Demolition magazine - Issue #35

ISSUE 35

DEMOLITION The industry magazine like no other

Take a wrecking ball to your insurance costs At Square Mile Broking we specialise in the demolition industry and have over twenty years’ experience in looking after NFDC members. We have now introduced an exclusive demolition scheme with full asbestos and environmental liability cover.

You will enjoy the significant cost benefits our innovative approach brings whilst having the peace of mind that we have genuine expertise in your industry.

As award winning Chartered Insurance Brokers, our tailor-made policies can keep your premiums low while ensuring that you’re fully covered in every area you need to be and none that you’re not.

• Environmental Impairment Liability • Liability cover for drones • Full licensed asbestos cover to full policy limit • NFDC Discounts • Fees For Intervention (FFI) Cover • Financially secure ‘A’ rated UK based insurers • Extremely competitive rates with low minimum premiums • Extended period policies • No height or depth restriction • Workable Heat Condition • No hazardous works restriction

CALL US TODAY ON 0330 024 2980 OR EMAIL demolition@squaremilebroking.com

INSITE Our Own Worst Enemy

We have clients that seemingly exist primarily to make the life of the demolition contractor more problematic. We have legislators that erect goalposts that are apparently mounted on wheels to allow them to be moved easily and regularly. We have insurance companies that evolution will surely endow with fangs to allow them to extract blood from the industry’s veins with the minimum of pain and fuss. And we have fuel companies that have built their entire business model and pricing strategy on the title of the 1988 Yazz hit: The only way is up.

Amidst all of this, you might think that the demolition industry might unite to fend off collectively the numerous enemies at the gates; that the sector might come together to channel the Dunkirk spirit or to huddle together for warmth.

Sadly, the opposite is true. All too often, the industry’s default reaction is to turn upon itself the very weapons with which it should be fighting its oppressors.

We complain – loudly and constantly – about the fact that we are no sufficiently rewarded for our work. But, often in the same breath, we will cut prices to secure work. We gripe about clients that don’t pay on time, that withhold payments, that are somewhat less than scrupulous when it comes to parting with cash. A moment later, we agree to work for those same clients again. We happily break bread with organisations and associations that represent the very clients that would rather see a demolition firm fail than – perish the thought – pay their bills within a reasonable timeframe. We bemoan the fact that clients do not appreciate our skill or value our expertise and experience. Then, when a client demands that we do something we consider to be – at best – unwise, we quickly and all-too-readily say yes. A training organisation decides that all competence cards in future should be printed using ink fashioned from unicorn tears and we collectively reach for our wallets and empty the contents at their feet.

There is, of course, a fine line between unity and collusion; between revolution and commercial mass suicide. I am not suggesting for one second that the industry resorts to price-fixing to help drive profit margins back towards the reasonable and worthwhile end of the scale. But surely the time has now come for the industry to push back; to not sit idly by while it is undermined at every turn? Surely the time has come to say no?

• No, we won’t cut corners to abide by a contract schedule in which the demolition works were given little or no consideration?

• No, we won’t hurry up because the piling contractors are due here on Tuesday. They can wait while we do our work safely and properly.

• No, we don’t want a new competence card that proves we attended a training course on how to put on a hard hat without injury.

• No, we don’t want to be “paid when paid”. No, we don’t think that 90-day payment terms are in any way reasonable. And no, we won’t accept you withholding art of what is owed to us while you “check our work” even though the building you wanted removed is now so much 6f2.

Each of us wants to please. We are genetically predisposed to say yes when we’re asked a question. But enough is enough. This industry is smart and innovative. It possesses skills that are invaluable to clients. The time has come that we valued those skills ourselves.

The time has come to say no.

EDITORIAL

Mark Anthony markanthony@markanthonypublicity.co.uk 24 West Gardens, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey KT17 1NE 07973 465 166

SALES

Ben Chambers ben@demolitionnews.com 01903 952641 Luke Chaplin luke@chambers.media 01903 952643

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

info@chambers.media 01903 952640

PRODUCED & PUBLISHED BY

Chambers Media Suite 5 & 6, Chapel House, 1-6 Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1EX ben@chambers.media 01903 952640 Demolition is published 6 times a year by Chambers Media.

The subscription rate is £60 per year.

Subscription records are maintained at Chambers Media, Suite 5 & 6, Chapel House, 1-6 Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1EX Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Demolition Publications 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.

DEMOLITION CHALLENGES 2020 A survey by DemolitionNews.com and Demolition magazine.

survey

Our survey, which ran for the whole of December 2019, asked just one simple question: Which of the following, in your opinion, represents the greatest challenge to your demolition business going into 2020? (Please tick all that apply).

• • • • • • • • •

Winning Work Profit Margins Cashflow/Late Payments Increased Competition Staff Recruitment/Staff Retention Rising Costs (fuel/insurance/staff/training) Exposure to Risk Increased Regulation Other

Respondents checking the “other option” were allowed to leave notes and comments.

As respondents were allowed to check multiple boxes, the final results are not necessarily divisible by 100. Instead, the results show the percentage of respondents that checked each possible answer.

5

survey

BACKGROUND Honesty is the best policy, they say. So let me start with an honest confession.

When I first uploaded our Demolition Challenges 2020 survey on the DemolitionNews.com website and across our various social media channels, I did so with pretty low expectations.

We were nearing the end of what had been a not very good year for the demolition industry here in the UK; there had been far too many accidents; the political and economic outlook was feeling less than positive; and – frankly – I just wanted 2019 to be over.

But within minutes of uploading the survey, it became clear that we had struck a chord; that there was a pent up demand within the industry to share their fears and their concerns for the year that lie ahead.

We quickly changed the parameters of the survey to allow respondents to not just answer the single question we had laid before them, but also to leave comments. As we received responses from beyond UK borders, we set the survey to track the nation of origin of all the responses with the thought that we might need to present the findings on a country-by-country basis.

We needn’t have bothered with that final tweak.

Not only is demolition a world and a language unto itself, it seems that the challenges facing demolition contractors are largely the same in Watford and Washington, Sunderland and Sao Paolo, London, Lisbon, Limerick and Los Angeles.

With almost half of all respondents selecting this option, the greatest challenge said to be facing demolition contractors in 2020 is actually winning work in the first place.

By the time we closed the survey, we had received responses from 41 separate countries.

The level of response from the UK was equivalent to more than four-fifths of all the demolition companies currently active in the country. We received hundreds more from the US.

But that simple answer did not tell the whole story. So, rather than just taking the figures as presented, we contacted a cross-section of those that were kind enough to leave their names so that we could find out more.

This revealed a mixed bag of responses. Some were clearly concerned that the arrival of 2020 would see a downshift in demand and workloads that was beyond their control. Others expressed concerns about their own ability to win work in the face of stiff competition and increasing instances of price undercutting.

There was a widely held belief that demolition contractors

So, over the coming pages, we will present you not just with the findings of the survey but also with some of the comments that accompanied the responses. While these findings are presented in an editorial style, it is important to note that these are NOT the thoughts of DemolitionNews.com. Rather, these are the thoughts of the global demolition industry.

6

survey

Winning Work – 43.5% were facing increased competition, and not necessarily because of an influx of new demolition companies. The issue – apparently – stems from clients casting their net further afield for demolition solutions; accepting tender bids from a larger geographic area; hiring demolition companies from outside the region.

Less surprising, perhaps, was the concern expressed by some respondents about competition from unqualified and largely unregulated competitors or – as one respondent put it – “landscaping companies that think demolition is easy”.

Clients hiring contractors from further afield, competition from unregulated competitors, and price undercutting are all fears normally expressed during periods of recession.

Yet the UK construction (and, therefore, demolition)

industry has just enjoyed a period of two years’ uninterrupted and unprecedented stability; while the US economy has enjoyed a shot in the arm (and a kick in the pants) during Donald Trump’s otherwise controversial presidency.

However, perhaps this tone is merely indicative of the timing of the survey. The launch of the survey coincided with a General Election in the UK that would also decide the “will they, won’t they” saga of Brexit once and for all. Meanwhile, President Trump was staring down the barrel of impeachment proceedings that might yet have a negative impact upon the US and, therefore, the global economy.

While those recessionary-style concerns seem misplaced, their timing should not be overlooked.

7

survey

PROFIT MARGINS – 37.7%

CASH-FLOW/ LATE PAYMENTS– 36.2% Concerns over late payments and the likely impact upon cash-flow will have come as no surprise to anyone. This was, after all, a year in which Build UK – a trade association comprising some of the UK’s largest construction and civil engineering companies – established a fair payment scheme to ensure that its members abided by strict payment guidelines. It is the same year that Build UK reported that NONE of its members abided by their own rules. It is a year in which we saw a mini excavator operator rampage through the reception area of a newlybuilt hotel because he hadn’t been paid. It was the year in which the issue of retentions stepped blinking into the public glare. And it was the year in which a leading UK demolition contractor said: “This is surely the only industry in the world in which you don’t know how much you are going to be paid until the cheque arrives”.

Looking at the flash car and footballer lifestyles favoured by some demolition company principles, it is tempting to greet any concerns over shrinking profit margins with a cry of “the lady doth protest too much”. However, their concerns are valid, regardless of their choice of automobile.

In the past 10 or 20 years, we have seen equipment costs escalate, insurance and fuel costs explode, and labour costs chart a course for the upper stratosphere. Yet, the amounts being charged for carrying out demolition works as remained largely unaltered in that same period.

And while the economy cycle has thankfully failed to adhere to its usual 10-year cycle of boom and bust, there is an entire generation of clients out there that have only known recessionary and postrecessionary prices.

The blame for late payments and the resulting cash-flow problems lies not with the demolition companies but with those they work for. But the demolition industry is not beyond reproach.

Some (though not all) demolition companies are equally keen to hold onto any money that does eventually percolate down to them, subjecting their suppliers to the same plight as they themselves are forced to endure.

