laying 730 bricks in one hour. Their remarkable effort won the Tuttles a new Kubota RTV-X1140, plus more than £7,000 in cash and prizes.

New this year and central to World of Concrete’s core values, the exhibition organisers formalised the event’s commitment to sustainability in collaboration with renewable energy partner/sponsor HILTI. The programme was intentionally executed with three objectives: Inspiring Sustainable Development, Environmental Responsibility, and Social Responsibility – each pledge supporting the event’s commitment to shaping the concrete industry for a sustainable future. Thanks to HILTI’s Renewable Electricity sponsorship, World of Concrete’s electricity use is powered by sustainable and renewable energy sources, saving an estimated 204 tonnes of CO2. demolitionhub.com

SHREDDING – CRUSHING – SEPERATION SYSTEMS – METAL PROCESSING – CONVEYOR SYSTEMS

SALES - HIRE - SERVICE - SPARES, PROCESSING WASTE, BIOMASS, PLASTICS, TYRES, CONCRETE, SCRAP METAL AND WOOD

DOYLE MACHINERY Limited Office +44 3330 433322

E: info@doylemachinery.co.uk

www.doylemachinery.co.uk

events

Doosan displays at World of Concrete

For the first time at an international trade exhibition, Doosan showed the company’s new DX140LCR-7 crawler excavator and DL250-7 wheel loader together at World of Concrete

DX140LCR-7 crawler excavator Part of Doosan’s new generation DX-7 family of medium-sized Stage V compliant crawler excavators, the 15.6 tonne DX140LCR-7 is a reduced tail swing model, allowing operators greater flexibility where space is at a premium, without sacrificing performance. The DX140LCR-7 also offers a new counterweight design that provides enhanced service accessibility.

The DX140LCR-7 is powered by the Doosan D34 4-cylinder Stage V diesel engine providing 86 kW at 2,000 RPM. The enhanced fuel efficiency of the engine in combination with a new hydraulic main valve and the new generation SPC3 Smart Power

32 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

Controls, provides increased fuel saving compared to the previous generation machine.

The state-of-the-art cab on the DX140LCR-7 excels in terms of spaciousness and ergonomics, taking operator comfort and ease of operation to new levels.

As well as a new high quality seat, the enhanced cab offers more features as standard than other machines on the market, ensuring super controllability and high precision in all applications.

The DX140LCR-7 excavator uses a new smart hydraulic system that offers an improvement of around 30% in attachment work compared to the previous generation model.

There is a new Tiltrotator Mode on the control panel in the new excavator, which can be selected to ensure an optimised hydraulic flow and helps to maximise the accuracy of tiltrotator work by eliminating back pressure.

Another standard new feature is the Fine Swing function. This minimises the shaking that a lifted object undergoes at the start or stop of a swing movement, to increase the safety of nearby workers and prevent damage caused by the object falling from the excavator. The new excavator also incorporates as standard a new lifting eye that forms part of the casting for the push link for the bucket attachment at the end of the arm. demolitionhub.com

events DL250-7 wheel loader With a standard bucket capacity of 2.5 m3, the new DL250-7 wheel loader is part of Doosan’s new DL-7 wheel loader range.

Like all the new DL-7 models, the DL250-7 introduces a next generation design, incorporating a powerful new Stage V compliant engine. This provides higher productivity, increased fuel efficiency and a low cost of ownership, coupled with a superb environment and experience for the operator.

Power is provided by the new Doosan DL06V Stage V six-cylinder engine on the DL250-7 wheel loader, with an output of 128kW. The LIS (Load Isolation System) on the DL250-7 provides a smoother ride and higher comfort for the operator, as well as higher productivity due to improved stability when the wheel loader is moving. The lift arm is cushioned by a hydro-pneumatic accumulator linked to the lift hydraulic system, acting as a shock absorber. The benefits include reduced cycle times, higher performance and better fuel efficiency while carrying

out load and carry applications.

Improvements have been made throughout the powertrain, to provide operators with an 11% increase in travel speeds up to a maximum of 25mph.

The new cab offers a greatly improved field of vision for the operator, with blind spots around the cab minimised and a 14% larger glass window area compared to the previous DL-5 model.

Inside the cab, the new wheel loader offers significantly enhanced operating comfort, an enhanced steering system and advanced electronic controls. Using the new Doosan Smart Key system on the control panel in the cab, the operator can start the machine using a keyless device, helping to prevent machine theft. The Smart Key system provides remote door

control, door lock and unlock, door release, searching and other functions.

The new EMCV (Electric Main Control Valve) joystick fully integrated in the armrest is another standard feature in the cab, providing the operator with smoother and precise controllability of the lift arm and attachments on the wheel loader. Features available via the EMCV system include Automatic Return-to-Dig, Bucket Tilt Kick-out and the Bucket Crowd Stop position and shock prevention for higher operator comfort.

DoosanCONNECT Telematics System The new DX140LCR-7 and DL2507 are both factory-installed as standard with Doosan’s state-ofthe-art DoosanCONNECT wireless fleet monitoring system. The DoosanCONNECT system offers a web-based fleet management solution which is very useful for monitoring the performance and security of machines and promoting preventative maintenance. It is available as a standard feature on all new Doosan excavators (from 14 tonne), all new Doosan wheel loaders and Doosan articulated dump trucks.

demolitionhub.com

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 33

events

Aquajet unveils Aqua Cutter 750V Aquajet, a global leader in the design and manufacturing of innovative hydrodemolition technology, introduced its newest hydrodemolition robot — the Aqua Cutter 750V at World of Concrete.

The new model launches Aquajet’s revolutionary patented Infinity oscillation that moves the water jet in an infinity – or figure 8 – pattern, removing more concrete in a single pass while reducing shadowing, eliminating the risk of pipe holes and providing an ideal bonding surface.

The 750V also features the next generation Evolution 3.0 Control System, which includes new functions, including the ability to automatically calculate optimal settings for lance motion for greater precision and efficiency. Like all Aqua Cutter Robots, the 750V cleans and descales rebar without causing microfracturing. It also maintains exceptional horizontal, vertical and overhead reach, making it suitable for a wide variety of concrete removal tasks, such as renovation and bridge and road repair.

The Aqua Cutter 750V offers constant lance motion in an infinity – or figure of 8 – pattern, rather than the standard wave pattern that has natural fluctuations in speed. The continuous movement of the infinity pattern allows the 750V to remove more material in a single pass, significantly reducing shadowing and making it unnecessary to follow-up 34 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

with hand lancing. The consistent motion also increases the digging effect and virtually eliminates pipe holes, resulting in a superior bonding surface and increased productivity. Another benefit is the consistent low noise that is less disruptive in urban areas and other noise-sensitive environments.

Roger Simonsson, Managing Director of Aquajet says: “Aquajet has always been at the forefront of hydrodemolition innovation. Infinity oscillation is the next technological evolution, and it is changing how hydrodemolition contractors think about productivity.

“In the coming years, we will see it replacing rotating lances and similar tools to become the new industry standard. With the productivity gains realised during customer testing, the Aqua Cutter 750V is a significant advancement for hydrodemolition.”

When he saw the 750V for the first time, Alessandro Campa, Managing Director of Aquajet’s Swiss distributor, Atümat, posed the question: “Do you know what this means?” Answering his own question he replied: “It’s the biggest revolution in the history of hydrodemolition.”

The Aqua Cutter 750V shares several similarities with Aquajet’s Ergo System. The infinity power head has Ergo-style spring-tensioned rollers and quick connection to the roller beam. It also uses absolute sensors, which means it automatically adjusts at the touch of a button. With a

larger roller width and triangulated base frame for improved stability, the infinity power head contributes to precision while improving the hydrodemolition result.

As part of the revolutionary design, the Aqua Cutter 750V also includes an upgraded version of the Evolution Control System. First released in 2004, this innovative control system still features Aquajet’s patented Equal Distance System (EDS) as well as the ability to cut shapes and remove concrete at different depths in the same pass. The new version ratchets up its performance even more with an oscillation menu that automatically calculates optimal settings for the operator. This not only maximises production from the machine, but also prevents miscalculations from manual adjustments.

Another key feature is remote start and stop of the diesel engine through radio remote control, making it possible for the operator to stop or start the robot from a safe distance and eliminating the need for the machine to run all day. In addition, the machine will automatically shut down if there’s no activity for a certain amount of time, saving battery power.

The engine control on the 750V offers increased power thanks to the automatic speed-controlled throttle that adapts RPM to the load, improving sustainability with lower fuel consumption and emissions. demolitionhub.com

Brokk Connect is your entryway to more profitable business and increased Uptime! The online platform enables you to locate and manage the entire robot fleet with precise information, hour by hour. Whether your goal is to grow your business or optimize your fleet, Brokk Connect is the tool for you to take control.

Brokk UK | www.brokk.com/uk

interview

SUPPLIER Matt TALK Bastable Q

Who are BPH Attachments and where and when did you start out?

A family-run company, BPH was established by my grandfather 50 years ago in 1972 near Horsham, West Sussex. BPH Attachments Ltd was added to the offering and launched in 2001 near Horsham, before moving to dedicated premises out of Billingshurst, West Sussex, during 2014.

There are four main aspects to BPH Attachments – the sale of new and used excavator attachments; UK-wide hire (we have over 550 attachments in our rental fleet); repairs of all brands of hydraulic attachments; and we hold an extensive stock of PRODEM parts.

We are importers for the most respected brands in the industry such as PRODEM attachments (exclusive importer), the US-made world-class LaBounty Shears (exclusive dealer for the UK and Ireland), OilQuick Couplers, Dynaset Magnets, Auger Torque Augers and Berti Flails and Mulchers.

With a wide range of excavator attachments, we serve customers across construction, demolition, scrap metal, recycling, road contractors, utility contractors, housebuilders, machinery dealers and plant hire.

We have experienced significant growth, including the relocating our Midlands depot near Leicester to a larger facility, the opening of our new south-west depot near Bristol and now our newest depot, in London.

36 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

demolitionhub.com

interview Sean Burke (left) and Matt Bastable

Q

What has driven your growth into the south-west and London and why now?

The decision to open a depot in the south-west near Bristol was similar to the decision to open a London depot – to provide a base to fully support our customers in that area.

As our operation has expanded over the years – now covering from deep in the south-west/southern Wales to as far east as Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk – we are committed to providing the best service possible to our customers by being conveniently located. The acquisition in the south-west allowed us to gain the specialist knowledge and expertise, specifically with excavator attachment piling hammers, to complement our current wide range of excavator attachments.

BPH Attachments has been serving and supporting customers in the demolition, plant hire, construction and waste industries in London and the home counties for 20 years. A number of our key customers and their projects are based there and it is strategically located for the home counties, where we also have key customers.

With several years of growth in the area, opening a depot in London now will enable us to fully support and be even more responsive to our customers’ needs.

After a few months of looking,we have been able to secure a depot that has the space and facilities to offer all of our attachment services – hire, sales, parts and repairs – in

demolitionhub.com

Edmonton north London. Being located close to the North Circular and the main road network means it also has excellent transport links across London and the home counties.

Q

Will the London depot follow the same model as your other sites?

The London depot will be consistent with our other three UK depots (Bristol, Leicester, Billingshurst) in that it will offer the full range of services: excavator attachment hire, sales, parts and repairs.

We have recruited a dedicated team in London, led by the Manager Sean Burke, who understands our key drivers of doing everything we can to support customers and that building long lasting productive relationships is key to the success for both parties. We feel that our commitment to being passionate and honest is what sets us apart from the competition and will see us to continue to grow throughout the UK and beyond.

