Demolition magazine - Issue 2 by Mark Anthony

ISSUE 2

DEMOLITION The industry magazine like no other

insite

A Question of Succession If there is one word that could sum up the highs and lows of the UK demolition business since our first edition hit the streets, that word would be succession. It was the democratic rules of succession that saw Safedem’s William Sinclair elected president of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors. It is the problem of succession that will tax the collective minds of Institute of Demolition Engineers’ president Steve Jack and his council of management following the shock departure of national secretary Valerie Stroud. And with so many of the industry’s leading companies still in family ownership, it is the challenge of succession that will shape the future of the demolition landscape. But while Sinclair’s pre-determined ascension to the presidency came only after he had worked his way up through the Federation’s ranks, learning the ropes and earning respect as he progressed, other forms of succession do not come with the same assurances. While Valerie Stroud had earned and enjoyed a “my way or the highway” reputation, few would question her commitment to the IDE’s cause. That will be difficult to

replicate. And when it comes to the question of bequeathing a company to its rightful heir, I am reminded of the old adage that “you can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family.” While many of today’s industry leading lights were raised on sites with grease under the fingernails from an early age, many of their offspring will have enjoyed an upbringing of privilege and may have little or no passion for the industry that afforded them that upbringing. The IDE’s Steve Jack can take comfort in the fact that Stroud’s replacement will be overseen by a committee and that it wouldn’t be such a hardship if it takes a few attempts to get the right person. Those running family-owned demolition companies may not be quite so lucky, and could see years, decades and whole generations of hard work and commitment destroyed by a seemingly well intentioned decision of succession. This is, perhaps, the one instance in which the devil you know is not better. Mark Anthony

Editorial Mark Anthony - Mark Anthony Publicity markanthony@markanthonypublicity.co.uk 07973 456 166

Management Managing Director Jim Wilkinson Director Mark Anthony Director Jamie Wilkinson

Business Development Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com 01903 234 077

Circulation Subscription enquiries lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com 01903 234 077

Sales Executive Kyle Barrett kyle.barrett@eljays44.com 01903 234 077

Production, design & reproduction Barry Morgan - Down to a Fine Art barrymorgan2@hotmail.com 07539 259 737

General Enquiries 01903 234 077

Printed by Penscord Press, Gwent, UK

Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd - Business Intelligence Eljays44 Ltd. County House, 3 Shelley Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1TT 01903 234 077 Demoliton is published 6 times a year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2013 subscription rate is £60 per year. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd. County House, 3 Shelley Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1TT, UK.Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

STUFF

QuickFire In honour of our unrequited love of Twitter, in each edition we will bring you a Tweet-style interview with a leading demolition personality.This time around, it is with explosive demolition veteran, Dick Green:

Nicest place you've ever been? For the people Bali, for the Beaches the Maldives and for the relaxation Rural China. What time do you start work? I do not have a routine it depends on the daily requirements of work, the grandchildren and the dog.

What is the one thing you take with you everywhere? A sense of humour; you sometimes need it in this business.

Do you have a morning ritual? I always eat 3 Weetabix before I go to bed (other bran cereals are available) so that dictates my morning ritual. (Too much information)

Favourite gadget? Got to be my IPods, I enjoy music of all types. Favourite or dream car? Not so sad as to dream of cars. I Like my old Peugeot 407 SW – It’s like me: old, grey and slow but reliable and cheap to maintain.

If you didn't work in demolition, what would you be? I like to perform so I would like to have tried acting. (Probably would have been stereotyped for Snow White films or The Hobbit).

Favourite movie or book? Got to be the Pulitzer Prize Winning novel ”Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry. A great cowboy adventure story about friendship, loyalty and the real old west.

What aspect of demolition do you most enjoy? The opportunity to see an explosives project through from inception to completion. Not a lot of other jobs offer that.

Favourite sports team? The England Rugby Squad

What aspect of demolition would you change? Stop demolition men (and women) talking badly about other demolition men (and women) in their absence, and make explosive demolition compulsory on all projects for huge fees.

Last holiday destination? Koa Lak in Thailand with my wife. (came back with the same one).

What would be the first thing you'd do if you were King for a day? Appoint a “Life is a bitch” minister to quell the compensation culture and ban No Win No Fee solicitors.

Favourite item of clothing? My daughter bought me a nice dark blue Gant Jumper, casual but smart, I live in it. Favourite food? Shepherd’s Pie. If the wife ever wants something expensive there will be a homemade Shepherd’s pie for dinner.

stuff

Demolition TV

Your regular round-up of the good, the bad and the ugly in the world of online demolition videos. Demolition TV is sponsored by In each edition of Demolition, it is our intention to bring you the very best of the demolition video footage available on the Web, and we would eternally grateful if you could send us any footage that you have produced or seen that you think other demolition professionals might enjoy. We have a great mix for you in this issue, so pour yourself a coffee, crank up the sound and enjoy: • Safedem topples tower triple High-def’ footage of Greenock blast: http://tinyurl.com/blmrhs9 l Approved trainers for NDTG, IOSH, and CIEH. • Station to Station l Over 70 different training courses readily available, including plant assessment. AR Demolition tackles space deck roof at King’s l Courses written to suit your training needs. Cross station: http://tinyurl.com/d3lfsnw l We train anytime, anywhere and any number. • Harlem Shake l All trainers PTTLS certified. Site workers join global dance craze: l Behaviour training is a speciality http://tinyurl.com/bthdawn and we are Zero Harm approved trainers. • VLK summons The Red Devil l Industry leading Stress Management 200 tonne excavator tackles Rotterdam port: and Diversity courses. http://tinyurl.com/cy43gel l We will manage your training records • The shape of breakers to come? if required. RH-4500 prototype put through its paces: http://tinyurl.com/dyfy2u9 01902 686363 & www.demolishdismantle.co.uk • On The Waterfront C O N S U LTA N C Y www.demolitiontraining.com TRAINING DIVISION john.woodward@demolishdismantle.co.uk Interserve and 777 tackle Bournemouth eyesore: jill@demolishdismantle.co.uk http://tinyurl.com/cx6a3bt

Why are C&D & different to the rest?

CD CD

stuff

App Happy Note Taking Apps The mind of the modern demolition professional is stretched almost to breaking point by a seemingly endless set of facts and figures that need to be remembered, tasks that need to be performed, and calls that need to be made. Thankfully for those of us with limited brain capacity, the modern smart phone doubles as a mobile personal assistant with the ability to remember and recall information at the press of a button. In this issue’s edition of App Happy, we look at the best of the best. Evernote – With its distinctive elephant logo, Evernote never forgets and ensures that you don’t either. Its ability to scan and record expenses receipts and other documents is unquestionably an advantage, as is its ability to share “notebooks” with others. If we had one criticism of Evernote, it’s that it’s perhaps a little over-complicated and requires a serious level of commitment if you’re going to get the very best from it.

Clear – For a glimpse of next generation app technology, Clear stands head and shoulders above the rest. Fast, easy to navigate and quick to prioritise, it was the most fun to use. And, if something’s fun, the chances are you will use it more. Reminders – Of all the apps we tested, however, our favourite was the one that actually comes free with later generation iPhones and iPads. Reminders is never more than a click away from the home screen so there’s no navigation required to open it. It works seamlessly with Apple’s Siri voice-recognition software, allowing you to enter reminders by voice command. And it syncs with the pre-installed calendar software on the device as well..

Any.DO – Smart, intuitive and beautiful to look at, Any.DO is perfect for the to do list makers among you. It is pre-set with a number of variables such as calls and meetings so entering details is fast and easy. The calendar within the app is also extremely smart, allowing you to allocate tasks to specific days with ease.

App Happy is brought to you by the DemolitionNews iPhone/iPad app – http://tinyurl.com/d3n5nsu

stuff

Competition Corner If you’re reading this magazine (and quite clearly you are), the chances are that you have a passion for plant and equipment that for many goes beyond natural curiosity and strays dangerously close to digger fetishism. With that in mind, our latest competition – in conjunction with those fine individuals at national plant hirer H.E. Services - offers you the chance to be like a kid in a candy store, as one lucky reader will win a family pass for a day at Diggerland in Kent, the venue that is to plant enthusiasts what the Playboy Mansion is to teenage boys. And all you have to do is answer one very simple question: How many UK depots does plant hire giant H.E. Services have? To enter, just send your answer via email to manthony@markanthonypublicity.co.uk. Competition closes on 30 April 2013. The winner will be selected at random from the correct answers. The winner will be announced in the next edition. Further information on H.E. Services can be found at www.heservices.co.uk The winner of the last edition’s competition is Nigel Kippen of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk who correctly identified that The Coldest Journey polar team is using a pair of modified Caterpillar D6N track-type tractors. A very smart Caterpillar jacket is winging its way to Nigel as we speak. Further information on the coldest journey visit www.ourcoldestjourney.com

H#$3"#$0#4('-%-()$6)+7"3)2#$+C#2-3'-+%+B$3);I !"#$%&#$'()*#+%$+#",-)*$./01$!++(2-3%#$ 4#45#"$6)+7"3)2#$8"(9#" :3,#$5##)$;#3'-)*$<-%&$%&#$+34#$ =);#"<"-%#"+$>("$%&#$'3+%$?@$$A#3"+B$ 7+-)*$(7"$(<)$C('-2A$<(";-)*+ 6>$A(7$3"#$&#"#$>("$%&#$'()*$%#"4B$ C'#3+#$2&#29$7+$(7%D !"#$%&"'()'*% E(&)F;#4('-%-()G-)+7"3)2#D2(4 +,'-%./010$23 43"9F;#4('-%-()G-)+7"3)2#D2(4$

!"#$%#&'()*+,-.(/ !"#$%#&'()*+,-.(/"&-,0*1(!*"'.(( ( ()*+,-.(/"&-,0*1(!*"'.(( (/"&-,0*1(!*"'.(( 2&-$13**'.(4,,-5(6789(:); 2&-$13** *'.(4,,-5(6789(:); ( ( ( (( 1<(=8>??(>8?@==(A(B<(=8>??(>8?9== ( (>8?@==(A(B<(=8>??(>8?9== -$C+#&#-,D'-E*F#1#*$A#$,+&"$0-G0*E(( -$C+#&#-,D'-E*F#1#*$A#$,+&"$0-G0*E( D'-E*F#1#*$A#$,+&"$0-G0*E(( ((

!!!"#$ $%&'()(&*+(*,-./*0$"0& &% !!!"#$%&'()(&*+(*,-./*0$"0&%

In search of something new? I’m hot on the trail of the UK’s newest working construction event PLANTWORX is a brand new three day event that’s packed full of plant, tools and equipment. It’s your chance to explore what’s new, to test and operate the latest machines, watch live demonstrations and see site applications. If you’re involved in the management, purchasing or operation of construction equipment, don’t get left behind. Join the trailblazers at PLANTWORX 2013. The construction show for the industry, by the industry.