Yet concerns about profit margins speak to a wider truth than just stingy clients and rising insurance premiums. Those demolition companies that emerged – zombie-like – from the previous recession have seen their businesses regrow, expand and – in many instances – diversify. That recovery – welcome though it was – has come at a cost. Equipment run a little longer than usual during the worst days of the recession has since been replaced with shiny new kit with super-clean (and, therefore, more expensive) engines. A post-recessionary rise in demolition demand gave rise to an even more nomadic workforce willing to change employer at the drop of the (hard) hat for another five pounds or five dollars a week.

In addition, in an industry in which grudges between local rivals can last for generations, the demolition industry has an extraordinarily short memory when it comes to working for companies that are known late-payers. Rather than giving those tardy payers a wide berth, far too many in the industry will eagerly bid for work even though they know in advance that getting paid will be akin to extracting blood from the proverbial stone. Until the wider industry learns to walk away from those that will crucify it with queried costs, stalling tactics and late and even non-payment, cash-flow challenges look set to remain an integral part of the demolition sector.

Stir into this heady mix the demolition industry’s second greatest enemy (after safety) – a seemingly universal willingness to undercut prices to win work, literally, at any cost – and the profit margin concerns expressed by well over a third of all respondents seems well founded.

8

VISIT US AT BOOTH C3005

RDC-SERIES

INCREDIBLE CUTTING POWERS COMBINED WITH EASILY REPLACEABLE WEAR PARTS Power

Convenience

Material

Modern

Unique cylinder positioning, guarantees maximum force during total cycle Built of high performance structural steel

Unique pivot group and jaw alignment, longer lasting

Lowest fuel consumption and operational cost of cutting

Curious about our full range? Discover our products on www.rotar.com

survey

EXPOSURE TO RISK – 35.5% There has been a creeping realisation within the demolition industry – certainly within the UK – that the balance between risk and reward has been shifting a little too much in favour of the former and away from the latter. And little wonder.

Rightly or wrongly, there has been an on-going campaign to push responsibility upwards.

Corporate Manslaughter legislation means that a company founder or director could be facing jail time for an accident or fatality that has taken place on a site they (the founder/director) may have never set foot upon. At the time of writing, an on-going probe into alleged collusion within the UK demolition industry carries with it the very real threat that one or more company founders or directors could find themselves struck off as directors because of price-fixing that may have occurred – quite possibly without their knowledge – between less senior directors and middle managers.

The UK has already seen one company – Sloyan Doyle – walk away from the industry, the directors choosing retirement over the increasing risks associated with running a demolition company today. There are strong suggestions they may not be the last.

Demolition men and women – by their very nature – are not naturally risk averse. For as long as demolition has been a form of employment, it has carried with it risks, hazards and dangers.

For the bold entrepreneur, however, those risks have traditionally been offset by potentially huge rewards.

But the increase in financial and legislative risk in recent years has been accompanied by a marked stagnation or decrease in reward. Little wonder that respondents expressed their fears over their exposure to risk; little wonder that one company has already decided that the rewards no longer justify the risks; and little wonder that more demolition company founders are thought to be eyeing the exit and an early retirement rather than face an increasingly precarious future.

10

AVAILABLE FOR SALE & HIRE

NVD NOISE - VIBRATION - DUST ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Campbell Associates are the UK’s leading supplier of environmental monitoring equipment. Offering the highest quality equipment with support and service to match.

NOISE

VIBRATION

DUST

· Class 1/type 1 Instrumentation

· 8 months battery life

· MCERTS certified*

· Cloud based data download

· Rugged

· Low maintenance

· Advanced alerts

· Fully automated

· Advanced alerts

RELIABLE DATA ACCESS · FULL SUPPORT · TEXT & EMAIL ALERTS

*Certified by UK Environment Agency

CALL US TODAY: 01371 871030 HOTLINE@CAMPBELL-ASSOCIATES.CO.UK WWW.CAMPBELL-ASSOCIATES.CO.UK

survey

STAFF RECRUITMENT/ RETENTION – 34.9% As you will see from the “other” section shortly, the demolition industry faces a double-whammy, with an ageing workforce heading for retirement at one end, and a failure to engage with and attract a younger replacement talent pool with which to replace them at the other. Furthermore, with demand greater in some regions than in others, and with the promise of stable and well-paid employment from major projects such as HS2 and Thames Tideway, some of the demolition industry’s number have chosen to jump ship, at least temporarily.

Attempting to convince young people that operating an excavator is “just like using a PlayStation” has proven ineffective, primarily because using a PlayStation is not normally accompanied by pouring rain, mud, and the ever-present threat of unemployment. Furthermore, it does not address the wider employment issue. A demolition site involving 10 or 20 men and women might have just one or two excavator operators. Likening high reach excavator operation to a game of Call of Duty does not help fill the roles of general operatives, traffic marshals, banksmen, site supervisors, topmen, or a person to aim the dust suppression hose in roughly the right direction.

And yet, that approach is not entirely wrong. A recent report suggests that 49 percent of roles in construction and demolition require certain digital competencies from prospective candidates. The industry may have failed to convince young people that working in demolition is like a session on a games console, but perhaps it might convince those same young people that their skills with apps, tablet computers and social media could be highly valuable in this industry.

None of this addresses the second staff-related issue identified by our survey – That of retaining staff. There is no secret sauce to resolving this issue, however.

Well-rewarded staff that are looked after and who feel valued do not generally jump ship; and it is notable that some of the UK companies that have risen in both stature and influence in the past decade have done so off the back of a team that is vocal in its love for their employer.

The poaching of staff remains both a fear and a danger. But if this issue s to be overcome, the industry perhaps needs to look at why staff leave for a local rival rather than taking that local rival to task over its questionable recruitment practices.

12

survey

INCREASED COMPETITION – 23.2% There was a time when demolition contractors operated so locally that they knew their nearest rivals by sight and by name because – in all likelihood – they visited the same pubs and their children went to the same schools. That is no longer the case. Every demolition contractor is now a “national” contractor; and a London demolition firm might find itself competing against rival contractors from as far afield as Wales and Scotland.

Contractors have long travelled in pursuit of work. But the current situation has been exacerbated by a client tender process which is the demolition equivalent of an open invitation. Despite their stated desire to minimise cost AND environmental impact, clients now think nothing of dragging a demolition contractor, their workforce and their equipment hundreds of miles to carry out a job that would surely be more practicable for a local company.

And the perceived increase in

13

competition comes not just from within but also from outside the demolition industry. With no operating license required in the UK and with clients all-too-willing to look the other way in order to obtain the lowest possible price, there is virtually no barrier to entry within the sector.

As a result, we now have companies that claim to be plant hirers, rental fleet operators, used equipment sales outfits, and drilling and sawing specialists taking on true demolition work, often competing against the demolition companies to whom they supply and sub-contract.

The creation and implementation of a demolition license could overcome this issue pretty much overnight. But, for now, demolition companies can see their position threatened on all sides, a matter made worse by clients eschewing their responsibility to employ competent contractors and not just a landscaper with ready access to a digger.

survey

RISING COSTS – 22.5%

INCREASED REGULATION – 17.4%

From labour and wages to fuel and insurance, and from training to site security. Just about every facet of running a demolition business has risen sharply in price since the last recession was declared officially over. And this does not even begin to include the cost of the bureaucracy and red tape involved in bidding for and hopefully winning work.

In an age when each demolition contract is accompanied by countless piles of paperwork to be completed and tick-boxes to be ticked, we find ourselves in a situation in which we are investing thousands of pounds (or dollars) in time and wages merely to be considered for a job that we may or may not win. An industry that is constantly pressured to get jobs across the finish line now finds itself in the unenviable position of having to pay handsomely merely to get to the start line.

and interpret legislation to better help demolition companies navigate the shifting sands of the regulatory landscape.

The very fact that some of the larger demolition companies now employ people and even whole departments merely to keep abreast of changes in legislation probably tells you all you need to know about the impact of regulation on an already heavilyregulated industry. Indeed, the legislative climate has given rise to the birth of a new breed of specialist consultants that exist purely to ingest, comprehend

Despite our imminent departure from the regulatory clutches of Brussels and the European Union, this is a situation that seems unlikely to improve in favour of the demolition fraternity. Even as this is being written, there is widespread talk about the creation of a new building safety regulator and the injection of more (and much-needed) funding into the Health and Safety Executive in order to police it.

The quantity, quality and stringency of regulation governing the demolition industry has already increased; and it shows no sign of slowing.

14

Spe

cial

ists

in e

xca

vato

r en

gine

erin

g, a

ttac

hme

nt s

ales

and

hire

As main dealers for all OilQuick products we are able to offer, coupler systems, adapter plates, parts and service. OilQuick allows hydraulic work tools to be connected and disconnected from the drivers cab. The system is available for excavators from 1 to 120 tonne.

• F ast & efficient - The operator can change over attachments within a few seconds, such as hydraulic breakers, sorting grapples hydraulic magnets etc.

• Highest quality and precise fit • Safe - Safest system on the market. Safety features include, double hose break valves, lock switch with double function, a warning light and alarm • Cost effective - due to the fast tool change and efficient use of the excavator • Eco-friendly - as all of the OilQuick couplers are fitted with leak-free oil quick couplings which are eco-friendly

For more information call 01304 840621 or email sales@mutley.co.uk

www.mutley.co.uk

survey

OTHER – 14.2% If I were a betting man – which, thankfully, I am not – I would have wagered that the term Brexit would have featured extensively through both the responses to our survey and in the corresponding comments. Yet this accounted for just 0.7 percent of all responses (although, admittedly, this is a very British issue that is of little or no consequence to US, Australian or New Zealand demolition contractors).

By some considerable margin, the “other” category’s most popular response was a concern over – as one person put it – the “retirement of the industry’s old heads before suitable replacements have been found”. The explosive demolition sector has already suffered from this fate with the number of “young” blasters countable on the fingers of one hand.