Q

What range of excavator attachments will you provide in London?

Our full range of excavator attachments will be available from the London depot: PRODEM (sole distributor), LaBounty shears (exclusive UK dealer), OilQuick couplers, Dynaset magnets, Auger Torque augers and Berti flails and mulchers.

Q

When will you be operational in London?

The London depot has been operational since early January servicing new and existing customers. Over the last week or so our London sales team has been contacting customers to let them know about the new depot and we will be marketing more broadly over the next couple of months.

Q

Tell us about the London team and their experience We are thrilled to have Sean Burke, who is an experienced depot manager, heading up the London team. Sean has previously worked for Sunbelt Rentals and Balfour Beatty and brings with him 15+ years of industry knowledge and technical experience to provide the best customer service and support.

Working closely alongside him from our sales team will be Ryan McIntyre, our London Area Sales Manager and Daniel Bray, our Account Manager for London, Essex and Kent. Both Ryan and Daniel have been working in the London area for many years and have considerable industry knowledge and technical experience.

Q

What makes BPH different and how will the London depot fit in with this?

Customer service and relationships are by far our number one priority.

Having market-leading products is essential and we’ve worked DemolitionHUB Magazine | 37

interview

hard to achieve this, as demonstrated by the quality of brands we sell.

BPH Attachments is well known for only having the best brands in the world.

However, great brands on their own isn’t enough; the quality of the customer service must come hand-in-hand to ensure you don’t let those top products down, which is why excellent customer service, honesty and transparency are ingrained in our corporate DNA. To us, good customer service means delivering on our promises. If we say we’ll deliver on a given time, that’s what we’ll do; if we say an engineer will be with a customer to perform a service on a certain day, we stand by our word. A customer once told me that when you do business with BPH, you get more than just a great product. That’s something that’s always stuck with me, as it’s exactly what we strive for.

Like all of our current depots, our new London depot will be exactly the same, a masterclass in customer service.

Q

What are the standout contracts from BPH Attachments’ history?

BPH Attachments has supplied contactors of some of the most significant and prominent major projects in the UK, such as: • Crossrail, • Thames Tideway, • 2012 Olympics, • M25 widening, • Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, • HS2, • Teesworks Freeport with Thompson of Prudhoe, • Dawes Lane Coke Ovens for British Steel in Scunthorpe with S Evans & Sons.

Q

What upcoming events are you attending?

We have a very busy schedule of events ahead of us for 2022, which will see us exhibiting at the Executive Hire Show, Hillhead, Let’s Recycle Live and also at an event with the Institute of Demolition Engineers.

38 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

Q

Are you a member of the NFDC? Yes, we have had a membership with the NFDC for the last five years.

We have found the membership has given us access to the issues that the demolition community faces on a daily basis and therefore BPH is able to understand those issues and support customers where we can.

Q

How do you see the outlook in 2022 and following years?

With the construction market delivering strong results throughout 2021, the forecast is buoyant for 2022 and we are pleased to be heavily involved in a number of large projects throughout 2022.

Q

Can you give us an example of customer feedback?

At BPH Attachments we frequently receive positive feedback from our customers. The following is a recent example from Liam Moore Senior Operations Manager at Econ Group Ltd, a demolition, dismantling, waste management and recycling service based in south-east London.

“I came across BPH Attachments in 2010 when I was struggling with another supplier with excavator attachments. Later when I was appointed as Attachments Manager in one of the UK’s leading plant

hire companies, BPH Attachments became our number one supply chain partner for supporting our fleet and later purchasing PRODEM attachments. Their customer service and aftersales care team are outstanding and they take care of any issues you may have as a customer; nothing is too much trouble.

“Now 12 years on I have introduced BPH Attachments to my current employer. BPH Attachments not only supplies us with the PRODEM attachments for our demolition fleet, but also for attachment rental in times of operational demand. We are very pleased with the PRODEM attachments and continue to make further investments in this brand year-on-year as our fleet grows along with our renewal programme.

We are now running hammers, selector grabs and concrete crackers. We continue to be impressed with the attachments and the commitment from the BPH Attachments team, they treat all customers honestly, openly and fairly. The business continues to operate with the strong family values laid down by the founders. I continue to build on our relationship and look forward to the next BPH Attachments chapter with the opening of their new depot.” demolitionhub.com

Suppliers of World Leading Quarrying and Demolition Equipment Our extensive product includes the world renowned Powerscreen brand and their vast range of Crushers and Screeners

For more information please visit: www.blue-group.com

interview

Attachment focus

Q

Tell us about your key excavator attachments One of our most successful excavator attachment combinations is our PRODEM Heavy Duty Selector grabs combined with our Integrated OilQuick Couplers. The integrated Oilquick is built as part of the grab, giving a lower operating weight and a lower overall height. The Integrated OilQuick bracket also means that there are no exposed hoses on the grab, reducing hose damage and saving operational

40 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

and environmental costs. If you are looking for reliability and performance as well as increased operator safety and speed of excavator attachment change then this is the best combination in town.

Q

What are the key functions of these attachments The PRODEM Heavy Duty Selector grab was designed specifically for the demolition industry and is the number one choice for reliability and performance.

Featuring standard, reversible and bolt-on wear blades, 360° rotation, and end damping cylinders to prevent pin and bush wear, our selector grabs are suitable for the hardest of jobs. With perforated shell skins made from abrasionresistant steel HARDOX, the grabs are hard-wearing and long-lasting.

BPH Attachment chose to partner with OilQuick as they have the best-selling fully automatic quick coupler system in the world.

OilQuick is an automatic quick coupler system for excavators that allows hydraulic work tools to be connected and disconnected from the driver’s cab. The operator can change between various work tools within a few seconds, such as a hydraulic hammer, steel or concrete shears, sorting grapple, hydraulic magnet, compactor, sorting bucket, tilt bucket or tilt rotator.

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How is it critical for demolition contractors?

The performance and reliability of the PRODEM Heavy Duty Selector grabs are critical for demolition contractors seeking to maximise their uptime and reduce their project costs. Our PRODEM grabs have been designed and built out of the strongest steel to reduce wear so you can concentrate on the job at hand and not have to be concerned about the performance of the grab.

With increased excavator attachment operation speed, normally comes increased operator safety risk, but not with OilQuick.

Think of the advantages of changing between various work tools within a few seconds from inside the cab.

• Increased versatility and efficiency, no oil spills, saving both money and the

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environment. No messy hose couplings, • Saves the knees and back of the driver when unnecessary jumps in and out of the cab are avoided, • The OilQuick system will not only make your excavator but also your company more flexible, competitive and cost-effective, • OilQuick is an advanced quick coupler system for excavators and can be supplied in various models for machines from one to 120 tonnes.

Q

How have you found takeup among demolition contractors and why?

The take-up among demolition contractors has been consistently increasing for several years. At BPH Attachments we put our success down to three factors that form the backbone of our business focus:

interview

Q

• Passion and performance – we have always equipped the business with the most knowledgeable and technically experienced staff who are passionate about their roles and always keen to deliver exceptional customer service, • Honesty – reputation is critical for long-term customer relationships so we stand by our word. If we make a commitment, we will deliver, • Support when you need us – let’s be honest, it doesn’t always go right and we fully understand that your deadlines and performance are critical to the success of your business. Therefore, you can rely on us to be there when you need us to get you back up and running ASAP.

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 41

attachments OilQuick OQTR-E tiltrotator series

Attachment Feature 42 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

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The debris generated on construction and demolition sites is heavy and bulky, increasing transportation costs and double handling operational costs.

ALLU takes these issues away.

Reducing waste to smaller or more uniform fragments makes it faster and easier to reuse and ALLU Transformer’s design provides a onestep operational solution, saving time and money.

The ALLU Transformer screener bucket reduces the need to load, unload and double handle material as well as reducing transportation and traffic at the job site, which then reduces pollution and safety hazards.

It is an ideal choice whenever you need to screen, crush, mix, separate, sort, pulverise, or load these materials to the desired fragment size.

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attachments

ALLU Transformer series

The ALLU recycling bucket sorts materials from actual waste. It lowers transportation and landfill costs, increasing efficiency, productivity and sustainability – turning waste material into profit by producing aggregates and reusable materials such as bricks, concrete, wood, cardboard, and bitumen, bringing waste to life.

Key features • Mobile • Waste recycling • Load and screen in-one go • Urban friendly • Dustless • Less noise • No noise or dust licenses required • Saves time and money

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 43

attachments

CMB, supplied by Approved Hydraulics

Approved Hydraulics is the sole UK agent for CMB excavator demolition attachments. Based in Italy, CMB is one of Italy’s premier attachment manufacturers, exporting to all of Europe, America, Canada and South America.

The demolition product line (alongside the material handling and forestry lines) covers a range of both fixed and rotating pulverisers, steel shears, multi processors, quick change jaw attachments and selector grabs, to name a few of the popular units worldwide.

CMB used high level CAD

systems and stress analysis to design its equipment and used steel only from SSAB (HARDOX, WELDOX etc…) to offer the greatest quality and lifetime.

Approved Hydraulics has had great success in the forestry, rail and material handling markets in the past few years since it took over the brand and is now ready to introduce the demolition range to the UK market.

Deliveries times from many suppliers are growing longer but CMB has managed to stick to reasonable periods while keeping costs competitive and quality at its upmost.

Hill Engineering partners with Cohidrex in Spain and Portugal

Northern Ireland-based specialist excavator attachments manufacturer Hill Engineering announced in late January the appointment of Cohidrex as exclusive dealer for the full range of Hill products to be sold in Spain and Portugal.

Cohidrex’s owner Alfonso Dominguez Fernandez (pictured left) has built a very successful business, based in Caceres, supplying wear and spare parts and equipment for heavy construction and mining machinery under the Trasteel

44 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

brand. It will now also hold stocks of Hill’s products and spare parts to support planned growth in the Spanish and Portuguese market.

Cohidrex is focused on providing high levels of customer service and has a growing and very successful online system to enable customers to purchase its products. Hill’s portfolio will be added to this.

Hill’s head of global business development, John Lines (pictured right), met Alfonso in September 2021 and spent time with the entire Cohidrex team

at Smopyc, the international machinery, construction and public works trade show in Zaragoza, north eastern Spain, in November.

Hill said: “I was impressed with their energy and commitment to the business.

From the outset, it was clear to me that Alfonso’s business will be an excellent fit for us, as we seek to grow our dealer network.

We are already receiving sales enquiries and orders and I am confident the sales partnership between Hill and Cohidrex will be very successful.”

Alfonso said: “Our collaboration with John Lines and his team at Hill Engineering is already bearing fruit. We have the same target, that is to get high achievements in the Spanish and Portuguese market which is extremely competitive.”

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MEMBER OF THE BRITISH METAL RECYCLING ASSOCIATION (BMRA)

SELLING? BUYERS, RECYCLERS AND PROCESSORS OF ALL FERROUS, NON FERROUS METALS AND COMPUTER FLOOR TILE RECYCLERS Covering Central London, all Home Counties and the south.

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All grades of ferrous and non ferrous scrap metals are purchased at the most competitive market prices from the trade and public.

Raised access floor tiles/computer floor tiles are recycled at competitive prices.