Register for your free tickets now Visit www.plantworx.co.uk or call 020 8253 4517 PLANTWORX 2013 14th-16th May Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, Warwickshire.

STUFF

Objects of Desire Rugged Yet Refined

Mark Anthony spent a week in the company of a VW Amarok Highline pick-up. And far from channelling his inner red-neck, found himself down with the yummy mummy brigade. When VW unleashed its new Amarok pick-up on an unsuspecting UK market, it did so in spectacular style, harnessing five of them to pull down a chimney and thereby confirming the vehicle’s rough, tough and demolition-friendly credentials.So when I was given the opportunity to borrow one for a week, I was expecting a wheeled battleship that really came into its own only on muddy sites and snow covered roads and which possessed all the manoeuvrability and handling of a fat man on a skateboard. Well here’s one book that cannot be judged by its cover.

Oodles of ground clearance, torque by the bucketload and four-wheel drive also ensure that this vehicle can get off site just as easily as it gets on. But while the VW Amarok would grace any demolition transport fleet, this isn’t the vehicle for just any demolition man. Indeed, if the intended recipient of this vehicle looks like he got dressed with a shovel, has only a rudimentary grasp of the art of shaving and has the personal hygiene of a weasel, this is not the car for him. This is the car for the educated and ambitious demolition professional; the one who knows that a tie goes around the neck, not the head; the one that reads a newspaper other than the Daily Star.

Easy to Clean Lurking beneath its rugged exterior beats a heart of refined beauty. And while the exterior wouldn’t look out of place on any UK demolition site, you get the feeling the interior would be far happier on the school run or, better still, on a shopping trip to Harrods.

Although a tad plastic heavy, the interior is a nice place to be. The seats – heated – are comfortable and well positioned and do not require the driver to have any form of spinal curvature. All the controls – from the gearshift, through the radio and heater to the lights – are close at hand. And, like all modern cars worth their salt, this one automatically recognises the presence of a smart-phone and hooks it up the overhead microphone and steering wheel-mounted phone controls.

That might sound like a jibe, but it isn’t. The deep footwells are rubber matted throughout and could easily be cleared of site mud and burger wrappers. The leather-like seats would be very easy to wipe clean also. And the heating system – which has the ability to go from cool to face-melting in about a nanosecond – would quickly become the best friend of any site or contract manager lucky enough to find himself behind the wheel.

STUFF Oh the Gearbox But all of this is mere fluff and frippery. And it is only when you start the Amarok up do you really get a glimpse of what sets this apart in the pick-up field. The two litre engine is almost electric quiet and the gearbox. Oh the gearbox! The model I had came with an eight-speed automatic transmission that didn’t so much change up or down as gently waft through speed changes. Of course, much of this is designed to optimise fuel economy and it’s not unusual to find yourself in fourth gear 100 yards after you pull away from a standing start.

Equally conservative is the quoted top speed of 108 mph – I took it to 100 on a thankfully unpoliced stretch of the A3 and it certainly felt like there was plenty more to come. All in all then, if it’s for a manager or junior director you really want to look after, this is 25 grand well-spent.

Pros • The automatic transmission is as silky as Keira Knightley’s inner thigh. • The interior feels like it belongs in a high end car, not a pick-up. • After a cold day on site, the heated seats can thaw our your kidneys in mere seconds

Fuel economy and emission control is enhanced still further by VW’s BlueMotion system; a combination of cruise control, low rolling-resistance tyres and regenerative braking energy recovery. Another facet of the BlueMotion system is the automatic start/stop which automatically cut the engine when the vehicle comes to a full stop – at a set of lights, for example. The benefits of cutting fuel consumption and carbon emissions while the vehicle is idling makes perfect sense, although it was a bit disconcerting the first time it happened as I thought I’d managed to stall an automatic car.

cons • The in-car voice recognition system has clearly never heard a South London accent before – My son’s name is Freddie, not Ferdinand. • Brown? I know it’s sort of metallic but seriously. How am I supposed to accessorise that?

Also, the Amarok doesn’t handle like a pick-up. My day-to-day car is a Mitsubishi L200 Warrior and that usually requires a couple of paving slabs in the skip, partly to dampen the noise but also to keep the rear wheels on terra firma. No such issues with the Amarok which takes corners like a (big) car. All joking aside, I would have happily driven this to the South of France: not for editorial or photographic reasons, but purely because it was such a nice car to drive.

Spec Check – VW Amarok Highline Engine capacity (litres) 2.0 Max torque (Nm @ rpm) 420 @ 1,750 Top speed (mph) 108 0-62 (seconds) 11.3 Fuel economy (mpg) Urban – 31; Extra-urban – 38.2; Combined – 35.3 CO2 emissions (g/km) 211 Fuel tank capacity (litres) 80 Gross vehicle weight (kg) 3,170 Unladen weight (kg) 2,093

VW claim a fuel consumption of between 31 and 38 mpg and, to be honest, that seemed a little conservative based on the week of around town and motorway travel I did with it.

STUFF

All the Fun of the Fair

Avant Techno – A few years

With the inaugural Plantworx 2013 exhibition now just a few months away, Mark Anthony takes a look at some of the many demolition-related highlights that will be on display.

ago, a Finnish company called Finmac set its sights on breaking the Brokk stranglehold on the demolition robot sector. Well Finmac has since been acquired by fellow Finns Avant Techno, and the company will be using Plantworx as the UK launchpad for the Avant Robot 185. The electrically-driven machine can be powered either by a 15 kW or 18.5 kW electric motor, allowing flexibility and power when and where it’s needed. Equipped with a telescopic boom, the maximum vertical reach is 5.2 metres, while horizontal reach is 4.5 metres. Excluding attachments, the Avant Robot 185 weighs 1,850 kg. The machine is equipped with reliable EPEC computer and user interface. The remote controls can be used with both radio and cable. When the space is limited, upper carriage can be removed while the tracks can be operated separately, providing transport height as low as 750 mm. Standard transport measurements are 1,555 mm in height, 795 mm in width and 2,200 mm in length.

Those of us of a certain vintage still reminisce about the good old days of the annual visit to Hatfield, Whipsnade or Milton Keynes for the sadly-nowdefunct SED exhibition. But, at long last, the tyrekickers among us finally have something else to fill our calendar when May rolls around – The new Plantworx show. And for those that cannot spare the time, money or liver function that comes with a visit to the Bauma fair in Munich, this launch exhibition will provide a very useful shop window for all that’s new in the field of demolition equipment, as the following highlights illustrate:

STUFF

Bobcat The skid steer giant will be

One of the turbines will feature a Casella measurement M.A.M unit attached. This multi agent monitor will detect dust locate its position and turn the turbine on to suppress the dust; a first for the UK. The company will also be exhibiting a range of demolition and scrap rehandling attachments including an ITALMEK IC25XP steel shear, ITALMEK IF23 concrete pulveriser, an ITALMEK IC7 steel shear borrowed from customer J Bryan (Victoria) and an ITALMEK IC1.8 dedicated steel shear on a Hyundai R16-9 on loan from HES Enterprises.

showing the new E25 compact excavator, the new 500 platform compact loader range and the new TL470HF telescopic handler for the first time at the show. Part of the new E-generation of Bobcat compact excavators, the new E25 model is designed with the rental industry in mind. It is equipped with cab and standard bucket, has an operating weight of 2,571 kg and a maximum dig depth of 2,582 mm.

BPH

Attachment sales and hire specialist BPH will be showing the full ProDem range of hydraulic hammers, selector grabs and pulverisers. The company will also be dedicating a section of their stand to showcase the well-known Dynaset hydraulic attachment range.

INMALO For those unable to attend the Bamua exhibition, INMALO will provide the first public opportunity to see two newly upgraded models and a totally new addition to Rammer’s Small Range. The latest addition to the Small Range is the Rammer 455 that plugs a gap in the Rammer line-up and which is suitable for carriers in the 2.1 to 4.6 tonnes operating weight class. The company’s Small Range is further boosted by a new 255 model that replaces the existing 222 unit, and the new 355 that succeeds the 333 model. All three models are designed to satisfy the specific demands of rental fleet operators, and utilise Rammer’s proven Constant Blow Energy (CBE) operating principle to ensure maximum impact energy with every blow for maximum productivity and profitability. INMALO will also display representative models from its Mantovanibenne range of shears, pulverisers, Grapples, scrap grabs, and pile breakers and from the company’s DustBoss line of dust suppression equipment.

Doosan Showing its paces in the demonstration area of the Dig Zone, the DX300LC3 crawler excavator is powered by the Doosan DL08K ‘common rail’ 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that delivers two percent more power at a lower speed of 1,800 rpm than the existing DX300LC Stage IIIA model. Field tests show a 5 to 10 percent reduction in fuel consumption, depending on the operating mode selected and the work being done. Workload/hour outputs have increased by an average of six percent across the different power modes.

European Attachments Group As one of the UK’s Leading supplier of dust control turbines, EAG will be demonstrating an Emicontrol V12 turbine on stand frame for demonstration, an Emicontrol V12 turbine on stand frame on the stand, and an Emicontrol V7 turbine on trailer on the stand.

Worsley Plant

JCB

The company’s fuel saving Ecomax engine – the company’s answer to EU Stage IIIB/US Tier 4 Interim compliance - will be the focus on the JCB stand at Plantworx. The Ecomax engine meets the latest emissions standards without resorting to external exhaust after treatment or a diesel particulate filter. The JS130 is one of three new mid-range tracked excavators equipped with the new Ecomax engine. In addition to fuel savings of up to 10 percent due to an advanced combustion system, it features: high efficiency hydraulic pumps and circuits , reduced noise levels and a customisable 10cm LCD monitor (18cm screen with rearview camera is available as an option). The JCB Tool Select system allows the operator to pre-set attachment flow through the monitor. LiveLink connectivity shows fuel consumption, enhances security and enables remote fleet management.