Without some fast action, the wider demolition industry – particularly in key areas such as high reach operators and topmen – could suffer the same fate.

The industry has been suffering a skills shortage for as long as most of us can remember. It has been reported that the UK’s Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has collected over £1.75 billion in levies over the past decade, while the National Demolition Training Group is sat on a mountainous pile of cash that is beyond the dreams of avarice.

And yet, that skills crisis persists. And it could get a whole lot worse.

Regardless of the economic effect of Brexit, if the UK’s departure from the European Union makes the country less welcoming to migrant workers, we could be plunged overnight into a skills shortage the likes of which we have not seen since the cessation of hostilities after the Second World War. Although there were a handful of other fears and concerns expressed within this section – notably the rising instances of equipment and attachment theft – the other notable factor highlighted related, in various ways, to the demands of clients.

Some noted the tortuous process of bidding for work; others highlighted the unreliability of contract start dates; and many more cited the pressure placed upon them by clients to get demolition work completed so that “the real specialist contractors” could start work.

16

survey

CONCLUSION Did the overall findings of this survey come as any surprise?

Perhaps not. Did the strength of feeling expressed over the need to win work, falling margins, increased costs, staff loyalty and exposure to risk come as a shock?

Certainly not.

In fact, taking the findings of the survey as a whole merely serves to highlight the fact that very little has changed in the field of demolition.

Indeed, with one or two notable exceptions, the responses given in 2019 would have been equally valid in 2009, 1999 and even 1989.

There is no question that in terms of health and safety, environmental control and the equipment used to carry out demolition work in the 21st Century is streets ahead of all that has gone before. And yet, the challenges faced by the demolition men and women of today are largely the same as those faced years and even decades ago.

This is partly explicable by the cyclical nature of the construction and demolition industry. It often feels that we have just managed to get prices up when another recession sweeps in and pushes those prices back down again.

Increasingly stringent regulation has been a concern for more years than most of us care to remember; and staff switching employers for a few pounds more was just as prevalent when they were doing so for an additional farthing.

But there are aspects of these survey findings in which the demolition industry itself is at least partly culpable.

17

A willingness to travel hundreds of miles for work merely to keep men and machines employed is not sustainable and surely undermines any claims of environmental awareness. A willingness to work for clients that have shafted them previously is to the industry’s detriment and merely serves to perpetuate a climate in which fair payment is paid little more than lip service.

The industry skills shortage has been allowed to worsen, even while the coffers of the training providers have swollen and while working men have found themselves in the preposterous and unforgivable situation of being unable to afford the training they require and which their experience merits.

As for the threat of competition from unregulated, unqualified, inexperienced and even downright incompetent contractors could be cured overnight by the adoption and policing of an independent demolition license scheme. This is a view that is - rightly - gathering pace and momentum; and not a moment too soon.

Sadly, such a move would require a degree of unity, focus and compromise that is currently lacking within the industry. Against that background, I fear that the findings of the 2020 edition of this survey – should we elect to carry it out – will be pretty much identical as those for 2019. So while the business of demolishing structures improves week on week and year upon year, the wider industry finds itself in a Groundhog Day in which it is still facing the same challenges today as those faced by their father and grandfathers in the last century.

stuff

LICENSE CALL GATHERS PACE Maylarch chairman Nick Williamson has taken to social media to express his support for a demolition licensing scheme. And while he stresses the views are his own and not necessarily those of his company, it makes for a fascinating and insightful read.

The licensing of demolition contractors is a topic that has been discussed before. But with further advances in the professional nature of demolition (for example, the move into nuclear work and ever more complex city centre demolitions we are being asked to perform, the tightening of legislation and ever increasing height of the hurdles clients need us to clear) now seems to be a good time to revisit whether we as an industry should be licensed and what that might mean?

professional demolition contractors who develop so many good people and to give them certainty when they invest in their people and plant.

3. Recognition for the professional standards by which most contractors already operate.

4. Giving clients further proof of the competence they need and leaving them in no doubt about which contractors to select.

5. Ensuring demolition work is done by professional demolition contractors.

People are wary of additional legislation but it’s rumoured to be on its way in some form or other after some tragic recent accidents.

Let’s consider some of the possible advantages of a licencing regime similar to that employed in the asbestos industry.

Let’s take a look at the possible benefits in more detail.

1. An opportunity to further improve Health and Safety standards throughout the demolition industries and make clients and contractors more accountable.

2. Levelling the playing field, especially for smaller

All of those involved in or procuring demolition need to be part of the solution to improving health and safety. Licensing can be the conduit to deliver the improvements we all want to see.

There are also accidents which happen on sites where no professional demolition contractor has been appointed but should have been, and the work has been carried out by enthusiastic amateurs with no knowledge or experience of

18

risk assessing, planning or carrying out demolition work.

Licensing would give those clients who have demolition work to be done no illusions about who they should employ. Licensing would also give those who wish to operate as demolition contractors not only a level to aim for but a level of health and safety management that is required. This would have the effect of improving health and safety practices across the demolition and construction industry and further reduce accidents and injuries.

There are contractors out there who do not always have the understanding to stick to the regulations. If demolition work was carried out by licensed contractors, this would give those contractors a choice. Improve their knowledge and standards and get a licence or work for a contractor who does. This will have little bearing on reducing competition, as every contractor sees projects differently and brings their own set of skills and experience to innovate and solve the challenges that are inherent in every demolition job.

When production is what you need.

United. Inspired.

Epiroc grabs - when production is what you’re after, not downtime With their steady grip and virtually constant closing force, Epiroc’s robust and versatile MG multi grapples handle any material with the utmost precision. They are ideal for demolishing wooden and masonry structures as well as loading and sorting various materials. The 360° endless rotation allows optimal positioning and precise handling, and the solid perforated shells provide excellent visibility for operators.

The comprehensive range of sizes covers everything up from 0.7t machines. Their versatility and low maintenance requirements make them a valuable asset on any site.

Epiroc UK & Ireland Ltd Email : hat.uk@epiroc.com Tel : 01442 687004

www.epiroc.com

stuff It would just be a more level playing field and encourage and give certainty to business to invest in their people and their kit. This would really help smaller professional demolition contractors compete on the smaller contracts. The client will get a better job and health and safety would be improved.

Over the last 10 or 20 years, and beyond, both the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) and the Institute of Demolition Engineers (IDE) have helped contractors and individuals get recognised for the skills and professionalism they bring to solve complex demolition projects, in their normal working day. Also the NFDC and IDE have given the demolition industry a voice at various high tables which has been an obvious benefit to both members and non-members alike. Licensing demolition contractors would build on this work and enshrine recognition of the remarkable skills and professionalism they and their people bring to solve the challenges posed by demolition projects.

Clients are now fully aware, or their representatives are, of their duties under the CDM 2015 Regs to prove the competence of the contractors they employ before they employ them. This should be very much the

case when they have demolition works to be done as the liabilities therein - if the works are not carried out competently - could be very damaging not only to individuals lives but also to their reputations.

Licensing would also help to ensure all works in a demolition contract are supervised and carried out by competent people with proper due diligence and planning. Licensing would go some way to prove clients have done their due diligence and give a benchmark for all to aim for.

The Fee for Intervention (FFI) scheme is seen by many as the first steps to making all industries fund the HSE and minimise public money being spent on investigating health and safety breaches. With this in mind would it not be better to pay a fixed fee for a licence, as the asbestos removal contractors do?

A licence for demolition work could be for three years. The fee would not only cover licensing but also site visits.

A couple of examples of how easily licensed demolition work could be defined: • any works (taking down/striping out) which are part of a notified project (F10) and or • any works (taking down/striping out) over three metres in height.

I am sure the definitions of what is and what is not licensed demolition work would be hotly debated.

When an inspector comes to visit for a new licence or a renewal, they would be looking at the contractor in the round, what management systems, record keeping, health and safety systems, training systems are in place; in short, all the things that the majority of demolition contractors already do. I think the majority of professional demolition contractors across the UK would be able to meet the standards.

Talk to any HSE licensed asbestos removal contractor about how hard they work to meet and improve their standards. Licensing doesn’t stop accidents but it will ensure that businesses will have big incentives to improve and meet the health and safety standards required.

The professional demolition industry spends a lot of time and money training and developing our people and also investing in our plant and equipment, to then be undercut sometimes by those who don’t bother, this is not sustainable.

There is obviously a lot of devilish detail to get through to start being licensed. But in my opinion - and that’s all it is - is its overdue and I feel we, in the professional demolition industry, should take advantage of this opportunity to again try and shape our own future, to help level up the playing field, especially for smaller professional contractors who continue to invest in their people and plant.

So, in short, licensing would help improve health and safety; reduce all accidents; level up the playing field; ensure the majority of demolition work is carried out by a competent contractor; and ensure continued improvements within the demolition industry.

20

E Q U I P M E N T

FIELD TESTED WORLDWIDE

McCloskey the worlds largest independent manufacturer of mobile crushing and screening equipment CONTACT Z 0800 0850 445 or 01235 832 407 E sales@mccloskeyequipment.co.uk D www.mccloskeyequipment.co.uk

Proven performance for over 30 years McCloskey’s field tested equipment leads the industry with a complete line of high performance crushers, screeners, trommels and stacking conveyors. Proudly serving industries worldwide including: quarry & mining, waste management and recycling, aggregate processing, construction and demolition, wood recycling, composting and landscaping.

All McCloskey products are carefully designed at the worlds premier crusher and screener design office in Co Tyrone and manufactured by a dedicated team of engineers with high quality components and vigorously field tested in the harshest environments to ensure maximum performance and durability.

Discover why McCloskey is an industry leader and the largest independent manufacturer of portable crushing and screening equipment in the world.

CRUSHING | SCREENING | TROMMELS | STACKING | WASHING

stuff

MODERN FAMILIES

Armac Group is safeguarding the future of its widelyrespected business by rewriting the rules of succession.