Premium quality processed metals to internationally recognised specifications readily available for worldwide shipments.

info@totalmetalrecycling.co.uk | www.totalmetalrecycling.co.uk | 01932 988348

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Epiroc CB Range

As construction and demolition contractors worldwide have discovered, Epiroc’s CB Concrete Busters with their wide jaw openings and high cracking forces, are ideal for demolishing thick foundation walls and they make light work of cracking girders and heavy concrete at extreme heights.

CB Concrete Busters are equipped with two powerful hydraulic cylinders, which deliver virtually continuous closing force for maximum productivity.

The hydraulic cylinders are fully protected by piston rod guards.

An integrated speed valve gives faster working cycles.

Offering impressive cracking forces of up to 190 tonnes, depending on the model, CB Concrete Busters are equipped with two independently moving jaws that eliminate displacement force, thus lowering stress levels. Cutting blades are both replaceable and reversible.

A productive feature on all CB Concrete Busters is 360° endless hydraulic rotation, which allows precise handling and optimal positioning. If the cutter grips the material at an oblique angle, a built-in pressure relief valve allows a “self-acting movement” that brings the cutter jaw into the ideal position. This valve effectively protects both the carrier and the cutter from potentially damaging reaction forces.

As part of Epiroc’s range of demolition attachment tools, the reliable CB Concrete Busters come with support and service from Epiroc’s national network of partners.

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Epiroc’s Concrete Buster range Closing force

Closing force

F1 (t)

F2 (t)

320

199

53

7 – 14

730

236

57

CB 950

12 – 20

940

312

89

CB 2500

20 – 35

2,600

360

100

CB 4500

40 – 55

4,500

400

130

CB 5500

50 – 65

5,500

690

150

CB 7500

70 - 85

7,400

960

190

CB Range

Carrier weight (t)

Service weight (kg)

CB 350

2–8

CB 750

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PRODUCTIVE POWERFUL RELIABLE

Your Reliable Demolition Partner.

From 28.5 to 60.5 tons operating weight, Doosan offer a range of 3 Dual-rig demolition machines where standard digging can be quick-changed to high-reach. Compact transport dimensions are facilitated by hydraulically adjustable undercarriages. Built for durability and flexibility, these demolition rigs will tear down the toughest structures. Fully equipped with a tilting cab, FOGS guard, providing exceptional operator comfort, control and safety and also backed by excellent service support.

For more information visit: eu.doosanequipment.com

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Sucking it up

Multi tasking The best equipment can be used for many different tasks, saving time, money and space. One such device is DYNASET’s Hydraulic Recycling Vacuum Bucket, truly a tool for all industries in all seasons In August 2021, the first two lines of a light rail system opened in the southern Finnish city of Tampere, approximately 100 miles from Helsinki. A further two lines are to follow by 2024.

Markku Palonen works for the Tampere Tramway Alliance, which consists of the Tampere City Council and service providers YIT Finland limited and NRC Group Finland.

The body was an early adopter of DYNASET’s Hydraulic Recycling Vacuum Bucket and as such, he was one of the first users of the product.

Maintaining the tramway involves a wide range of tasks throughout the year and the HRVB’s versatility is very useful in this regard, Markku reports. In the winter he uses the bucket for blowing snow from the tracks and railroad yard switches. “We try to keep the snowbanks under one metre tall,” he says, “and last winter there was a lot of snow.”

In spring, the same function can be used to blow meltwater from switches, which it would otherwise damage. Markku says: “With the bucket, we don’t need to use a mechanical brush for the same task.

“In the summer, the bucket can be used in a bunch of ways. There is a surprisingly large amount of trash near the tracks and the bucket is the perfect tool for safe, efficient

48 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

cleaning – the alternative would be a manual worker collecting the trash by hand.

“I’ve found a knife and many glass bottles in the bucket, so there is more than enough suction power.

I also use its air blowing facility for blowing grass cuttings off the tracks.”

The HRVB is also a cost-effective way to clear up festival grounds.

Markku says: “The bucket would be great for park workers for cleaning tasks. That way they would not have to touch the trash by hand.”

He also uses the bucket’s blowing function in the autumn, gathering leaves into piles before sucking them into the bucket.

“It is extremely easy for the bucket to pick up piles of leaves,” says Markku, “and the result is a clear lawn. Gathering piles with a regular bucket means there will always be leaves left over. And it is easy to damage the lawn with a regular bucket.”

He has also used the bucket’s hatch as a grab to pick things up.

“I’ve used the hatch to pick up a big pile of leaves and then finalised the job with the suction,” he says.

The beauty of the HRVB The Hydraulic Recycling Vacuum Bucket’s beauty lies in its versatility, seducing Markku Palonen at first sight. “Actually, Tampereen Ratikka was searching for an air blower, he says, “but when I saw that the HRVB could be used also for suction I understood how versatile this would be on the tramway.”

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attachments Saving money on waste fees Esa Mäntylä is the founder, owner and CEO of demolition company Mevaset Oy, which he established in 2015. In the beginning, the company had just one 30-tonne Doosan excavator, with Esa as the sole operator. But seven years later it has about 20 employees and many different demolition machines.

Esa Mäntylä was also a prime mover in the development of the DYNASET HRVB Hydraulic Recycling Vacuum Bucket.

The key to more efficient recycling and lower waste costs The HRVB had its genesis in an idea of “some kind of trash magnet” imagined by one of Mevaset’s workers during a site cleanup. Esa considered the idea and decided to call Reijo Karppinen, CEO of Dynaset.

Over lunch, they developed the fundamental idea of a “trash magnet” into the concept of the DYNASET Hydraulic Recycling Vacuum Bucket. No such a bucket existed, making their idea a potential game changer.

Why is the vacuum bucket such a disruptive product?

Esa Mäntylä says: “Most of the materials on demolition sites are recycled but the small pieces of debris are hard to catch with normal buckets and demolition grabs. With the new bucket, it is possible to sort the waste better, which means less mixed waste.

“Because the management fee for mixed waste is much higher than the fee for sorted waste, the bucket is a wise investment. At

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the same time, the environment benefits because more materials can be recycled.”

Not just a bucket Contractor companies like Mevaset get cost savings because of the versatility of the bucket. The bucket has a connector for an external vacuum hose, which saves money on waste management.

Esa Mäntylä says: “Because of this versatility, we don’t have to use vacuum trucks that much. Vacuum trucks are used in demolition sites for collecting certain waste, like nonrecyclable mineral wool. With the bucket and the hose, the mineral wool can be collected without a vacuum truck.

“When the bucket is full, you can just empty it into the skip of non-recyclable waste. Because the waste-management-fee of this type of waste is very high, it is just wise to separate it from the other types of debris.”

Currently, sorting waste and the finishing touches on demolition sites are carried out manually.

Esa explains: “The common way to do the final cleaning is to hire a bunch of workers to collect the small debris with a rake and bags.

Let’s say we have a medium-sized demolition site, it could take six workers to clean the area in a decent amount of time.

“With this bucket, the same task can be done with one worker, one bucket and one excavator. The cost savings are huge.”

And how does Esa Mäntylä describes DYNASET HRVB Hydraulic Recycling Vacuum Bucket?

“It is just like it should be.”

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 49

attachments

Inmalo – GIDA Magnets

Inmalo is the sole UK distributor for GIDA magnets, which have been tried and tested by some of the largest demolition and scrap firms in the UK. It’s a fantastic piece of kit that can earn customers money with every sweep of a site. The magnets quickly pay for themselves, recovering scrap that would otherwise be lost. When used with teeth, the magnets can be used to remove steel / rebar from demolition rubble before crushing, also saving money on damage to the crusher’s belts

The VTN Demolition Crusher – PD Series Demolition equipment has always been the core business for VTN. Over the years VTN has continued to improve its products to always create the best version on the demolition market. Specifically designed for primary demolition, the PD range is the best dedicated solution for standard and high reach demolition machines. Engineered with two cylinders, two pivot points, wide jaw opening with high closing forces, the PD range is the right tool to be used for demolishing the thickest reinforced concrete, such as bridges, viaducts, heavy foundations and quaysides.

Key features • Eight sizes available • Compact-designed 360° rotation • Centre of gravity closer to the carrier • Reverse and fully-protected cylinders • High level cutting power • Interchangeable rebar cutting blades • Hydraulics are easily accessible through bolted hatches • A high flow speed valve achieves the faster cycle time • Interchangeable tooth (from PD 10 up to PD 30)

Key features • Powerful lift capacity – (HMG125 can lift 12,000kg of plate) • Robust build quality including pinned casing – not bolted • High oil flow tolerance – Up to 200 L/min • High back pressure tolerance – up to 35 bar • Option for chains, plate or teeth for raking through rubble • Safety valve to stop unnecessary oil spills on site • Can be fitted with any automatic hydraulic coupler system • Fits machines from 8 – 50 tn

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07990 007 538

Demolition Buyer Jamie Brown

M. 07826 361 280

jpbrown@ward.com

Neil Fryer

07551 613 747

nfryer@ward.com

attachments

VTN PlusLine+ by ECY Haulmark

VTN PlusLine+ is a range of demolition pulverisers equipped with a booster function, a pressure intensifier for better performance during demolition activity. The new VTN Plus Line + pulveriser range allows you to increase the power of the hydraulic cylinder multiplying the internal operating pressure. The VTN PlusLine with booster function comes into its own when the demolition contractor is demolishing structures and buildings with vibrated concretes or heavily armed concrete that a standard pulveriser would struggle to break down. The PlusLine is made entirely of HARDOX steel, ensuring reliability and longevity to withstand continual heavy use and ensure worker safety.

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Key features • Increases cracking/crushing strength • Reduces working cycles • Increases productivity by 30% compared to standard models • Reduces fuel consumption of carrier machine • No need to modify hydraulic setting of excavator to obtain high performance • Decreases carbon footprint

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attachments

OilQuick OQTR-E tiltrotator series QilQuick’s OQTR-E tiltrotator equipped with the OilQuick sandwich solution allows the operator to tilt, rotate and change the tiltrotator to a bucket or other hydraulic attachment quickly and easily without the driver having to leave the cab. OilQuick tiltrotators increase your flexibility and efficiency and take your machine to a whole new level. This means maximum digging capacity, breaking force and function and that the right attachment is used at all times.

This takes the tiltrotator to a new level. With the OilQuick adjustment on the top, the tiltrotator can be quickly and easily removed for direct use by standard attachments such as buckets or hydraulic hammers. If you

mount automatic OilQuick quick couplers on top of and underneath the tiltrotator, it not only tilts to the side and rotates for greater manoeuvrability but also enables you to attach hydraulic

tools within seconds.

This takes the tiltrotator to a new level. OilQuick also supplies a complete range of tools and accessories for tiltrotators.

Key features • Rapid change of hydraulic, electrical and mechanical attachments from inside cab, • Increased flexibility, efficiency and project quality, • Improved safety – no staff around machine during tool changes, • Reduced number of machines on site, • Meets and exceeds safety standards globally, • Reduced transport costs.

• Eliminates oil spills, • Protected hose run, • Less dirt in the cab.

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DemolitionHUB Magazine | 53

attachments

MB Crusher MB-R500

Rotar Demolition Pulveriser,

by Worsley Plant

MB-R500 is the smallest cutter head of the MB Crusher range. It weighs only 300kg and can be installed on mini and midi excavators from 3.5 to 11 tonnes, on skid steer loaders and backhoe loaders from 3.5 tonnes. Its powerful cutter head has a diameter of 500mm and grinds with extreme precision. Its drum can be replaced on site in less than an hour without the need to take the unit to a specialised workshop. It is compact and easy to use in hard-to-access locations, even in tunnels, as it is designed to limit vibration, which is also a plus when working in residential areas. What makes the MB-R500 a versatile machine is the accessories that can be chosen based on the task ahead. If working in enclosed spaces or on busy roads, the drum cutter can be equipped with a drum cover kit to reduce dust and stone emissions. When milling is required to a specific depth then the cutting depth adjustment kit is the right accessory to use. See a list of the available accessories.

