Demolition Hub Magazine - December 2022

Closing yet another year of industry reporting, case studies, interviews and events seems to come around so frequently, with this now our sixth and final issue of 2022.

It has been a busy and productive year, having what seems like yesterday celebrated those working in British demolition at the British Demolition Awards in September. It was there among the awards, networking and frivolity that we inaugurated the Demolition Hall of Fame, with one of the two inductees being William Crooks, who in three months will hand over the reins of power as his two-year NFDC Presidency comes to an end. Well done William – a brilliant President with a difficult role.

Also, a huge well done to Richard Dolman who I witnessed chair his last IDE AGM last Friday for his two years of stellar work as IDE President.

Speaking of associations, 2022 has seen us work closer with both the EDA and NDA as they understand our no agenda reporting and tone. We were invited to both San Diego (the NDA Conference) and Paris (the EDA Conference). We continue these partnerships into 2023, allowing for both the European and North American continents to learn how the Brits do it (brilliantly) with, of course, many techniques to be learned in return.

We can boast that our LinkedIn channels are unrivalled in terms of demolition industry followers and connections and our follower numbers on Instagram are organically growing, now approaching 2,000 accounts of those with an actual interest in demolition.

In this issue we are delighted to welcome MB Crusher for our regular SUPPLIER TALK interview. I had to double check we had not featured them for this before as they have been long term supporters of the magazine and offer some very impressive bespoke bits of kit. We welcome our 14th contractor for the DEMOLITION DISCUSSION; this time Bradley Harris from Northeast Demolition takes the hot seat.

So with another 12 months behind us, it would be remiss of me not to thank from the bottom of my heart those who pick up this mag and give it a little or a long read, those who support us and those who advertise within.

Finally, as I make the first draft of this the BBC is showing the demolition of the Redcar steelworks blast furnace live on BBC One, a faultless demolition job done, and almost as importantly, a positive piece on demolition for the masses. We will continue to offer the same positivity.

To another good year.

Demolition Hub ben@chambers.media

Publisher,

Professional Practice in Management graduate and JCB Government and Defence Contracts Manager, Hannah Hurdley

More than 150 new jobs for apprentices and graduates are up for grabs at JCB as the company launched the application process for its hugely successful Early Careers Programme in October.

The Staffordshire digger giant has begun inviting applications for its 2023 intake, with competition expected to be fierce after more than 2,000 people applied for places last year.

Opportunities for 2023 include graduate careers in Design and Development, Future Technologies, Electrical and Controls, Software Development and Sales and Marketing. There will also be degree apprenticeships in Business and Engineering alongside Level 3 apprenticeships in areas such as Manufacturing Engineering, Purchasing, Mechatronics and businesswide technician opportunities.

In addition, Level 2 assembly and welding apprenticeships will be offered for recruits from aged 16+, while the company will be partnering with The JCB Academy to offer new T-Level qualifications.

Group HR Director Max Jeffery said: “JCB is one of the world’s largest construction and agricultural machinery manufacturers and we offer huge scope to develop very

rewarding careers. JCB has ambitious growth plans over the next five years and nurturing new talent will be a key to success.”

JCB has invested more than £8m in developing its Early Careers Programme, and since 2008 more than 1,300 people have joined the company through the scheme. Among them are Hannah Hurdley, who joined as a Business Degree Apprentice aged 18 after her A levels. She completed a degree in Professional Practice in Management and, immediately after coming off scheme, secured a job as JCB Government and Defence Contracts Manager.

Former Derby High School student Hannah, of Burton-onTrent, said: “I am still only 22 and I have a very interesting and responsible job with great career prospects. What is amazing is that I continue to be supported by some of the most experienced senior people at JCB as my career develops. To anyone thinking of applying for the 2023 apprentice and graduate intake I would say one thing: go for it. It is a decision I have never regretted.”

Anyone interested in applying for the JCB Early Careers Programme should visit earlycareers.jcb.com.

British Demolition Awards & Demolition Hub’s Mates in Mind Campaign.

We have recently received our third certification of appreciation award gifted from Mates in Mind post the 2022 British Demolition Awards.

This has our branding on it, but this award is for everyone that has attended an event of the years and donated to this most worthwhile of cause.

Through all of your generosity (and possibly after a little tipsy bidding) we have now raised over £12,000 for Mates in Mind at the past three British Demolition Awards events.

You should be proud; I know I am.

I met with Mates in Mind recently to inform them that they would be our charity of choice once again for 2023 at the 1st September event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Join us.

Charlton buys Volvo

by Chris Charlton

CJ Charlton Group recently added Volvo EC145 and EC380 crawler excavators to our demolition equipment fleet. We bought our first EC380 back in early 2022 and have received great feedback from our operators. The machines have slew ring guards, boom ram guards and track roller guards that help minimise any accidental damage when working in harsh environments where there is a lot of concrete, making them very well suited for demolition work.

Having the added reinforcing bars at the bottom of the dipper arm is a good feature to help prevent damage when excavating old foundations.

The machines have a very operator friendly cab, with air suspension seats that are adjustable in many ways and easy-to-use computers for adjusting attachment modes and monitoring things like fuel consumption. Refilling the adblue is easy too thanks to the location of the filling cap.

CJ

CEA response to the Autumn Statement

by Suneeta Johal, Chief Executive of the CEA

There were no great surprises from Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement in November – many of the announcements relate to years that fall after the next general election so much of the impact will not be felt for years to come – however, the government’s commitment to invest in infrastructure and energy efficiency is very welcome.

The Chancellor says the government will focus on economic growth, despite having to find budget savings. A silver lining for our sector was the announcement that energy, infrastructure, and innovation are high on the government’s priorities.

We welcome the government’s decision to proceed with a new nuclear power plant at Sizewell C, which will help to provide reliable low-carbon power. This new power plant will create 10,000 skilled jobs, however, there was no mention of the chronic skills shortage we are already facing. The sector is struggling to recruit people – due to competition but also a lack of awareness and perceptions among younger generations. There is significant work to be done on this and the CEA continues to feed back to government through its

position on the National Manufacturing Skills Taskforce.

The go-ahead for Sizewell C is on the proviso that the plans receive final government approvals, which we expect to be signed by relevant parties in the coming weeks.

Hunt confirmed that as part of the government’s commitment to growth and infrastructure – they will deliver the core Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 to Manchester, East-West rail, the new hospitals programme and gigabit-broadband roll-out. These will be funded with over £600bn of investment in the next five years, which Hunt said “will connect our country and grow our economy”. The CEA welcomes the Chancellor’s continuing commitment to major investment in infrastructure.

By 2030, the government wants to reduce energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% – and from 2025, there will be a further £6bn in funding to deliver the UK’s new energy efficiency ambition. Let’s just hope that whoever is in power

at that time commits to fulfilling this funding.

The Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will be maintained through the winter, limiting typical energy bills to £2,500 per year. Disappointingly, from April 2023 the EPG will rise to £3,000 with prices forecast to remain elevated throughout next year. In addition, there was no further mention of support for business and the CEA calls for the Energy Bills Relief Scheme for non-domestic users to be extended beyond six months.

The employers’ national insurance contributions threshold is frozen until April 2028 and the employment allowance will be

retained at its new, higher level of £5,000 until March 2026, which is good news for small businesses.

A positive announcement was the plan to help make Britain the “new Silicon Valley”, which will see public funding for R&D increased to £20bn by 2024-25. This is crucial for future growth.

However, the challenges manufacturers face in the years ahead remain substantial and opportunities were missed to support manufacturers through this extremely turbulent time. Therefore, it’s up to us as a sector to lobby government for the support we so greatly need. This includes a coherent and long-term international trade strategy to stimulate economic growth. This is especially important in our sector where an average of 65% of output is exported yet support for trade associations and our members is minimal.

CPA response to Autumn Statement

Following Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement, Kevin Minton (right), Chief Executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) said: “In what will be challenging economic times, it is welcome that the government has committed to Hinkley Point C, HS2, the East West rail link and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

“This echoes our call for the Autumn Statement to provide stability and confidence for the construction sector, utilising construction as a driver of economic growth. It follows the move to make the Annual Investment Allowance set permanently at £1m. The construction

plant-hire industry has a critical role to play in these projects. Moving into 2023, the CPA will be working closely with our members to realise these ambitions.”

UK construction equipment sales show strong growth in October

Retail sales of construction and earthmoving

in October were 11% above sales in the same month last year. As a result, sales in the first 10 months of the year have almost caught up with last year’s levels, reaching 31,400 units, only 0.7% below last year during the same time period.

A notable feature in October was the strength of sales for the two most popular equipment types, mini/midi and crawler excavators. Both recorded higher levels of sales compared with last year, having fallen short in earlier months. Mini/midi excavator sales

were 9% ahead of October last year and crawler excavators were higher by 19%. This suggests that some of the supply chain issues associated with these products are beginning to ease.

The pattern of sales for the major equipment types January to October year-on-year continues to show a mixed pattern for different machine types. Telehandlers (for the construction industry), continue to show very strong demand and are 20% up on 2021 levels. Sales of road rollers remain the weakest, at 8% down on last year’s levels. Sales of mini/midi

excavators and crawler excavators have improved and are now only between 2% and 6% below last year’s levels in the first ten months of the year.

Sales on a regional basis from January to October compared with the same period in 2021 continue to show a mixed pattern. The strongest region so far this year remains the West Midlands, at over 14% up on last year’s levels. In contrast, three regions are still seeing sales below last year’s levels; London (-12.5%), the southeast of England (-8%) and the north-west (-8.4%).

Equipment sales in the Republic of Ireland are also reported in the statistics exchange. Sales in October were very weak at 25% below last year’s levels. This leaves sales in the first ten months of the year at just under 10% below last year’s levels.

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.

NFDC statement on handover of Presidency

Following agreement between the Vice-President, Gary Bishop and 2nd Vice-President, John Lynch, the National Council has ratified the following changes to the incoming President position for the 2023-25 term, effective from the NFDC AGM on Friday 24 March 2023:

• John Lynch will progress from the position of 2nd Vice-President to President of the NFDC,

• Gary Bishop will remain in place as Vice-President, to assist with the smooth running of the Federation.

Vice President of the NFDC, Gary Bishop

Incoming President, John Lynch

Demolition Hub attends Institute of Demolition Engineers 46th Annual General Meeting

by Ben Chambers

The morning AGM was completed within an hour and was the last chaired by outgoing IDE President Richard Dolman, who gave a brief President’s report.

In it, Richard stated how well the Foundation Degree has been going under his Presidency and how he will always champion the foundation course.

The IDE now has a vision to be able to deliver two thirds of all the modules for the foundation degree.

Richard thanked the day’s sponsors, exhibitors and speakers and he encouraged donations and sponsorship as the IDE looks to raise in the region of £50,000 to £100,000. Richard and his company

pledged a £5,000 donation as he hopes the course spreads globally.

Richard also mentioned the IDE’s CPD sessions and the full programme that will be available in 2023. Sponsorship opportunities are available from £350.

EDA Think Tank 2022

The EDA Think Tank 2022 held in October was a great success. Throughout the morning we were able to share our questions and curiosities to learn even more about the demolition sector.

In the first part, Kate Bester from Jet Demolition, Kurt Van Stappen of Tractebel and Tomás Romagosa of the Spanish wind energy association AEE (Asociación Empresarial Eólica) answered these questions:

• What are the main challenges to be faced when planning the endof-life of assets?

• Which steps should be taken during the normal operation of a facility to prepare for its end-of-life?

• Should external experts

be engaged in the end-oflife planning and bidding process?

• Who should be involved in the decommissioning and closure activities?

• Highlights and lessons learned

In the second part of the webinar, Stefano Panseri of Despe, Simon Carroll of Vattenfall, Ángel Fudili of Naturgy, Erik Sandonis of Lezama Demoliciones and Stéphane Ponçet of Curium took the reins.

There was time to discuss the most frequent problems in the demolition of industrial plants, planning projects, and how clear communication between parties can influence the success of projects.

VERAS’ Annual Convention 2023

We are firing up our engines in preparation for the next EDA 2023 Annual Convention, from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 June in Amsterdam.

It will be held in collaboration with Dutch Demolition Association, VERAS, and the European Decontamination Institute, EDI. We have chosen the Corendon Village Hotel Amsterdam and the National Maritime Museum to stage the events.

The convention itself takes place on the Thursday and Friday with the leisure programme held on the Saturday.

The event will be held in collaboration with Dutch Demolition Association, VERAS, and the European Decontamination Institute, EDI.

Thursday 15th June

Corendon Village Hotel

3 pm – Workshop

5 pm – General Assembly 7.30 pm – Welcome cocktail

Friday 16 June

Corendon Village Hotel

9 am – Official opening

• Conference session 1

Coffee break, networking and exhibition

• Conference session 2 Lunch, networking and exhibition

• Conference session 3 Coffee break, networking and exhibition

• Conference session 4 5.30 pm – End of professional programme

National Maritime Museum

8 pm – Reception 8.30 pm – Museum visit 9 pm – Gala Dinner

Saturday 17 June

Leisure programme to be confirmed. For marketing opportunities see here: www.europeandemolition.org/cms/ files/EDA_AnnualConvention2023_ Amsterdam_Catalogue_221014_Office. pdf

Registration will be open soon. See the EDA website for details.

Demolition Hub is the media partner for the European Demolition Association

Rapid success

by Alexa Schlosser

For five weekends in the fall of 2021, Priestly Demolition Inc. (PDI) crews logged over 9,000 working hours demolishing Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway Eastbound ramp, part of the city’s waterfront redevelopment plan. It was a quick and challenging project, but it was also a successful one, according Brian Priestly, vice president of operations at PDI.