Appearing on Stand SCZ1, Worsley Plant will be taking the opportunity to launch a new range of crushing and screening buckets for the UK market that are suitable for carriers in the four to eight tonne operating weight class. These will be supported on the stand by representative models from Worsley Plant’s REMU range of screening buckets and Rotar range of grabs, pulverisers and shears.

Northerntrack Visitors to the Northerntrack stand can take an opportunity to check out the Leeds-based company’s new selector grapples that benefit from new style basket shells and uprated plate for greater wear an impact resistance. Also on display will be the CP20QF quick-fit mechanical pulveriser with a new replaceable tooth system for easier maintenance, and an MK10 or MK15 MultiKit processor with hydraulic jaw change that switches quickly between pulveriser and steel shear configurations.

on site

AR Demolition Confronts Nemesis Richard Dolmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s willingness to talk about a contract that went awry in order to enhance the knowledge of other demolition contractors paid handsome dividends when his company â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AR Demolition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was awarded its most challenging contract to date. Mark Anthony reports.

“...Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then...” John Wooden

Demolition works can go wrong. When they do, the contractor involved has two basic options: Look for a large carpet under which to sweep the matter; or be open about it and hope that others might learn from their mistakes.

than being deterred at Dolman’s previous experience, they appreciated his honesty and his understanding of the technical nature of the space deck roof system and invited him to tender. The rest, as they say, is history.

It is fitting that AR Demolition’s Richard Dolman – subsequently elected chairman of the National Demolition Training Group – chose the latter option. When his company experienced a space deck roof collapse (that was predicted and in which, thankfully, no-one was hurt) on a contract in Bristol, he gave a detailed presentation to the Institute of Demolition Engineers seminar in October 2011 in the hope that his peers would avoid a similar fate.

But while confronting his space deck roof nemesis for a second time may have been daunting, this was just one of many challenge facing Dolman and his team.

Quadruple Whammy Looking at the specific details of the King’s Cross contract, it is almost as if it was devised by a particularly sadistic person looking to test the mettle of the demolition contractor. “First of all, the roof design gave us cause for concern. And then, of course, it was physically joined to a Grade 1 listed Victorian facade. In addition to this, we were required to work very close to the underground railway station which, in places, was just 150 mm below. And to make things even more challenging, we were required to work in very close proximity to the general public with an estimated 43 million people passing through the station each year,”

I recorded Dolman’s presentation, put it on YouTube and largely forgot about it and his stark “if you encounter a space deck roof, it will collapse” closing message. But YouTube videos don’t go away. And when principal contractor J. Murphy & Sons started their search for a company with the skills required to tackle just such a roof at King’s Cross station in London, they stumbled across that video. Rather

on site

Collaborative Approach To tackle this daunting contract, Dolman says that his team adopted a collaborative approach with client J. Murphy and key stakeholders Network Rail and London Underground even before the contract was let. “Having taken a close look at the site, we drew up a pair of possible solutions. One was a slower and more costly piece-by-piece dismantling; the second a faster and more cost-effective remote demolition,” Dolman says. “We then presented both options and, with the client, weighed the pros and cons and helped them make a decision. In the end, they opted for the remote demolition option and put their faith in our capabilities. Within a few weeks, we were on site and starting with the preparatory works.”

Dolman recalls. “It really was a quadruple whammy.” Dolman reports that Network Rail carried out extensive passenger movement surveys to analyse the flow of people through the station throughout the day. This, in part, determined the demolition sequence with a particularly tricky section above a retail booth being held back for the brief station shutdown on Christmas Day. “Noise was another key consideration, and not just for the public. We were working in very close proximity to London Underground which is populated by staff that for generations have been trained to greet any loud bangs with an immediate evacuation,” says AR Demolition operations manager Jeremy Baker.

Those preparatory works involved installing a large number of props to support the space deck roof, particularly along the cut line separating the part of the roof over the portion of the station that would

Manual and Mechanical remain live and the part that would remain temporarily closed. “We were concerned that, rather than collapsing, the roof might actually start to lift once the tension was removed,” Jeremy Baker says. “To overcome this, we installed a number of 750 kg Kentledge blocks to act as ballast.”

In keeping with his cautious approach, Dolman says that the initial cutting was carried out manually using hot cutting techniques. But once the two halves of the roof had been separated, the process was handed over to a Hitachi 225USR equipped with an OilQuick coupler and a series of shears and grapples to tackle the cutting and rehandling of the steel. “The OilQuick system really came into its own on this contract,” Dolman says. “In an ideal world, we probably would have had two excavators on the project, but the floor loadings over the underground line were a concern so we used just the one together with a range of quick-fit attachments.”

Dolman and Baker admit that, during the initial stages of the contract, they had extensively over-engineered their design. “When we took the first element down, we had it propped every square metre, and a ballast block every two or three square metres. But we learned quite quickly that the roof was a lot stronger and more stable than our conservative calculations had anticipated,” Baker continues. “We monitored the roof throughout the cutting process. We used a laser to measure the roof accurately before we started and then set parameters – like a traffic light system – within which we then worked. If the roof didn’t deflect or move above a certain amount, we were good to continue. If it did, we had to stop, review, and in extreme cases stop and report it because we were trying to predict a catastrophic failure.”

This turned out to be one of the many areas in which AR Demolition excelled; Network Rail’s project manager Jas Rupra describing excavator operator David Simmons as “a magician”. But even with a magician behind the levers, the operation of plant and equipment was not without its challenges. “In addition to the very specific point loadings that varied across the contract, we were not

on site

work for the Christmas Day assault the day before. “We held a full day’s briefing on Christmas Eve to ensure that everyone – myself included – knew exactly what was required of them at every stage of the process. We had demolition spec’ excavators on standby and we had a crane parked in Euston Road just in case the first one failed. And, just to add a little more pressure, this entire process was carried out under the watchful eye of Network Rail CCTV cameras,” he says. “In the end, we finished about 12 hours ahead of schedule, much to the delight of the client’s project team, many of whom had been watching via the Internet. When Jeremy walked into the project office the following day, the Network Rail team gave him a round of applause.”

allowed to use diesel-powered equipment within five metres of the London Underground push-pull vents throughout the site,” Dolman explains. “As a result, all our diesel powered kit had to be equipped with air scrubbers, even though we could prove that the site was sufficiently well ventilated.”

The one part of the Christmas Day project that didn’t go according to plan, thankfully, was beyond AR Demolition’s control. The company had arranged for a catering truck to be on hand throughout the duration of the works, but it failed to arrive. “As luck would have it, the guy that owns the kebab shop opposite decided to open on Christmas Day and I was charged with fetching food for the 14-man team. So our Christmas dinner consisted of kebab and chips,” Richard Dolman concludes. The kebab shop man couldn’t believe his luck.” But even kebab and chips for 14 was organised with AR Demolition precision. “We didn’t just ‘mob-off altogether,” Jeremy Baker insists. “Christmas Day or not, food breaks were staggered to ensure that the work was completed ahead of time and that the pathway and road outside the station was swept and clean before it opened again the following day.” Now that is attention to detail.

Station Closed The vast majority of the demolition works were carried out with the station live and pedestrians and trains coming and going. Interestingly, on the rare occasions that the station was actually closed, the job actually threw up new challenges. A case in point was the removal of the roof over a newsagents’ kiosk that was carried out on Christmas Day 2012. “For obvious reasons, the kiosk holder didn’t want his business closed during business hours. Furthermore, he was extremely concerned that our work might damage his premises or his stock. As a result, we saved this part of the roof removal until the station was closed on Christmas Day,” Dolman says. “But we were mindful that we had just 24 hours to get from Point A to Point B and that failing to finish was simply not an option.”

To see an exclusive video of AR Demolition King's Cross story please visit:

To this end, Dolman and his team doubled-up on equipment, assembled a larger than usual team of operators and operatives, and began preparatory

http://tinyurl.com/d3lfsnw

Meet the Magician “...The selection of the appropriate demolition specialist was largely based on AR Demolition being able to demonstrate a full understanding of the complexity involved in dismantling a space deck roof that comprised the concourse to King's Cross Station and the requirement to carry this out in a safe and controlled manner in close proximity to the travelling public.In my experience a company can often give confidence when negotiating a contract but once awarded, delivery is not necessarily made in accordance with what had been promised.So much is dependent on the quality of the site management that is deployed and even more so on the skill and behaviour of the operatives. The skill that has been demonstrated "in spades" is that demonstrated by David (Simmo) Simmons. The way in which he controls the hydraulic shears when cutting the structural members has caused many people to stop and look with genuine amazement. The delicacy of "touch" and the speed with which he can change from the shears to the grab has also been something to behold and has attracted favourable comments from our client, Network Rail. In my many years of experience I have never seen such a skilful machine operator; he is a major asset to AR Demolition and has made a significant contribution to the success achieved so far at King's Cross Station...”

Demopedia It is a little-known fact that the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell (1847 1922), experimented with space truss structures early in this century. He appreciated the dual properties of high strength and lightweight exhibited by these rigid structural forms and incorporated them into several of his projects. In the UK in the 1950s Denings of Chard developed the Space Deck modular system and with the former Ministry of Public Building and Works also developed the similar Nenk system. Both systems were based on prefabricated steel pyramidal modules (1.22 x 1.22 metres in plan and 1.05 or 0.61 metres deep

Patrick Shaw Senior Project Manager, King's Cross Square J Murphy & Sons Limited

respectively. The Nenk system was used for roof and floor construction in barrack blocks where it could span 12.2 metres with normal

“...I have worked with a variety of demolition contractors in the past and the prospect of undertaking the removal of the concourse roof whilst still maintaining one of the busiest public transports hubs in Europe was one our top risks. The King’s Cross Concourse was a complex structure to remove, however David Simmons made the demolition look effortless and safe whilst still maintaining good control and adhering to safe working practices, in short he’s magician with the excavator...”

floor loads and 26.8 metres with normal roof load. Space Deck has been widely used for roof and floor structures with only slight modification to module dimensions and materials ever since. The Space Deck system consists of pyramidal units constructed from a square frame of steel angles connected by circular steel tube

Jas Rupra Project Manager, King’s Cross Redevelopment Programme, Network Rail

bracing members to a cast steel boss. All elements of the pyramids are welded together in a jig to ensure dimensional accuracy.

on site

Going, going, gone Faced with a mountain of salvaged plant and equipment from a recent contract in the North East of England, Masterton has put its faith in online auctions. Demolition reports.