Demolition magazine’s Mark Anthony reports.

When writing about succession within family businesses, journalists are generally required to fall back upon cliché and perceived wisdoms.

We are expected to use phrases like “passing the baton” or “taking over the reins”. We are required to talk about knowledge as something influenced by the laws of gravity that ensure that it always flows in a downward direction. And, of course, we generally trot out the old adage that the first generation of a family business has the idea; the second generation has the drive to consolidate and grow upon that initial idea; and that the third generation – drunk on privilege and distracted by a mouth overstuffed with silver spoons – then pisses it all up the wall.

If you’re expecting any of that here,

however, you’re about to be bitterly disappointed. This is Armac Group.

And Armac Group does things differently; so differently, in fact, that the company is built around not one but TWO families.

MERITOCRACY

I am sat at a round table in the office of Armac Group managing director Mark Dudley. To my right is Mark’s son Andrew; to his right is his father Mark. Opposite me and to Mark’s right is joint managing director Adrian McLean who is sat with his son Cormac. Completing the circle is Robert Dudley, the third member of the Dudley triumvirate.

Adrian’s brother and Cormac’s uncle Noel is conspicuous by his absence, although it is likely that he is busily planning or orchestrating another major demolition to reinforce the

22

company’s formidable and growing reputation as the “Bridge Busters”.

It quickly becomes clear that the sons are here on merit, not nepotism. In fact, none of them came directly to Armac at all. Andrew Dudley cut his teeth handling the marketing of the Exeter Chiefs rugby team while his brother Robert worked his way up the ranks at blue-chip civil engineering giant Skanska, including a six month stint in Stockholm. Cormac McLean is currently at Birmingham University studying Civil Engineering prior to joining the family firm full time when he graduates. And at just 18 years old, he has already forgotten more about demolition equipment than most of us will ever learn and is not afraid to point out to experienced equipment companies the potential pitfalls of their latest product

STUFF offering.

“Recruitment of people we can rely upon and whom we can trust is difficult,” explains Mark Dudley.

“But if we can recruit from within our families, it works for everybody.

Adrian and I don’t want to be at the sharp end forever. So if they take to the industry, this is a golden opportunity for our sons.”

SELF-DEPENDANT

There currently seems little question that the second wave of Dudleys and McLeans will take to the industry. Even though he studied civil engineering and worked at Skanska for a while, demolition is in his blood. “After graduation, I had a simple choice of working in an office in a consultancy role or working on site. And I had no desire to work full-time in an office,” says Robert Dudley. “I enjoyed my time working in a Tier 1 environment but I was always aware that we were reliant upon the input of dozens of companies and hundreds of people.

At Armac, we are self-dependant.

We make the decisions, we set the agenda and we set our own standards. A good idea here can have an immediate impact upon the company.”

Those good ideas are exemplified by the company’s pioneering use of the OilQuick automatic quick coupler system that allows attachments to be switched quickly and safely in a matter of seconds. In fact, it was Armac’s adoption of OilQuick that sparked an industry interest in automatic quick hitches that continues to this day.

A MATTER OF TRUST

For all the talk of passing the baton, succession and father/son trust, there is a difficult question that needs to be addressed: Why would you want your son and heir to work in what remains a hazardous industry?

“As a company, we are very proactive in the field of safety,

23

stuff regardless of who it might effect,” states Mark Dudley. “We invest in the latest equipment, we utilise the latest techniques and we invest heavily in all forms of training to ensure that our entire workforce is as safe as possible.”

This is a view echoed by Mark’s son, Andrew. “The subject of safety never really came up when I was coming into the business,” he says.

“It’s a mater of trust. I know that my father would not put me, my brother, or anyone else in harm’s way.”

PUSHING BACK

Although it might not be quite as big as some of its contemporaries in London, Armac Group is universally respected and even admired by its competitors. It is seen as a pioneer, particularly in the field of equipment where both Adrian and Cormac McLean research continuously to identify even the tiniest opportunity to improve. The company’s

bridge demolition capabilities go way beyond its “Bridge Busters” nickname to the point that a major UK bridge demolition job carried out by anyone other than Armac is just cause for a raised eyebrow.

And Adrian McLean remains a vocal and active advocate for all that is good about the Institute of Demolition Engineers (IDE), organising and hosting countless Midlands regional meetings when other larger regions can’t be arsed.

But there is something unwritten and unseen for which Armac is even more admirable; a trait that will stand the company in good stead when the next generation eventually takes up the reins. That trait is a polite yet unwavering willingness to stick to its guns; to push back when expected to do something unwise or unsafe; a readiness to wield its experience as both a shield and a weapon to ensure that projects are done the right way. The safe way. The

24

STUFF Armac Way. “It’s not unusual for us to be given a demolition programme by a client. The easy way is to just accept it and move on. But we ask ‘who wrote this’ and ‘what are their demolition qualifications’.

We don’t do it to be awkward,” Mark Dudley insists. “We do that because we are the demolition experts. We know how long a project will take and we know the demolition sequence better than anyone. We do that because we have been employed based upon our expertise and our experience.”

That is easy to say when you’ve had decades in the industry; and when your father is a former president of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors. Not so easy, perhaps, when you’re just 18 years old and when many in the industry still refer to you as “Adrian’s son”.

Don’t be fooled. Cormac McLean exemplifies that push-back mentality as well if not better than his father.

During a recent IDE meeting, Cormac reportedly spent a long time pointing out what he perceived to be shortcomings on certain products within the worldleading product range of none other than the mighty Caterpillar.

But, as a Caterpillar representative intimated to me, these were not opinions born of privilege and delivered smugly or arrogantly.

They were opinions born of intensive study, offered in a helpful manner. “Some of what Cormac said was inspired,” the Caterpillar man said to me. “He really knows his stuff.”

And there you have it. When Mark Dudley and Adrian and Noel McLean finally decide to hang up their boots, they can do so safe in the knowledge that their boys have inherited the ability to push back.

And they can do that because they each know their stuff.

25

stuff

ASBESTOS-AWARE APPRENTICES In an effort to halt the growing numbers of tradespeople contracting fatal asbestos related diseases, one of the UK’s leading authorities on asbestos training is urging employers to deliver asbestos awareness training to all apprentices.

Research has shown that younger people, if routinely exposed to asbestos fibres over time, are at greater risk of developing deadly asbestos related diseases than older workers.

Providing apprentices with key information about asbestos at an early stage will enable them to challenge poor work practices and protect themselves.

Craig Evans, Chief Operating Officer of the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA), urged: “With the death toll from occupational exposure reaching crisis levels in the UK, UKATA is calling on all employers of apprentices working in trades, to receive asbestos awareness training as soon as possible, whether that’s through a college or with their employer.”

Apprentice electricians, plumbers, carpenters. joiners, heating and ventilation engineers, painters and decorators are just some of the 1.3 million tradespeople that are at risk from exposure to the killer building material. And the facts are startling: • Asbestos kills around 20

26

•

• •

tradespeople in the UK every week, making it the single biggest cause of work-related deaths (www.hse.gov.uk/ asbestos/tradesperson.htm) Electricians are almost 16 times more likely than the general population to develop the killer lung disease mesothelioma in their lifetime. (Occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risks in the British population: a case-control study.)

Asbestos exposure kills 4 plumbers every week (Health & Safety Executive) 598 carpenters and joiners died between 1991-2000 as a result of an asbestos disease

DEMOLITION DELIVERED

Booth F2732

The Demarec range: Powered by KINSHOFER

Festival Grounds March 10-14 Las Vegas

Demolition & Sorting Grabs: D-HD

Concrete Crushers: DCC

Multi-Quick Processors: MQP

Dedicated Demolition Line: DL Series & DR Series

Static Pulveriser: DSP

Mobile Shears: DRS

Mobile Shears: DXS

Rail Cutter: RC

Global expertise, local know-how Contact us today to find out how we can benefit your business Kinshofer UK 4 Milton Industrial Court, Horsfield Way, Bredbury, Stockport, Cheshire, SK6 2TA

@KinshoferUK

0161 406 7046 kinshofer.com sales-uk@kinshofer.com

stuff •

•

1 in 17 British carpenters born in the 1940s will die of mesothelioma (Cancer Research UK and Health & Safety Executive) The UK has the highest death rate from mesothelioma in the world. The risk is highest in people who were exposed to asbestos before age 30.

(Institute of Cancer Research)

• Despite the well-publicised health risks posed by asbestos, a 2017 survey conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of 500 tradespeople showed that less than a third were aware of the correct ways to deal with and handle asbestos in the workplace.

“It’s never too early to deliver asbestos awareness training to your workforce. The statistics show that the earlier in a person’s career they receive the appropriate training,

then the better protected they are against developing asbestos related cancers in later life,” Evans explains.

“A simple half day awareness course could prevent them from contracting a deadly disease and also ensure they don’t expose others to the dangers of asbestos.”

To ensure young people have access to asbestos awareness training before entering the workplace, UKATA is supporting the Learning Occupational Health by Experiencing Risks (LOcHER) project.

The LOcHER project idea originated within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and aims to support colleges to help students develop valuable employment and life skills, so they feel equipped to lead change in their careers and the industries into which they progress.

For employers whose apprentices

are yet to receive asbestos awareness training, UKATA advises that they access UKATA approved asbestos awareness training, either with a local provider or online.

“Asbestos awareness training is low cost and readily available. I urge all employers to book their apprentices on these half-day courses and provide them with a safe foundation for a long and safe career within the construction industry,” Evans adds.

UKATA approved asbestos awareness courses are available both online and in training centres throughout the UK. Alternatively, the training provider may deliver on site.

To find a UKATA approved asbestos training provider near you, visit www.ukata.org.uk or for free advice call our team on 01246 824437.

Form it. Stack it. Change it. Move it.