“It was a monumental job because it changed the city’s skyline,” Priestly says. “It was an awesome opportunity for us to showcase a super difficult, large project that we could complete in the time asked.”

Project pre-planning

As soon as NDA member PDI received the job, weekly team meetings began. PDI strived to find the most efficient solutions for not only the demolition, but also for the known job site challenges and potential scenarios that could arise.

The job’s key considerations were to ensure minimal disruption to regular projects; protect the environmentally sensitive waterways; protect the steel beam guide below; and make sure the roadway could reopen each Monday morning.

Weekend 1: Deck removal

Sixteen different crews got to work on the first weekend, logging over 3,400 working hours. Amid delays, noise and dust, the crews constantly communicated and worked together as a team to remove the asphalt and deck in preparation for the next phase. The goal of the first weekend was to expose as much steel as

possible before moving the cranes in for the second weekend. To achieve this, operators worked on both decks simultaneously east and west at either end.

During the first weekend, PDI implemented innovative solutions to address some of the challenges the job posed. For example, as a way to protect the Keating Channel waterway and guard rails, the company implemented “deflector shields”, a safe and efficient way to direct falling debris from the deck above. Outrigger shields were also put in place to protect utilities and rails.

“The fabrication of deflector shields onto the excavators made them very mobile. They could travel around the job site to precise locations to protect guardrails or the waterway, and then quickly move to the next location. This also helped speed up the cleanup for Monday morning reopenings,” Priestly says.

Weekend 2: Girder removal

Once all of the concrete deck was removed and the girders became accessible, removing the girders from the bents was the next priority. The operations team from Weekend 1 evaluated the progress made in those first few days and adjusted the plans for the second weekend. Weekend 2 included realistic targets, smaller crews and shorter shifts. Specialised teams were created to perform specialised tasks, and engineers were on-site to continually analyse the work as it went.

The work on the second weekend included removing bents on the west side to ground level. Crews also started the underground removal of bents on the east side and began to remove and process steel. Torch workers cut and separated the girders, and two 300-t cranes moved them. Overall, the second weekend crew of 45 workers per shift removed 1,500 t of steel and sorted and processed massive amounts of concrete, rebar and other materials.

Weekend 3: Bent removal

The third weekend involved removing the steel bents above the Keating Channel Bridge over the river and removing concrete bents on the east side of the Don Roadway. Crews also removed the abutment at the east end and continued to remove bents below grade and backfill.

Weekends 4 and 5: Completion of tasks

The last two weekends of the job included completing all below-grade removals on the east side and backfilling. Over the course of the weekends, PDI used 1,750,000 L of water for dust control and 124,400 L of fuel. Crews also removed 2,400 t of asphalt, 2,500 t of steel and 15,000 t of concrete decking.

Key challenges

There were many challenges over the course of the five weeks. The restriction of only being able to work on the weekends was a particular challenge. “The biggest challenge was the timeline,” Priestly says. “We had to make sure we could close the traffic down on Friday evenings and reopen it without issue for Monday morning – with no traffic or pedestrians interrupted for the Monday morning commute.”

Article: http://bitly.ws/xfKT

Other challenges include ongoing construction work surrounding the expressway, making sure proper COVID-19 protocols were in place, getting the crews safely to the site with surrounding road closures, tight spaces for crane mobilisation, water and rails on either side of the bridge, noise bylaws, being able to plan smooth and safe shift turnovers, and protecting the sensitive waterways.

“All bridge demolition is challenging, and coordinating 100 people per shift the first weekend, 50 people per shift the second weekend, making sure the logistics of the job were in place, having fuel delivered...” Priestly says. “There are many challenges, but the team was able to rise to the challenge, whether it was planned or unplanned, and deal with it in such a manner that the job was never in jeopardy. That was really the secret of our success.”

Project highlights

In addition to completing 98% of the demolition work in five weekends and recycling 100% of the concrete, steel and asphalt, PDI is proud that the job was performed safely without incident, on time and on budget.

“PDI crew members were proud to be part of this rapid demo project and volunteered to work the weekend shifts on top of weekly Monday through Friday shifts,” Priestly says. “We took care of our crew with on site catering and accommodations for those from out of town. There were multiple generations of Priestly’s working together, side by side with the crew, which created a strong sense of family, teamwork and PDI pride.”

As a result of the successful work on the Gardiner Expressway Ramp, additional projects are in the works with EllisDon on the waterfront project.

Demolition Hub is a proud supporter of the National Demolition Association and credit to this article goes to the NDA. Thank you for working with us.

Another one bites the dust

by Larry Trojak

As NASA evolves into a leaner organisation with a changing role in today’s space industry, vestiges of its storied past continue to meet their fate. The latest, while not as recognisable as one of the vehicle assembly structures or the Mobile Launch Platform recently spotlighted in the NDA’s Demo on Demand online portal, was perhaps even more pivotal in driving every major facet of the organisation’s programme in its history.

The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Headquarters Building is a sprawling 41,000 square metre structure that consists of a series of six, three-storey “L” and “U”-shaped wings that were continually added to accommodate the organisation’s rapid growth in the early 1960s.

It was here that all the major decisions regarding the various programmes that defined our dominance in the space race and afterward were made. Despite being named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, a mere 20 years later it was deemed outdated, oversized and beyond repair.

The complex is currently being demolished, already replaced by a new eight-storey KSC Headquarters Building with half the area that sits adjacent to it. For NDA member Frank-Lin Services of Brevard, the firm heading up the demo (as a subcontractor to Maverick Constructors), it is yet one more case of the old meeting the new as

they use some innovative tools and techniques to bring down another iconic symbol of our nation’s past space programme.

Different set of challenges

With KSC projects dating back to 1998, Frank-Lin is no stranger to working with NASA, having successfully completed work of both epic proportions (almost every structure associated with the shuttle programme) and more manageable size (the Central Instrumentation Facility structure). The HQ building, while falling into the latter category, brings with it an entirely different set of challenges, according to Pete Charamut, the company’s president.

“This demo is simpler than most we’ve done at KSC,” he says. “But while the structure is coming down a lot easier, the environmental aspect of this job is another matter entirely. One of the reasons the HQ building was not considered for rehab is that it was heavily contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and asbestos. And while a full asbestos abatement was done over the course of the last year, areas such as the roof remain contaminated. So, as it comes down and gets mixed together, the entire pile of debris is considered as PCB bulk product waste.”

With that as criteria, about 90% of all the debris from the MSC Headquarters project has been slated for the landfill.

A serious departure

That fact weighs heavily on Charamut for several reasons. First of all, in winning the bid for the project, the company also won the right to recycle everything it could. However, with the structural and other metals deemed off-limits, the company’s bottom line was seriously impacted, prompting a revisit of the existing contract.

“And it’s about more than just the money,” he says. “We pride ourselves in regularly recycling better than 85% of the material from most of our projects. But, while we hate to see good material taken to a landfill, I can see the point the engineers have made regarding material that is comingled as it comes down.

“They have allowed us, however, to take what we can before we start the actual demo of a structure. So, we are pulling material such as copper wiring, copper tubing, etc., and diverting it from the landfill. But the minute we start attacking that structure, everything is off limits.”

Starting with the CIF project done in 2018, KSC required that Frank-Lin purchase and maintain a truck scale to weigh every load of C&D debris and concrete before any material made its way to the landfill. That part of the job, says Charamut, is maintained on a daily basis by his daughter Lindsey and father-in-law Emilio Rogel.

He estimates that, by project’s end, approximately 65,000 t of general C&D debris, as well as an additional 18,000 t of concrete –including the concrete slab – will cross those scales prior to being dumped in the KSC-owned and operated Schwartz Road landfill.

It should come as no surprise that dust suppression is a priority at the KSC job, given concerns surrounding the hazardous nature

of the debris as it comes down. To address that issue, Frank-Lin’s team relies upon a pair of misting units from BossTek: a DB-60 and an Atom. They also have a 2,000-gallon (75,000 L) water truck on-site to periodically soak the debris as it’s being brought down.

Dynamic duo

Considering the scope of the headquarters project, Frank-Lin’s on-site crew of three operators and five dump trucks might, at first sight, appear seriously undersized. What they lack in numbers, however, they more than make up for in productivity, thanks to a pair of hydraulic attachments – an LXP 400 multi-jaw processor, third membermounted on a Komatsu PC-490 and a GCP 610 concrete processor mounted on a Komatsu PC-360 –both from Genesis Attachments. With those at work, Frank-Lin’s team is systematically erasing remnants of NASA’s past.

Charamut says: “My son Frank is using the extended reach of that third-member unit to start at the top of each structure and work his way down, essentially collapsing each floor onto the one below. While all the wings are pretty much identical, one section featured a penthouse that housed the NASA director and upper-level management, and for that we brought in a rental excavator with a 23 m ultra-high, three-section, Hitachi demolition package from PowerTrac Machinery. But the overwhelming bulk of the job has been handled using the two Genesis attachments.”

According to Charamut, they have two jaw sets for the LXP, a shear set and a concrete cracker set, and both have played a role at the HQ project. The composition of the building is mostly concrete

and heavy rebar, material that is easily being processed by either of the two jaw sets. Charamut says his team benefits from the unit’s bolt-on piercing tip, which can be replaced in minutes without grinding or welding, as well as the full range of indexable blades that, by providing four usable cutting edges, keep productivity up.

“There’s no denying that the LXP on that Komatsu is the real workhorse out here,” he says. “The Komatsu machines, purchased from and serviced by Linder Machinery, have been outstanding for us. That LXP is easily handling any rebar we’ve encountered and can cut through pipe up to 20 cm in diameter, so we are more than covered. In fact, if we had enough time on the project, that combination could easily handle the entire job.”

Family affair

Size and complexity of projects aside, Frank-Lin is still very much a familybased business, as evidenced by the daily presence of Pete Charamut, his

son Frank, his daughter Lindsey and extended family.

“My parents started this company back in 1988 and named it after their two grandchildren, Frank and Lindsey,” says Charamut. “They are both on the HQ demo site today and are very much a part of the reason for our success. We’ve also grown that list with the addition of Frank’s wife Krystin, who, after leaving a career in restaurant management, is today a very experienced operator capable of running everything on site, including the PC-490 with the LXP-400. Not surprisingly, she fits right in.”

Tenured performance

The Headquarters demolition will not be the last project Frank-Lin does for NASA – additional work is already either secured or being bid on. The contractor’s longevity and success working with the organisation is based on an ability to combine expertise, concern for safety and an ability to bring the latest technology to bear.

“We started using high reach equipment on our demo projects back in early 2000 in order to be competitive and stay away from costly crane work,” says Charamut.

“Once clients – like NASA –realised how safely and quickly we could complete demolition projects, it just made sense for them to stay with us. NASA jobs are bid based on past performance, experience and a criteria called “lowest technically accepted”, which means the company bidding must prove an ability to be able to perform the work.

We’ve been doing steady demo work for them since 2006, and in that time, took down about 90% of the shuttle facilities. I’d say the organisation has had a comfort level with us for some time now – our ability to successfully deal with the challenges of the Headquarters building just reinforces their decision to stay with us.”

The KSC Headquarters Building demolition was slated for an 11 January 2022, completion date.

case study

From civic to domestic

MGL Demolition (MGL) has started to dismantle Sunderland Civic Centre, paving the way for construction of 265 new homes.

The specialist contractor, part of MGL Group, is undertaking complex demolition and site clearance work on the old council offices site to enable future development as part of Sunderland City Council’s

ambitious plans to regenerate its riverside and city centre.

MGL is working in phases to safely bring down the municipal building, which once provided accommodation for over 1,000 council employees. It was designed by architect Sir Basil Spence and was clad using brown brindle brick. It included two low-rise blocks that

formed a figure of eight around two hexagonal courtyards.

The two-storey civic suite included a central double height council chamber. The upper level accommodated a suite of committee rooms while the lower floor housed the council members’ rooms.

The 1960s building was deemed no longer fit for purpose and earlier this year it was vacated by the local authority after it moved to the new City Hall at Riverside Sunderland.

The scope of work also includes the deconstruction of the Civic Centre’s large multi-storey car park, which provided parking for staff and visitors as well as members of the public visiting the city centre. The footbridge connecting Mowbray Park to the main reception will also be demolished.

Initial works included stripping out the interior of the building and taking out the existing windows, along with removing a significant amount of asbestos-containing materials, which were commonly used in buildings constructed before the 1980s.

All main works are being delivered using MGL’s in-house resources, both plant and personnel, enabling tighter control over the demanding programme and opportunities for mitigation concerning any additional asbestos that is identified. As members of both the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) and the Asbestos Removal Contractors

Association (ARCA), the MGL team is working to the highest standards of safety and quality using a mix of specialist techniques including progressive floor-byfloor deconstruction and remote demolition, with dismantling work taking place within the building’s plots.

To enable work to commence, a new emergency access link needed to be designed and installed by MGL’s appointed engineers to allow people using the Park Lane Interchange Bus Station to safely vacate the train platforms in the event of an emergency.

Below the car park there is a redundant train tunnel, which further complicates the sequence and methodology for demolition works. Access to the tunnel can only be gained through both Nexus and Network Rail infrastructure.

Prior to demolition works starting, the old tunnel had to be blocked off and MGL’s appointed engineers needed to design a permanent solution, which would also act as a retaining structure to enable the tunnel to be backfilled with recycled materials generated from the demolition works. A design statement was issued to Network Rail for review and approval.