Tonnes of plant and equipment recovered from a major UK landmark are being sold via an online auction following a significant deplanting operation by Masterton. The former Trench UK site in Hebburn in the North East of England is being dismantled for German engineering giant and Trench UK parent company Siemens.

The large scale project represents a significant first for Masterton as it oversees the sale and recycling of huge quantities of steel, cable and tools. The sale is being managed through an online auction, soon to be backed by a second auction on eBay, as well as direct sales to business. Prior to the start of the demolition and salvage operations, Masterton was responsible for the removal of asbestos that was prevalent throughout the site and difficult to access as upgrades to buildings throughout the years had sealed in or covered up the material.

Asbestos Abatement The site covers some 7 hectares and was a high voltage electrical parts manufacturing and testing facility; the only one of its type in the UK. Central to the site and a well known local landmark is the Clothier Building - a massive steel structure that once featured in the pop video for Gary Numanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1979 song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Metalâ&#x20AC;?.

An extensive operation has taken place with some 15 qualified asbestos removal experts spending six weeks on site, building tents around contaminated areas as they methodically removed the asbestos material in line with health and safety legislation.

on site Attack of the Dalek Masterton is on site until May with a phased programme of works to demolish several brick factory buildings as well as the main Clothier Building and all the associated structures and equipment. Upon completion Siemens plan to sell off the site. Several logistical factors are in play alongside the large scale nature of the asset recovery and sale. The site is covered by overhead powerlines and is next to a railway line as well as the large allotment area close to housing. Community relations have been key to ensuring Masterton’s operation goes smoothly. The company has liaised with residential neighbours and deployed water-spraying and other techniques to keep dust and noise disturbance to a minimum.

Metal cladding was cut into manageable 3 x 2 metre sections before being lifted to the ground using a series of cranes. The next stage will see Masterton’s fleet of high-reach machines move in to demolish the remainder of the 44 metre tall Clothier Building.

Masterton had to demolish several buildings on the site, a routine operation – but the buildings’ contents were far from standard. The equipment used to test the bushings included giant electrical conductors used to re-create lightning bolt charges of up to 300,000 megavolts.

Salvage Operations However, it is the sheer scale of the asset recovery that makes the Trench UK project one of Masterton’s most unusual and challenging to date. “An increasing number of clients require the salvage and recycling of assets from sites and as in this case, those assets can be considerable,” McDowall continues. “This means the deployment of a series of precise dismantling skills and techniques to ensure the integrity of the assets – the plant, equipment, tools – is preserved so that they can be sold and reused.”

One of the largest pieces of equipment was akin to something from Dr Who and was dubbed ‘The Dalek’ by the Masterton team. This oil-filled structure was used to generate the “lightning bolts” used to test the integrity of the ceramic conductors used on electricity pylons. “I have never seen anything quite like The Dalek building,” says Masterton director Keith McDowall. “It was like something from a science fiction movie.”

McDowall reports that the sale has attracted considerable interest: companies in China and India have bought tools and equipment while local engineering businesses have snapped up many other items. “The online auction includes around 500 items of plant and equipment and has generated around £30,000 sales so far and that is expected to double,” McDowall continues.

The latest phase centred on the demolition of the Clothier Building; a 40 metre high windowless, heavy steel warehouse that required precision techniques including high-level hot cutting and the craning of sections down to the ground.

“In addition to the sale of tools and equipment, we have re-used some of the materials ourselves to backfill the site and prevent it going to landfill,” McDowall concludes. “The Trench UK project is a good demonstration of how many people – businesses, residents, overseas companies – can benefit provided the decommissioning is carried out to the highest technical standards and procedures.” “In addition we have salvaged and sold 2,000 tonnes of steel, including 1,100 tonnes from the Clothier Building alone, together with 270 tonnes of metal cladding and 35 tonnes of electrical cable.”

Demopedia The Trench UK site was previously known as the Bushing Company as the factory made and tested electrical insulation parts that are used on a wide range of large scale electrical equipment.

Some 25,000 tonnes of brick and cement arisings have been processed and crushed on site, and a generator dating back to the 1940s has been salvaged and offered to a local museum. Meanwhile, a local allotment society has also benefitted with gardeners re-using wooden crates for new fences and repairs to sheds.

Some of the bushings manufactured at the site were two to three metres long and used on high voltage electric pylons and were tested to ensure they could withstand huge power surges and even lightning bolt charges of up to 300,000 megavolts.

ON SITE

VLK Summons Red Devil The inexorable rise in the size of container ships requires the expansion of the Port of Rotterdam. And that expansion dictates the use of a devilish new demolition monster. Demolition exclusively reports. Take Rotterdam, one of the best-known ports in the world and a major European hub for cargo from China and Asia. Even though it was built less than 30 years ago, the EMO quay is being removed and replaced to allow it to accommodate two 55-metre wide oceangoing behemoths at a time. And that expansion is starting with a demolition contract spearheaded by another modern giant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A 200 tonne demolition excavator rig designed, developed and operated by Van Leeuwen Katwijk Groep (VLK) of the Netherlands.

Just 20 years ago, an ocean-going container ship was considered large if it could pack 3,000 containers into its hold and onto its deck. Two decades on and ships capable of carrying 18,000 containers are not unusual. While that has had a largely positive impact upon the ability to transport goods around the world, its impact upon ports designed for older, smaller vessels has been rather more disruptive.

Triple Trouble

Described by VLK as “a Triple”, the machine has the option of three sticks, the longest capable of taking an 18 tonne attachment to a working height of 24 metres. But, as VLK’s Jan Hage explains, height is not a primary consideration. “We are not particularly interested in the race to go higher and higher,” he assets. “The heavy industrial demolition of the next 20 years will require strong and powerful machines capable of operating a big attachment at relatively low level.”

Like the Heavy Decom International “Beast” before it, the VLK machine is based upon a Hitachi EX1200 base unit. And, like the Kocurek-built HDI machine, the VLK unit comes with a fittingly descriptive and imposing nickname – The Red Devil. Designed and developed in-house by VLK, the Red Devil sits on an undercarriage that has been both lengthened and widened to give it a stable eight metre square operating base. The engine has been tweaked to provide a touch more horsepower and the hydraulic system has been upgraded to provide the oil flow levels required by the 18 tonne Mantovanibenne CR130 attachment.

That realisation is evidenced in the build quality of The Red Devil which is heavily reinforced and overengineered to make it suitable for truly heavy demolition work.

ON SITE

On the Go

Hage reports that the power of The Red Devil and the Mantovanibenne attachment allow VLK to partially process the materials on the go. “In addition to breaking out the concrete, we are breaking it into pieces of between two and three tonnes to allow it to be transported to our recycling facility around five kilometres away,” he explains. “A GIPO crusher then processes the materials at a rate of around 300 tonnes/hour to produce 0 – 40 mm grade materials for use on roads, or 10 – 40 mm grades for concrete applications.” In typically green Dutch style, steel rebar is removed and transported to Turkey for processing into new steel reinforcement.

It will need to be. The EMO quay at Rotterdam is almost a kilometre in length, 18 metres wide and the heavily reinforced concrete is some three metres thick. At the time of its construction in 1988, it was claimed to be the strongest quay in the world and boasted an anticipated life expectancy of 200 year. And VLK has just 44 weeks to remove it to allow the replacement quay – already built but currently dry – to start work. For all the engineering and manufacturing technology put into The Red Devil, it is interesting to note that the demolition process actually begins with an item of equipment long considered a relic from days of yore – The drop ball. “It is old-fashioned but it does the job perfectly, Hage says. “We drop the six tonne ball onto the quay to break up the surface. That allows the CR130 to get a proper grip and to start cutting the heavy rebar.”

To see an exclusive three-minute video of The Red Devil in action, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/cy43gel or to buy a featurelength, high-definition video commentary of The Red Devil in action, visit http://tinyurl.com/cntrbna or check out the advertisement on Page 66 of this issue.

ON SITE

Last Picture Show Interserve Construction and 777 Demolition join forces to rid Bournemouth of a modernist eyesore. Demolition reports.

Retaining the Basement Chris Seymour, Interserve’s Project Manager, describes how the work is being handled on behalf of the client, Bournemouth Borough Council: “We are using shoring from RMD Kwikform and Komatsu 55tonne, 50-tonne and 20-tonne demolition excavators from 777 Demolition, plus smaller, ancillary vehicles, including Bobcats to complete the job. In a scheme of this kind, we would usually be required to demolish the entire building. However, in this case we have been asked to preserve the building’s basement. We have installed new steelwork to the basement to be able to take 10 kN/m2: a highways loading capability. This capability is much greater than that of most buildings, and takes into account the possible future uses of the site. Further to this we have worked with our sister company RMD Kwikform to design and install a comprehensive shoring system.

For the Bournemouth IMAX theatre, which has become famous in the area as a too modern, too high eyesore - blocking sea views, the next few weeks are set to be a show to remember, as contractor Interserve Construction manages its demolition. Locals have been complaining for years about the IMAX Waterfront Building, built approximately fifteen years ago, which Interserve has been stripping from the inside out over the past few months, in readiness for its final destruction. The site is to be turned into an open-air events space for the public to enjoy until the market recovers and the site can be redeveloped as part of a wider leisure scheme.