CUSTOM 00

>

50

IE

S

S ER

IN

UK CONCRETE SHOW | BIRMINGHAM 25 & 26 MARCH 2020 VISIT US AT STAND 22

>5 0

THE UNIQUE BETONBLOCK® SYSTEM

COUNT

R

Head Office Holland | T +31 (0)72 503 93 40 | info@betonblock.com | www.betonblock.com | BB adv 190x133mm EN.indd 2

28

23-01-20 12:01

THE

BEST FOR...

Metal Recycling Investment in the very latest processing capabilities has seen Wokingham Metal Recycling acquire two SEDA Fixed Station De-pollution rigs. Top prices paid for your scrap metal, scrap cars and MoT failures. We also supply Scrap Metal Skips of all sizes free within a 40 mile radius.

Wet Waste Wokingham Wet Waste is one of the countries leading Waste Management companies in the UK, embracing new technology and the very latest equipment available in order to deliver real added value to our clients. Interceptor emptying and cleaning are one of our specialities.

Loo Hire We not only provide facility hire but offer an unrivalled waste disposal service which has catered for many of the UK’s major outdoor events.

The A1 group has delivered total waste management solutions for over 15 years and has developed A1 Loo Hire to meet significant growth in line with increasing client requirements.

Car Spares 1000s of parts for new plate/late model vehicles.

We have invested in the very latest second hand car processing capabilities. Not only do we de-pollute end-of-life-vehicles (ELVs), but we also offer you second hand car spares at amazing prices.

Contact us for more information or visit Highland Avenue, Wokingham

Tel: 0118 978 5143

www.a1groupuk.com

stuff

FIVE-POINT PLAN

According to Eddie Cochran, there were “three steps to heaven”. According to Veritas Consulting’s David Cant, there a Five steps to construction safety risk management.

Managing risk is important in any business, any industry, and every company. But it comes at a price – not that construction safety risk management is a costly exercise – it’s part of the fabric of every successful venture and helps to maintain stability and growth.

Without proper construction safety risk management, growth will always be limited and stability will be compromised. Safety management helps maintain a happy workforce, minimises the risk of staff downtime and helps retention; all of which are key to keeping the bottom line is a good place.

In practice, it’s often wise to get outside help to assess your business needs, but as a first pass, there are five basic steps that can be taken to make sure things are at least moving in the right direction. Firstly, in order to manage it, you have to understand what it is.

In simple terms, risk management is the practice of identifying, evaluating monitoring and reducing (or mitigating) the risks present in a workplace or business.

While we like to think there aren’t risks in business, there are. It’s a fact, and

30

STUFF they need to be considered and managed.

As well as helping with the workforce morale and retention as noted above, done right, risk management can actually inform a business and the board of the risks that are inherent to their operation.

By knowing and understanding what risks are faced, mitigation and avoidance are much more achievable.

In order to do this, there is a process or a framework that should be adhered to. this is a five-step process and it begins with the identification of any and all risks that apply to a business.

Step 1 – Identification:

A risk cannot be managed or reduced if it isn’t known about and identifying all the risks your business may face means considering every aspect of your operations.risks will fall into one (or more) of a number of categories including legal risks, environmental, market, regulatory and competition.

This is not an exhaustive list, and there will be many more entries in your assessment, but as a starting point, these may uncover other areas – other risks – you hadn’t otherwise thought of.

It’s worth bearing in mind that many of these risks may not be identifiable without physically walking around and talking with your teams. any risk associated with manual handling for example or the physical processes that take place in a warehouse may not be properly documented.

By talking to people actually doing a job, the insight you will receive will be much greater. This process may also help staff to appreciate that their safety is a high priority for the company – being seen to actively identify risks can generate a trove of information that would otherwise be almost impossible to uncover.

Step 2 - Analysis:

Once risks have been recognised, the extent of each risk has to be confirmed. Some risks will by their very nature be more serious than others. While one risk might lead to a minor inconvenience for a short period of time, some risks will have the potential to bring the whole operation to a standstill. In any assessment and management process, there will be a prioritisation of high risk over low risk.

Both are important, but mitigation measures should be put in place for the ‘big-ticket items’ first. Another important part of the analysis is to map risks and make notes of any documents, policies and procedures that are linked or related to them.

With such a mapped framework, the possible extent of risk can be spotted.

Step 3 - Evaluation:

While analysis deals with seriousness and severity of risks, evaluation is more of a prioritisation exercise – but this is intrinsically linked to the results of the analysis. The ranking process involved in evaluation is key in determining what action needs to be taken. It may be that a company identifies a number of vulnerabilities, all of a low level, which can be dealt with fairly far down the management hierarchy and without any involvement of the board.

However, just one high rated risk – that has the potential to bring the whole business to its collective knees – will almost without exception require the involvement and intervention at the highest level.

Step 4 - Treatment:

It makes sense that you don’t want to have risks present in your business, but eliminating them altogether is simply not feasible.

Where a risk cannot be realistically removed, it comes down to containment; mitigation; reducing the risk as much as possible, without bankrupting the company at the same time.

31

This is referred to as minimising risks ALARP – or As Low As Reasonable Practicable. This is the balance to apply in all walks working life. If a risk is low level, and may only cause minor, shortterm inconvenience to a couple of processes every now and again, spending a lot of capital on removing the risk doesn’t make sense.

In this situation, any steps that can be taken simply and cheaply to mitigate or reduce the risk would be seen as acceptable.

Step 5 - Monitor and review:

The final step in this simplified process is to continually monitor – especially any risk deemed catastrophic, and also those that are deemed acceptable. Identifying a risk as minor is all well and good, but unchecked and without continual monitoring, a simple low-level risk could escalate and become more widespread.

Without continual review, a lowlevel risk like this could become a high-level risk, without any change in processes, practices or mitigation measures.

Don’t kid yourself that your company is operating at peak efficiency and that you are untouchable – that way danger looms. every business faces risks, and following these simple steps is a good starting point for management, but it’s worth consulting with an expert at some point to ensure nothing has been missed and the practices and procedures for continual monitoring and review are in place.

More often than not, it’s the final stage of that five-step process that gets missed out, and that in itself poses a high-level risk, so take the time to invest in some construction safety risk management – the chances are it will save you money – if not more.

• 100% Designed & Manufactured in the UK

DR-Range

• Diesel Powered by world leading Kubota engine • Industry’s safest & most flexible radio remote control system

The

WORLD’S FIRST

• Sophisticated hydraulics for increased power & smooth operation

Dual Diesel AND Electric Remote Control Demolition Robot

• Intelligent ES Robotics Robo Power • 2 Speed Tracking • Intelligent DC Motor, requiring 30% smaller generator • DR125 includes expanding undercarriage

72kW

up to

Revolutionary World First With our world leading British engineers the #Akula range offers a truly huge step forward in Demolition, Mining & Tunnelling Machines with the WORLDS FIRST & ONLY machine to be able to operate in Diesel OR Electric mode within the same machine. No more paying double money for two machines for the two power sources! ES Robotics #Akula machines can simply operate in Diesel OR Electric mode at the flick of a switch on the remote!

Radio Remote Control

Intelligent Hydraulics

Interested in becoming a dealer?

Contact Chris James - chris@esmanufac.com

Diesel Power Unit

Akula DR-Range

Diesel Output

DR125

14kW

DR300

20kW

DR450

46kW

DR850

48kW

Akula DR-Range

DC Output

DR125

68kW

DR300

68kW

DR450

72kW

DR850

72kW

Electric Power Unit

Rubber or Metal Tracks

Single or Double Dozer Blade?

AKULA Dimensions

DR125*

DR300

DR450

DR850

A

Blade(s) Width

1,240 mm

1,500 mm

1,960 mm

2,220 mm

B

Min. Tail Turning Radius

620 mm

790 mm

1,290 mm

1,500 mm

C

Main Body Width

990 mm

1,350 mm

1,760 mm

2,150 mm

D

Overall Width

990* mm

1,500 mm

1,960 mm

2,200 mm

E

Overall Length

5,015 mm

4,470 mm

7,300 mm

9,930 mm

F

Tumbler Distance

1,230 mm

1,560 mm

1,990 mm

2,300 mm

G

Blade Max. Lift Above Ground

280 mm

360 mm

440 mm

500 mm

H

Blade Max. Drop Below Ground

190 mm

320 mm

405 mm

500 mm

I

Machine Overall Height

1,100 mm

1,400 mm

1,650 mm

1,850 mm

J

Max. Height Reach c/w Hammer

5,600 mm

6,232 mm

8,046 mm

10,334 mm

K

Max. Depth c/w Hammer

3,795 mm

4,450 mm

5,706 mm

6,684 mm

L

Min. Swing Radius

1,440 mm

1,980 mm

2,460 mm

2,420 mm

M

Shipping Length

3,545 mm

4,040 mm

5,500 mm

6,930 mm

N

Max. Reach c/w Hammer

5,117 mm

6,658 mm

8,552 mm

9,914 mm

* AKULA DR125 comes with expanding undercarriage, 990 mm expanding to 1240 mm.

g

in

in

www.esmanufac.com

ish

ss

Tel: +44 1525 719994 Email: sales@esmanufac.com For full technical details and specifications please visit our website.

r ee

ld

or W

a Cl

it Br

g En

ON SITE

DOWN AND DIRTY DOOSAN

FW Bau, the construction company based in Salzhemmendorf in Germany, has used a Doosan DX255LC excavator to dismantle a concrete tank at a sewage treatment plant at Malente in SchleswigHolstein.

This is not the only project where the company is putting its trust in Doosan excavators. Since the DX255LC, the company’s first Doosan excavator, went into operation in April 2018, FW Bau has purchased four more Doosan excavators from Authorised Doosan Dealer, Atlas Hannover Baumaschinen GmbH & Co. According to Felix Wessel, the Owner and Managing Director of FW Bau, the combination of the reliable, efficient Doosan machines and a strongly customer and solutionoriented dealer in Atlas Hannover Baumaschinen, has given FW Bau the security the company needs in carrying out its everyday business.