Incredible crushing power combined with tremendous cutting power makes the recently improved Rotar Demolition Pulveriser (RDP) the perfect pulveriser for both primary and secondary demolitions. With a new improved design, the RDP will work its way through any concrete construction.

Key features • Cutter body rotation kit, • Cutting depth adjustment kit, • Rock and asphalt pick kits, • Power transmission kit, • Dust suppression kit, • Drum cover kit, • Low set drum kit, • Full set drum kit, • Suggested spare parts kit, • Warranty extension gold 24, • Fixed coupling, • High oil temperature reduction device.

54 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

Key features • Easily replaceable crusher teeth and wear parts • Cross mounted hydraulic cylinder providing exceptional force • Speed valve for faster cycle times – switches from speed to power mode as soon as the job requires cutting power • Special high-performance steel for main body • Large diameter hoses, bores and pipes reduce the return pressure to provide maximum cutting force • Four models available for machines from 15 up to 70 tonnes • Four models available for machines from 15 up to 70 tonnes

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Spe ecialisst Soluttion ns forr Compllex Pro ojects Swante est is a specialisst company pro oviding structura al testing, investigatio on, remedial and strength hening solution ns for complex projects. We arre a tea am of multi-disciplined engineers who ca an provide a wide range of sp pecialist site serv vices to the demolitio on and d civil eng gineering indusstry.

We spe ecialise in: • • •

Load capacitty tests Geotechnica al tests Balcony & ba arrier tests

• • •

Weld inspectiions Nondestructiv ve Testing Bespoke Testing

• • • • • • •

Sttructural surveys & inv vestigation 3D D Point cloud surveyss Sttructural alterations & strengthening Hy ydraulic c lifting & jackking Prreloadin ng & torque lo oading Concrete e repair & rem mediation Composiite solutions

When it comes to site solutions, we want to provide our clients with a complete package of works. Therefore, Swantest can carry out all required elements for any complex project.

Including initial site investigation and surveys, structural testing, subsequent remedial and strengthening solutions and design works if required. We can also provide ongoing monitoring and inspections where necessary.

Swantest are part of a specialist temporary works design consultancy; Swanton Consulting Ltd. This gives us the advantage of having capability to carry out complex design solutions in house. We are UKAS accredited and have been working with industry leaders for over 11 years.

For more information call us on 0370 950 7707 Website: www.swantest.co.uk Email: info@swantest.co.uk 52-54 St. John Street, Farringdon, London, EC1M 4HF

8691

attachments

PRODEM rotating pulveriser, supplied by BPH Attachments

Manufactured for primary demolition, secondary concrete reduction and material processing, the PRODEM rotating pulveriser has limitless 360° rotation for fast and targeted positioning in all weather conditions. The bolt-on replaceable teeth ensure easy maintenance, and maximum breaking force is achieved thanks to the trunnion-supported type cylinder. A large diameter heavy-duty slew also sets these pulverisers apart from the competition.

Time is priceless

by Giulia Valerio

Key features • Jaw design leaves rebar steel clean, • Cracking tooth on the outer end of jaw for high productivity, • Large bolt-on tooth style (PHP220 upwards) for quick and effective replacement, • Bolt-on Ground Engaging Teeth (PHP220 upwards), • Hardened teeth made from special materials for enhanced durability, • Fully reversible steel cutting blades, • Trunnion-type cylinder for maximum breaking force throughout jaw closing motion, as well as opening motion, • Integrated speed-up valve for increased speed and performance.

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attachments Imagine a construction site in a heavily populated metropolitan area. Now picture how you’d organise that job, especially with limitations such as the times when you could operate, traffic restrictions and containing noise and dust emissions.

Then there is one of the more topical problems, finding raw materials on time, meaning finishing the job to deadline can become difficult. If not wellmanaged, this problem has a major impact on the construction site and can cause delays that cost the company.

Let’s stop creating fictional scenarios and look at three construction sites on three continents in urban centres with similar problems.

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Construction site 1: Speeding the process In Epinay sur Seine, France, on a demolition site between houses and busy streets, it was impossible to block or slow traffic for long periods for trucks to come and go. But, material was needed for foundation and fill, and needed right away. There is plenty of inert material, however, from demolishing a building, in this case including reinforced concrete, bricks, and plaster.

By crushing them with a BF80.3 crusher bucket installed on a Yanmar SV100 excavator, the materials were immediately ready to reuse on site.

Construction site 2: Reducing traffic In Jiangsu province in China, the location of a construction site above a subway station meant too many trucks entering and leaving the site would have created an inconvenience and lengthened delivery times. They needed to quickly recover suitable material to fill the new structures. As in the previous story they installed a BF80.3 crusher bucket on their excavator, this time a SANY 215, and crushed the rubble. This

avoided waiting for materials and having trucks entering and leaving the construction site, all of which benefits the traffic flow.

Construction site 3: Materials available immediately In upstate New York, a house collapsed due to heavy snowfall; the roof could not withstand the weight of the snow and when it collapsed, it destroyed the entire porch. What was left needed to be dismantled and then rebuilt. With a John Deere 180G and an MB-G1200 grapple, the company in charge sorted the lumber and stacked it in one truck while creating a separate pile for all the concrete. Then, they used an MB-S14 screening bucket to screen the rock and soil to have material ready to use to construct the new foundation. All of the materials remained within the construction site.

While you might think that reading these stories may have stolen time from work on the construction site, we prefer to think that you invested your time into reading these few lines to give you an idea on how to save later on.

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 57

interview

DEMOLITION DISCUSSION Q

Tell us about your career.

How did it evolve into the role you now play in a multinational corporation?

I started in the demolition industry as a bright-eyed 15-year-old pulling nails out of reusable secondhand timber that had been dismantled from the old Darlington Railway workshops. The role grew to include getting involved in the demolition of the buildings, which were mainly

58 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

timber-based. The first “crane” I was involved with was a JCB machine that had been modified with a sixmetre pipe secured to the bucket and a tee piece welded to act as the “lifting frame”.

My next role was on a Government Youth Training Scheme (YTS) for six months servicing industrial boilers. Once the YTS was finished, my father asked me where I was working on Monday and I said

I did not know. Needless to say he had the answer, and I followed my father into the demolition industry and forty plus years later, I am still there.

I had various roles, learned how to burn and undertook a few demolition projects including being left alone at an old quarry to demolish an old Andres crane and various pieces of equipment, using the skip wagon as a crane. Scary! demolitionhub.com

interview

from those days, with a much more professional approach to ensuring people joining the industry get all the necessary training and supervision that I certainly did not have at times.

In 1998 I moved across into a consulting/engineering role and used my experiences at the sharp end (both good and bad) to develop processes that removed hazards and risks as part of the design stage, including developing the Hazdem process from the ICI Hazcon process and designing for demolition. My consultancy role has helped me greatly increase my knowledge and experiences, working on complex, multidisciplined projects in the UK and abroad.

I led a team of industry SMEs and hopefully made a significant difference in how projects should be executed, sharing learning and experiences hopefully for the betterment of everyone.

I recently decided to join Liberty Industrial as Global Business Development and Asset Closure Director and I am certainly looking forward to the next stage of my career.

Steve Andrew, Global Business Development and Asset Closure Director, Liberty Industrial

I left there to join a demolition company as a ground burner on a steel rolling mill (around 26kte). It was not long before I was “volunteered” to help the Top Burner, who was commonly known as “cut and run”. It did not take long to work out why.

Following the steel works I then moved into oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical and pharma plant decommissioning, demolitionhub.com

working on the demolition of many process facilities, undertaking mainly cold cutting operations, and dismantling in live plants (using proper cranes), progressing from top work into management.

Would I advocate this approach today? No way. I had a few minor accidents and was very lucky at times. People who rely on luck will eventually lose. Thankfully the industry has moved on considerably

Q

What does Asset Closure Director mean?

To clarify, asset closure is not always about full site closure. It ranges from small bits of plant and equipment to full site clearance and covers all stages from inception, de-inventory, decommissioning, dismantling for reuse/disposal, demolition and land remediation. Over the years I have been lucky enough to have experienced lots of different ways projects were prepared for demolition and removal. Most operators have never been in the position to have to demolish their plants and/or assets that they have worked on for several years. They tend to decommission as if the asset will be restarted, there are potentially safer and more cost effective methods of doing this.

The asset closure concept is to help operators through all stages of a project, analysing methods DemolitionHUB Magazine | 59

interview

to reduce risk during decommissioning, isolations, and demolition.

This approach not only builds in inherent safety for people and the environment, but also reduces commercial risks to all stakeholders.

Q

Give us a little background about Liberty Industrial Liberty Industrial is established as one of only a handful of demolition and remediation contractors operating in Australia that is capable of undertaking large and complex industrial projects. Employing approximately 200 highly skilled people, almost all the work is undertaken in-house.

Liberty Industrial has received recognition for its achievements at the World Demolition Awards on multiple occasions, winning five World Demolition Awards in the last seven years, including the inaugural overall World Demolition Award We offer a comprehensive range of integrated capabilities including demolition, dismantling, asbestos and hazardous materials removal, industrial cleaning, contaminated land remediation, site rehabilitation, site preparation and civil contracting and consulting services, working both on and offshore.

Q

From the short time you’ve been there (under work from home conditions) what can you tell us about Liberty’s working culture or ethic?

I really like the culture, it’s what attracted me to join in the first place. The cofounders Clinton Dick and Simon Gill are very supportive and want to drive the business forward in all the right ways: heavily committed to investing in people through training, with an enviable reputation based on integrity, reliability, technical capability and in getting the right plant and equipment for the project.

They have a can-do attitude that is committed to delivering not only a world-class health and safety performance but a worldclass solution to clients, which is very refreshing.

What makes companies different is the people and their experiences.

The UK leadership team have unprecedented knowledge and experience of delivering complex projects.

Q

Liberty Industrial is expanding into the UK. Tell us a little about this Liberty Industrial has been expanding across Australia for several years, successfully delivering projects nationally. The next obvious

step was to expand into the UK, which has a similar legal framework and way of working.

The strategy is to target the more complex projects in the oil and gas (on/offshore), power generation and chemical pharma sectors.

Q •

• •

•

•

•

What are your work values?

I have very simple work values: I believe in doing the job right (there are no other ways) and there is always time to do it right, There is no such thing as “can’t”, just “don’t want to” or “it’s too difficult”, Getting the right people in at the right time. A combined team of plant/process operators and demolition experts, a lot of hazards and risks can be removed in the planning and preparation phase not only helping to ensure a safe demolition environment, but maximise the commercial outcome, Sharing our experiences with others will help to ensure that they don’t make the same mistakes. The more we share, the greater the chance we have of stopping people getting hurt, negative impacts on the environment and unplanned events, I am committed to learning as much as I can from across all sectors and sharing that knowledge when and wherever possible, Hard work. I am a great believer that you get out what you put in.

The most important issue to me at the moment is to attract young people into the industry. Like myself the workforce is getting older, and if we are not careful a lot of experience will be lost to the industry.