Having cleared the basement of a large amount of waste we have inserted more than 750 props in the basement to accommodate the loads of the demolition plant and building waste.” Seymour explains that a key part of the demolition process was reinforcing the slab to carry the weight of the heavy equipment. “Put simply, the slab was only designed to take the weight of pedestrian traffic through the building. As the demolition team from our subcontractor 777 Demolition had to break down the building by travelling over the slab, extra support was required. So not only did the slab need to hold the weight of the largest 50 tonne excavator, it also had to cope with the additional weight of the debris falling from the steel framed structure,” he says.

on site

Waste Recycling When it came to managing the site and removing the waste, the Interserve team is taking a two pronged approach. In total, approximately 13,500 tonnes of building waste is expected to be removed during the course of the project, including 3,000 tonnes of steel and 8,000 tonnes of concrete. In order to achieve high levels of recycling – 90 percent of the waste is being recycled locally with 777 Demolition recycling specialist waste at one of its facilities. “Due to the nature of the scheme and its close proximity to both a busy pedestrian seafront and a main road - just metres from the building, in order to complete the demolition process safely the equipment needed to be able to work through the building, pulling the side walls into the main building space,” says Justin Bennet of RMD Kwikform. “This meant a complete strengthening of the base slab using shoring equipment that could be easily handled into the basement. It was for this reason we selected our Alshor Plus shoring system for use in the project, as it is a lightweight but strong aluminium solution.”

“As part of the preparation works for the propping system we removed a number of partitions, walls and stage areas in the basement. This was completed using a 1.5 tonne Brokk remote control excavator unit. From a health and safety perspective this was a much better solution to using a manned machine and also thanks to the skill of the operator, proved to be a very swift solution. Even though we were able to take advantage of using the excavator, the debris from the basement had to transported out of the building manually, using a large amount of labour.”

Open Spaces With the main demolition works starting on the 16th February 2013, the creation of the outdoor space is programmed for delivery just in time for a summer schedule of entertainment to be run by the council. “Our residents have been telling us for years that they hate the building and would like to see the sea views restored, and so I am delighted that we are now in a

Tel: 01908 562191 Fax: 01908 260461

position to fulfil these wishes. In the future we want to deliver an exciting leisure facility on this prime seafront site that local people can support and enjoy,” says Councillor John Beesley, Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council. “While we wait for a developer to come forward with a suitable proposal we will have a new public space to host a number of events throughout the year, from music and dance through to arts and sports.” With visitors and locals flocking to see the demolition in action, the most memorable show of all for the IMAX will be its last.

HIT THE DUST

To view an exclusive video of this contract, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/cx6a3bt

NEW & USED DUST SUPPRESSION EQUIPMENT FOR SALE OR HIRE www.aceplant.co.uk e:alan@aceplant.co.uk

on site

Erith Spearheads Slough Facelift Best-known recently as the bleak urban backdrop to the Ricky Gervais’ series “The Office”, Slough is undergoing a major transformation. And Erith Group is leading the charge, as Demolition reports.

Sir John Betjeman 's 1937 poem ‘Slough’ begins “Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough! It isn't fit for humans now.” It was originally written as a protest against the urbanisation of the countryside when 850 factories were built on greenfield sites. But, some 75 years later and parts of Slough are undergoing a long overdue facelift that would have given the poet laureate something to smile about at long last. Slough Borough Council has decided to regenerate the Britwell area with a new community hub, homes and shops. The Wentworth Avenue flats will disappear and new homes will be built on disused land on Wentworth Avenue and Long Furlong Drive and in the community hub will be a new library, new MyCouncil shop, a cafe, community hall, and meeting rooms.

ROTAR ENGINEERED TO GRAB ATTENTION AND EVERYTHING ELSE. THE PLANT MACHINERY SOLUTION SEPARATION/CRUSHING/MIXING/WASHING/SCREENING/RECYCLING/DEMOLITION

01606 835 544

W: www.worsleyplant.co.uk Worsley Plant, Road Beta, Brooks Lane Industrial Estate Middlewich, Cheshire CW10 0QF

on site Countryside Properties and Catalyst Housing has been selected by Slough Borough for the project which includes two sites within the Britwell estate providing a total of 255 homes: 154 for private sale; 54 for shared ownership; and 47 for social rent. Over 90 per cent of the homes will be houses, with a range of two, three and four-bedroom houses in addition to some one and two-bedroom apartments in small three-storey buildings, each with nine homes. Also to be included are around 1,500 m2 of shops, possibly including a health centre, parking and a bus turning facility. The two sites are located on Long Furlong Drive and Wentworth Avenue.

Site Clearance To spearhead the regeneration, Erith Group was brought in to clear the site. The 1950s development consisted of a six-storey tower block with surrounding two to three storey flats over eight shops together with a series of bungalows on an adjoining site. Starting in January, a three-week soft strip was followed by a three-week demolition scheduled to finish in March. However on starting demolition, Erith was horrified at the poor construction of the tower block. “There was so little rebar in the construction, it was a hard to say how it had stood for so long,” says site manager, Ryan Darsey. “The keying of the walls and floors was especially poor. As a result the facade of the building has been scaffolded to prevent it collapsing outside of the demolition site. It certainly tested our health and safety procedures and policies but we have the expertise and experience to deal with these sorts of problems.” Erith Group brought in a Hitachi 670 high reach excavator equipped with a Kinshoffer demolition jaw pulveriser – currently on demonstration with the company - for the main demolition, backed by a Hitachi 280 equipped with a Allied muncher to process the rebar.

k i t ta l k · b r e a k e r s

Breaking Free new course has been developed to ensure the safety of operators and operatives whilst gaining maximum productivity and working life from the breakers together with reduced owning and operating costs. “Operator misuse, abuse and neglect are universally accepted to be the single biggest cause of hydraulic hammer failure within the demolition sector,”

One of the UK’s leading demolition training providers – C&D Consultancy – has introduced a new training course to help companies and their operatives get the most out of their hydraulic hammers.

Woodward says. “Our training course is designed to overcome that problem by demonstrating best operating and maintenance practice to ensure that the operator is safe, that the breaker performs to optimum levels, and that wear, tear and failure are minimised.” Woodward says that some of the course content is based upon known principles and working methods and is designed to reinforce best practice. “Trying to break off too much material, levering the material with

C&D Consultancy, the demolition training specialist headed by John Woodward - immediate past president of the Institute of Demolition Engineers has unveiled a new training course aimed squarely at owners and operators of hydraulic hammers. Built around the Rammer operator training manual and backed by the Finnish hydraulic hammer giant, the

the tool, or hammering in the same position for a prolonged period will all impact upon the life expectancy of both the breaker and the tool. Long impact cycles of more than 15 seconds can cause the impact head of the piston to heat up, causing damage or “mushrooming”. The piston might also start to vibrate inside the cylinder, breaking the lubricating oil film and causing seizure between the piston and cylinder. In addition, the tool can heat up, causing more rapid wear.

If the material hasn’t broken after 15 seconds move the tool to another position; stress fractures will have already been created in the material,” Woodward asserts. “The training course will show operators how to approach specific tasks while covering items such as breaker and carrier matching, hammer, carrier and hydraulic hose checks, pre-start site checks, correct greasing procedures and general hammer care. With regular maintenance, you can avoid major, unplanned breakdowns, and ensure that your hammer achieves the highest possible levels of availability and profitability. For example, operators should know to check the tool bushings condition regularly. If they can insert a pencil between the tool and the lower tool bush, it may need to be replaced, or turned 90 degrees if that feature is available.” Woodward says that, although the training course is based upon the Rammer training manual, the course is open to companies running any breaker brand and is not limited purely to demolition applications. “Regardless of manufacturer or specific application, the challenges of optimum safety, productivity and reliability remain the same,” Woodward concludes. “By learning correct procedures, it is possible to increase hammer productivity and extend the life of the hammer and the tool substantially . With so many demolition sites, mines, quarries and recycling operations reliant upon a hydraulic hammer, a small investment in operator training can have huge benefits.” The new breaker training course is offered through C&D Consultancy: www.demolitiontraining.co.uk.

k i t ta l k · b r e a k e r s

Hired Guns Abundance of Cradles

Demolition contractors often talk about calling in the big guns. But, as Mark Anthony reports, an increasing number of them are abandoning their own weapons in favour of hired guns from Sandhurst Equipment Rental.

Sandhurst’s purpose-built facility opens onto a reception that looks and feels like a Mercedes car dealership, a polished breaker display hinting at the primary occupation of the company founded in 1972. However, it is the yard at the rear of the premises that illustrates the depth of the company's commitment to the attachments sector. Like any self-respecting rental operation worth its salt, the yard is largely devoid of hammers and attachments – if they’re in the yard, they’re not earning - aside from those in for maintenance and repair. But a seemingly endless line up of brackets and cradles covering virtually every excavator it is possible to imagine is a physical embodiment of a carrier database that is a key to the company's success

There must be something in the water at Whitewall Road in Rochester, Kent. Located a mere cannonball shot from the historic Chatham Docks - the new home of the Institute of Demolition Engineers - the innocuous-looking thoroughfare is the home of HE Services, one of the UK's largest and best known plant hire companies; plays host to Diggerland, a veritable Mecca for tyre kickers and plant fetishists alike; and is also the headquarters of the UK’s biggest renter of hydraulic hammers and attachments, Sandhurst Equipment Rental.

"We have an extensive electronic database covering all popular carriers and containing pin centres, cradle types, and relevant flows and pressures," explains area manager, Keith Evans. "When a customer calls us for a breaker or attachment, we know precisely what additional fixtures and fittings will be required and the processes we will need to go through to ensure that

name of the fitter that carried out any repairs. We know the full life history of every one of the 500+ breakers in the company fleet."

the breaker works first time and works well. " As a further safeguard, Sandhurst engineers install and test each breaker that is delivered to site. "Our engineers are all trained and qualified and know exactly how a breaker or attachment should be mounted and operated," Evans says. "It is vital that flows and pressures are correct if a customer is to get the very best from their attachment.

Dial B for Breaker Of course, modern excavators are designed to accommodate a wide variety of attachments, the required operating parameters simply being dialled into the on-board computer. Older machines require time honoured practices using flow and pressure gauges. All part of the job for Sandhurstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engineers.

In keeping with its ISO9001 and ISO14001 obligations, this process is replicated at each of the company's other five depots at Fife, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. And it's this degree of national coverage that sets Sandhurst apart from its more locally-focused attachment rental rivals and which has propelled the company to a position of market leadership.

CDM-C services & the for demolition industry

l CDM-C services for the demolition industry. l Demolition consultancy on projects of all types. l Method statements and H&S plans written.

l ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 systems written. &

CD &

l Site safety audits undertaken by NEBOSH ##%") certified '% ! %& "%auditors. ! ) %

Sandhurst's attention to detail is equally evident in the processes in place as each attachment comes off hire. "Every breaker and attachment is thoroughly washed and inspected by our workshop staff. Any required maintenance or repairs is carried out and any such work is logged," Evans continues. Each hammer carries with it a complete paper trail right down to the

% !' '% ! !