In dismantllng the tank at the Malente sewage treatment plant, the Doosan DX255LC impressively demonstrated its efficiency and strength. Originally, it was planned it would take three weeks to demolish a tank like this with a height of 14 m and a diameter of 14 m, including the processing of the roughly 200 m³ of demolished concrete and around 800 m³ of stone that was produced by the work.

In fact, Felix Wessel’s company was able to complete the project in just two weeks. One of the reasons was the trouble-free operation of the construction machinery used. “I can fully rely on the Doosan machines, which is an important factor for me as a medium-sized contractor,” Felix explained.

While the 25 tonne DX255LC excavator was demolishing and processing material with the help of a jaw crusher, a Doosan 14 tonne DX140LCR-5 excavator was used to load it into FW Bau’s own trucks.

35

ON SITE FW Bau has had a partnership with Atlas Hannover Baumaschinen for many years and after the company hired a Doosan excavator for the first time in 2017, Wessel decided in favour of Doosan machines for future machine purchases that began in April 2018 with the DX255LC. Felix added: “From today’s perspective, it was exactly the right decision. Bernd Desenberg at Atlas Hannover Baumaschinen recommended the Doosan to me and the complete package consisting of the Doosan machine and the dealer as a service partner has proven itself. So good that I have now bought four more Doosan machines from Atlas Hannover.” In addition to the DX255LC, the fleet at FW Bau now includes DX10z, DX63-3, the DX140LCR-5 and, most recently, a DX190W-5 wheeled excavator. The next purchase, this time a Doosan wheel loader, is in the pipeline.

Felix Wessel has known the dealer Atlas Hannover Baumaschinen

GmbH & Co., founded in 1980, for many years, even before he founded his own company. He particularly appreciates the dealer’s solutionoriented approach. Carsten Gröbitz, Managing Director of Atlas Hannover Baumaschinen, said: “If there is a problem the most important thing for us is to first ensure that the work can continue.” And Felix Wessel adds: “If worst comes to worst, we can fully rely on the team from Atlas Hannover - thankfully I can say that none of the five Doosan machines has had a problem.”

The group of companies at Atlas Hannover Baumaschinen GmbH & Co. also includes EBAG Elbe Baumaschinen GmbH and AMF Fahrzeugbau GmbH. The approximately 120 employees of the five branches in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt offer customers a wide range of services related to the sale of new, used and special equipment in the field of construction machinery as well as special vehicle bodies. In addition to repair and service with a

36

total of 19 service vehicles, the rental of construction machinery is also part of the business. For this purpose, the company has a rental fleet of around 165 machines. A 24-hour emergency service is available to customers, seven days a week.

FW Bau, founded in 2013 as a groundworks company, is managed

by Felix Wessel and his wife, Ina Wessel. With 18 employees currently, the company offers customers services in the areas of demolition, recycling, earthworks, landscaping and courtyard paving. From its headquarters in Salzhemmendorf, FW Bau supports customers far beyond the borders of the HamelnPyrmont district, including all of the Hanover region, Holzminden, Hildesheim, Stadthagen and even in the neighbouring states. The company’s fleet comprises 18 machines and eleven different vans/ trucks. The company offers an external transportation service, as well as meeting the requirements for transporting machines in its own fleet.

INNOVATIVE REGENERATION SERVICES

KKB G R O U P

KKB Group Plant Services: Recycling Plant Hire Specialist Demolition Hire Contractual Crushing and Screening

Specialist demolition hire and contractual crushing and screening.

KKB Group are specialists when it comes to providing a flexible demolition hire solution and a contractual crushing and screening service that works for you.

We run an extensive fleet of state-of-the-art excavators ranging from 9 ton up to 50 ton with full demolition specification including an extensive range of mechanical or hydraulic attachments to suite all sizes of machine.

We also have one of the biggest fleets of on-site crushers and screeners in the UK and our recycling plant and machinery set up and operating practices are the most energy efficient way of processing site won materials.

For more information on KKB Group services, please contact Nick Earl at: Tel: Mob: Email:

01634 717712 07387 216 564 enquiries@kkbgroup.co.uk

KKB Group Head Office, Alpha House Laser Quay Culpeper Close, Medway City Estate, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4HU www.kkbgroup.co.uk KKB Group are an Equal Opportunities Employer

ON SITE

RHODAR ON TRACK Rhodar has completed a 26week project to remove asbestos containing materials (ACMs) and demolish the derelict Old Vic pub, which was situated on top of a live railway tunnel, above one of the South East’s busiest railway lines connecting the area with London.

Further enabling works undertaken included the design and installation of a waterproof membrane to the exposed tunnel arch and permanent fill solution to the basement surrounding the tunnel, ready for the following development consisting of a new station forecourt and entrance to Maidstone East Station.

Having been derelict for over ten years, and with a considerable amount of weather damage compromising the internal structure,

Rhodar was appointed as principal contractor directly by Network Rail and tasked with asbestos removal and the co-ordinated controlled demolition of the building.

Due to the building’s position over a live railway line, the demolition had to be carefully planned and managed to minimise any stress or impact placed on the Week Street rail tunnel below.

Prior to demolition Rhodar’s expert team began by removing all timber flooring from the ground floor to allow the exposed basement to be backfilled with 6F2 crushed concrete. The basement voids surrounding the tunnel were filled to a height of 600 mm above the crown of the tunnel, which added

38

weight to the tunnel to compensate for the reduction in applied loads from the demolition of the building and also acted as an ‘impact mat’ to evenly spread any excess loads across the whole tunnel structure.

This allowed for a 47 tonne high reach excavator to be positioned over the tunnel at the rear of the site, with its 28 metre reach being used to take the building down floor-by-floor, negating the need for any internal access by personnel.

Due to the limited internal access available and the potential for unknown asbestos being present within the material being removed from the floors and internal walls, each load removed by the excavator was segregated and inspected in a lay down area by asbestos trained operatives under a watch and brief process at ground level. Any hazardous materials discovered were removed by hand and disposed of as asbestos waste.

ON SITE A fully designed scaffold was erected around the building and fully monoflexed to give safe access to the roof and upper floors. This was later adapted to act as a demolition screen to ensure safe working and to minimise any disturbance from dust and debris to the local area.

With the site situated next to the town’s main station, adjacent to the shopping centre and on a busy thoroughfare for both traffic and pedestrians, Rhodar deployed several operations to minimise disruption, including traffic management solutions and overnight town centre road closures to allow delivery and collection of large excavators and plant.

surrounding areas, combining to add a further degree of complexity.

“The team created a bespoke project plan for Network Rail to ensure that the demolition was

delivered to the highest standard in a safe and controlled way, setting the foundations for the next stage of development at Maidstone East railway station.”

Andrew Fisk, director of demolition at Rhodar, said: “This high-profile project at the heart of Maidstone included a live railway line, tunnel structure and the need to avoid any disruption to Network Rail and the

Proven reliability and performance

Flexhammer 700 Static

Flexhammer 1800 Static

Flexhammer 1800 Mobile

Gasification Plants

Grapple Magnet

Electro Magnet

Eddy Current Seperator

Slow Speed Shredder

Static Slow Speed Plant

@IQRsystems @IQRsystems IQRsystems IQRsystems

Paul Caldwell Phone: 07834 585 247 E-mail: paul.caldwell@iqr.se www.iqr.se

40

TOUGH WORLD. TOUGH EQUIPMENT.

NOW

DIRECT >>>

Call for great deals on...

Excavators, wheel loaders & LiuGong quality-assured used equipment.

02392 123 392 info@liugong.co.uk www.liugong.co.uk

ON SITE

DOWN THE DRAIN On the back of three years reliable service from their Epiroc Solid Body breakers, IJ Lynn & Sons have further invested in Epiroc breakers and grabs.

Performance combined with back up service and support from local dealer WAC McCandless (Engineers) Ltd were the main reasons for selecting Epiroc’s MG 1500 multi grapple and MB 1650 breaker.

Having bought his first Epiroc SB 152 early in 2017, owner Ivan Lynn’s positive experience led him to choose Epiroc’s equipment as he knew it to be more productive, requiring less down time and maintenance.

“We’ve been using the new breaker and grapple to demolish a waste water treatment plant and then remove the waste from the site. I’ve been particularly impressed with the MG 1500 R – the rotation unit on the grab makes it so much faster and more flexible than our old grab,” explains Ivan Lynn of IJ Lynn & Sons.

The team has used the MB 1650 hammer to break up the water tanks, moving the large pieces of debris to an area of the site where they can be broken down quickly and easily using the company’s Epiroc SB breakers, before removing it from the site for recycling. “The MG 1500 is so easy to handle that we can sort hardcore from other materials as we dismantle the building,” Lynn comments.

Epiroc Regional Sales Manager Donal Cunningham said “Thanks to their particularly robust design, our versatile MG excavator grapples are perfect for demolishing light structures as well as sorting and loading demolished material. Like

the grab, our SB and MB hydraulic breakers combine efficiency and performance with high durability.”

The team of experts at WAC McCandless have years of industry knowledge; specifically across demolition, utilities, groundwork,

42

remediation, quarrying and civil engineering. Michael Quinn, Area Sales Manager from WAC McCandless has been on hand throughout the process, from selecting the right equipment for the job, through to commissioning and after sales service.

Robust. Reliable.

Powerful. Flexible.

Modular conveyors for demolition and remediation projects, supported by the very best in customer service.

TALK TO THE COVEYA TEAM TO FIND OUT MORE Call 0800 915 9195 | Sales@coveya.co.uk

ON SITE

IRONBRIDGE TAKE 2 New engineering investigations and calculations are underway at Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire, as decommissioning consultancy RVA Group prepares to oversee the next phase of demolition using the controlled use of explosives on behalf of site owner Harworth Group plc.