Attracting young people, with the right training and supervision will help to ensure we don’t end up with a massive skills gap and more importantly start to repeat the mistakes of the past.

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interview

Q

You’ve spoken about cradle to grave construction. Tell us more We hear a lot every day about moving to net zero, protecting the earth’s valuable assets, but there are still far too many instances of projects being designed/constructed without thinking with the end in mind.

I was waiting to go into a meeting and was talking to the client about the hotel that was constructed of concrete in a cockleshell format and stated that they would have a nightmare demolishing it in the future. The client asked me why it would need to be demolished.

I pointed out what goes up very usually comes down. Gravity is very consistent about that.

The client then pointed out the hotel was on the seventh floor.

There were five car park floors, a motorway and subway train line below. That will be an interesting project in the future.

We are all seeing the potential issues around decommissioning composite materials such as wind turbine blades, although I know there has been a lot of progress.

It would be great if, as part of planning, every major project needed to submit a proposal where at least 95% of materials of construction had an identified repurpose/recycle use.

A sign-off by a suitably qualified demolition expert would help ensure deconstructability was included in the design and we were not building in issues for future generations.

Q

Tell us about the ROPEs concept and the decommissioning leadership group Decom North Sea (DNS), is an international membership organisation that represents the supply chain, connecting supply chain with opportunity.

As part of a drive to improve sharing of best practice and experience, DNS has a set up a Decommissioning Leadership Group (DLG) to focus on key industry areas.

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Wallerawang Power Station Demolition

The DLG is made up of nominated people from DNS membership and has several Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that focus on specific areas of influence and opportunity to members.

ROPEs (Real on Project Experiences) is one that is being developed by the Safety SIG. The ROPEs process will be used to collect lessons learned across projects from the operatives undertaking the work to formal review workshops. As lessons are reported a growing library of information will be collated, which will then be accessible and used

to develop communications and learning to be shared across the decommissioning industry.

This initiative really fits with my core value that the more we share the more likely we are to stop people from getting hurt.

Q

You’ve worked significantly with hazardous materials.

Can you tell us a little about your experience?

I believe the key to working with hazardous materials is to ensure that good accurate information is provided on the type of hazard, its volume and its physical state to demolitionhub.com

interview allow for the execution contractor to be able to plan, assess risks and develop safe systems of work to mitigate and manage those risks.

A requirement of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, is to remove hazards and risks through the design process, however, the scope of work during decommissioning/demolition is to remove those hazards (e.g. asbestos) and to provide preconstruction information. Far too often this information is incomplete and not only does this create a potential risk to health, safety, demolitionhub.com

and the environment but also a commercial risk. Getting the right people with the right experience at the right time, during the planning and preparation phase will greatly help to remove this issue.

Q

What are the interesting or standout projects from your career?

I have worked on several really interesting projects for many different reasons.

One of the most challenging and interesting was the divestment of a significant number of petrol filling stations (PFS). Working on one PFS is

fairly straightforward, but when you are working on thirty at the same time across locations ranging from Fort William, Exeter, Hull and Galway it’s a completely different matter.

The project started in 2003 and had a core team of around twenty different contractors (working around 1.8 million manhours).

We regularly hear about collaboration on projects, but there can’t have been many that collaborated more than on this one, resulting in a world-class safety record and the development of numerous industry best practices and systems of work.

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 63

interview

The demolition of a power station in Australia during the COVID lockdown was interesting due to the different challenges it brought regarding design reviews, working across different time zones and not being able to travel.

The dismantling and demolition of a 108,000 barrel-a-day refinery brought many engineering challenges in regard to lifting/ dismantling and transporting for loading on to vessels for export.

There are far too many to mention. All projects of this type have unique challenges and opportunities, they are always the first time they have been done, you never do the same demolition twice, and there are very few projects I can say I have not enjoyed.

Q

What are the biggest innovations you have seen and what do you envisage will be the future gamechangers?

The biggest innovation that I have seen during my career is the development of hydraulic machines fitted with various specialist attachments. Traditionally a lot of demolition was carried out using hot work. I remember the advent of hydraulic machines and the use of shears, removing operatives from the line of fire during scrap processing. The method is predominantly cold and therefore greatly reduces the risk of fire and explosion.

The development of high-reach machines has greatly removed the need for working at height and top burners having to prepare structures for controlled collapse.

This has removed the need for ball and chain demolition, which though highly skilled could be very unpredictable.

with the increased workload from nuclear and coal-fired power station closures and offshore oil and gas.

A lot of demolition continued through the COVID restrictions, working with a reduced workforce.

However, many projects were put on hold and still need to be carried out and should keep the industry busy.

Q

Tell us about the different aspects of your daily work My day normally starts with reviewing my email and messages from Australia, followed by closing out any actions, writing proposals, presentations and following up with clients.

Pre-COVID, I used to regularly travel a lot either to clients’ sites, conferences, meetings etc. During COVID restrictions I feel like I spend most of my time either in Teams or Zoom meetings and conferences.

It may be just me, but everything seems to take longer. A quick catchup over the coffee machine has become a fifteen-minute Teams meeting. Not that I am complaining.

Q

What do you find most rewarding in work?

The parts of my work I find most rewarding is working as part of a team, helping to solve a particular problem, whether this is a job safety workshop to develop a safe way of working to mitigate a specific hazard, or developing a work winning proposal.

I am a great believer that once you are through the procurement phase, you should not be able to tell the difference between the client and suppliers because we all should have the same objectives of delivering a safe, environmentally friendly project in an efficient manner.

Q

How do you see the outlook for demolition? Will you be doing things differently postCOVID? The drive towards net zero will result in numerous site closures.

I think the demolition industry is about to go into a very busy period

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Munmorah Power Station Cut & Pull demolitionhub.com

Q

And which parts of the working environment are most challenging?

Negative people and game playing.

These types of projects can be challenging for all sorts of reasons and we need to all be focused on successful delivery. There is no place for this type of behaviour.

QUICKFIRE What would you be in an alternative life?

I can’t think of a better job than being in the industry I am in.

Who do you most admire?

Passionate people who do things the right way.

What would be your desert island (exile) luxury?

An endless supply of good food and drink.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

My dog Alfie, 365 days a year.

Seriously, wanting to do a good job and not let people down.

When and where are you happiest?

On holiday or at home with the wife and family. Failing that, walking my dog up on the moors, the worse the weather, the better.

What’s the most expensive non-essential you’ve ever bought?

Hot tub

demolitionhub.com

interview

You never do the same thing from one day to the next. There is always a new problem or unexpected issue to solve; you travel to lots of different places and meet many interesting people and cultures.

There is nothing like the feeling of working on a power station or refinery, safely solving all the issues and then one day it’s gone, knowing “We did that!”

I also love developing people and watching them grow and fulfil their full potential.

What’s your bucket list activity?

To see the northern lights and travel to as many different places as possible, especially Japan.

What’s your ideal weekend?

Breakfast at the butty van, followed by walking the dog, gym, live football then pub/ food. Or a long walk in the country.

What would you do for a company excursion, money no object?

Luxury yacht What’s your favourite food?

Chips, beans and cheese What’s your tipple of choice?

Depends on the mood. Mainly tea, followed by milk. I mostly drink lager but I’m just as happy drinking Guinness or red or white wine.

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 65

case study 66 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

demolitionhub.com

Way

demolitionhub.com

case study

Wembley

Built on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, the new 90,000 capacity ground was opened in 2007 with many diehard fans upset at its total disregard for the original design’s twin towers. Despite this, the popularity of the stadium has grown, with a wide range of sporting and musical events taking place over the 15 years since its opening.

Part of the original structure left over was Wembley Way, a huge concrete walkway that led directly to the entrance of the former stadium. As part of the Olympic Way, which leads from Wembley tube station, Wembley Way was built in 1974 to help fans negotiate their way into the ground and avoid a disused coach park below.

As the area around the stadium was redeveloped, Wembley Way started to show its age. Designers looking to revamp access to the stadium came up with a new step and lift design allowing easier disabled access to the ground.

While diehard fans were again up in arms over its demolition, the progress to complete the redevelopment of the stadium and surrounding area carried on apace.

The result was the Olympic Steps, which completes Quintain’s major transformation of Olympic Way as part of the regeneration of Wembley Park. At 40 metres wide, The Olympic Steps have opened up more than 12,150 square metres of public space at ground level – larger than the pitch itself. In addition to the steps, Quintain has also delivered four new high-capacity lifts to enable improved disabled access into Wembley Stadium.

Volker Fitzpatrick is the main contractor for the project on behalf of the developer Quintain, and faced with a seriously tough concrete structure, time constraints and the fact that the site is surrounded with DemolitionHUB Magazine | 67

case study

occupied apartments, they required the services of a Premiership team of demolition men and women to dispatch the structure without the fear of extra time and penalties.

That team was Midlands-based Armac Group. With a reputation for successful bridge demolition projects across the country, Wembley Way was definitely the underdog in this match.

The concrete structure rose from Olympic Way in two separate curved sections that eventually met some five metres above ground level and led into the original stadium.

The new stadium sat higher off the ground, with the concrete walkways merging some five metres below the turnstiles. This could only mean the one-time focal point for visitors was now destined for the history books.

The first job for the Armac team was the installation of a layer of crane matting to protect the vulnerable road surface and services below from damage, along with placing hessian into the gully tops to prevent debris washing into the drains.

Once the enabling works were completed, some serious firepower was brought in to bring the heavily reinforced structure to the ground.

From a pair of 25-tonne Hitachi excavators right up to the flagship of the fleet, a 90-tonne Caterpillar 374F shipped in from Grimsby, the immaculately specified Armac fleet is designed for one thing – productivity. For Armac there is no messing about for this short duration, high intensity job. Five Caterpillars, three Volvos and three Hitachis, all from Armac’s dedicated fleet, were sent to site with the Caterpillar and Volvo excavators taking centre stage for the weeklong project.

Two standard demolition specced Volvo EC380E excavators joined an EC380EHR machine in straight boom configuration along with three Caterpillar straight boom machines in the guise of two 336Fs and a larger 352F. While the impressive 374 with its TAB boom 68 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

certainly stands out on the tight site, the real star of the show is a European first from Caterpillar and its UK dealer, Finning. The next generation 352 has been supplied with Caterpillar’s own modular boom system and was working with the shorter digging equipment in straight boom configuration, giving a potential pin height of 12 metres.

Working at the highest point, the

new 352 was, like the rest of the machines on site, carrying a fully hydraulic hitch. Unlike the other machines, this hitch, the SQ from Steelwrist incorporates a front pin lock system bringing it in line with standard pin grabber hitches. The hitches aid productivity on the job as they allow rapid and safe attachment changeovers.

Attachments are an area in demolitionhub.com

case study

which Armac insists on using the best available for the job. Epiroc hammers ranging from four to seven tonnes are the main tool of choice for this project, with each of the frontline excavators having its own unit.

These are backed up with either Demarec or Kinshofer processors to cut the rebar and process the fallen concrete.

With the close proximity of residential properties, dust suppression was a major factor.

Armac used a combination of fire hoses directed at the tools along with Motofog and Dehaco Tera 90 water cannons covering the structure and surrounding site with a fine mist of water.

With part of the new structure already in position, the Armac team was forced to work from one side of the elevated structure. With the joint between the pedway and remaining structure cleaned, the Epiroc hammers were deployed to great effect. Exposing the core of reinforcing bars, the bulk of the structure was sent packing in just four days, with the team then processing and cleaning concrete and rebar before shipping it off site for further recycling.