All works within Network Rail’s boundary are being overseen by Network Rail engineers and all MGL operatives will be required to undertake PTS training.

This complex project has the

case study

added challenges of typical inner-city issues and meticulous planning and preparation is required.

Due to its scale, restrictions will be in place to protect the public and ensure the demolition can be safely undertaken. The demolition of the footbridge will require full road closure and MGL will consult with the council’s highways team and a traffic management company to minimise disruption.

Throughout the duration of this project, adherence to all stakeholders’ procedures and a cohesive interface to align requirements has been crucial to driving the project forward successfully. Regular communication with third parties has ensured a collaborative approach has been adopted.

Finishing works include site clearance, grubbing up the foundations and leaving the site clear and ready for Vistry Partnerships North East to transform

the site into a mixture of one to fourbedroomed homes.

The development is part of a wider programme in the city centre that seeks to double the number of people living and working in the area.

Mark Davison, Joint Chief Executive of MGL Group, said: “We have extensive experience delivering

city centre schemes and enabling vibrant and inviting places to live, work and visit.

“We are proud to be working in partnership with Sunderland City Council and Vistry Partnerships North East on a key project for the city and to play our pivotal part in Sunderland’s regeneration.”

DEMOLITION DISCUSSION

In 2004, I was 19 and worked for my dad to save some money for university during the summer. My dad thought I would hate it, the early mornings, working on a crusher (a long time ago) but I enjoyed it.

Earning money, working outside and the characters I met on site, many of them still work for Northeast Demolition. A lot of people say once you get into demolition, you will be in it for life. That’s true for me.

QHow did you start out in the industry and what attracted you to it?

Brentford Sky Sports News

Brentford FC’s old home, Griffin Park

QHow has your career developed to where you are now?

While on site at 19, I noticed that some of the people struggled to read or write, some pretended they couldn’t and some of them just hated doing it. So, I said to everyone I would do their paperwork. They didn’t need explaining, they’d been in demolition for many years and I learnt so much from them working on site.

Very quickly, I was doing LOLER, PUWER, daily briefings, TBTS and site diaries.

Over the years I have been a demolition supervisor, manager, health and safety manager and now contracts director. Qualifications include, NVQ level 6, NEBOSH, Asbestos Surveyor, IDE foundation degree, etc.

MD Shaun Harvey’s father-in-law started the company in 1968. His name was Peter Northeast, hence the company name. From what I have heard, Peter was a very hardworking person.

We employ 30 people and try to keep the company around this size. That way it’s easier to control and to provide more of a personal service. Someone once told me that in demolition, you are only as good as your last job. I aways remember that quote, it helps maintain our quality of work.

Tell us about your team and working culture. Is there a fundamental company philosophy or ethic?

Be loyal, honest, respectful, and work hard.

Northeast Demolition is a family run and family orientated company. Peter Northeast’s daughter and granddaughters all work for the company; our safety director Ronnie went to school with Shaun; we have three generations of one family working for us; one of our supervisors used to drive HGVs with my dad in the ‘80s and his sons Alex and Harry are now both site managers. My dad Wayne, my brother Ross and his partner also work for the company.

As you can see, I could name everyone who works for us and how we are connected.

etc. on site and carry out asbestos removal.

Post demolition, we crush materials on site to 6f2, carry out remediation works and install pile mats but that’s as far as we go.

From 2007 to 2017 we bought all JCBs. We bought the first high reach with a changeable arm (Kocurek). JCB had an amazing guy called Steve Bradley and he just made sure anything you asked got done. They would use our sites for marketing, as a lot of investors wanted to see the excavators working.

Being a small company, we basically give our drivers their own excavator, so they look after them and can’t blame someone else if it’s scratched, not maintained, filled with diesel, oil, adblue etc. I remember in 2011 we bought a JCB excavator and their photographer came to site and took photos. We had two JCB machines and he didn’t believe us at first when we told him we’d bought the other excavator in 2009.

In 2018 we bought a LiuGong. We were unsure about switching to LiuGong but the service they provide has been perfect. The price, buy back and warranty make it a nobrainer.

By the end of this year, we will have five LiuGongs. I highly recommend speaking to Simon Tobin if you’re looking at purchasing a LiuGong.

QWhat are the standout projects from Northeast Demolition’s history?

is the range?

Any project where the client is good at paying, mainly mechanical demolition of residential and industrial buildings in the city. We try to stick to what we are good at. Or what we think we are good at –demolition.

We soft strip all buildings, separate timber, metal, plasterboard,

I have been fortunate to work on many projects over the last 18 years. Some standouts include:

Brentford Football Stadium. Demolishing a football stadium had been on my bucket list. I still play football and coach two of my kids’ teams so it was a fun project to work on. Sky Sports News asked if they could do a report, Gary Cotterill came down to site for the filming and

QHow did Northeast Demolition start? How has it evolved in size, scope and services?

Q

QWhat kind of demolition projects does Northeast Demolition work on most frequently, and how broad

QDo you have any particular preferences in terms of the plant you use?

the day after he went to Barcelona to interview Lionel Messi.

Grand Tour – Jeremy Clarkson’s house. JCB asked if we could oversee the demolition of his house for the show. We said we would do it, but everything had to be done correctly – S80, ecology report, R&D survey, exclusion zones, etc. None of this had been done prior to our involvement.

Clarkson, May and Hammond were so much fun and very accommodating. It was nice to see that they are just big kids and up for having fun.

QWhat makes Northeast Demolition different?

I wouldn’t say we are different; I see many of the NFDC members and non members doing great demolition projects. We tell clients that we want to win their next project, so it shows we want longevity from our working relationship. We don’t advertise, we just work hard and try our best to deliver a good service.

QTell us about any apprenticeships, trainee schemes and the availability of labour, experienced and inexperienced. What can we do to attract young people into the industry?

Wow, good question. I honestly don’t know the solution to this and I think about it all the time.

Apprentices – we have none

currently. Labour – we have minimal. We try to provide training for labourers to allow them to promote themselves. We have a 68-year-old gate man and 71-yearold banksman, as we struggle to get younger people.

It’s clear to see that we are not attracting enough young people into the industry. I remember as an eightyear-old, during school holidays I would go to work with my dad in his roll-on-and-off lorry. I loved it. My brother was on site brick cleaning and labouring at 14. We also enjoyed getting cash to spend.

In the present day, due to insurance, age restrictions on site and H&S, obviously none of this can be done anymore.

At weekends, I take my three sons into our yard and they love playing on the crushed heap, weighbridge ramp and in the puddles. It’s a great way of them learning. I’m sure a lot of people are thinking its unsafe and I shouldn’t be doing this but I feel them being outside and active is better than them sitting at home on an Xbox.

This is where I feel it’s going wrong. We need to start off people younger. Most kids love digger-land but then they go back home and don’t have the opportunity to drive any plant.

AND FINALLY

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

A screaming kid at 4 am. I have three sons, an eight year old, five year old and a two year old.

Who is your favourite artist? Johnny Cash

Who do you most admire? My dad

When and where are you happiest?

Christmas Day with the wife, kids, family and switching off from work for a few days.

Brad’s kids – start them early

case study

Working on water

Swantest undertakes a challenging structural repair scheme at Brighton Marina

Brighton Marina was constructed between 1972 and 1976. The harbour is exposed to waves from the south-west around to the southeast so is protected by the West and East breakwaters formed by circular caissons. These were installed by a specially built crane running along the top of the previously placed caissons. In situ concrete sealed any gap between the caisson base and the prepared chalk bed. Upper promenades and wave walls were cast on top once all caissons had been installed. The breakwaters provide essential shelter to approximately 1,000 dwellings and 1,600 boats together with extensive retail and leisure development.

Swantest was engaged by C. J. Thorne Ltd to undertake selected surveys and concrete repairs to the soffits of the cantilevered sections of the kilometre-long Eastern breakwater as part of a package of works to strengthen the structure to remove the imposed restrictive weight limits on the roadway over. There are long term plans to infill the caissons to prevent further deterioration. The main purpose of repairing the concrete on the soffit

case study

of the cantilever was to facilitate a temporary works propping scheme, which would facilitate a higher load rating for the walkway above. Before that could happen there were numerous areas of the soffit that had suffered significant loss of concrete and were unsafe.

Swantest assisted the client in developing the concrete repair strategy to better suit the physical and environmental conditions, and also assisted with the concept for access over the water. Repair works were taken off the critical path using bespoke techniques for the hydro-demolition works, thereby unlocking a significant programme constraint.

Hydro-demolition is a concrete removal technique that uses high pressure water containing an abrasive material to remove both deteriorated and sound concrete. This process provides an excellent bonding surface for repair material and new coating applications, while ensuring no damage to the existing steel reinforcing.

Swantest undertook initial condition surveys of the soffit areas and assisted in setting out the through bolts for the subsequent steel installation using GPR scanning to identify underlying steel from the roadway surface.

Due to the aggressive marine environment, corroded rebar was replaced and all repair areas had Sika Galvashield sacrificial anodes installed at the perimeter, prior to shuttering and gravity pouring with Sika Parex LA flowable micro-concrete. The sacrificial anodes are used to control ongoing corrosion and to prevent the new formation of corrosion sites on reinforced concrete structures. The specially formulated repair mortar surrounds and activates the sacrificial zinc core. When installed and connected the zinc anode corrodes preferentially to the surrounding steel, providing galvanic corrosion prevention and control to the adjacent reinforcement. This will further increase the lifespan of the structure.

Each repair area had to

case study

be carefully prepared in readiness for the anodes and repair mortar. Once all defected concrete was removed, Swantest doweled in new reinforcing steel to the structurally sound concrete and fixed in new steel bars. Working from a cantilever platform that projected over the water, the company then installed shuttering and bracing to the soffit of each area. All repair concrete was mixed by hand on site and poured from the top of the walkway, by core drilling holes into the repair area. It was also necessary to drill a number of vent holes to ensure there was no trapped air in each location. A high strength, fast curing repair mortar, meant Swantest could strike the shutter after 24 hours. This was key to ensuring it completed its works on time.

There are many constraints on this type of project. As they were working over the water, removing deteriorated concrete and replacing with new repair mortar, Swantest had detailed processes and procedures in place to ensure there was no adverse environmental impact on marine life. The company successfully completed all works over a 10-week programme between June and August 2022.

SUPPLIER TALK

Interviewee: Giovanni Achille

Role: UK Country Manager Company: MB Crusher

QGive us some background on MB Crusher

MB Crusher was founded in 2001, however, its roots are in the family business. The idea to create the first jaw crusher bucket comes directly from the necessity faced daily while the siblings were working in their father’s road construction business.

They took their first-hand experience in the field and created an attachment that is productive, cost-effective and works with the hydraulics of any carrier – excavators, loaders, skids and telehandlers.

Years of creation and innovation have seen the family-owned business evolve into an international company with eight branch offices and a wide distribution network.

The line has now expanded to five different attachments: the iconic jaw crusher bucket has been complemented by the addition of trommel screeners, padding buckets, rotary grapple and drum cutters. All are designed and manufactured in Italy, using only the best materials to obtain the highest quality. Solid, durable and characterised by the

recognisable clean lines designed to resist wear and high stresses in the toughest working conditions.

revenue, the choice was easy to make. I haven’t looked back and I have been developing so many countries since.

I followed in my father’s footsteps; he worked at MB when it was first founded. He told me so many amazing stories of when he visited people’s job sites, of how the solution provided by MB Crusher units facilitated their jobs and added

MB Crusher provides and how your relationship with clients works

We make attachments for heavy machinery, any brand, any type can work with our units. It might seem like a cliche, but the customers are at the centre of everything we do. Listening to the customer’s needs

QHow did you start out in the industry and how has your career developed to where you are now?

QTell us about the services

What are your USPs?

We make machines that work and facilitate the task ahead, simple to use yet effective. No more needs to be added besides. Do yourself a favour, see them at work and you will understand.

QTell us about your team and working culture. Is there a fundamental company philosophy or ethic?

Diversity and inclusion. These two terms best describe what you’ll see when you step into MB Crusher offices or come to our booth at the trade shows. This allows us to understand your customers’ needs and provide them with the solution they are looking for.

QHow has the scope of MB Crusher’s business developed over time and is it in the process of developing its range of services?

Our R&D department constantly works hard behind the scenes to make units that are more productive, better performing and easier to maintain. We will keep doing so for years to come.

QHow do you see the outlook for the demolition plant sector generally?

Urbanisation and the need for connectivity are only some of the reasons why the demolition sector will always grow and with it the efforts to reduce the environmental and economic impact of construction and demolition waste.

This growing worldwide awareness of recycling waste and conserving natural resources has seen a strong shift in demolition operations, as well as the necessity for more security at the demolition sites, as implemented with the use of the right tools. Making the

equipment work, a smarter labour approach and the addiction to innovative tools will keep growing.

The world is our oyster.

Older and hopefully wiser.

means producing units that will be essential for market growth.

QWhat makes MB Crusher different?

QHow do you envisage MB Crusher in five to 10 years?

QAnd how about you in a few years?

THE WORLD IS OUR OYSTER

PRODUCTS

QTell us about one of MB Crusher’s key demolitionrelevant products

Our core business is the jaw crusher bucket. It is the first product that was created, moreover, we were the first to make and patent it. We have the biggest range of crusher buckets suitable for mini excavators from eight to over 70 tonnes. The is also a line suitable for backhoe loaders, skids and telehandlers. Whatever the carrier, there will be a unit suitable for it.