The site’s four iconic hyperbolic cooling towers – constructed from 45,000 tonnes of reinforced concrete – were brought to the ground in less than 10 seconds in early December 2019, following more than 5 months of behindthe-scenes preparatory works.

The same scientific and robust demolition methodology will now be deployed in phases to clear the power station’s bunker bay, turbine hall and de-aerator bay, over the remainder of the project.

Elsewhere, decontamination work is continuing on the safe removal of all hazardous materials within the 180ft boiler house and turbine hall, and minor structures are currently being demolished using mechanical techniques. Close collaboration with environmental and community groups also remains ongoing to ensure maximum respect for the site’s ecological habitats and surrounding neighbours.

Progress of the programme – which it is estimated will have expended 250,000 man hours by the time of its completion – takes the 350-acre site several steps closer to becoming a residential-led mixed use development. Once home to one of the largest power stations in the UK, this vast expanse was acquired by land and property regeneration specialist Harworth Group in June

44

2018. Harworth submitted an outline planning application for the site’s redevelopment to both Shropshire and Telford Councils in December 2019 and should planning be granted, the site’s redevelopment is expected to take a further decade to complete.

With more than 25 years’ industry experience and having completed almost 800 complex demolition assignments worldwide, consultancy RVA Group was appointed as principal designer for the project in April 2019. The specialist team continues to support the activity of contractor Demolition Services Ltd. “Harworth Group came to us because they were looking for a collaborative strategy involving the client, contractor and consultant, making the best use of all available

www.cesbreakerhire.co.uk

COYLE EQUIPMENT SERVICES LTD

hire, sales & spare parts for all breakers HYDRAULIC ATTACHMENT SPECIALIST

Coyle Equipment Services have one of the largest excavator attachment hire fleets in the UK. We have many attachments to suit every application. All attachments are available with a nationwide Deliver and Fit service. We are constantly adding to our hire fleet so if you require anything not seen on the website please contact us.

LONDON & BIRMINGHAM

P: 0208 903 8020 E: Info@cesbreakerhire.co.uk Unit 1 Canal Wharf, Middlesex UB6 7PH

ON SITE technical skill-sets – crucial on a project of this scale,” says RVA managing director Richad Vann. “Their priority is the safe execution of works, so we rigorously audited the proposed methodologies to ensure best practice techniques would be adopted throughout the demolition and associated processes. From the outset the project approach has been and will continue to be open dialogue with all stakeholders, enforcement agencies and interested parties. The demolition project is just one of many stages of the overall development programme lasting over several years, and we have to ensure that the needs of all are considered from start to finish.”

WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING TO BUY: Used gas (CHP) generators Used backup diesel generators Used gas- and steam turbines.

FOR ALL YOUR ATTACHMENT NEEDS

With or without dismantling services.

Request your offer today at: Tel. 0049-2202-2492258 or mobile 0049-163-5263546 (whatsapp, telegram) info@stromerzeuger-ankauf.de

Sales & Hire Spares & Repairs

Exclusively imported by HEAD OFFICE Gillmans Industrial Estate Natts Lane, Billingshurst West Sussex, RH14 9EZ 0845 017 6972 sales@bph-uk.com

MIDLANDS OFFICE Unit A Brunel Way Stephenson Industrial Estate Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 3HF 01530 553788 midlands@bph-uk.com

“The second chance for your power plant” D-M

46

Plant@Tru7.com | 01473 612761

• Dedicated 3 Piece Demolition Rig • 15.5m Reach • Demolition Specification including ROPS/FOPS Cab • Dozer Blade for Stability • Choice of Attachments available • Competitive Hire Rates available

www.tru7.com

ON SITE

48

CONEXPO PREVIEW MARCH 10-14, 2020 | LAS VEGAS, NV

CONEXPO PREVIEW

CACOPHONY OF CATS

As the world’s largest manufacturer of construction equipment, Caterpillar is no slouch when it comes to producing new and improved models. But when one of the world’s largest equipment exhibitions is taking place in the company’s US backyard, Caterpillar kicks into overdrive. And that will be the case again later this year when the ConExpo show opens its doors in Las Vegas.

Caterpillar is investing in technology and safety features showcased in more than 30 Cat machines on display, including nine new product introductions from the dozer, excavator, articulated truck and backhoe loader families.

See the display grouped in the outdoor exhibit at Festival Grounds #F4455.

Successor to the Cat D5K2, the new Cat D3 dozer continues to set the standard for small dozer grading accuracy and efficiency.

The operator cab delivers greater visibility, while enhanced controls deliver easier, intuitive finish grading. Powertrain advancements improve fuel efficiency by up to 10% over previous models.

The new centre-pivot 420XE backhoe loader now offers seat mounted controls for low-effort machine control to boost operator efficiency and reduce fatigue. Dual Mode operation increases machine productivity, while electronic loader controls offer true parallel lift. A new IT quick coupler delivers quick change-out of a large portfolio of Cat attachments.

Inside the demo arena, the new 150 AWD motor grader features all-wheel drive that assists with traction and manoeuvring, allowing the machine to work in any environment. Eco mode delivers up to 10 percent greater fuel efficiency without productivity loss, and owning and operating costs are reduced via new filters and

50

longer service intervals. The new mastless 3D Cat GRADE control system unleashes the potential of the moldboard to give it full range of motion. The GNSS receivers are bolted to the machine, which increases uptime and reduces costs associated with potential receiver, mast or machine damage when using the dual 3D GNSS system. The integrated 3D Cat GRADE will initially be available on the 140,150 and 160 joystick motor graders.

Contractors visiting Caterpillar exhibit #F4455 will experience the new 725 articulated truck offerings. New cab features include assisted hoist, Automatic Retarder Control and Advanced Automatic Traction Control, which improve operator experience and reduce operator actions. Performance improvements include up to nine percent increased speed on grades, eight percent improved acceleration

and a seven percent productivity increase.

Caterpillar will introduce five new wheeled, small, medium and large hydraulic excavator models at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020. The new Cat M318 wheeled excavator improves operator efficiency by up to 45 percent with Cat GRADE, E-Fence and PAYLOAD options and delivers up to 10 percent lower maintenance costs with longer service intervals. The new 313 GC delivers low owning and operating costs through a simple design that is easy to operate, maintain and own. The new 315 boasts a 13 percent larger cab and improved performance with up to 10 percent more swing torque and up to 14 percent more drawbar pull.

Advanced engine technology and control system for the new 325 medium excavator reduces fuel

51

consumption by up to 25 percent, while a precise combination of lower engine speed and large hydraulic pump pressure and flow delivers more work per unit of fuel.

Extended maintenance intervals means getting more work done with up to 20 percent lower maintenance costs.

The new 395 excavator is built to move tons of material quickly and efficiently. With 10 percent more swing torque and 10 percent more stick force than the model it replaces, operators will experience faster cycle times with bigger buckets for greater groundbreaking power and production. Cat PAYLOAD also comes standard so operators can validate production at the end of every shift. Plus two times more structural durability means longer service life, and extended service intervals lower maintenance costs by up to 20 percent.

CONEXPO PREVIEW

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Global equipment giant Liebherr will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its US operations with a display that will fill more than 4,900 m², providing room for hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, crawler loaders and tractors, deep foundation machines, material handlers, tower cranes, mobile and crawler cranes, as well as a concrete pump.

ConExpo will mark the official US launch of the new Generation 8 crawler excavator series that comprises seven models ranging from 22 to 45 tonnes: R 922, R 924, R 926, R 930, R 934, R 938 and R 945. Two machines of the product range, R 926 and R 938, will be exhibited for the first time in America at the Liebherr booth.

The highlights of the new crawler excavator generation include higher engine power, a heavier counterweight for higher bucket capacities, and minimal fuel consumption. A new equipment concept with a modified piece at the top of the boom is an innovative new feature. This leads to better performance and equipment forces with reduced operating weight of the machine. Another feature is the optimized load curve, which yields reduced fuel consumption.

These machines have been specially designed to provide extra comfort and safety for the operator, as well as optimum ergonomics and performance on the job site.

Liebherr will also present four wheel loaders at the show. This includes an L 566 XPower with power-split travel drive. Liebherr installs this drive as standard on its large XPower wheel loaders. It combines short loading cycles with optimal hydrostatic drive with the mechanical drive, the benefits of which come into effect over long distances and up hills.

The L 566 XPower is also equipped with numerous new assistance systems, which Liebherr is showing for the first time in North America at the exhibition. These include active personnel detection, adaptive working lighting, an integrated tire pressure monitoring system and the weighing system with Truck Payload Assist. The L 566 XPower also has the new joystick steering for wheel loaders.

The largest Liebherr wheel loader, the 32.6 tonne L 586 XPower, will also be at the exhibition stand.

With a power split XPower drive, it delivers high performance and enormous fuel savings. The L 538 represents the Liebherr mediumsized wheel loader range. It is

52

equipped with parallel kinematics for high holding forces in the upper lift arms area. It is ideal for working in heavy-duty industrial applications such as in recycling with high dump buckets. For customers from countries in Central and South America, Liebherr is showing the L 550 wheel loader. It is a representative of the separate wheel loader series for less emission-regulated markets.

The Liebherr A 920 Litronic wheeled excavator on display at the show has an operating weight of 18.3 to 21.3 tonnes and an engine output of 129 kW. The powerful Liebherr wheeled excavator is particularly suitable for road, canal and pipeline construction as well as for classic earthmoving work and is characterized by high mobility and versatility. The strong undercarriage as well as the outriggers at the rear and front ensure maximum stability and safety every time the machine is used. This enables the A 920 Litronic to carry out all work reliably, precisely and extremely productively, even under full load.

Liebherr is also introducing its latest Generation 8 dozers to North America at Conexpo 2020 with the new PR 736. Equipped with many

features that further enhance operator comfort, excellent grading characteristics and new standard grading systems, the PR 736 Generation 8 is a do-it-all machine for grading and mining use.