The highly experienced management team on the project was headed by Director Noel McLean who was assisted by the sons of Directors Adrian Mclean and Mark Dudley. Adrian’s son Cormac is just starting out his demolition career as a graduate trainee, while Mark’s son Rob is already an experienced engineer. The younger generation of the Armac family were taking a leading role in ensuring the project went smoothly, showing experience beyond their young age.

With more than 4,000 tonnes of concrete and steel cleared ahead of schedule, the construction teams were able to recommence the installation of the precast step sections.

Handing back the section adjacent to the stand a full two days ahead of schedule further bolstered the Armac’s nickname of being the Bridge Busters.

70 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

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The Institute of Demolition Engineers Foundation Degree: Demolition Management Now taking applications for March 2022

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interview

Blue Machinery (Central) appointed Doosan dealer for the north west and North Wales Blue Machinery (Central) Ltd has been appointed the Doosan distributor across Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, North Wales, Cheshire and the Islands of Anglesey and the Isle of Man. Sean McGeary, Sales Director for Blue Machinery (Central) spoke to Demolition Hub about the move.

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interview

Q

Tell us about the machines you will now be selling Doosan is a market leader in heavy-duty equipment across construction, demolition, infrastructure, quarrying, mining, landscaping, recycling, scrap and more. They have crawler excavators from the 14-tonne DX140LC-7 right up to the 80-tonne DX800LC-7 and wheel excavators from the 11 tonne DX100W-7 to the 21.9 tonne DX210W-7.

They also have powerful and

demolitionhub.com

efficient mini excavators, which have great digging capabilities and hoisting power and are very convenient whatever the environment.

There are two articulated dump trucks – the DA30-7 and DA45-7.

They’re made for long life and are really fuel efficient. Doosan’s wheel loaders are fast and powerful, making them effective even in really tough conditions. The series ranges from the 12 tonne DL200-7 all the way up to the 34 tonne DL580-7.

Q

What does all this mean for Blue Central?

Adding Doosan to our portfolio allows us to become a one stop shop for customers across a host of industries and applications. The Doosan range will complement our market leading equipment from brands including Doppstadt and the three Terex products of Powerscreen, Fuchs and MDS. Thanks to all this, we are making a significant investment in a second facility. The new four-acre site in DemolitionHUB Magazine | 73

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Nantwich (Cheshire) will be dedicated to Doosan equipment and spares.

We’ve also taken on more people. This includes a new operations team, sales representatives and factory-trained engineers – who will have specific diagnostic tooling and equipment.

All in all, we’re very excited to take on the Doosan product range. They’ve got significant market share regionally and their range complements our existing suppliers. Bringing them on board means we can offer an even more comprehensive range to our clients.

Q

Tell us about your aftersales support As well as supplying customers with their new Doosan equipment, we give the best levels of backup and support you’ll find. We have a network of engineers working across the region and offer total support throughout a machine’s lifetime.

We also have what we call the Blue Care service packages, which allow customers to choose the level of service that works for them.

This helps improve efficiency while minimising cost of ownership.

Q

And will you be providing any related products or services?

In a word, yes. We will be supplying genuine Doosan OEM parts and keeping a large stock holding so we can provide same/next day service on all stock items. It’s all about keeping customers’ machines up and running.

We have dedicated parts professionals with a wealth of knowledge to support customers on Doosan parts across the whole range.

Q

How does the addition of Doosan fit in with your future plans?

Taking on the Doosan line forms part of a long-term plan for growth and allows us to scale our aftermarket offering.

Excellent customer service has always been important to us and we are committed to continuing to invest in people, products and customers.”

Doosan completed launches of its Stage V diesel engines and Dash7 mid and heavy range in 2021 and new products like the DX100W 11-tonne wheeled excavator and new mini excavators are coming onstream shortly.

It’s going to be an exciting year and there’s lots to get our teeth into.

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case study

Marquis de Fylde Pete Marquis started his company, Pete Marquis Contractors, on the border of Preston and Fylde back in 1991.

It was mainly an agricultural contractor, but quickly moved into skip hire and demolition as well as plant hire and contracting works.

A larger-than-life demolition man, well known for his appearances on TV’s Scrap Kings, Pete runs a large fleet 76 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

of graffitied bulk bins and highly decorated vehicles working around the northwest of England. Pete is also responsible for an amazing array of charitable work, which he undertakes throughout the region year-round, with his latest Christmas Ball raising more than £80,000 for Donna’s Dream house in Blackpool.

Pete is currently undertaking a large project in the centre

of Preston tackling a series of rotting, vacant industrial and commercial buildings.

The large plot lies in the centre of a narrow one-way system carrying the main bus route in and out of the city centre. Working closely with the council to keep the traffic flowing as well as the huge footfall of students walking to the nearby university, Pete and his team are successfully removing the unsafe structures from the Preston landscape once and for all.

“It would be nice if we could just shut off the whole one-way system and simply knock the buildings down,” Pete says, “but unfortunately, this wasn’t to be the case, so we have had to implement a traffic management strategy to deal with this.”

The site has been occupied over the past few years by several businesses including a car rental hub, bathroom showroom and a pub with the remaining structures sitting directly on the pavement edges to two sides of the plot while the third side abuts existing properties that will be staying up and occupied as the surrounding structures are demolished.

We caught up with Ford Marshall, who was operating the big Hyundai R480LC-9A excavator tasked with removing the buildings. “The older buildings are in a right mess here,” Ford says. “They’ve had holes in the roofs for years and as the water has got in it has rotted the timbers and also blown most of the brickwork as it’s lime mortar. I’m having to be very careful about what I pick at to try and leave as much of the structure up before I take the brickwork down.”

The red brick on the buildings is in high demand and Pete has done a deal with a local brick merchant who is picking and sorting the thousands of bricks on site.

Ford and the small team

demolitionhub.com

demolitionhub.com

and keep the brickwork intact.”

Using a Rotar selector grab to pick away at the timber, Ford segregates the material into 40 yard bins dotted around the project. With the roof removed, the brickwork pillars were collapsed safely.

The buildings were built in the early 1900s, with many of the internal walls consisting of timber studs infilled with brickwork. When in sound condition they would have been a strong construction but as time and weathering has affected their integrity, Ford is very careful to ensure they do not collapse prematurely.

Strangely for properties of such an age, the team have also found some heavy steel channels connecting what was one property to an extension constructed some years later.

While giving some stability to the building when it was constructed, the steels are now having to be removed with

case study

have taken part of the former bathroom warehouse down, giving the brick team ample material to be getting on with.

While they are dealing with that, Ford’s attention has turned to the former pub on the opposite side of the site. Built of the same red brick, water damage has caused the walls to bow and bulge in all directions. This caused a few issues for Ford when removing the rotten roof structure as the timber ceiling joists were built into the external walls of the building, resulting in the parapet walls moving when the timber was carefully lifted off with the selector grab.

Working from a ramp formed of rubble taken from part of the building, Ford carefully positioned the 50-tonne Hyundai so that he was able to see any potential movement in the external walls as the roof timbers were lifted out. “It can be a very time-consuming job,” he says, “especially when we have to try

care as once they are removed, the building can quickly destabilise.

Pete has also enlisted the services of his trusty Volvo EC460 demolition excavator to tackle the steel framed bathroom warehouse.

Fitted with a Labounty shear, the 21-year-old Volvo is said to be the ideal machine for the oneoff high reach jobs the company gets and still performs when called upon. A second Hyundai excavator is also employed on the site working with the brick cleaning teams. The R80CR-9 was used to remove the lower portions of brick walls and undertake the mechanical sifting duties to expose the good bricks for palletising.

Ford and his team are making great progress in removing this eyesore from Preston’s city centre and will be clear of site within the next few weeks leaving a large area free for redevelopment.

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products

Cat hammers home consistent power 78 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

One of the UK’s leading demolition and dismantling specialists, S Evans and Sons has recently invested in a new frontline LaBounty shear for its ongoing projects demolishing British Steel’s huge Scunthorpe Steelworks in Lincolnshire. The site has all but stopped being the production hub for UK steel it once was and is now in the hands of S Evans and Sons to demolish the many structures spread across the site.

The Widnes based company operates around the UK on highprofile and complex demolition and dismantling projects and runs a variety of shears in its extensive fleet, including a newly purchased LaBounty MSD4000 supplied by UK dealer BPH Attachments.

Operations Director Jordan Sumner said: “We needed a new shear to tackle the heavy dismantling works we have programmed at Scunthorpe. We spoke to Matthew at BPH and both he and his team were very helpful in explaining the upgrades recently made to the US-built MSD shear. We have some very heavy steel sections on our upcoming projects and the revised beak design with Built for high production on large excavators, the new Cat H190 S and H215 S Performance Series Hammers deliver consistent breaking power.

Their extremely efficient operation cycle results in less waste from internal heat for more power delivered to the tool. With piston and tool matched in diameter and mass, these new hammers offer increased power transmission frequency. Operators can switch power mode from high frequency/low power to low frequency/ high power, giving the ability to fine tune power to the material being broken.

While powerful, the new H190 S and H215 S Hammers lead in operator comfort and machine protection with their proprietary buffering material that dampens vibration feedback to the carrier. Automatic shut-off that prevents blank firing and hammer damage can be temporarily turned off for horizontal and overhead operation in tunnelling and mining applications. The hammers can be configured for joystick or pedal control to suit the operator’s preference when working in quarry, demolition and general construction applications. demolitionhub.com

Demolition: Higher and Faster.

The R 940 Demolition Litronic Liebherr is expanding its range of demolition excavators to equip customers with everything they need for a successful project. The full line-up is now available with Stage V engines and in a choice of configurations that allow you to work at even greater heights and with greater precision. Anywhere. www.liebherr.com

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products

Cat excavator pairing advantages Tuned to deliver the highest possible work rates with Cat next gen excavators, the new H190 S hammer is sized for operation on Cat 349 through 374 models, while the larger H215 S is designed for the 374 and 395. Auto Stop instantly terminates

hammering when the tool breaks through material, preventing damage to both the carrier and hammer.

Next gen excavators automatically recognise the H190 S and H215 S Hammers and prompt operators to select the correct tool programme. Protecting the cab and keeping the attachment in predefined operating areas at the jobsite, the new hammer dimensions are included in Cat E-Fence technology. Through the Cat excavators Product Link technology, users can quickly locate the hammer attachment using the Cat App. Hammer pressure and flow rates are viewed on the in-cab monitor and can be configured manually or automatically using the touchscreen display.

Minimised maintenance All daily checks and routine service can be performed without removing the new H190 S and H215 S Hammers from the carrier, saving time. Steady internal gas pressure throughout the duration of the annual service interval eliminates the need for frequent charge inspection.

The lower bushing’s rotatable design optimises service life to minimise parts costs, while the bushing can be quickly serviced in the field using hand tools.

A standard onboard autolube system provides continual greasing during hammer operation to improve attachment longevity. For operating in extreme environments, an optional wear package protects the hammer housing from damage.

Model

H190 S

H215 S

Operating weight range

5,200 – 5,650 kg

7,400 – 7,650 kg

Carrier weight range

43 – 80 tonnes

65 – 120 tonnes

Impact frequency, blows per minute

370 – 530

300 – 520

Impact energy class

17,727 J

24 407 J

Rated flow range

280-380 L/min

360-460 L/min

Max. operating pressure

16,000 kPa

18,000 kPa

80 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

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products

Handrail safety breakthrough first in 90 years Innovation yields triple whammy of benefits for environment, costs and H&S

A site

safety specialist is delivering the first major innovation for the simple handrails that protect millions of workers across the UK in 90 years.