Q

Outline the key functions of the product

It transforms any carrier into a mobile jaw crusher, with the advantage that it offers the possibility to carry out a task in the one-man one-machine module.

QHow is it critical for demolition contractors?

Save money. Save time. Get the job done by transforming waste into a resource. All companies are always looking for ways to work better and faster and increase revenue; this is what we offer.

QTell us about the development of the products. Was it evolution or revolution?

QCan you quantify any of these benefits?

Each job site is different so there isn’t one answer that fits all. Some will benefit from simplifying logistics, some in eliminating costs others in speeding the process. This is where our consultant comes into play; when clients get in touch we will work together to pinpoint the biggest benefits.

Revolution when the first jaw crusher bucket got made. The idea came by working in remote areas where the transport of material was difficult but the raw material was largely available. The need to have a compact machine was also given by the fact that traditional machines were costly to transport and maintain.

Then came the evolution phase as we are now on series three, improving on performance in the field and we have a wide range of crusher buckets excavators fitting from eight to over 70 tonnes. There is also a line suitable for backhoe loaders, skids and telehandlers. Whatever carrier the customer has, there will be a unit suitable for it.

And finally

Who is your favourite artist?

Jackson Pollock. I would not say that I am a fan of abstract painting in general, but his ‘’drip technique’’ is quite mesmerising. It does convey motion, fluidity and despite the apparent randomness there is purpose and structure behind it. Awesome.

What’s your bucket list activity?

I have more than 100 things on my bucket list, from joining a bike rave to going to Burning Man. But I am glad that many are already crossed off, some I am not sure I will still have the gut for. And let’s leave it at that.

What’s your favourite food/ cuisine?

A nice roast with all the trimmings.

case study

Sky Revolutions captures Thompsons of Prudhoe’s Redcar Demolition

A project full of firsts and eye-watering statistics, the Redcar Steelworks demolition is a blowdown story well worth reading

study

Background

Sky Revolutions recorded the explosive demolition of the Basic Oxygen Steelmaking Plant in Redcar in October – the final blowdown of multiple buildings on the site. The steelworks – dormant since 2015 –was made up of a huge 110-m-high furnace building containing 105,000 tonnes of steel, together with structures demolished earlier this year, namely battery bunkers, two 85-m chimneys and a junction house.

The demolition contractor –Thompsons of Prudhoe – used 1.6 tonnes of explosives to demolish the furnace building – believed to be the biggest explosion in the UK for 75 years and one of the biggest ever UK demolition jobs.

The original blast furnace was the second largest in Europe when

it started operations in the late ’70s. The newly cleared site will become part of the major Teesworks regeneration project planned to create 20,000 new jobs over the coming 25 years. This project is the biggest ever economic regeneration exercise in the UK and will cover a vast 4,500 acres when complete.

The big image capture challenge

Filming demolitions, perhaps for obvious reasons, is not for the fainthearted. In years gone by, demolition events were hampered by the sheer danger of the explosions – keeping camera operators and aerial filming helicopters far at bay. Even the best zoom lenses would struggle to capture more than an approaching cloud of dust.

Now, with the aid of better camera technology generally and drones specifically, more of the world can appreciate the spectacle of an explosive demolition. But one-off events like the Redcar demolition, while captivating, require intensive planning – after all, if you can’t rehearse, you have to get it right first time.

Sky Revolutions already had a heritage of filming demolition events, with many films widely shared in the main UK media and online, one of which went globally viral in April this year. Having seen this content, Mike Stoddart, Thompsons’ Project Manager, commissioned Sky Revolutions in June to record the Redcar demolitions.

case study

Perfect preparation

Sky Revolutions is the UK’s largest construction aerial imaging company and has been a leading voice in the use of drones in construction imaging and surveying for nearly eight years. While capturing content from the air might sound simple, there is much to consider when filming demolitions.

Aside from the obvious safety

preparations, the impact of air movement from explosions must be taken into account, as well as the implications of weather and proximity to airfields, train tracks and roads. A comprehensive set of plans including RAMS, the main flight plan and a full communications plan are all created in advance to help ensure a smooth outcome.

The tech spec

The Sky Revolutions team was made up of five drone pilots and camera operators using:

Ì Matrice 300 drones with Zenmuse H20T cameras, Ì DJI Mavic drones filming in 4k at 120 frames p/s, Ì Black Magic tripod mounted cameras, Ì Sacrificial ground-based cameras filming in 4k with live transmission, Ì DJI FPV drones.

The camera combination allowed Sky Revolutions to capture incredible high quality imagery, thermal images, slow-motion and first person footage, all of which can be combined to produce a stunning record of the event – for PR and marketing use for years to come.

On the day

Sky Revolutions’ Managing Director Ben Gorham says: “The event went very smoothly from our point of view, helped by a full day’s on-site

prep and camera testing, and by our normal pre-shoot planning processes.

“The team are highly skilled and thanks to our demolition filming experience, understand where to place the cameras, where to position drones and how to track the explosions in order to make the most of these events.

“Clear communication with Thompsons in advance is of course vital, as is communication with the site team on the ground on the day. We’re delighted with the outcome at this event and hope to work with Thompsons of Prudhoe again in the future.”

Contractor’s view

Thompsons’ Director of Operations Tom Koerner says: “We were delighted to be awarded the BOS Plant demolition contract last year as part of the Teesworks demolition framework. This award allowed us to use our knowledge and experience to deliver one of Europe’s largest demolition schemes to date.

“The successful blowdown on 1 October was a significant landmark in the project, which now allows us to progress with the demolition of the remainder of the structure. The success of this very technically challenging blowdown is testament to our team’s hard work and dedication throughout the planning and operational stages of the job.

“We were very happy to have Sky Revolutions on board to help capture this milestone in the site’s history. It was very much a “one take” event, which was handled with the utmost levels of professionalism and efficiency from all of the Sky Revolutions team. The explosive blowdown event in itself was spectacular to be a part of and witness, however to be able watch it again from some incredible angles within a superbly well edited video package is almost even better. We look forward to working with Sky Revolutions again on this site and hopefully many more to come in the future.”

events

The fifth biennial construction machinery exhibition will be held on 13-15 June at the East of England Arena and Events Centre, Peterborough.

Technology is changing the face of the construction landscape – the last four years have seen rapid growth in digital collaboration, electrification, connectivity, safety, telematics, real time-data, wearables, virtual and augmented reality. Coupled with automation, sustainability and the road to carbon zero, these make the construction site of today and of the future a very different place.

Plantworx 2023 will be the show where emerging and disruptive technologies will feature alongside construction equipment, innovation, technology products and services. The show remains the UK’s biennial showcase for the construction sector – and will lead visitors into the future of construction.

Spanning more than 150,000 m2 of exhibition space, Plantworx will give visitors an opportunity to see some of the latest plant and machinery operating in “real” construction site conditions, alongside compact/mid-range equipment, tools and services. Already over 145 companies have secured their stand space and 85% of the digging demonstration areas have been sold.

Many of the key machinery OEMs have already confirmed their presence at the show, including Hidromek, Takeuchi, SANY, LiuGong, Mecalac, John Deere, Avant, Kubota, Doosan and Bobcat and BOMAG. Also expect to see attachment specialists Auger Torque and BPH Attachments, and leading tiltrotator companies including Engcon, and Steelwrist.

Handling and lifting specialists Manitou and Merlo have also

confirmed alongside remote control demolition experts, Brokk, which will be at the event showing the company’s latest demolition robots.

The digital revolution is truly upon us and what started as a trickle has now become a flood of technology and connectivity companies coming to market. Plantworx has already attracted a number of these businesses to exhibit in 2023. These include, telematics specialists MachineMax; ABAX telematics and plant tracking; and connectivity solutions company, Onwave.

Plantworx will also be showing “The Future of the Connected Site”, which will feature the latest in site technology – more details of this initiative to follow in the next issue of Construction Worx.

Machine control and machine guidance will also be a big part of the show, these systems are now the norm on the majority of site

machinery, whether factory or retrofitted – iDig 2D & 3D by Nasco Digtec will be demonstrating the very latest in dig technology.

Xwatch Safety Solutions, a leading provider of safety solutions for construction machinery, is a new exhibitor and a market leader in the design and supply of height and slew control for excavators rated capacity indicators. James Fisher Prolec, also a leader in its field of site safety systems, will be exhibiting its latest technology, as will award winning Spillard Safety Systems, which alongside showing sophisticated camera systems, will be demonstrating safety systems designed for the future of connected vehicle technology.

A full list of exhibitors can be found on the Plantworx website www.plantworx.co.uk.

More space for startups

At Plantworx 2023 the availability of inside exhibition space has increased by up to 20%. This will also accommodate many of the new technology companies

that have joined the sector since Plantworx 2019. A special offer has been designed to attract startup companies and emerging innovators with the Plantworx “Big Ideas” showcase concept.

CEE (Construction Equipment Events) Director Rob Oliver said: “We are looking for startup companies with products, technologies or services new to the construction industry – which can make a big impact on the sector, improving efficiency, sustainability, safety or security. We are encouraging companies who think they fit the criteria to get in touch to discuss the discounted package.”

events

The 2023 event is predicted to attract over 400 exhibitors from the world’s leading machine manufacturers, suppliers and service providers. Over the three-day event, a predicted 15,000+ visitors can expect to see the very latest in technological advancements and innovations that will impact the future of construction.

The venue

The CEA took the decision to host Plantworx once again at the East of England venue, following positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors who attended the 2019 event, which was deemed a resounding success.

The permanent exhibition facilities offered by the East of England Arena provided the perfect platform for exhibitors to showcase their products, equipment and services – introducing the latest plant and technology to the UK construction industry.

Visitors also applauded the Plantworx show’s new home, praising the all weather venue as a “definite winner”, with its permanent walkways, good communication signals and wifi facilities that allowed visitors to “do business – while doing business”.

The show, which will be the largest working event in 2023, is planning a comprehensive demonstration programme where exhibitors can put their machines through their paces in site conditions.

events

For those of you not to have seen our extensive social media coverage of this, we recently signed the contract that for one evening only we have the run of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the fifth annual British Demolition Awards.

The awards is now partnered with and held alongside sister event The British Asbestos Awards, which was last held in September at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.

For the fifth year we are moving around the UK, having begun at the

Belfry in Sutton Coldfield before moving to Manchester, then down south to Brighton and back to the Midlands at the King Power, we have now selected London and the extremely impressive Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the destination of choice for 1 September.

The world’s most technologically advanced stadium gives us an increased capacity of up to 500 contractors and suppliers whose business interest is in demolition and/or asbestos removal

I invite anyone to get involved and book a table to join me and my team and 500 industry professionals for an evening of awards, networking and fun.

While principal sponsorship has been taken for the British Asbestos Awards – thank you to Empire Asbestos for their second year of support – and has been pretty much been secured for the Demolition Awards, there are still plenty of options to sponsor an award and a lot more.

The 5th Annual British Demolition & Asbestos Awards 2023 1 September 2023

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Media Pack: issuu.com/chambers.media/docs/media_pack_proof

Last year’s official video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQqPrJBsAmg

Entry details launched in January

bauma

bauma returned to the Messe München on the outskirts of Munich in October. With almost half a million visitors passing through the gates of the week-long show, manufacturers and dealers alike have hailed the show a massive success despite it being moved from its more traditional April timeslot.

pad to show what they are doing to help the environment.

The hot topic for anyone associated with the construction and demolition industry is the desire to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. As an industry we are known for leading the way in delivering sustainable projects, championing and developing new methods of recycling materials along with leading the UK in pushing for the use of green fuels.

We were encouraged to see many attachment manufacturers

are now developing new products that are also looking to help reduce fuel use on host excavators in the demolition sector. The use of harder-wearing and lighter materials has been a big step forward and together with new cylinder and valve technology, allows the end user to see a marked reduction in fuel consumption. While the attachment sector can bring a small change to demolition, manufacturers of larger machinery saw bauma as a launch

The mining industry has long been a champion of electrically powered equipment, so too has the construction world, where fixed tower cranes have been plugged into the grid for decades. We have, for several years, been seeing an increase in the development and use of battery powered machinery on inner city and urban projects. This allows machinery to be used inside buildings without the issue of providing adequate ventilation for exhaust fumes.

Still in its relative infancy, battery technology is moving along swiftly with several manufacturers at the show launching excavators with operating weights around the 20-t mark. This technology still requires charging either during or after a shift and can be problematic should the site not have the relevant

Demolition Hub spent the week at the show, and we were blown away by the quantity and variety of equipment at the event

by Paul Argent

infrastructure in place. To alleviate this issue there are a number of high-profile manufacturers supplying replaceable battery packs or selfcontained high-capacity charging stations to be kept on site to provide either and instant battery swap, or a solution for overnight charging.

With battery technology pushing the development of certain green machines forward, many in the industry believe that hydrogen will be the fuel of the future for construction equipment. bauma 2022 saw several manufacturers present prototypes of this technology as static displays with Liebherr showing an actual working version of its 50-t class excavator. Storage and distribution of the hydrogen is still in its infancy but as this technology moves forward, the possibility for the construction and demolition industries to massively reduce their fossil fuel consumption will greatly increase.

AUSA bauma

During a frantic week with over 495,000 attendees, AUSA showed off its range of electric vehicles for the first time and launched a new brand image. Three years after the last show, the sector was certainly looking forward to the event. We were visited by a large number of customers interested in our range of compact machinery, especially the new products with zero emissions.

We exceeded our most optimistic forecasts for the event, arousing a great deal of interest in the efficiency, reliability and innovations of our machines and left very satisfied.