"(%& & %

+ )

l A One Stop for with ! ( Shop ! # !' &&assistance && !' "(%&demolition & *% '' ! '" &(projects. ' +"(% '% ! ! ! & '% ! !+' !+* % ! !+ !( % '% ! %& %' ) "(% '% ! ! & &# '+ ! * % %" % ##%") '% ! %&

01902 686363 or 07870 404906

! (&'%+ *

CD &

C O N S U LTA N C Y TRAINING DIVISION

'% && ! !' ! ) %& '+ "(%& & +"(% '% ! ! % "% & % $( % www.demolishdismantle.co.uk john.woodward@demolishdismantle.co.uk follow us on twitter @johnwoodward

k i t ta l k · b r e a k e r s

Top Quality Another key differentiator is the company's insistence on specialising in top quality brands: Atlas Copco hammers and Trevibenne attachments, for both of which Sandhurst is also the distributor. "Ultimately, our reputation rests upon the quality and reliability of our breakers," explains managing director Tim Dean. “When, for instance, a demolition contractor has overnight possession for a bridge demolition the reliability and performance of the equipment is of the utmost importance. It is possible to buy cheaper equipment but our loyal clients would not expect us to take that risk."

With its large rental breaker fleet covering carriers from 1.0 to 100 tonnes, Sandhurst is itself a major Atlas Copco customer. So, has Dean ever been tempted to switch his company’s allegiance? "There are some very good and competitive products on the market but we base the business on excellence. Sandhurst followed the Krupp brand when it was acquired by Atlas Copco a few years ago precisely because of the performance and reliability of the product, “ Dean asserts. “For example, despite the huge number of breakers we run, the hours they operate and the extreme conditions to which they're subjected on site, I cannot recall the last warranty claim we made. We could buy more cheaply but prefer to spend wisely“

Alternative to Ownership Like any company allied to the demolition business, Sandhurst has felt the effects of the current economic recession. But by providing demolition contractors with an attractive alternative to equipment ownership, it has largely ridden out the storm and emerged leaner and stronger. "Despite the advent of more flexible multi-processors, concrete crushers and shears, the hydraulic hammer remains a powerful and productive demolition tool. But for all its power, it is a lowutilisation and high capital cost item of equipment that can be an unnecessary drain on a contractor's balance sheet," Dean maintains. "An increasing number of companies now prefer to hire a breaker as and when

they need it rather than having one parked in the corner of their yard collecting cobwebs and depreciating in value." Perhaps the point of greatest interest is that Sandhurst has carved out and maintained such a large slice of the attachment rental business in the UK. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our competitors donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the range or that magic ingredient; the Sandhurst name,â&#x20AC;? Tim Dean concludes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been in the business from the early days, and the industry gives us credit for that very long association. Our name and reputation are synonymous with breakers and excavator mounted attachments.â&#x20AC;?

! " # $ ! ## ! $% # & # ! ! " $ " " $ % !

$ ## $ ' # & ( # ) % #

$ $ $ $ " $ $ * + , ( " ) $ " $ - # #. $ % $! - / #

k i t ta l k · b r e a k e r s

Breaking New Ground Mark Anthony reports on a specialist mining equipment company that has taken a fresh look at hydraulic hammer design to produce a unit that is claimed to be quieter and significantly more powerful than a conventional breaker of a similar size.

one end of a hunk of steel, transferring that force through the steel to the appropriately-shaped tip to fracture and break the chosen material. Is that proof that the basic design of the original hydraulic breakers was just so good and ahead of its time that, aside from a few cosmetic tweaks, it’s impossible to improve? Or does the design, development and manufacture of these vital demolition tools merely need a fresh set of eyes? Ian Webster of Webster Equipment certainly believes it is the latter, and has set out to prove as much with his RH-4500 high energy hydraulic breaker. And based upon our initial impressions of his new baby, he might just be right.

Save for making them a bit quieter, a tad more powerful, a smidgeon more hydraulically efficient and a soupcon more aesthetically pleasing, hydraulic hammers have remained largely unchanged in the 40-odd years that they have graced the demolition industry.

Run on Tick-Over Webster, best known for his line of Rock Wheel attachments, says he has been working on the design of the new breaker on and off for around 15 years. And, with patents still pending on the revolutionary design, he is somewhat cagey about what lies within the RH-4500’s

For all the technological wizardry at the disposal of the modern equipment designer and manufacturer, the hydraulic hammer remains, ostensibly, a piston striking

sound suppressed and distinctive ‘tubular’ body. “It does not work at all like a conventional breaker,” he says. “We utilise a larger weight and the hydraulics are used merely to prime it. As the weight is travelling downwards, there is no additional strain placed upon the carrier, just a slight kickback as the energy is released Slight kickback is an apt description, as Webster claims he can stand a glass of water on the breaker while it is working. “The water will move about a bit but it won’t splash everywhere or fall off,” he asserts. Although few contractors are ever likely to feel the need to operate their breaker with a cool beverage on top, that simplistic test illustrates another key factor in the RH-4500’s armoury. “In a conventional breaker, the hydraulic oil works really hard. This is clearly seen when a hammer has been operating for a prolonged period and the hoses get too hot to touch,” Webster explains. “Our system utilises considerably less energy. Not only does that help safeguard the hydraulic hoses and oil, it also means that we can operate our breaker on engine tick-over, greatly reducing carrier fuel consumption.”

1,720 Joules at the tip of the steel for a 2:1 power to weight ratio. The 650 kg RH-4500 develops 4,500 Joules to deliver a thumping 7:1 power to weight ratio equivalent to seven Joules per kilogram.

Join the Queue This story does come with a kicker, however. As it stands today, a new style hydraulic hammer that might revolutionise the sector is not currently available to buy. Recognising the global potential for his new product, Webster believes he will require additional investment to bring the product to market, whether that be as Webster Equipment or with a strategic partner. Either way, he remains confident that his breaker – and he is working on 150 (1,000 J), 450 (2,500 J) and 2,000 kg (12,500 J) derivatives – will be available in 2013. Just remember where you read about it first.

Shotgun vs Uzi The first thing you notice about the RH-4500 is the noise it generates or, more specifically, the style of noise it produces. While it is virtually impossible for the human ear to accurately pinpoint variations in decibel levels, the quality and frequency of sound from the RH-4500 is markedly different to that from a conventional hammer. Imagine the “bang-click” sound of a pump-action shotgun compared to the constant Uzi-style clatter of a traditional hammer and you have some idea of the difference. Based on a simple test on a block of concrete, that difference in sound is replicated in a difference in breaking ability. While a traditional hammer relies upon repeated, high frequency blows, the Webster unit opts for a less-is-more approach, hitting less frequently but hitting considerably harder. According to Webster’s trials, a standard 850 kg hammer will deliver a blow energy of

To view an exclusive video of the Webster RH-4500 in action, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/dyfy2u9

k i t ta l k · b r e a k e r s

Plugging the Gap Rammer has unveiled an important new hydraulic hammer model that plugs a gap in the company’s comprehensive product range.

A high energy mode uses a lower blow frequency for optimum breaking power in hard materials, such as reinforced concrete foundations; while a high frequency mode delivers a higher blow rate and reduced impact energy to break softer materials, such as limestone.

Rammer has unveiled an important new hydraulic hammer model that plugs a gap in the company’s comprehensive product range. Backed by Rammer’s exclusive Lifetime Warranty, the new Rammer 5011 is designed around a new operating principle first seen on the smaller 3288 and 4099 models. This allows the 5011 to be purpose-matched to specific applications for optimum performance across a broad range of materials and duties.

The Idle Blow Protector works regardless of working mode to provide greater levels of protection. Simplified and more robust hydraulics feature less valves and greater back-pressure tolerance, making them the ideal match for a wide range of carriers and hydraulic flow rates.

Suitable for carriers in the 43 to 75 tonne operating weight category, the 5011 model weighs in at 4,750 kg and slots neatly into the Rammer line-up between the popular 4511 and the proven 7013 units to provide customers with a complete range of large hammers.

The new unit utilises long-life, high-tension VIDAT tie rods for improved reliability, extended service periods and lower operating costs. The tool-retaining pins are locked by simple, reliable rubber rings, while the surface of the lower tool bushing has been specifically designed to provide longer tool life.

k i t ta l k · b r e a k e r s

Atlas Copco Offers No-Frills Breaker Line Atlas Copco Construction Tools has introduced a new line of stripped back medium hydraulic breakers to meet the specific needs and budgets of the UK market.

Atlas Copco reports that the new range is focussed on the essential: high performance, reliability and low weight. The MB Essential range doesn’t feature the DustProtectorII, noise protection or ContiLube II that are still available on other ranges. Instead the essential range focuses on the fundamentals of breaking.

“With the essential breaker you get the same high performance without the frills – you do not lose out on productivity,” says Keith Lambourne, Heavy Hydraulic Attachments Manager. The MB Essential offers an affordable high performance breaker at a time when firms across the UK are looking to get the most out of their equipment investment. The power to weight ratio and the efficiency has not been compromised; as with all of MB and HB breakers less power is required from the carrier while maintaining maximum impact performance. This allows smaller carriers to be used which results in lower investment cost for the carrier.

SPEC CHECK – ATLAS COPCO MB ESSENTIAL BREAKERS Carrier weight class (tonnes) Service weight (kg) Oil flow rate (l/min) Operating pressure Impact rate (bpm) Working tool diameter (mm)

MB 750 E 10-17 750 80-120 140-170 370-840 100

MB 1000 E 12-21 1000 85-130 160-180 350-750 10

MB 1200 E 15-26 1200 100-140 160-180 340-680 120

MB 1500 E 17-29 1500 120-155 160-180 330-680 135

MB 1700 E 19-32 1700 130-170 160-180 320-640 140

k i t ta l k 路 b r e a k e r s

Serenity Personified

With precious little to choose between the specifications of the leading marques, aftersales support can be the element that clinches a hydraulic breaker order. Mark Anthony visited Furukawa Rock Drills’ European hub in the Netherlands to find out what goes into supporting a global brand. Apathy, Abuse and Apps The Italians – those masters of style and élan – have a word: sprezzatura. It roughly translates as “the art of doing a difficult task so gracefully, that it looks effortless”. Although it is a word more normally associated with a nonchalant yet stylish mode of dress, sprezzatura applies equally well to the general atmosphere that pervades the Furukawa Rock Drills (FRED) European hub in Utrecht, a short hop from the flesh pots of Amsterdam.