Scotland-based Kite Group already provides vital safe access to industrial and commercial premises nationally and promises that its 82 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

breakthrough product brings major environmental benefits.

The £3 million+ a-year firm has harnessed the latest laser cutting technology to transform how its tubular steel systems are produced and how the components fit together securely.

Until now the parts had to be fitted together with multiple clamps or welding. However, the new laser precision-cut process allows them to be assembled and fitted more quickly and efficiently.

By doing away with clamps, the system reduces the amount of steel required, lowering costs by up to 20%. It has been rigorously tested to meet load rating regulations to current British Standards.

Unveiling the system, called ModiFix, Anthony Wells (left), Managing Director of the firm said: “Delivering the first major innovation in a product since the 1930s is something we are proud of. Tubular steel handrails are so ubiquitous that

they are virtually invisible. It is like they have been around so long and are so prevalent that no-one stopped to think how they could be improved.

“The innovation is genuinely transformative and brings multiple benefits for health and safety, for the environment – and also in terms of reduced costs. While this might not mean much to the man in the street, it is of huge interest to local authorities, facilities managers, engineers and contractors or subcontractors across huge numbers of sites.”

Kite Group has more than 500 clients across the UK and major projects in Scotland have included the Forth Bridge, Edinburgh Trams and Edinburgh Airport. Its handrails are used in sites as varied as oil rigs, petrochemical plants, railways, gas and electricity facilities, water works and on the roofs of countless commercial and industrial buildings.

Anthony Wells added: “This is great news for businesses, particularly as the cost of steel has more than doubled in the past year.

Anything that offsets those rises without compromising safety must be welcomed. demolitionhub.com

demolitionhub.com

that the system is modular. Anyone who is upgrading or replacing a section of existing handrails can use the new system without having to replace the entirety. They get the cost and environmental benefits while addressing only the sections that need renewed.”

Graham Swansbury, Shipping Manager with Ettiley Transport, has the new handrail system installed at his depot, segregating production, manufacturing and picking areas.

He said: “Once measured and ordered, installation was efficient, uncomplicated, and completed by the specialist team within a couple of hours. It is strong, robust, and highly visible. The whole system is so much sleeker than the traditional systems of clamp fittings and even the welded ball systems.”

“

products

“It’s also great news for the environment because it dramatically reduces the carbon footprint of every project we complete with the new technique. On top of that there are clear health and safety benefits from eliminating the need for welding.”

Since being founded in 2003, Kite Group has become one of the foremost UK suppliers of handrails, walkways, ladders, access stairs, roof edge protection systems and fire escapes. However, the technology to allow precision cutting at scale – so tubing can pass through holes in posts without the need for clamps or welding – has only recently become available with advances in computer-controlled laser cutting equipment.

Mr Wells, who took the helm at Kite Group in 2020, revealed how his experience inspired the changes: “In the fencing sector, laser cutting is an everyday element of the business.

When I arrived at Kite Group and was shown how everything was done, it struck me as very traditional, so I immediately asked if there were other ways we could be doing things.

“The team have risen to that challenge brilliantly and ModiFix is the result. With so many potential users – including architects, specifiers, engineers and facility managers across dozens of sectors – we are incredibly excited about the future of this product.

“Part of the flexibility of this is

Delivering the first major innovation in a product since the 1930s is something we are proud of

”

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 83

products

Eu Stage V power for 13-15 tonne A-Series excavators Hyundai Construction Equipment is launching three EU Stage V compliant A-Series crawler excavators in the popular 13-15 tonne sector, delivering new levels of performance, efficiency and productivity for rental companies and contractors. Powered by the latest Cummins diesel engines, the reduced tailswing HX130A LCR, conventional HX140A L and the reduced swing HX145A LCR feature improved hydraulic control, for enhanced productivity and increased uptime.

84 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

General features include: • Cummins EU Stage V F3.8 diesel engine producing 3% increase in power and 12% more torque versus its predecessor, • Particulate Matter (PM) reduction of 60% with no requirement for AdBlue in HX130A LCR, with no EGR for larger models, • Eco Report function improves working efficiency and reduces fuel consumption, • New Lifting Mode improves fine hydraulic control, through engine rpm reduction, power boost action and pump flow control • Upgraded Intelligent Power Control (IPC) optimises hydraulic pump flow rate and power to match the machine’s working

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products

Boasting the same 100kW output as the HX140A L, the engine delivers an 8% power boost over its predecessor, while delivering a 4% fuel economy gain and a 60% reduction in PM emissions. The HX145A LCR delivers up to a 6% fuel improvement in levelling work and a 3% drop in consumption during truck loading, compared to the HX Series model working in P mode.

As with the conventional tailswing models, the compact radius excavator offers service intervals of up to 1,000 hours, when operating with CK-4 E/G oils. The machine also features Hyundai’s HCE-DT Air, permitting wireless connection to the excavator from a smartphone or laptop computer on site. This promotes rapid diagnosis and reduces costly downtime.

Though offering similar operating weights, the HX130A LCR, HX140A L and HX145A LCR deliver very different performance operating envelopes, to suit a range of customer requirements. The reduced swing HX130A LCR, which will appeal to rental customers, is powered by a 55kW version of the Cummins F3.8 engine. The engine meets the EU Stage V emissions standard without the need for an exhaust fluid such as AdBlue.

When using a CK-4 E/G engine oil, this engine offers service intervals of up to 1,000 hours, twice as long as the previous machine.

This reduces operating cost for the customer, boosting uptime on site.

The HX130A L also has Hyundai’s ECD engine connected diagnostics, providing remote diagnostics and ensuring that technicians arrive at the machine with the required parts and tools.

The conventional counterweight HX140A L uses a more powerful

demolitionhub.com

100kW version of the Cummins engine, to deliver maximum digging forces and higher productivity.

Appealing particularly to contractors and those looking for the ultimate digging and lifting machine in the class, the excavator offers 3% more power and 12% more torque than its predecessor.

With easy, ground-based access to all filters and fill points, the HX140A L also has 1,000-hour service intervals when using CK-4 engine oils. Engine connected diagnostics and Hyundai’s Hi MATE remote management system provide the fleet manager with the highest level of service and product support.

The third model with the Stage V update is the HX145A LCR. Like the HX130A LCR, this reduced tailswing model is particularly suitable for applications where space to manoeuvre is at a premium, such as utilities, road working and housebuilding.

Hydraulic settings The HX A Series machines have an upgraded IPC system, tuning pump flow rate and power to meet operator demand. The design of the main control valve and the hydraulic pipe layout has also been optimised, to minimise energy loss throughout the system.

A new Lifting Mode improves fine control and lift capability, reducing engine RPM, activating power boost and offering improved pump flow control. The machines are also offered with an optional Fine Swing Control, smoothing the movement of the boom at the start and stop of the swing movement.

The operator can also set boomlift speed compared to swing speed, by activating and deactivating the boom priority function. Dipper arm in speed can also be fine-tuned by activating and deactivating the arm regeneration function. It is now possible to save machine settings through the Key On Init work mode, to apply the settings on engine startup.

Comfortable control The robust HX A Series cab structure is built to deliver ROPS and optional FOG safety levels. Cabin DemolitionHUB Magazine | 85

products

space in the three machines has been increased by 13% and they feature an improved grab handle design in the cabin door, making it easier to access the driver’s seat and improving visibility to the side of the machine from the cab.

The excavators have a modern cab interior and for all major information, an eight-inch capacitivetype touchscreen that can also be controlled through an automotive-style jog/dial module. This also controls the accelerator and remote air conditioner as well. Centralised switches below the display allow easy control of all functions and the excavators can be specified with optional proportional auxiliary controls in the servo lever heads. Single pedal straight travel is also offered as an option.

Safety remains a priority for Hyundai and the HX A Series excavators benefit from a new electronic swing parking system, to control the swing brake function. An Auto Safety Lock prevents unintended operation of the machine and the excavators can be specified with mirror view cameras and Hyundai’s AAVM (Advanced Around View Monitoring) camera system. This includes IMOD (Intelligent Moving Object Detection) that informs the operator if people or objects are detected within the range of operation.

Smart technology Hyundai’s HX A Series excavators have a host of state-of-the-art digital connectivity technologies. This includes the proven standard Hi MATE remote management system, that delivers the highest level of service connectivity and remote diagnostic ability. The Mobile Fleet App has been updated to allow fleet owners easy access to machine operating data, including economical usage, utilisation and fault code recognition.

Optional Engine Connect Diagnostics (ECD), which is an integrated resource between Cummins and Hyundai, allows technicians and dealers to support customers with diagnostic reports and engine performance data. HCE-DT Air also allows the customer to connect wirelessly through a smartphone or laptop on site.

86 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

HX130A LCR

HX140A L

HX145A LCR

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• • • • • •

Engine: Cummins F3.8 Max gross power: 55kW Operating weight: 13,265/14,810kg Max digging depth: 5,640mm Boom length: 4.3m, 4.556m (2-piece) Dipper arm length: 1.96m, 2.26m, 2.81m

products

Specifications:

Specifications: • • • • • •

Engine: Cummins F3.8 Max gross power: 100kW Operating weight: 14,200/17,180kg Max digging depth: 6,015mm Boom length: 4.1m, 4.6m, 4.9m (2-piece) Dipper arm length: 1.90m, 2.10m, 2.50m, 3.00m

Specifications: • • • • • •

•Engine: Cummins F3.8 •Max gross power: 100kW •Operating weight: 15,215/18,120kg •Max digging depth: 5,940mm •Boom length: 4.6m, 4.9m (2-piece) •Dipper arm length: 2.10m, 2.50m, 3.00m

demolitionhub.com

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 87

case study

Healey hands

by Paul Argent

Leaving a company that has gainfully employed you for almost two decades was a big step for Chorley’s Keith Healey.

Keith had worked for Howard Stott Demolition, one of the area’s premier demolition companies, for over 17 years and was seen as one of the country’s premier high reach and demolition excavator operators.

Prior to this, Keith started his career in demolition with Inglenorth Contracting, which at that time was run by his best friend Martin Parr’s father, Steve.

Keith’s decision to go on his 88 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

own was prompted by long periods of time away from home and the desire to be closer to his family during the week. While this was the case to start with, jobs were picked up that involved staying away again, something he concedes is now part and parcel of the job.

While he is happy to turn his hand to any job on a demolition site, his passion lies in the cab of a machine, preferably a high reach, taking down complex structures. “I enjoy the complicated or difficult jobs,” Keith says. “I’ve done plenty over my two decades in the industry and always like the planning that goes into taking a building down in the safest manner.”

Over the years Keith has been fortunate to work on several Network Rail projects where he and the Stott teams were tasked with the safe removal of road bridges over short weekend closures. “I worked with a great team at Stotts, and this made some of the complicated jobs easier,” Keith says. “Everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing and we just got it done.”

One of the most high pressure jobs undertaken by Keith was at the Liverpool Echo arena where Stott was tasked with the demolition of the fire damaged car park adjacent to the events building. Keith says: “We had to try and remove damaged cars one by one to allow assessors access to them and to find the source of ignition vehicle. That was a tight site and one where we

were under constant scrutiny from a number of parties. The whole team worked well together on that job with everyone pleased at the eventual outcome.”