AUSA displayed thirteen all-terrain vehicles on its large

outdoor stand, most notably the new range of electric vehicles: the D151AEG dumper and the T164E telescopic handler.

The D151AEG is AUSA’s first electric dumper and has a 1,500 kg payload. Compact dimensions make it ideal for working in small spaces where good maneuverability is a must.

The T164E is the first electric telehandler with a 1,600 kg payload on the market. With its all-terrain capabilities and a maximum lifting height of 4 m, it is ideal for working in emissions free spaces such as greenhouses and enclosed spaces and working at night thanks to its minimal noise.

Both models have been

designed with an operating range of at least one full working day. The li-ion battery pack is managed electronically to offer maximum power smoothly and all-terrain performance to match diesel vehicles.

With the launch of its new products and the introduction of a new look with more angular lines, in keeping with the latest trends, AUSA came to bauma with a fully updated image for all of its machines. The brand’s new design only uses black to complement the corporate orange, reducing the visual load and enhancing the angular lines of the dumpers, all terrain forklifts and telehandlers.

bauma

Bobcat

From the first day, with the world launch of the company’s new E19e two tonne electric mini-excavator at a special event on the stand, to the last, Bobcat captivated audiences at bauma 2022. The company created the compact equipment industry more than 60 years ago with the invention of the world’s first skid-steer loader and the bauma stand showed how Bobcat continues to reimagine the future of the sector today.

Large crowds came to see the world-famous daily demo shows of new and existing equipment, with 36 performances during the show, but also to view ground-breaking innovations/

concepts from Bobcat in the fields of electrification, autonomy and connectivity. These have been designed to accelerate sector-wide advancement while offering customers greater choice, improved performance and the tools they need to work smarter.

A central part of the demo shows, the E19e has expanded Bobcat’s electric lineup of zero emission and quiet machines, matching the excellent performance of the company’s conventional models. The E19e builds on the success of the smaller E10e, the world’s first electric mini-excavator, which Bobcat presented as a concept at bauma 2016 and launched commercially during bauma 2019.

Over 80% of the products showcased at this year’s show had been introduced to market since the last bauma in 2019. As well as the E19e, the other debutants at this bauma were the new TL25.60 super-compact telehandler; the S86 and T86 compact loaders and Bobcat’s new ground maintenance equipment (GME) range.

The Bobcat innovations/ concepts at bauma included the T7X, the world’s first allelectric compact track loader; the S76 skid-steer loader, equipped with Quad tracks and an object-avoidance radar system; the E35 mini-excavator with intelligent controls and a selection of transparent display concepts designed to maximise operator visibility.

Brokk

bauma 2022 was great for Brokk as we showcased the full range of demolition robots, along with Darda concrete splitters, crushers and tools, Aquajet hydrodemolition robots and bricking solutions products to the construction, mining, demolition, tunneling, processing, security/rescue and nuclear industries.

Our new products, the BGS 15 grapple saw, BSG 250 and BDG 530 surface grinders, were on stand where our new and current clients got a detailed look. In addition the launch of the My Brokk portal, with its

fleet management capabilities, document library plus parts and accessory ordering capabilities brought a huge amount of interest and visitors onto both our internal and external stands.

Along with the exciting range of products on show, Brokk UK introduced our new Ireland-based colleague Ken Finn, who brings a wealth of machinery sales and product knowledge, gained across more than 20 years’ experience. Ken is developing the local contacts and market for all the Brokk products from his Irish base. We continued our long-

standing success in bringing back sales of units across the range, with sales ranging from the Brokk 70 to the Brokk 500, showing that the industries we serve and the clients that we work with look forward positively to 2023 and beyond.

Deliveries from our UK stock will be made before the end of 2022 as Brokk ensures our clients’ needs are met, ready to start on their 2023 projects.

A very successful bauma for us at Brokk UK, 2023 is bringing more opportunities and a strong order book as we work closely in partnership with all our clients.

CAT bauma

German

unveiled four CAT battery electric machine prototypes on its stand at bauma:

• The CAT 301.9 mini excavator with up to eight hours’ run time on a single charge and up to five hours in continuous trenching, powered by a CAT 48 V, 32 kWh battery,

• The CAT 906 compact wheel loader with up to six hours’ run time on a single charge, powered by a CAT 300 V, 64 kWh battery,

• The CAT 950 GC medium wheel loader also with up to six hours on a single charge, powered by a CAT 600 V, 256 kWh battery,

• The CAT 320 medium excavator with up to eight hours on a single charge powered by a CAT 600 V, 320 kWh battery. The machines are powered by Caterpillar battery prototypes and include an onboard AC charger. The company also plans to offer an offboard DC fast charging option.

Built on proven Caterpillar technology, the lithium-ion battery range features a modular design that offers flexible configurations across multiple applications. The batteries are engineered to be scalable to industry and customer performance needs and maximize sustainability throughout their lifecycle,

including recycling and reuse at the end of life.

To signal fully electric machines, the prototypes displayed a new CAT blue HEX trade dress.

The 301.9 and 906 compact models will be commercially available from 2024. There is no date yet for the 950 GC and 320 models.

CAT dealer Zeppelin

Other shows may talk a big game, but only World of Concrete speaks concrete and masonry. We know that a solid foundation isn’t just part of the structures you build — it’s also the key to a more profitable business. That’s why you’ll find everything you need to strengthen your operation here, from new products, innovative solutions, and new technologies to help you capitalize on emerging opportunities.

CDE Group bauma

In a bid to reduce its carbon footprint, rather than transporting full-scale plant equipment by road from Northern Ireland to Munich, the wet processing expert showcased its expertise with a more concentrated digital show experience.

Pivotal to its presence was an immense, curved screen that opened a window to CDE technology around the world, complemented by 360° tours of customer sites, including its flagship waste recycling projects in Europe Walo AG, Sodextra S.A., Velde Pukk AS, DA Mattsson.

For CDE and many of the exhibitors present at bauma this year the show was in some way a prelude to COP27.

Like the world leaders who would come together in Egypt to refocus efforts on combatting climate change, the global construction industry convened in Munich to present the latest generation of green technologies that will play a central role in the future sustainability of the industry and of the environment.

From hydrogen and electricpowered plant machinery to the recovery and repurposing of construction, demolition and excavation waste, bauma was a hub of technological innovation geared towards accelerating the pace of change in pursuit of a greener, more sustainable future.

For CDE, this was its lowest carbon impact exhibition at bauma to date. Aligned to its “Engineered for Zero Waste” campaign, the company adopted an industry leading approach this year.

Visitors also had access to CDE’s proprietary sales tool, a content hub showcasing many of the company’s over 2,000 proven solutions in the natural processing and waste recycling space as well as the full CDE equipment range.

Three-dimensional scale models of CDE wet processing technology with integrated augmented reality capabilities offered visitors a highly visual and interactive experience. The optimised and rendered models offered comprehensive access to CDE’s range of waste recycling equipment to view their function and operation without constraint.

bauma

Doosan

At bauma 2022 Doosan treated the many visitors to the company’s stand to an exciting mixture of both demonstrations and static displays of new equipment and technologies.

As one of the world’s leading construction equipment manufacturers, Doosan’s stand was back where it should be, right at the heart of all of the market leaders in the industry, ensuring excellent footfall and crowds several rows deep for the demo show. This was held five times a day to make sure that as many people as possible could see it and represented the first solo Doosan show to be held at bauma for quite some time.

Doosan was visited by attendees from many countries across the world and it will take some time to work through the very high level of customer enquiries the stand generated. A central highlight was the first showing of the new DX1000LC-7 100-tonne crawler excavator, which was spectacularly displayed with another bauma debutant, the all new DA45-7 4x4 articulated dump truck.

At the other end of the scale was a full display of the latest mini-excavators from Doosan, including a preview of the new DX20ZE, a two-tonne class zero tail swing electric mini-excavator. For the benefit

of the show, the DX20ZE was presented in an eco-friendly green livery, but when it rolls off the production line in mid 2023, it will be back in the familiar Doosan orange paintwork.

Another highlight was the new DX225LC-7X smart crawler excavator, operated remotely, which many visitors found to be a bit mind blowing. The machine was instead teleoperated from an operator’s booth inside the Innovation Center. The latter, where the latest generation XiteCloud allin-one digital platform for the global construction, quarrying and mining industries was presented, was another very attractive feature of the stand.

Epiroc bauma

Epiroc attended bauma with the motto Level Up Construction. On the stand were products appealing to the entire construction industry from tunnelling and infrastructure to quarrying, demolition and waste management.

Epiroc has expanded its Bulk Pulverizer range with a smaller and a larger model. Secondary demolition is becoming increasingly important on smaller jobsites and the new BP 1650 and BP 4050 are effective solutions for secondary breaking of demolition debris and separation of concrete and rebar. They are also a profitable choice for recycling stations and scrapyards.

Ideal for smaller jobsites, Epiroc’s popular Demolition Pulveriser range are highly versatile attachments that make light work of both demolition tasks and secondary breaking of demolition debris. Epiroc has now added a smaller model to its DP family. With a service weight of 1,820 kg, the DP 1820 is suitable for carriers in the weight class 1522 t, making these attachments a profitable choice for a wider

model suitable for carriers of 15-25 t. Mounting the drums in a V-shape enables a cut with a flat base and no material is left untouched between the drums. Where a regular drum cutter must move from side to side to create an even trench, an approach that causes extra wear on the carrier arm, the V Cutter can achieve the same

Goldhofer was very satisfied with the outcome of this year’s bauma and the enormous interest shown by trade visitors in the new products unveiled. The trade show far exceeded Robert Steinhauser,

Vice President Sales & Service Transport Technology’s expectations regarding the level of demand for quality transport solutions and value-driven services.

Major sources of interest

were the international premiere of Goldhofer’s FT-SERIES, the new STEPSTAR Z and the CARGOPLUS® low-profile tyre.

Industry representatives and numerous interested parties were also keen to see the demonstrations of the PST/ SL-E split combination with the FTV850 blade transporter.

Robert Steinhauser says: “bauma 2022 once again did justice to the event’s high standing in the industry.

“With the presentation of Goldhofer’s latest world first in the form of the FT-SERIES we have definitely hit the bullseye and introduced a vehicle that will change the transportation market for years to come.

Universal compatibility with existing Goldhofer modules and accessories means lower acquisition costs and opens up new business models in the field of cooperation with partners and crossrental activities.”

Goldhofer

HSM Buckets bauma

HSM Buckets is thrilled to have joined its ITR partners from around the world at bauma to showcase its expertise and experience in designing and manufacturing the world’s largest buckets and attachments.

bauma 2022 was the first in-person staging since the end of the pandemic. This meant for the HSM team that it was not only the perfect opportunity to meet with existing and potential partners and clients from different industries, but also the perfect occasion to present more of the newly refreshed and updated HSM brand and

of course, the renowned HSM Ant that has now come to be recognised as the stamp of quality assurance for buckets that are built to last.

Nick Fagandini, HSM Managing Director said: “Attending the bauma event has been an important highlight of the year for me and the team. Finally being able to meet face-to-face with more of our clients from around the world again was wonderful and being on the stand with our ITR partners, means we not only learned more about our clients’ projects and future needs, but we also introduced them to key

members of the ITR team to share more of the opportunities that being part of the ITR Group can bring.

“At HSM, we are incredibly proud of our history and reputation for producing the finest mining and quarrying buckets and attachments, which comes down to the dedicated and experienced professionals that make up our team.”

HSM has designed and manufactured buckets for some of the largest machines operating across the globe, including the Komatsu PC8000, and some of the largest dredging machines on earth. The brand will continue to innovate and develop, bringing some of the largest earthmoving attachments to the world stage.

MB Crusher bauma

What a week! When bauma 2022 was moved to the end of October everyone expected the weather to be cold, but it seems this time even the forecast was in favour of the event. The mellow weather brought flocks of people to the Messe Munchen trade fair. The buzz was incredible.

Indoors we were thrilled to see so many people gathering around the newly added padding bucket, the MBHDS220, as well as walking through the entire range on display, while the outdoor demo area with six machines at work, attracted a large audience. The chattering was unbelievable, such a great mixture of languages, and the enthusiasm was fascinating.

The week’s highlights included the rush of visitors

at our booths, the general enthusiasm and interest in our units but mainly the vibe that an in-person event can give. The conversations we had during the event were aiming to offer solutions to address current challenges related to materials shortages, CO2 neutrality as

well as tackling the issue of skilled worker shortages. There was a lot of talk about the future in a positive tone. Infrastructure is needed and operational methods are being simplified. MB Crusher attachments were identified are the innovation needed for many processes.

2022 has been a very busy year so far for ROCO, with continued new product development followed by attending bauma, the largest construction expo in the world.

The Northern Ireland-based company displayed its new diesel-electric hybrid impact crusher. The new ICON 1100 proved to be a show stopper as it was displayed in a prime location in Hall C2.

The ICON 1100 delivers a powerful crushing performance with a host of cutting-edge features including a fully removable vibrating underpan table for maximum belt protection, a fully demountable discharge conveyor, and an optional independent twodeck pre-screen.

In addition to these features, the ICON 1100 is a cost-effective choice due to its diesel-electric build, which results in 40% fuel saving in comparison to same-class diesel-hydraulic crushers. With its dual-powered build

as standard, the ROCO ICON 1100 also offers customers the option to run the full crushing plant 100% on electricity plug-in, avoiding the requirement for fuel entirely.