Richard Yarwood reports that, despite the advent of smart carriers than can be ‘tuned’ to match the breakers’ specific requirements, a combination of manufacturer apathy and operator abuse remains the largest single cause of hydraulic breaker failure. “For all the fancy on-board management systems, a lot of OEMs and their dealers do not even own a flow meter. They fail to grasp that setting up a breaker’s flow and pressure levels correctly will help safeguard the breaker and the carrier upon which it mounted,” he says. “The other big cause of failure is operators levering material, operating in the wrong plane, or attempting to break off too large a chunk. If demolition companies want to get the best out of their hydraulic breakers, they should start by educating their operators in best practice and routine maintenance.” As a contribution to this, FRD recently unveiled an iPhone app educational game that allows the user to simulate correct breaking procedure. Just search Furukawa in the Apple iTunes store.

k i t ta l k · b r e a k e r s

For despite the fact that this 3000 m2 purpose-built hub is responsible for assembling and despatching several thousand breakers, cutter crushers and pulverisers each year together with the millions of parts to keep them working, the feeling here is one of quiet calm.

For one thing, the warehouse is spotlessly clean: not clean for a warehouse but non-MRSA hospital type clean. Eating your dinner off the floor would almost certainly contravene all manner of health and safety imperatives; but it would likely do your digestive system no harm whatsoever.

Attention to Detail The headquarters is overseen by managing director and CEO Mark Okamato, a man who has managed to harness a relatively small European workforce within a Japanese management style and attention to detail that puts customer service at the very heart of the company’s operations.

But, in addition to the cleanliness is the overwhelming hush. The facility employs just 12 people to manage products and parts despatch for the whole of Europe and a swathe of Africa, and yet it is so serenely quiet that you fully expect tumbleweed to blow across its neatly stacked aisles of breakers and four million Euros worth of spares. And this isn’t swan-like serenity in which all is calm above the surface while paddling furiously beneath. This is merely the result of a well-oiled machine doing what it does; and doing it well.

Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the warehouse that is home to hundreds of breaker bodies from the world’s largest hydraulic breaker manufacturing facility at Takasaki in Japan and outer frames from Europe that are brought together to make the FRD products delivered in the UK by ECY Haulmark.

Parts to the Fore Richard Yarwood asserts that FRD breakers boast the lowest lifetime costs of any breaker in the business and admits that he will “never get rich” selling Furukawa parts. Despite this, he has just appointed Nicola Kirkby to head up the company’s parts sales operations across the entire ECY Haulmark business. Kirkby brings with her a considerable amount of parts and industry experience having previously worked with Blue Group, and clearly has ambitions for the future. “I work on the basis that a salesman sells the first machine but it’s the aftersales support that sells the second, third and fourth machine. Customers today have very high demands. They want parts quickly and efficiently and they also want them to be priced competitively,” Kirkby says. “ECY Haulmark already has a reputation for offering some top quality brands. I want our parts business to be of a similar quality.” Richard Yarwood says he is delighted to have secured Kirkby’s experience and believes she will be a valuable addition to his team. “Parts are already our biggest seller, outstripping brands like FRD, VTN, OilQuick and Rubblemaster,” he concludes. “But with Nicola’s experience and ability to concentrate on this vital part of our business, I have high hopes for the future.”

Parts Picking A parts order from ECY Haulmark in the UK, for example, arrives at FRD in electronic format – the company is advanced stages of switching to an online “webshop” – and is immediately and wirelessly passed on to the warehouse where it arrives as a customer-specific packing list on a hand-held devicecum-parts scanner. The warehouse manager takes the device to the parts area – a two-storey array of floor-to-ceiling parts bins organised with near military precision – and uses the scanner to ensure that the part picked matches the part ordered. When a parts order is complete, all the parts are packed into a box sandwiched between two sheets of heat-expanding Instapacker foam that ensures the parts do not move or collide in transit. The electronic scanning of the parts together with the packing procedure ensures that parts return rates are well below the one percent level.

“Both we and FRD recognise that a hydraulic breaker is an intrinsic part of a demolition company’s equipment fleet. If it stops, the contract stops. So the entire focus of our combined aftersales support service is to ensure that the breaker is up and running again as quickly as possible. In most instances, that means we can have a replacement part at the customer’s premises within 24 hours, even if it is coming from Utrecht.”

“The FRD parts system is absolutely seamless and acts as the perfect back-up to our own £1 million plus parts holding,” says ECY Haulmark managing director Richard Yarwood.

k i t ta l k 路 b r e a k e r s

Doosan Extends Breaker Range Doosan Infracore has added two new models to its range of hydraulic breakers. 54

The new Doosan DXB130H breaker is suitable for excavators up to 22 tonne and has an operating weight of 1,090 kg and a blow energy of 2700 J. Designed for use on excavators from 22 to 30 tonne, the DXB190H breaker has an operating weight of 1,815 kg and a blow energy of 4000 J. All Doosan breakers are intended for demolition applications, offering several important features including a simple, robust design providing both economical and reliable performance, low maintenance costs, operator comfort and carrier protection. DXB technology ensures the carrier is protected from the effects of pressure peaks. The breakers include an energy recovery system and a patented valve system, increasing overall performance; a high quality piston and cylinder manufactured to precise tolerances; and an advanced dampening system to protect the breakers against blank firing. The close tolerances of the parts used in the breakers result in lower maintenance costs.

k i t ta l k

Doosan Makes Hy Impact Hy Impact Breaking Ltd, the specialist breaking contractor based at Burry Port in Carmarthenshire in Wales, has purchased four new Doosan DX520LC 52 tonne crawler excavators from Mason Brothers, the authorised dealer for the Doosan Heavy range in West and Central Wales.

“Engine and oil filter changes are at 500 hours which means a service is required about every 10 weeks or so and other oil and lubricant changes are scheduled at increased intervals,” he says. “Greasing for the boom and arm are from a central service point which saves time and there are other features such as a reversible fan which can be used to blow dust out of the radiators and there is good access to filter housings and so on.”

The Doosan excavators provide the perfect platform for large attachments used by Hy Impact Breaking such as Fractum impact breakers and hydraulic breakers used to recycle steel slag and scrap in the steel industry. “I worked closely with Hywel Mason at Mason Brothers to choose the right Doosan machine to meet our specification. The Doosan DX520LC excavator is an excellent all-round machine that is not only a very reliable carrier for the Fractum breakers but also for the large hydraulic breakers and buckets we employ in the different areas of our work,” explains Hy Impact company owner Tony Richardson. “The success of the Doosan DX520LC model as part of our fleet is demonstrated by our purchase of a fourth machine, making us the largest operator of this model in the UK.” Richardson reports that the low maintenance demands of the DX520LC model are a major attraction, as is the local aftersales support from Mason Brothers.

Hy Impact Breaking is the only company in the UK to offer the Fractum impact breaker and with four Fractum 200 units in operation, has the largest fleet in the world. The Fractum impact breaker is manufactured by Fractum ApS, based at Hedenstad in Denmark. Hy Impact Breaking uses the Fractum breakers for secondary breaking tasks such as recycling slag, moulds, castings and steel scrap, processing skulls and breaking iron. Tony Richardson continued: “We can provide much more precision and productivity than drop balls with the Fractum 200 breakers which have an impact energy of 200,000 J compared to that of 16,000 J typically for the largest hydraulic breakers,” Richardson continues. “We tend to work on pieces of material that weigh from 8-15 tonne and have to break them down into much smaller pie weighing up to 1 tonne that are suitable for feeding a furnace where they are melted down and recycled.”

k i t ta l k

Bespoke is Best

The word bespoke carries with it a certain weight of expectation: quality; exclusivity; fit; longevity; and, of course, cost. There is something about a pair of handmade shoes or a tailored suit that elevates the wearer above his off-the-peg peers. And the same applies to excavator attachments.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just shirts, shoes and suits that are available made-tomeasure. Mark Anthony visited Northerntrackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leeds HQ to see what the well-dressed excavator will be wearing this season.

Of course, modern excavators are designed to accommodate a broad range of attachments, each with their own weight, flow and pressure idiosyncrasies.

But to the well-attired excavator-about-town, that’s the equivalent of buying a pair of size 8 shoes in the hope that your size 8.5 feet will become accustomed to their restrictive leather confines.

“If a customer is looking for a regular attachment, the starting point of the conversation is the weight of the carrier as that will influence the size, weight and power of the shear,” he says. “But if someone requires a bespoke attachment – a mechanical pulveriser, for example – we start by asking just what the customer wants to achieve. Only by knowing what they want to achieve can we design, manufacture and configure the attachment to meet their needs precisely.”

Enter Andy Hair of Northerntrack: the tailor of the tracked excavator; the doyen of the demolition tool; the Armani of the attachment.

Engineering Flair Hair inherited the Northerntrack business, and his engineering flair, from his father Trevor in 1990 And while his company is, perhaps, best known as the UK importer for the Italian-made Trevi Benne attachments, it is the bespoke engineering part of the company’s business that still accounts for the majority of its annual turnover. With a foot in both the off-thepeg and the bespoke camps, Hair reports that even the starting point differs between the two.

In fashion terms, bespoke design and creation carries with it a hefty price tag. Not so in Northerntrack engineering terms, according to Hair. “Normally, to get a company to design and build a specialised attachment would entail a lot of expense.

k i t ta l k capital cost option and just make do. Smaller contractors doing intricate demolition know just what they want and what they need and that’s where we come in,” he explains. “If a company needs a shear to tackle a specific material or a grapple to pick up a specific item, we can work with them to develop a tailor-made solution that just wouldn’t be available anywhere else.” Although the bespoke clothing analogy is, perhaps, clichéd, it does share one other common trait with Northerntrack’s purpose-built attachments – Longevity. Of course, in the midst of a recession, the price premium of a bespoke attachment can be more difficult to reconcile. But Hair insists that, like in so many things, there is more to the argument than mere cost price. “In current economic times, the bottom line is a major consideration. We struggle to convince some companies that it isn’t necessarily a good idea to buy an attachment at an auction just because it’s £3,000 less than a new attachment from us. But they’re much easier to convince when, after a week on the job, the attachment falls to bits.”