Since stepping away from the safety and security of a long-term job at Stott, Keith has found himself inundated with job offers for his operating services. “I can’t believe the amount of people who have been in contact with me asking if demolitionhub.com

case study I’m available,” he says. “I was quickly snapped up by HiTec Demolition for a project in Coventry that saw me undertake the demolition of a large warehouse. I still have the option to go back there and do some of the finishing works before the project is handed back to the client for redevelopment.”

We caught up with Keith on a project he was undertaking in Stoke. Working directly for the demolitionhub.com

development team, Keith had been employed to take down an old bungalow ready for a new adapted home to be constructed. “It’s a pretty simple and straightforward job taking the building down, the only issue is that the access is tight,” he explains.

Using a 13-tonne Caterpillar 312E with Rotar selector grab, the first day saw Keith drop the building to the ground and segregate the materials ready for day two when the skips

and tippers would arrive to remove the material. Day two saw the Cat, and Keith busy shipping materials out of the gate for recycling before finishing the week off with a reduced level dig and a tidy of the site.

“It has been good to do a nice little ‘in and out” job for a change,” Keith says, “although I am looking forward to getting back on a high reach machine for the next few weeks.”

DemolitionHUB Magazine | 89

opinion

Black box thinking Richard Dolman

Looking forward into 2022, I hope we begin to see the challenges of previous years easing, for everyone in our industry. The Institute for Demolition Engineers, as previously reported, remains in a strong position, enabling us to continue our work throughout the year to positively influence and be thought leaders in our sector.

As President, my focus for the year is to promote further education in the industry, foster a culture of shared learning and continue to promote innovation.

I am delighted to report our fourth intake for our Foundation Degree is in March, a little after the intake of Demolition Management Master’s Degree students, where limited spaces are still available.

Attracting people into the industry is crucial to keeping our industry strong, knowledgeable and equipped with new skills. Inspiring the next generation, I believe, will have many benefits to our industry and our profession.

For me, I look to champion this within my own organisation, AR, through delivering career talks at schools and colleges, taking on 90 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

apprentices or encouraging our existing or new talent into degree education programmes. I hope that other leaders within the sector will look do the same.

Knowledge sharing throughout the industry will assist us to learn and develop through open and honest conversations. The IDE has now launched the programme of CPD Talks from January, which allows us to explore numerous topics and techniques from temporary works to crisis management. Sponsored by our sector partners, these will be available free to all members and with a small fee for non-members.

Through events like this we will encourage conversations on best practice, lessons learned and innovation – a sharing platform for the industry.

Taking this theme further, we are also working with the NFDC to relaunch a Demolition Safety Forum.

This initially web-based safety association uses ‘black box thinking’ (see Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syad, 2015) to learn lessons from the past and provides good practice guidelines and shared resources.

The purpose of the forum is to

not only to promote safety, but to improve safety standards across the industry. Protecting our people and all other stakeholders involved in demolition will ensure we set the standards for the future.

Along with sharing information between ourselves, equally we wish to position the demolition industry as thought leaders, so we continue to hold discussions with the wider industry such as with RIBA, to explore how we can work together to improve our environment and lead in making a better future across the entire built environment.

I feel it is incredibly important that from a demolition perspective we continually raise the subject of sustainability not only for now, but for our future generations.

Finally, I wish to share my thoughts on innovation, an area where throughout 2022 we can push boundaries and develop technology to assist us in our daily working environments and again push the standards up across the sector.

Recently, through experiences within my own organisation, I have been reminded of the power of collaboration within our supply chain in an effort to improve solutions to the problems within our sector. In this case it has introduced new and better solutions to dust control but my challenge for us all, again in the spirit of raising best practice, is to share these and similar insights among our peers. Whether this drives innovation in the spirit of openness and continual improvement or through competitiveness, the end result is an industry improvement.

I personally hope it is the former, however whatever the motivation, I hope through these initiatives within the IDE we will see more engagement between ourselves and other industry stakeholders throughout 2022.

This is my ultimate aim during my tenure as President, to inspire more innovative, forward thinking and knowledge sharing across our industry, and I will be asking all members in a position to do so, to encourage the same. demolitionhub.com

opinion

Sustainability: Not just a New Year’s resolution!

by Jacqueline O’Donovan

W

e are well into 2022 and as time passes, there is a growing focus on the need to radically reduce carbon emissions due to the legally-binding commitment the government signed in 2019 to reach net-zero by 2050. As a sector, there is little in the way of guidance yet for SMEs to make a start and measure where they are, let alone start taking action to actually meet the target. Until everyone knows how to grapple the actual measurement of our impact on the environment, the focus needs to be on the smaller steps we can take to work in a more sustainable way. Getting in this mindset will enable us to look at our operations in a more objective way and will help us start making the correct choices and actions to inch towards a net zero mindset.

To me, sustainability means living and working in a responsible way, minimising the waste of natural resources so that future generations have enough to meet their needs.

For my business, for many years now we have placed greener initiatives and environmental performance at the forefront of our priorities and vision for the business, investing heavily in processing facilities and ensuring the waste is recycled or reused and diverted 100% from landfill.

Demolition and construction waste is processed to produce recycled aggregates and constant investment and upgrading of machinery and equipment helps this to be maximised, contributing to the reduced carbon footprint of new construction and infrastructure 92 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

projects. These materials come with British Standard certification giving a guaranteed quality stamp to recyclable materials.

Internally, we have implemented several initiatives in a topdown approach, to reduce the environmental impact of our fleet and operations, improve air quality and introduce more efficient, cleaner driving, which has contributed to us becoming a greener business.

Easy steps that can be taken without having to make really challenging modifications are simple enough, like good waste management and reduced packaging, but we can go further.

Energy suppliers have really changed over the last few years and switching to a provider that uses renewable energy sources is a quick win. There is the option of also installing renewable energy technology using wind or solar power for example to go one step further.

The need to be prudent and selective when picking partners in the supply chain is paramount.

Companies need to do more than just sending a questionnaire and take pledges as an indication of sustainable performance. We need to consider how our supply chains are addressing their climate impacts and what efforts are being made to reduce them. Selection of business partners should be made considering all aspects of a company’s performance, values and ethics and not just on price.

By actively influencing and demolitionhub.com

can, as well as choosing the best options currently available for our heavier fleets. It also means looking at our methods of transportation, optimising route choices and improving driving behaviours.

Innovative action must be looked at rather than sticking to the mantra ‘this is what we have always done’.

Including our teams and employees in the ownership of sustainable action is a winning formula. It is a powerful tool to encourage engagement, productivity and has the added benefit of job satisfaction. We have found that the more we are clear on what we want to accomplish and how our team can help us achieve the clear goals that we set, the more responsibility they want to take to contribute. This has worked much better for us than having a separate department that is separate and not involved in the day-to-day operation on the ground.

opinion

encouraging our suppliers to be more sustainably aware and take action, we are in turn helping and supporting them implement improvements, to not only help our own performance but drive any improvements made with their wider customer bases.

Transport is one of the biggest challenges we all face in our quest to be more carbon neutral and the pressure is mounting on manufacturers to increase their pace in meeting the demands of alternative solutions to diesel in terms of plant, machinery and heavy goods vehicles. We are still a long way off having alternative fuelled vehicles that can perform off road so we must focus on doing what we can do, with what is available and ‘control the controllables’.

This means focusing on our lighter fleets and ensuring we are using alternative fuels where we

We have a long way to go yet and for all the talk and media coverage of sustainability, it is not crossing over into action in the smaller companies because the goals are too big and the path seems unclear and unachievable. We need to collectively break it down to become the norm to encourage everyone that we all have a part to play.

Striving for sustainable and inclusive supply chains will ultimately go a long way to making our sector one that is pulling its weight because there is no benefit to sustainability in having the major firms and players achieving netzero if the supply chain is not able to contribute too. In terms of our impact on the environment, the benefits of sustainability are not attainable for anyone until it is attainable for everyone.

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DemolitionHUB Magazine | 93

opinion

What can demolition experts expect in 2022?

by Terry Lloyd, Head of Construction at Paragon Bank

After a challenging two years, many businesses in the demolition sector will be entering 2022 with a restored sense of optimism.

Of course, there are ongoing challenges as we emerge from the pandemic, but overall, the sector is seeing a high demand for its services. Even though there are broader issues, first and foremost created by well documented global manufacturing shortages, business is booming.

I’ve summarised some of the biggest opportunities and challenges the sector can expect to face this year and the best way industry professionals can prepare for those.

Machinery deliveries For demolition experts, long lead times are now the norm. We expect this trend isn’t going away anytime soon due to large manufacturing backlogs, and it will almost certainly continue this year.

One of the features of this trend is that it is pushing up the prices of second-hand equipment considerably. This is good news for those demolition businesses that are looking to refinance secondhand equipment to release cashflow into the business.

A lot of equipment is being sold business-to-business, with fewer 94 | DemolitionHUB Magazine

trade-ins as second hand is going high. We are also witnessing many customers purchasing machines they wouldn’t normally buy and diversifying the manufacturers they are willing to buy from, because any machine is better than not having a machine at all. Auctions are running fiercely, but overall, we are not seeing a lot of demolition kit come onto the market.

Skilled labour shortages Labour challenges are long-standing within the sector, as are challenges with attracting new talent into demolition. The pandemic has broadened this issue by creating global resource shortages, and I expect this will continue to impact the demolition industry throughout the coming year.

We are seeing training providers create new resources focused on demolition management, such as the degree course offered by Wolverhampton University. This highlights the degree of expertise required to forge a career in the sector – demolition specialists are highly skilled engineers that have very technical skills. Their skill-set allows them to take a multi-storey building down piece by piece while also getting all relevant materials recycled.

The National Demolition Training Group (NDTG) is the leading training provider of specialist demolition training courses and pioneer of the industry-acclaimed CCDO Card Scheme. The work the NDTG is undertaking to keep the current workforce up to date through the excellent training it provides, is adding great value to the industry and will continue to be invaluable in

helping professionals in the sector to upskill.

To continue in the right direction and attract the right talent, the sector needs to continue to focus on incentivising graduates and skilled talent to want to enter the industry.

This can be achieved through awareness, ongoing investment in training and education, and through continued work to combat common misconceptions that demolition work is unskilled.

Price of scrap material The cost of metal shot up last January, but this is starting to come back down as we emerge from the pandemic.

The higher price of scrap metal was a contributor to the rising cost of equipment, while its reduction will potentially have an impact on profit margins. Many demolition contracts are traditionally priced on the cost of metal sales to be made from the materials collected during the demolition, as opposed to the demolition itself. Industry professionals can lose money if they base the price on the cost of materials recovered, only for the price of metal to then plummet.

It will be important for demolition experts to take this into account when pricing up jobs this year.

Diesel rebate removal In March 2020, the Chancellor announced the end of the diesel rebate for the construction industry.

This will be taking effect from April 2022. The Civil Engineering and Contractors Association (CECA) estimated that this could cost the industry an extra £500 million per year, which is a colossal cost. We are seeing manufacturers turn to electric equipment solutions to mitigate this, including electric or alternatively fuelled diggers and excavators.

This will without a doubt have a big impact on industry professionals, who will need to plan accordingly for this rise in cost. Looking at alternative, non-diesel powered equipment solutions will be key to ensuring diesel charges are reduced in the future. demolitionhub.com

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DemolitionHUB Magazine | 95

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NEW HX130A LCR / HX140A L / HX145A LCR Our new A-Series Stage V range has the performance, efficiency, comfort and safety to change your world.

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