A massive global interest was shown in ROCO’s innovative crushing and screening range, specifically their hybrid diesel-electric features with super-friendly maintenance advantages unseen on other compact crushers. This arose a great interest with a recordbreaking number of bauma attendees. The show was a complete success, which has given ROCO further credibility as a powerhouse brand as well as providing global exposure while it continues to build on its dealer network.

ROCO continues to push forward to showcase its hybrid crushing and screening products to the world, with focus now turning to the

United States market in 2023. Preparations are already underway for ROCO’s first-ever exhibition at Conexpo, Las Vegas next March. It doesn’t stop there. The passionate family-owned company is set to launch its new dual-powered SPRINTER 1500 scalping screen which will have some unique features and the ability to work seamlessly with their range of dualpowered crushers.s

Rototilt bauma

At times it was overcrowded at Rototilt’s stand, where customers had the opportunity to see and feel the new Rototilt Control product concept for the first time. Eoin O’Connor, machine operator and winner of Rototilt’s Excavator Hero 2021 competition said “Rototilt has created something completely new that changes the everyday life for us as a machine operator.”

Back in September Rototilt announced its new Rototilt Control product concept, which includes a new control system, new tiltrotators, an app and joysticks that have been developed in-house. The level of

interest was sky-high when the products were presented for the first time at bauma.

Caroline Jonsson, product manager for control systems at Rototilt said: “There has been an enormous amount of interest. My colleagues and I have been here from morning to night, answering countless questions about our new control system and display, but above all about RC Joysticks. The demand for a complete tiltrotator system, in which all the parts are of the very best quality, is incredibly high.”

Eoin O ́Connor enjoyed the prize of getting to visit bauma and of course was able to try out

the latest products at Rototilt’s stand. “The joysticks are a game changer. If I can position them to suit my operating style, I’ll never leave the cab. The operation of the tiltrotator itself is on another level, effortless operation actually.”

Now, as Rototilt summarises the results following bauma, there is only one word that can be used to describe the week –success.

Caroline Jonsson concludes: “I’ve been to many trade fairs, but such a high level of interest in our new products was something completely new.”

bauma

The recent trade fair at bauma saw one of the industry’s leading manufacturers of demolition and recycling equipment, Rotar, not only launch new and updated attachments, but also celebrate its 40th year of trading.

Supplied and supported in the UK through Worsley Plant, Rotar has been at the cutting edge of technological design and advancement of tools and attachments for the demolition industry since it started trading.

In the late 1970s, Dutch road contractor Hendrik Pleijzier needed a large quantity of paving stones to be cleaned and reused. The time required to clean each stone led Hendrik to design and build his first attachment, a rotary screening drum, which he mounted to a wheeled loader. Such was the success of the first product, it enabled him to do his work much more easily and efficiently. This success was the inception of Rotar as we know it today, a global company now with ten innovative product lines.

The Genemuiden-based company continued to broaden its horizons in the years that followed, with a manufacturing hub opening in Poland. Louis Broekhuizen, Rotar’s Commercial Director explains: “The opening of the Polish factory saw us increase our in-house manufacturing abilities. However, we could only start production work there with good designs and products and this has been a major part of the growth of Rotar product development.”

The most comprehensive product group for Rotar is attachments for demolition. The range has expanded over the years and now includes heavyduty demolition and sorting grabs, combi shears, concrete crushers and scrap shears along with a range of orange peel

Demolition Hub’s Paul Argent was at bauma and spoke to Rotar about its history and latest products

grabs for the waste recycling industry. The original Rotar products, screening buckets, are still an integral part of the range while innovation, farreaching service and high-quality production are paramount for the company.

Louis says: “We deliberately target the top end of the market. We see ourselves as a premium brand with the experience and knowledge of the sector we work in. We are constantly looking to better ourselves in terms of design, manufacture and in the performance our attachments provide. This is not only to allow our customers to increase productivity and reduce downtime but also to allow them to potentially reduce the fuel consumption of the carrier machines.”

The use of high-quality materials and components is another key aspect of the Rotar manufacturing process. “Whilst we are in the business of selling attachments, we don’t want to supply poor quality machinery that cannot stand up to the work it has been purchased to undertake,” Louis says. “We are consistently looking at how we can offer our attachments with even higher performance. Performance is one thing, what a customer doesn’t want is a broken attachment sitting in the yard when it should be out earning money.”

bauma 2022 saw Rotar present some of its latest innovations. These included an expansion in the RCC series of concrete crackers, with two models added to the range – the RCC20 and RCC45, suitable for 20 and 45-t carriers respectively. The extremely popular RG series of selector grabs was also expanded with the RG55 added for machines in the 45 to 55-t weight range.

The biggest launch for the company was that of the RSS100X, which Rotar claims to be the market’s strongest shear in the 10-t class. The RSS100X boasts a larger main pivot group and now operates at 380 bar, ideal for the larger excavators it will be mounted on.

With increased working pressure comes improved performance. Cutting forces at the throat now measure 1,570 t, while the piercing tip puts more than 300 t of force into any material it comes in contact with. Increased material sizes to improve the build quality and longevity of the product come along with optimised and increased hydraulic routing with a new Regen Valve to improve cycle times.

One final addition to the Rotar lineup is its unique integrated quick-coupler adapter. This new solution allows seamless, automatic hydraulic connections to be

made between excavator and attachments in around 15 seconds. Not only is attachment changeover time massively reduced, but there is also a reduction in height of the Rotar attachments by 150 mm and weight by 150 kg, making the machine much more stable.

SANY bauma

Under the theme “Keep on growing with a strong partner”, SANY unveiled an exciting range of new machines at this year’s bauma. The unveiling of the new SANY electric mini of the 1.8-t class was a key highlight of the show. As well as zero emissions, the LFP battery pack of this 100% electric machine has been designed without cobalt, making it more environmentally friendly and safe to operate.

With multiple charging options including a fast charge of 1.5 hours and long battery life of up to six hours, the machine also

guarantees total flexibility on site.

The hotly anticipated SANY STH1440 and STH1840 telehandlers are equipped with well-known European primary components and with a cab designed and engineered in Europe. Both have a rated capacity of 4 t and are powered by a Stage V 55 kW Duetz 3.6 TD engine, giving optimum performance and low fuel consumption.

Also premiering at the show was the mighty SANY SW305 wheel loader with Stage V

Deutz 6-cylinder engine and 2.3 m³ bucket capacity. The new generation of wheel loaders from SANY are built with well-known components including Kawasaki pumps, ZF transmission and fully equipped as standard including 360° camera, keyless entry, single joystick steering and 3rd function hydraulics.

Leigh Harris, Business Development Director for the UK and Ireland said: “After a three-year hiatus, bauma, didn’t disappoint us. It provided an incredible platform to unveil the exciting new products we are set to launch in 2023. SANY has made considerable headway in the UK in the last two years and we have no intention of slowing down next year as we expand our portfolio to include these eagerly anticipated machines alongside our traditional excavator range.”

All machines will be available with SANY’s leading five-year warranty and are due to be launched in the UK in 2023.

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SENNEBOGEN bauma

With its more than 2,100-m² stand in the centre of the outdoor area, SENNEBOGEN was not only once again the “Green Heart of bauma”, but it also asserted its position as innovation pacemaker. SENNEBOGEN has been committed to the topic of energy saving and electrification for more than 30 years.

One of the highlights included the multifunctional 48-t demolition machine 830 Demolition, which celebrated its trade show premiere with two new equipment features: a three-part longfront equipment with 23 m reach and a 10-t counterweight that can be hydraulically unloaded to reduce transport weight.

Another highlight was the two battery-powered machines, the 30-t 825 Electro Battery recycling material handler and the 50-t 653 Electro Battery telescopic crawler crane. Thanks to the Dual Power Management System, which permits both battery-powered and mains-powered operation, these machines can be used with zero emissions without any restrictions.

The Green Hybrid energy recovery system is used in the boom movements of large material handlers and has recently been installed in medium-sized machines with operating weights of 47 t and above.

Finally, the SENtrack telematics software also helps

to save costs and energy by allowing operators to keep an eye on all key figures such as utilisation and consumption in real time, enabling them to manage their fleet optimally. The new Maxcab and Portcab were on display on machines, but could also be explored separately as exhibits at the trade show booth or via virtual reality glasses.

bauma 2022 was record breaking in every respect for SENNEBOGEN. With 12 machines, there were more exhibits on the booth than ever before and more dealers and stand personnel to look after customers. With the frequency of contact and the number of requests for quotations were also uniquely high.

Thwaites bauma

Thwaites showed an all new, all electric three-tonne dumper at bauma. The machine was designed with contractors and hirers in mind, offering the same build quality, robust design and engineering excellence that is ubiquitous across the Thwaites range.

The three-tonne electric machine is an advanced concept machine, with the go to market version available in 2023.

Thwaites General Sales Manager, Andy Sabin said: “As the demand for cleaner alternative fuel sources grows, we are keen to ensure we offer a quality product that delivers for our customers, their clients and the environment. Showing the machine at the world’s largest construction machinery trade fair was exactly the right time and place to do so.”

The machine has four

maintenance free, long-life, lithium-ion (dry-cell) batteries, operating at 48 V. Each battery is rated at 5.75 kWh, providing the power to drive the machine. Two highly efficient electric motors (one for traction, one for the hydraulic services) give the operator the control and maneuverability expected from a Thwaites dumper.

The electric drive dumper has a similar unladen weight to the diesel/hydrostatic version. The main battery pack and driveline components sit low in the rear chassis, lowering the centre of gravity compared to the hydrostatic drive machine, further improving stability.

Critically, the battery pack will complete a full eight-hour shift of normal site operation from a single charge. The standard onboard 3.4 kW battery charger can charge the pack from 0-100% in eight

hours. Optional offboard chargers rated at 7 kW (singlephase) and 22 kW (three-phase) have charge times of four hours and two hours respectively.

With some 495,000 bauma visitors attending from over 200 countries, Thwaites was delighted with the reaction to the three-tonne electric machine. Hirers and contractors across northern and central Europe, the Middle East, far east and Australasia were united in their quest to acquire innovative solutions to decarbonise construction.

Andy Sabin concluded: “Available for both the UK and export market, the machine will provide for the rental market, a cleaner, quieter, alternative, giving contractors options to use the machine in more urban refurbishment settings. In addition, the new, all electric dumper is compliant with the growing number of authorities and bodies that operate low emission zones”.

case study

Shear power

by Paul Argent

While much of the UK’s rail infrastructure has seen progressive upgrading over the years, the buildings that once surrounded our rail network haven’t been as lucky. Many of the British Rail era brick buildings have been demolished to make way for modern, multi-purpose developments either to house the UK’s office based economy or massive storage centres where goods from all over the world are stored before being distributed round the country.

The large rail sidings at Southampton are currently one of these sites undergoing regeneration with HWM Group undertaking the initial part of the enabling works.

Based in Hampshire, HWM offers a wide range of demolition,

construction and contaminated soil cleaning services across the UK. The company is headed by Adam Blake and offers its clients an allencompassing package of works from initial site surveys to delivering a site ready for construction teams to commence work.

“We will look at all sizes of projects for our clients,” Adam explains. “Having the experience and in-house resources available to be able to offer clients a full package of works allows them to concentrate on organising the construction teams that will follow on our operations. This not only gives them peace of mind that the job will be undertaken safely and successfully, but also that there is just a single point of contact for them whilst we are on site.”

The project at Southampton sees

HWM working in close proximity to the live railway lines running across the site. When the buildings were constructed almost 100 years ago, the safety aspect of running lines so close to buildings wasn’t a concern. Thankfully, the former goods sheds are a tall single storey structure and with constant monitoring of the lines by both HWN and Network Rail teams, the work is carried out in complete safety.

“Our team on site are in constant discussions with the rail team running the sidings,” Adam says. “We have worked out a detailed timescale of when and for how long, we need the adjacent lines to be closed. The rail teams have agreed these times and dates and have worked with us accordingly to avoid any issues for both them and for us.”

The solidly built sheds are typical of their era. A combination of steel framed structure with brick infill panels provide a solid 9-inch wall with the pitched roof being formed from steel trusses and purlins covered in fibreglass roofing sheets that had been installed over the last decade or so. The double span building has a central run of exposed steel columns supporting a heavy steel beam on which one side of each pitched roof sits in and forms a box gutter.

A recent large-scale investment in new plant and machinery has seen HWM invest in some of the latest fuel efficient Kobelco excavators to join the existing Volvo fleet. “We have taken the Kobelcos for several reasons,” Adam explains. “They are a very popular machine with

a good level of back up from Molson. The excavators a very good on the fuel, which is very important to us in these times. Like the rest of the kit we run, we want a reliable product that allows us to deliver our services.”

This level of high-quality and reliable machinery has also run through to the attachments the company has recently purchased. One of the latest additions to the attachment fleet is the first of MBI’s Eagle III steel shears in the UK. Supplied by Hampshire based Inmalo, the shear is the latest product in the new range of Italian made demolition attachments that incorporate a range of innovations designed to make life easier for the excavator operator.

The new MBI Eagle III shears sits alongside the existing and proven Eagle II lineup. Currently there are six models in the range with operating weights ranging from 2.6 to 15 t. Future developments of the range will include a huge 20-t version. “The Eagle II range has been a great seller for Inmalo,” says Charlie Polak, Director of Inmalo. “We have had a very reliable product which has been well received in the demolition and recycling industries. Looking at the Eagle III range and their popularity should be increased thanks to the new features MBI have added.”