Of course, there is a cost premium involved. But there are some customers and some applications for which only a bespoke-designed, custom-built solution will suffice,” he asserts. “It’s the same in the fashion world. There are lots more men out there wearing Marks and Spencer suits, but there are some for whom only a Saville Row suit will suffice. They appreciate that they’re getting something that matches their needs precisely, something that will last.”

Andy Hair readily admits that his bespoke products are over-engineered to ensure that they provide customers with a long, trouble-free working life. “Some of the products that we designed and built ten or even fifteen years ago are still hard at work on a daily basis with demolition companies up and down the country. And because we designed it and built it, parts are readily available, either out-of-stock or manufactured to order to minimise customer downtime,” he concludes. “I personally wouldn’t want to send anything out the door that had been built to a price or was sub-standard in any way. I am quality control and the buck stops with me.”

What You Want Hair reports that his customers cover the full gamut of the UK demolition industry but those opting for the bespoke attachment solution are not just the larger concerns with deep pockets. Indeed, he says that specialist contractors with a very specialised requirement are far more likely to go down the custom-built route. “General contractors doing runof-the mill work are far more likely to go for the low

To find out more about Northerntrack’s bespoke attachments, please visit www.northerntrack.com

R FO LE SA

INNOVATION IN EXCAVATION

HEAD OFFICE +44 (0) 1179 820 123

2009 into service 2010 Komatsu PC800LC-8, 43m 3 Piece Telescopic Demolition Equipment, 1950 hours

l Modular

joint l l 3-piece demolition equipment incorporating 43m telescoping boom l l Hydraulic extending /retracting undercarriage l l High visibility cab and Cab guard l l Additional counterweight l l Heavy duty belly plates l l Side impact protection l l Rangemaster l l Dust suppression with high pressure water pump l l 3m boom foot extension for use in standard and demolition equipment l

Available Immediately from stock, also available range of attachments SALES TEAM - CONTACT CONTACT NUMBERS Head Office

+44 (0) 1179 820 123

Rick Grove - Bristol Office

+44 (0) 7887 880 055

Matt Yelling Yelling - North London Matt

+44 (0) 7789 991 155

Web W eb

www.molsongroup.co.uk www .molsongroup.co.uk

Stuart Butler - Midlands

+44 (0) 7899 664 535

Dan Guibarra - South Coast

+44 (0) 7796 773 355

info@molsongroup.co.uk molsongroup.co.uk

Luke Mercer - South West West

+44 (0) 7786 330 022

Davey Robb - Crushing & Screening Davey

+44 (0) 7887 997 711

FFind ind us

FFacebook acebook

TTwitter witter

k i t ta l k

The Future is Green Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life there will be a hybrid excavator in your equipment fleet. Mark Anthony admits he got it wrong.

Revisiting Hybrids So with tail tucked firmly and protectively between my legs, I decided to revisit the Hybrid excavator conundrum and started with the actual technology behind this potential alternative to nasty and finite fossil fuels. “On our Hybrid HB215 excavator, there is an electric swing motor which has an energy recovery system included together with a generator set with a combined electric motor function, a capacitor and an inverter. The control of the hybrid components is fully integrated with the overall machine controlled systems, so that the electrical equipment can recover energy from the swinging of the upper structure of the machine.

When you’ve been doing this job for as long as I have, it is easy to become jaded and to dismiss any new developments as mere flashes in the innovation pan. And, to be honest, that was my inclination when I first stumbled across a Komatsu HB215LC Hybrid excavator hidden in plain sight at the company’s Birtley factory near Newcastle. Yes, it was whisper quiet and yes you could probably drink the water vapour emitted from the bit of the machine from whence smoke is supposed to belch. However, it all seemed a bit “knit your own muesli” and treehugging for a rough and tough environment like demolition. But, like that time in about 1988 when I decreed that mini excavators were fit only landscaping your window box, I got it wrong. Not only are hybrid excavators eminently suitable for certain demolition tasks, they are already carrying out these duties elsewhere in Europe and across Asia. And, if Komatsu’s Simon Saunders is to be believed, it’s only a matter of time before one joins a UK demolition fleet to help satisfy clients’ increasingly green demands.

k i t ta l k Like any green innovation, the hybrid excavator revolution comes at a cost but Saunders says it is important to look at the bigger picture beyond the purchase price. “It is certainly true to say that in terms of outright purchase price, the hybrid excavator is more expensive than the conventional one. But what we find is that the customers are very much more interested in the lifecycle costs of the machine. Komatsu aims for a two to three year payback. This comes not just from the fuel consumption benefits but also from the possibility to increase the customer’s business,” Saunders continues. “For all of the hybrid excavators that we sell in Europe, we work very, very closely with the customer, so he really understands how the machine works and what it does. We really try to show him and let them understand the benefits to his business and to his clients’ businesses.”

It can actually use the electrical energy to support the hydraulic functions of the machine, increasing digging forces for example,” Saunders explains. “This means that we can really minimise how much diesel is used by the machine’s functions.” At a time when fuel costs seem to have no upper limit, this will be like music to the ears of the demolition fleet owner or plant manager. “By taking some of the load from the diesel engine, users can save an average of 25 percent fuel consumption compared with the normal conventional machine or the same size,” Saunders asserts. “But in Europe, we have seen some customers achieving 30 or 35 percent fuel savings.”

Boys Keep Swinging Of course, such fuel savings are dependent upon many factors, not least of which is the specific application in which the machine is working. “You get the biggest fuel savings you have frequent swinging. This really gets the greatest benefit from the energy recovery on the swing motor. But the hybrid excavator will, in fact, do any job that a conventional 21 tonne machine will do. The only difference is in certain applications the dramatic fuel consumption savings become slightly less dramatic compared to the same application when done by a conventional machine,”

No Boffin Required Of course, when it comes to looking at lifetime costs, there are other variables that need to be thrown into the mix. Just how durable is this new-fangled technology and, if all goes pear-shaped, does it require a boffin to put it right? “In terms of maintenance, there are two extra checks to make. The hybrid system has its own cleaning equipment and it also has its own oil supply for lubrication and so on. So on standard servicing these are additional check points. Then the coolant and the oil need to be replenished every so often as well. But in terms of the hybrid components themselves, there is nothing particularly special there,” Saunders says, reassuringly.

Saunders explains. “In fact, we have actually now introduced two extra attachment circuits on the hybrid machine because we recognised that many customers actually want to use these machines for loading screens or crushers. We have also got a few machines working in demolition applications as secondary machines, cleaning up after the main demolition work. Those customers are also able to see some good fuel consumption savings.”

“Actually, we offer a full year and 9,000 hours warranty on the hybrid machine components to really demonstrate to the customer that he does not need to worry about these things at all. There are machines in Asia that have clocked up 15,000 hours now. When we looked at the condition of the hybrid components there were basically as new.” So, having convinced us that a hybrid excavator DOES indeed have a place in UK demolition equipment fleets, are we ever likely to see a hybrid high reach? “Our direction is towards applications with high frequency and amplitude swinging motions. On a high reach machine, the machine tends not to do a lot swinging movements, so the fuel consumption benefits would be less,” Simon Saunders concludes. “But you never say never.”

Demopedia The HB215LC is powered by the Komatsu Hybrid System, which includes Komatsu’s recently developed electric swing motor, power generator motor, capacitor and a 141 hp (104 kW) diesel engine. Komatsu developed its revolutionary hybrid system to work on the principle of swing energy regeneration and energy storage using the Komatsu Ultra Capacitor system. Komatsu’s Ultra Capacitors provide fast energy storage and instantaneous power transmission. The kinetic energy generated during the swing-braking phase is converted to electricity, which is sent through an inverter and then captured by the Ultra Capacitor. This captured energy is then discharged very quickly for upper structure rotation and to assist the engine as commanded by the hybrid controller when accelerating under workload conditions.

To listen to a full audio podcast on our exclusive interview with Komatsu’s Simon Saunders, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/aybowl8

k i t ta l k

JCB Strengthens Recycling Credentials At Bauma 2013, JCB will show the 20-tonne JS20MH; its first dedicated material handler for the waste and recycling industry.

The machine is aimed at public and private waste management companies handling municipal solid waste in civic amenity sites, transfer stations, materials recycling facilities (MRFs) and also specialist material recycling companies. Joining JCBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s established JS200W Wastemaster - a conventional wheeled excavator adapted for the needs of scrap and waste handling industries - the

JS20MH will capitalise on the company’s expertise in the production of high performance, reliable and durable wheeled excavators and will share the engine and hydraulics with the latest JS160W model. However, the undercarriage is a completely new design and the chassis features a centralised slew turret offering increased 360 degree stability over conventional wheeled excavators. The result is consistent operation and true material handler characteristics, aided further by a slew gear box which delivers increased slew accuracy while loading. Purpose-built for the waste and recycling environment, the machine features a hydraulically raised cab for loading containers, giving improved vision and safety on site.

Powered by the 97 kW JCB Dieselmax engine and fitted with a 5.7 metre straight boom, the JS20MH will be tailor-made for excellent material handling performance. The dedicated straight boom can be fitted with either a 4 metre ‘goose neck’ dipper for maximum reach, or a 3.6 metre material handling dipper for maximum attachment functionality - each creating a smaller rig than the JS200W Wastemaster. The maximum achievable pin reach is approximately 9.5 metres. An intelligent reversible fan gives optimum cooling performance and a wide core radiator is also built in. Front and rear light guarding and an air-conditioned cab for enhanced operator comfort come as standard, while cab guarding and red and white chevrons on the machine’s rear end for machine protection and on-site safety are optional.

L ’ e A e e m E o S s R t s e u h ‘Awe T ’ ‘ s ‘A M w ’ a e J i v o M

Rise of the Red Devil ‘200 tonnes of unstoppable steel’

Own it NOW From the team that brought you the GameChanger comes an epic tale of destruction on a cinematic scale To buy a feature-length, high-definition video commentary of The Red Devil in action, visit http://tinyurl.com/cntrbna