MBI has spent more than 3,000

hours of development work on the Eagle III shears, resulting in a completely new shear that is lighter, more compact and more powerful than the Eagle II range. Featuring larger cylinders, which can offer 25 to 30% more power than previous models, the cylinders have also been redesigned so that they can work at 380 bar instead of the industry standard of 350 bar. The one-piece construction of the jaw sections has been engineered to reduce stress cracks and fractures thus prolonging the life of the attachment. The milled design also allows for a narrower body and lighter weight, reducing the potential fuel use by the host excavator. As part of the redesigning process, the piercing tip has been upgraded to make it stronger and less prone to wear and replaceable armoured plates have been fitted to the jaw meaning longer working times between rebuilds.

Working from one end of the building, the brickwork gable has been completely removed to expose the internal steel frame and roof section. Working carefully to avoid any unplanned collapse of the external wall, the purlins are cut away towards each truss before that too is removed carefully. The constant rotation of the shear allows operator Paul Butcher to snip each section before placing it on the floor for later processing. The truss takes a little more persuasion as the steel is a little thicker, but the shear copes easily.

With a large section removed and five-footed, Paul’s attention turns to a pair of columns that were part of the original structure. “These pieces are very, very hard,” he says. “They are at least half an inch thick and almost like cast. The shear deals with them well despite their strength. You don’t get steel like that these days!”

The addition of the new kit to the constantly growing HWM fleet will see this project and the others currently running completed well within their timescales and while the new Kobelcos are making a good impression, Paul and Site Manager Steve Spicer believe the new Eagle III shear will take the market by storm.

case study

by Paul Argent

Size matters according to BooBoo Plant Hire. As one of the leading hirers of specialist equipment into the demolition industry, the company is not afraid of adding some of the largest machines and attachments designed to make a demolition contract progress smoothly.

BooBoo Plant Hire was founded by Harry Allen, a well-known and respected name within the demolition fraternity. Harry, who is also the driving force behind Aitch Demolition, set up BooBoo in order to provide the demolition and construction industries with a reliable partner that offered high quality, properly maintained

case study

and competitively priced plant, machinery, and attachments.

“The demolition industry has long been seen as one which uses equipment near the end of its life,” Harry says. “We wanted to change that perception and be able to offer our customers the latest technology and emissions friendly machinery at a reasonable cost whether that be on a long, or short-term hire.”

The ever-growing fleet of machinery offered by BooBoo consists of everything from the latest small and mini diggers including emissions free electric machines to dust suppression systems, welfare, and lighting units. Through the Aitch Demolition side of the business, BooBoo is also able to offer larger machinery from 13 to 90-t with a wide range of attachments to suit most projects.

One of the largest machines in the fleet is a new Hitachi Zaxis 890LCH. The 90-t machine has been hired in to assist with the demolition of a 1980s former office complex in Basingstoke where HWM Demolition is currently underway with the demolition, cut and fill, and groundworks ready for a new distribution centre.

While the main contractor has

a large fleet of machinery, the tight deadline for the demolition works has led it to look at alternatives for bringing the huge brick and concrete structure safely to the ground.

The new Hitachi 890LCH dwarfed the other excavators on the site but the work it was able to do made the decision to bring the machine on to the job an easy one.

But the excavator simply isn’t enough on its own. At the business end of the excavator lies a boom and dipper combination that allows the Hitachi a pin height of just over 11 m. Where Harry and his team differ from many hire companies is their willingness to invest in some of the largest attachments on the market.

I have previously caught up with one of BooBoo’s 50 t Hitachi Zaxis 490 excavators fitted with a boom mounted MBI CR80 undertaking the careful demolition of reinforced concrete floor beams where access was very limited. The project was very successful thanks to the ability of the large cracker, despite the awkward job. With this in mind, Harry has again returned to MBI’s UK dealer Inmalo for another CR80 for the new machine.

Harry and his team see the CR80 concrete cracker as the perfect attachment for primary demolition,

especially where reinforced concrete beams or columns are involved. The two incredibly powerful cylinders are reversed in the body to provide ultimate protection from damage. Coupled with a wide opening jaw of 1,800 mm, the CR80 has weld-on hardened jaw profiles which can be repaired and replaced much more cost effectively over bolt on versions. With an operating weight of 8.3 t, the CR80 is an ideal match for the Hitachi it is mounted on.

The first job for the combination was the demolition of a lower section surrounding the five-storey building. Protruding out from the main structure, the Hitachi/ MBI combination was tasked with reducing what was part of the underground car park to rubble, allowing easier access for the high reach machine. Thanks to the integrated speed valve in the CR80, the speed of opening and closing the jaws made the task more productive and while the concrete wasn’t the hardest, the combination made it look easy.

“We have a range of MBI equipment supplied by Inmalo,” Harry says. “They are a very good and honest company to deal with and the products they sell are first class.”

KKB Group inaugurates Volvo hybrid excavator fleet

Demonstrating its commitment to CO2 reduction, KKB Group invited customers and representatives from the Lower Thames Crossing management team to witness the launch of its new fleet of Volvo hybrid excavators from SMT GB and learn more about the fuel efficiency technology behind them

On 27 October, KKB Group hosted an event for customers and other stakeholders at its depot in Hoo, Kent, to celebrate the inauguration of 10 new Volvo hybrid excavators from SMT GB.

Like Volvo and SMT GB, sustainability is a core value for KKB and the contractor is continuously

looking for new ways to limit environmental impact and establish itself as a leader in sustainable construction.

KKB’s three Volvo EC300E Hybrid and seven Volvo EC350E Hybrid excavators are the first in a new fleet of alternatively powered construction equipment that will

enable the contractor to significantly reduce greenhouse gases from its operations.

Higher fuel efficiency, lower carbon emissions

By harvesting free energy from the downward motion of the boom, the hybrid excavators deliver a 17%

fuel efficiency improvement over a fully diesel powered equivalent, which translates to up to 12% lower carbon emissions from the EC300E Hybrid and up to 15% from the EC350E Hybrid.

For KKB, this will save around 11,000 litres of fuel and three tonnes of CO2 emissions per 1,000

operating hours.

KKB’s Managing Director Del Bhanot says: “We strive to improve the environmental performance of the regeneration and built environment process for each and every one of our clients –and investing in these new Volvo hybrid excavators from SMT GB will make a big difference to the carbon footprint of the projects we work on.”

Part of the bidding process

KKB was keen to showcase the new hybrid excavators to its customers, who are increasingly considering environmental impact in the tender process, demonstrating both its commitment to decarbonisation and the reliability of the Volvo hybrid technology.

Bemo Tunnelling, for example, is considering KKB as a partner for a major civil engineer project and looking for suppliers that can help

meet its sustainability goals. Bemo’s Commercial Manager Daniel Curtis says: “Environmental performance is majorly important to us. The schemes we are bidding for have got to be as close to net zero as possible and we can’t achieve what we need without our partners and their

technology. Seeing the investment KKB has made shows how serious they are about the future we need to deliver.”

Simple and reliable hydraulic hybrid technology

Representatives from SMT GB

talked KKB’s customers through the unique hydraulic hybrid solution, where stored hydraulic oil in the accumulators, coming from the boom down motion, drives an assist hydraulic motor to support the hydraulic pump and engine.

This innovative technology

enables the hybrid models to offer the same levels of controllability and performance as standard machines, including being able to work in ECO mode and Hybrid mode simultaneously, with the benefits of lower fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions.

Craig Hore, Plant Director at KKB explains: “Compared to some competitor electric hybrid excavators, it’s a simple and reliable hybrid solution. Because it consists of just a handful of addon components, it will be easy to maintain and repair, and ensure high uptime, helping us keep to production targets or project deadlines.”

After the presentations, there was excitement in the air as the guests watched one of KKB’s new hybrid excavators spring into action.

Shane Trim, Contracts Manager for Soilfix, which has been using KKB as its main plant and equipment supplier for remediation and earthworks projects for a decade, was thoroughly impressed, saying: “I think it is fantastic that KKB is making these investments and the Volvo hybrid technology is great. I love the innovation. It shows that Volvo is looking into the future and is making gradual steps towards where we need to be. I can see a good future in it,” he said.

Steve Wallis, Area Operations Manager at Tarmac, which has

also worked with KKB long term, especially in asphalt recycling, was equally as enthusiastic. “It was great to see some of the kit that is coming to my sites and understand the technology, which is very impressive. I’m looking forward to seeing them working. It’s early days yet but we are on a journey together,” he said.

Delivering net zero together

Overall, the event was an excellent opportunity for KKB to strengthen relations with its customers, demonstrate its commitment to helping them achieve their

sustainability goals and show off its ground-breaking new machinery.

Dale Nicoll, Area Sales Manager at SMT GB, concludes: “It was a fantastic event that really communicated KKB’s energy and commitment to environmental performance. I have worked personally with Del and KKB’s Chairman Colin Basi for about 15 years and when they have a vision, they go for it. So, we are incredibly grateful for their investment in our hybrid machines, and are excited to help them and their customers on their decarbonisation journey.”

Not a waste

doubled since reinforced concrete can create a nightmare to recycle, let alone separate unless you have the right tools.

Take a look at an MB Crusher customer in the Czech Republic who purchased a BF90.4 crusher bucket. He processed the reinforced concrete by crushing it off the rebar then separating them quickly and easily using only the excavator he already owned.

Construction and demolition waste contributes to more than 600m tonnes of waste each year. If all this waste were put into trucks, it would circle the world three times. So how can you do your part in reducing the tonnage?

The answer is simple – recycle – but this is much easier said than done. Recycling even the most recyclable material can be costly and laborious. At times it may require specialised equipment or cost more than simply disposing of it.

MB Crusher is well aware of these obstacles and has aimed to make a difference in recycling/upcycling reusable material. As such, it has dedicated its approach to building attachments that tackle these obstacles with units that can create new materials out of old.

For example, one of MB Crusher’s

customers in the US, a large concrete manufacturer, needed a solution to handle his ever-growing waste concrete stockpile. He knew there was money to be made in recycling waste concrete but, only wanting to invest a manageable sum in new machinery, he turned to MB Crusher and bought a BF135.8 crusher bucket. He was then able to rapidly eat away at his stockpile by crushing it directly on site. Not only did he keep tonnes of concrete waste out of landfill, but also turned the recycled material into a new revenue stream.

Concrete in itself may not be the most challenging material to recycle, but what happens when it is reinforced concrete you are dealing with? You have doubled the materials that can be recycled, but the challenge of doing so has also

But what about other challenging building materials like bricks? We know they are recyclable but assume they require extensive processing. Actually, no, you can accomplish seemingly difficult tasks easily with the right tool. Another customer in the Czech Republic purchased MB Crusher’s BF120.4 crusher bucket and turned his excavator into a recycling centre to crush his stockpile of bricks directly on site.

MB Crusher offers a variety of attachments that can help its customer base overcome the obstacles of repurposing their construction and demolition waste. It focuses on creating viable, costeffective and, most importantly, simple solutions by making sure the attachments work on its customers’ job sites with the heavy machines they already own.

An MB Crusher BF120.4 mounted on Doosan DX 350 LC is used to crush bricks in the Czech Republic

MB-G1200 mounted on Doosan 225 US LC in Czech Republic

A concrete manufacturer in the USA uses an MB Crusher BF135.8 mounted on Hitachi EX750

The calm before the storm?

by Neil Edwards CEO of the Builders’ Conference

After

£6.5bn

to any remaining positivity and optimism.

The BCLive league table hit an impressive £6.5bn in October 2022 – above the total for the same month last year and streets ahead of the lowly £3.8bn recorded in September. Further positives were that the league table was less dependent upon the regional and sector bellwethers of London and the housebuilding sector, both of which were knocked from their perch in October.

But that apparent good news is a double edged sword, particularly in the case of the housebuilding sector, which has been the crutch upon which the wider construction industry has leaned for more than four years now. If the latest rise in interest rates and a lack of available mortgage funding does hit the housebuilding sector, the tremors will be felt throughout the industry.

Amid all this, a joint venture of Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier and Keltbray swept to the top of the tree courtesy of a single £1.3bn project win. That project is the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project, which will see 18 miles of single carriageway converted to dual carriageway and key junctions between M6 Junction 40 (Penrith) and the A1 at Scotch Corner improved.

Mace claimed the second spot on the BCLive league table thanks to a single £450m project – the redevelopment of a site in Southwark, south-east London –that will require the demolition of Becket House and the erection of a 27-storey mixed-use building.

When the BCLive league table of construction contract awards failed to hit the £4bn baseline in September 2022, it was tempting to believe that the good times were officially over; that having been battered by Brexit, COVID and shortages of materials and

skilled people, the sector was finally bowed by inflation and fuel price hikes.

The good news is that any talk of an end to the good times has proved to be premature. The more worrying news is just how long the industry can cling on

A single £350m project pushed Babcock International Group into third position. That project is for the alteration and conversion of 10 Dock at Devonport’s Royal Dock Yard in Plymouth and will provide enhanced, modern infrastructure for maintenance of existing and

new classes of submarine with Kier and BAM playing vital roles in the project as well.

In addition to its part of the tabletopping joint venture, Balfour Beatty also took the number four position with a brace of new contract awards. The largest of these is a £297m refurbishment and repair contract for the maintenance of East Sussex County Council’s highway network and infrastructure, including roads, pavements, drainage, streetlights, traffic lights and bridges.

Completing the top five is J Reddington. The company’s Midgard division secured a single £300m project for the construction of a new mixed-use development at London’s Brent Cross that will include new homes, retail and dining space as part of the wider £8bn Brent Cross Town project.

Even though it contributed 108 new projects to the monthly total, the housing sector delivered just £1.35bn. Buoyed by the massive Trans Pennine project, roads and cycleways contributed £1.8bn divided across just 12 individual projects. At the same time, Yorkshire took the top spot on the regional countdown with 22 new contract awards worth a total of £1.58bn. London threw up 64 new contract awards but fell just short of the £1.5bn total, delivering £1.49bn to temporarily surrender its regional crown. The south-west contributed a further £730m but both Wales and Scotland continue to lag behind with £148m and £140m respectively.

With the industry now eyeing the festive period and year end, the monthly totals for both November and December may well fall short of the £6.5bn reported in October 2022. The concern now is whether that slowing is purely seasonal or whether a rise in interest rates might prove to be the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.

Quick review of BCLive table for October 2022

• 243 no companies were detailed as winning new contracts during October 2022,

• 369 no new construction orders were researched by Builders’ Conference all detailed on the UK’s only live league table of construction contract awards, BCLive

• Joint venture of Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier and Keltbray secured overall top spot with single contract worth £1.3bn

• Morgan Sindall Group was again the company with the most number of new construction orders in the month with 27 no, totalling £111.6m.

The importance of verified independent, live construction information, bespoke construction sector analysis and sales leads has never been more important in a current era of misinformation.

The Builders’ Conference delivers a real-time service via one of the most digitally advanced platforms on the UK market.

To keep the UK’s only independent and transparent construction project information service available we need your help. By becoming a member today your business will have the ability to critically analyse thousands of projects and compile unlimited bespoke reports with your own logo attached via our digitally advanced platform which contains the totally unique feature of being able to add images of projects

and workmanship for every user to view. Call 0208 770 0111 or go to the website and press the top right button to register your enquiry.

Discover what is really happening in UK construction as well as critically analysing all our data via our built in report writing service. Go to BuildersConference.co.uk/how-itworks for more information.

We believe passionately the UK construction industry should have easy access to its own information and never pay huge sums of money to read it, or for construction project information to be influenced by corporate administrators, advertisers, sponsors or publications because the industry needs to know the facts so we can plan and learn for the future.

contracts

Contracts awarded: Analysis by region

contracts

Contracts awarded: Analysis by sector

Regional Project Totals:

London (61)

Oxfordshire (14) Hampshire (8)

Buckinghamshire (8) Berkshire (9) East & West Sussex (10) Surrey (20) Kent (9)

Hertfordshire (10) Essex (18)

Bedfordshire (6) North Wales (5) South & Mid Wales (8) South West (24) North West (28) West Midlands (32) East Anglia (24) East Midlands (15) Yorkshire (22) Northern (12) Scotland (22)

RESULTS: 01/10/2022 - 31/10/2022

1 1 Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier & Keltbray (JV) £1,300m 1,300 2 1 Mace Ltd £450m 450 3 1 Babcock International Group £350m 350 4 2 Balfour Beatty £301m 4 297 5 1 J Reddington Ltd £300m 300 6 1 Sisk Group £200m 200 7 3 Galliford Try £150m 65 25 60 8 14 Kier Group £148.2m 27.4 17.2 1.38 45 35.1 2.85 19.3 9 2 Redrow Homes £146.7m 147 10 5 ISG £134.5m 5 8.5 2 119 11 3 VolkerWessels £129.6m 13.6 35 81 12 1 Mace Willmott Dixon £126m 126 13 1 Multiplex £120m 120 14 28 Morgan Sindall £112.4m 6.05 5 38.9 0.04 62.4 15 7 Willmott Dixon £106.8m 70.6 6.2 30 16 1 Elements Europe Ltd £100m 100 17 1 Mulalley Ltd £90m 90 18 1 BAM £84.5m 84.5 19 3 Trench Holdings £80m 20 10 50 20 1 McLaren Construction £73m 73 21 4 Winvic Construction Ltd £63.2m 13.2 15 1 34 22 1 JRL Group Ltd £62m 62 23 4 Hill Partnerships Ltd £60.5m 60.5 24 1 Ardmore Construction Ltd £60m 60 25 2 Higgins Partnerships £45.5m 27 18.5 26 1 Ilke Homes £42m 42 27 1 Gilbert Ash Ltd £40m 40 28 1 Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd £37m 37 29 7 Tilbury Douglas £36.0m 16.8 14 2.30 1.04 1.85 30 1 Sharkey £35m 35 31 1 Chartway Group £33m 33 32 3 One Group Construction £30.7m 0.6 30.1 33 1 Integrated Health Projects £30m 30 34 1 Kellen Homes £30m 30 35 1 NIRAS Group £30m 30

Who is winning construction work LIVE

TOP 50 RESULTS: 01/11/2021 - 31/10/2022

1 212 Kier Group

£4,041.4m 23.2 429 51.8 4.5 25.9 14.6 269 231 1,011 305 3.6 128 1,219 48.7 4.10 272

2 302 Morgan Sindall £2,826.1m 417 97.4 95.9 3.1 1,173 38.4 304 581 18.9 28 67.7 1

3 38 Winvic Construction Ltd £2,762.0m 1,533 262 15 62 2 888

4 21 Mace Ltd £2,117m 18 750 805 544

5 48 BAM £1,692.2m 586 99 37.5 40 185 338 151 45.3 205 5.6

6 52 Wates Ltd £1,537.6m 3.4 532 1 30.5 320 301 348 2

7 11 Skanska Ltd £1,357.2m 7.2 24 509 398 74 345

8 25 Balfour Beatty £1,314.2m 5.5 2.35 34 127 40 54 1,052

9 1 Balfour Beatty, Costain, Kier & Keltbray (JV) £1,300m 1,300

10 75 ISG £1,299.1m 182 32.4 70 0.2 26.8 0.6 111 638 42.5 196

11 47 Bowmer & Kirkland £1,214.9m 263 80 35 45.5 64 12 92.8 375 40 207

12 9 Sir Robert McAlpine £1,174.5m 77.5 425 6.5 638 28 13 44 Galliford Try £1,160.9m 255 65 11.5 176 88.5 150 156 260 14 24 Hill Partnerships Ltd £1,124.4m 709 415 15 57 Willmott Dixon £1,076.7m 245 96.3 131 284 20.1 95.8 204 1.1 16 4 Laing O'Rourke £1,040m 170 400 100 370 17 12 Sisk Group £939.0m 325 52 200 220 65 77.0 18 29 Graham Construction £935m 8.15 76 89 489 108 130 26.8 8.20 19 23 VolkerWessels £837.4m 6.7 165 122 6.5 272 13.5 10 126 102 13.5 20 1 Acciona Industrial UK £800m 800 21 20 Redrow Homes £745.1m 658 87 22 1 Bear Scotland £740m 740 23 22 Trench Holdings £703m 55 105 10 80 99 5 13 95 210 5.9 25 24 1 Lovell Partnerships & Suffolk Council (JV)£700m 700 25 5 Berkeley Group £675.9m 5 421 250 26 16 McLaren Construction £671.8m 12 161 100 20 101 113 102 64 27 13 Henry Construction Projects Ltd £615.0m 350 265 28 5 Lendlease £603m 53 550 29 18 Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd £591.6m 44 68.6 8 20 102 349 30 6 J Reddington Ltd £536m 20 91 367 58 31 1 Amey £530m 530 32 37 Robertson Group £514.4m 151 43.8

Over and out

by Richard Dolman

This is my final update as President of the IDE. At the time of reading this I will have attended my last AGM as President and would like to warmly welcome Vernon Watson as my successor and to offer my ongoing support.

I am pleased to announce the CPD small talk event schedule is available on the IDE website along with useful notifications. I very much encourage those in the industry to consider membership of the IDE to fully leverage the benefits of being associated with this professional organisation as well as the practical

support such as industry specific guidance and learning opportunities. These qualifications make us stand out as industry professionals.

Despite my presidency coming to a close, I remain fully committed to the industry, sharing best practice and lessons learned. Education is so important to develop the skills and knowledge of our workforce and the industry. Whether this through CPD sessions, apprenticeships or further education, the benefits to the industry are huge.

I urge the industry to support our work in extending the foundation

and masters degree courses internationally and online to ensure we provide many routes for all to access this valuable education.

I would like to sincerely thank the Council of Management for their support during my presidency and a special thank you to Maureen, Michelle and Isobel from the Institute.

I hope we do continue to share information between ourselves, have honest conversations and promote best practice so as an industry we can constantly push the boundaries for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Greenwashing

by Jacqueline O’Donovan

At the recent COP 27 meeting of world leaders, a UN-convened group launched a major new report discussing the corporate greenwashing around netzero claims, outlining key recommendations to ensure nonstate actors are actively working towards decarbonisation. So if actual countries are guilty of overstating their green credentials, just how common a factor is it in our day to day operations?

But first, what exactly is greenwashing? Well, in simple terms,

greenwashing (a term that originates in America) is when a company claims to be environmentally focused for the purposes improving its reputation and marketing when it actually is not making any noteworthy sustainability efforts. So where whitewashing glosses over or covers something up, greenwashing is used in terms of sustainability and environmental impact and it is becoming a more common trend every day.

The thing about greenwashing is that it is often done with seemingly

good, if not the best of intentions and normally in advertising or marketing where the sustainability credentials of a company is overstated and an exaggeration of the facts. This may seem harmless enough but with the cancel culture that exists on social media platforms and in the press, the power of a pile-on would be inevitable and a seemingly innocuous distortion of truths can have an absolutely detrimental effect on a business and its reputation.

With every day that passes,

we are reminded of the fragility of the world around us as floods and extreme weather and storms are reported and at the opposite end of the scale, drought and wildfires rage. Companies are under increasing pressure to prioritise their environmental impact and to act fast.

The reality is that changing the way we have always worked is not an overnight task. The first step is the most daunting and that is to actually measure where your business currently stands. Once a business assesses its current operations and details specific data gathered, the journey can begin. Knowing the baseline allows businesses to measure progress, set targets and track improvements.

Once this information is determined, there is a wealth of data and support available. Being able to back up your sustainability claims with statistics and verified

data will help stamp out any links to greenwashing. Knowledge of the terminology and what the implications of striving for net-zero entail is also a vital learning curve. The terms offsetting, carbon-neutral and decarbonisation, to mention a few, all have dramatically different impacts on the path to net zero and so it is imperative that companies have this.

Starting with a commitment to improve overall operations and getting everyone onboard is the first step and from there on, consistency and hard choices are needed. We no longer have the choice to carry on as normal and see what happens before we act. Previous generations did not have the knowledge and statistics to take action and that has led to where we are now. Tough decisions have to be made and new strategies will have to replace outdated ones if we are all to work together to make a difference.

Changing will cost us all. We have just switched our fleet of lorries to solely HVO and that will increase our fuel costs by about 15-20% annually, but it has to be done. HVO is a sustainable and 100% renewable fuel that eliminates up to 90% of net carbon dioxide emissions. The green alternative fuel reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) by up to 30%, particulate matter (PM) by up to 86% and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by up to 90%.

As an SME, we need to take ownership of our part in the climate crisis and changing the way we work is key. No one wants their business to be left behind and as procurement teams and buyers are becoming increasingly mindful of their supply chain’s green credentials, the only way to make sure you are in the mix, is to start the net-zero journey.

Proper preparation... opinion

by Terry Lloyd, Head of Construction at Paragon Bank

The UK economy is set for a challenging two years, so argued the Governor of the Bank of England after announcing the largest increase to interest rates since 1989.

In a stark warning, Andrew Bailey said there was a “tough road ahead” – but if there is anything our industry knows it is how to work with difficult infrastructure, clear away debris and help put something better in its place.

That is the task ahead of us. If our economy is to grow and recover, demolition will be central to creating the conditions for making it possible. We don’t have the luxury of sitting back to see what happens as other sectors will be looking to us to help get things moving.

Though times may get tough, new equipment coming on stream over the next two years will help create more efficient working methods –and the sooner businesses are able to get hold of fresh technology, the sooner it can be out on sites and making a difference.

Key to this process is ensuring that successful firms can access the funding needed to support them in the time ahead, and some may be concerned about whether financing will remain open if the economy does continue to take a turn for the worse.

Having worked to support businesses through both the financial crisis and the COVID pandemic, I know from experience the pressures SMEs face. Rising energy costs, increases to payroll to retain staff, delays to invoices being paid – all can have a significant impact on decisions to either cancel

or delay equipment purchases.

That is why it is crucial for financial providers to continue providing support to successful businesses throughout our sector, and that is what I am committed to doing.

Day-to-day spending and the need to replace equipment does not stop just because the economy is going through a difficult patch. Instead, it must continue as that is what will allow firms to continue operating and be ready to support economic recovery.

If financial providers turn our backs on successful businesses when they need support, it puts into doubt whether they will still be around to do business with when the economy does start to recover – and what may have seemed like a cautious approach may instead have been cutting off new long-term growth.

It is also important to remember that there is not a one-size fits all approach to financing. Each

construction business is unique and its requirements will change as the economy ebbs and flows, and finance providers are ready to adapt to changed circumstances.

Whether it be hire purchase, finance lease or operating lease –flexible funding packages can allow firms to select what is best for their circumstances, supported by VAT deferral and low start payments.

While we wait to see what plans the new Prime Minister and Chancellor have for housing development and construction, firms should start considering where they want to be this time next year and be developing plans of how they are going to achieve their goals.

Talking to financial providers is an important step in making these goals a reality and the longer firms delay doing so, the longer they are delaying when they can start putting their growth plans into action.

Times will get tough, but they will only get tougher if our sector doesn’t get prepared for the work ahead.