The PR 736 is powered by a newly developed Liebherr diesel engine belonging to the EVO series (160 kW. It meets emission level Tier 4f, its exhaust gases being cleaned by a combination between a diesel

oxidation catalyst and a selective catalytic reduction and particle filter.

Alternatively customers in lower regulated markets have additional engine versions and equipment levels to choose from. The machines’ operating weight is up to 25.5 tonnes. To cover a maximally large application range, various blade versions (straight, semi-U and 6 way blade) with capacities from 4.10 to 5.56 m³ as well as many rear equipment options are offered.

To experience all Liebherr has to offer before, during and after Conexpo, the company will again offer a free digital app. Through the app, visitors can view the latest show-related news and events, detailed information about our exhibits and product information.

The app is available for Apple and Android users. The company’s micro website, Liebherr.com/Conexpo will also offer up to date and detailed information about the show. And look for customer stories and images that highlight how Liebherr equipment is bringing high profile projects to life in our Conexpo 2020 magazine, which will be available in print and digital editions.

53

CONEXPO PREVIEW

BUILDING TOMORROW

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is set to build tomorrow with an interactive customer experience at North America’s largest construction trade show ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020.

Displaying solutions for today and tomorrow Volvo CE will present its industry-leading range of products and services across 5,574 m3 of show space in Las Vegas. More than 30 machines and related uptime and productivity services will be featured, including a number of global and regional launches, at a new location in the outdoor Festival Grounds, booth F3432.

The scope of the Volvo Group represented in the ConExpo booth shows comprehensive solutions for the construction industry with a commitment to being number one for customer uptime Volvo CE will be joined by sister companies Volvo Penta, Volvo Trucks and Volvo Financial Services, who will be presenting the latest engine, truck and financial offers. Likewise, Volvo CE’s other equipment brands Terex Trucks and SDLG will be present at the show.

“Our presence at ConExpo is set to be our best yet –

with a fully immersive technology experience to highlight the changing face of construction,” says Melker Jernberg, President of Volvo CE. “Innovation has long been a part of our DNA, and we are especially proud to be bringing it to the mainstream with the unveiling some gamechanging launches at this year’s show.”

Anchoring the booth are showstoppers from both the largest and smallest models in the Volvo range.

At the compact end of the spectrum, visitors can get hands on experience operating Volvo CE’s electric compact machines, the L25H loader and ECR25 excavator. The biggest iron in the booth will be on prominent display with the heavy-duty EC950F crawler excavator, Volvo CE’s largest excavator which is now available globally, and the powerful R100E rigid hauler – both offering strength and stability for quarrying, mining and mass excavation.

Volvo’s full force of excavators will be front centre in the booth, including the new EC300E hybrid excavator, now available in North America, featuring straightforward and industry-first hydraulic hybrid Volvo technology.

54

ConExpo 2020 is also where Volvo will reveal two new concept models that herald where the company is taking connected, electric, and autonomous machines.

Volvo service offerings are everywhere in the booth, custombuilt to boost customer’s profitability, secure uptime and deliver on lifecycle value. Attendees can get familiar with Volvo Assist technologies, now standard on many products, with hands-on demonstrations to show how the machine control software gives operators greater accuracy and time savings.

An extensive display of over 30 attachments, from buckets to couplers to forks and breakers, will be fitted on equipment across the Volvo booth, showcasing versatility and performance.

In keeping with the company’s theme of Building Tomorrow, visitors can watch for an inspiring project launch that will show how Volvo CE turns words into actions. The project is dedicated to combining the power of Volvo people, products, and partners to help address global challenges and build a brighter tomorrow for people around the globe.

 020 7639 3013  bookings@rhinowasteservices.co.uk Unit 11, Maypole Crescent, Darent Industrial Estate, Erith DA8 2JZ

Rhino Waste is a leading provider of integrated waste management services, offering commercial, construction and industrial waste collection, recycling and disposal services. With a waste transfer station operating 3 miles away from the heart of London we are driving forward in recovering 100% of the waste produced enabling us to offer a zero to landfill option.

Achieving a 100% Landfill Avoidance for a greener and brighter future for generations to come

CONEXPO PREVIEW With an exciting selection of new and recently updated products on display at ConExpo 2020, KINSHOFER’s new 315 m² booth located at F2732, Festival Grounds - will provide the perfect stage for an international audience to see the group’s creative strength and depth, first hand.

KINSHOFER TOOLED UP

Additionally, visitors to the show will see a realignment of all KINSHOFER Group companies currently operating in North America. The strategic refocus is based on the primary needs of the customer to ensure KINSHOFER remain as easy as possible to do business with. For forty years, KINSHOFER have been offering the widest range of attachments to the US – the realignment will simply mean better customer access to the range.

With demolition tools and attachments to the fore, a new proprietary, fully automatic, retrofittable, hydraulic quick coupler system, bringing significant benefits to customers in multiple markets. Five hydraulic circuits can be coupled comfortably, allowing you to change quickly, safely and efficiently between various mechanical and hydraulic attachments from inside the cab - advantages include a lowmaintenance operation and a maximum high oil-flow, which in-turn bring improved carrier machine fuel consumption and associated enviro-friendly benefits.

The KFX breaker-series, for excavators from eight to 200 tonnes, provides a powerful, highperformance, robust and reliable breaker, suitable for any type of excavator and on any single-acting hydraulic system – they are also suitable for hydraulic systems with high back pressure. Two adjustable valves come as standard: a control valve on the breaker cylinder allows the operator to adjust the number of blows generated

56

24 & 25 April 2020

Visit us on Stand 7 10th Avenue

www.arden-equipment.com

CONEXPO PREVIEW – while a second valve allows the adjustment of the working pressure from 160 to 200 bar. An antiblank firing system avoids blank firing when the breaker is not in contact with surface rock. Working in tunnels, or even underwater, is also made possible through the addition of optional air tubes. The KFX breaker-series is available with a range of five different breaker chisel types, suitable for penetrating a variety of surface structure.

The DXS Mobile Shear has been engineered to deliver a scrap shear with maximum force, excellent speed and the lowest weight ratio – to deliver the best levels in performance across everyday use in scrap and demolition environments. This robust tool can be used for a wide variety of tasks including demolition, waste processing and recycling. The DXS Shear is equipped with DemaPower 2.0 hydraulic cylinder technology, delivering 25 percent more power

than conventional cylinders of the same size, with faster cycle times.

“Since 1980, KINSHOFER have been present in the US, seeing constant growth through organic R&D. On top of that, we’ve acquired several businesses that have added companies in the US and additional product that had to be integrated into the range. We’ve realised the time is right to refocus our distribution and realign our overall offer to better serve our customers - having been in North America for many years, it’s the right time to make everything more accessible for them,” says Thomas

58

Friedrich, Group President and CEO. “The revised product combinations represent a unique offering, tailored to the marketplace – unrivalled breadth, depth, expertise and choice, across the widest range of applications and sectors” continued Friedrich. “Both KINSHOFER and fellow Group company SOLESBEE’S represent the benchmark in high quality attachments and have strong traction in the region – they will continue to be supported and powered by our innovative technology brands DEMAREC and AUGER TORQUE, as we look to grow our business throughout new and existing markets.”

SKIP HIRE RORO HIRE TIPPER & GRAB HIRE READY MIXED CONCRETE ‘Skip the rest, use the best’

01903 734056

info@southcoastskips.co.uk

www.southcoastskips.co.uk 59

ATTACHMENT FEATURE

THE PERFECT PAIRING

Choosing the right attachment for the right application can be the difference between success and failure; average performance and maximum productivity. But with an everincreasing range of tools from which to select, KINSHOFER North America general manager Francois Martin offers some timely tips for choosing demolition attachments.

It could be argued a good beer goes well with just about anything.

After a hot summer day on a demolition job, though, a light beer with lime will probably taste more refreshing than a heavy stout. Finding that perfect malt after a long day feels great, and finding a perfect-fitting demolition attachment will get that beer served up a lot sooner.

should be the first factor to guide an attachment choice.

With hundreds of sizes and styles of demolition attachments on the market — from small grapples to massive pulverisers — it’s not as easy as picking one, attaching it to an excavator and expecting top production. Like a good beer, some tools just fit better at different times.

Crusher and pulveriser attachments, for example, best tackle jobs made up of mostly concrete. Choose a crusher — or “cracker” — if the structure is composed of concrete with little or no rebar and if it’s necessary to break the concrete into chunks large enough for easy sorting and recycling. A pulveriser attachment better handles concrete that’s heavily reinforced with rebar.

Unlike the crusher attachment, the pulveriser will break the concrete into small pieces and cut through the embedded rebar, allowing the concrete to fall to the ground rather than hang onto the rebar.

Knock out jobs faster by refining the demolition attachment selection process. Consider the application, the carrier, the return on investment and more to determine the perfect match.

Perfect Match

First, consider the type of work the attachment will perform. From primary to secondary demolition and from rebar-enforced concrete to wood and brick, the application

When starting to demolish a structure, multi-quick processors, shears, crushers, pulverisers and demolition grapples tend to be the top picks for primary demolition.

The choice between them depends on the type of material and how it needs to be broken up.

Pulverisers also can break concrete into manageable sizes during secondary demolition.

If the demolition involves both crushing concrete and cutting steel,

60

TELESCOPIC DEMO Be sure to get the most out of your demolition equipment with Kocurek Telescopic High Reach Equipment.

Operating heights range from 34m up to 70m. Speak to the experts to find out full details on our extensive range.

t: +44 (0) 1473 217477 e: sales@kocurek.co.uk www.kocurek.com

ATTACHMENT FEATURE contractors should consider combicrushers that incorporate both cutting edges and teeth.

excavator to handle the larger attachment. That’s no longer the case.

If concrete isn’t part of the demolition picture but steel is, a demolition processor with shear jaws or a mobile shear attachment will work best since they cut through steel better than a tool meant for multiple types of material.

As manufacturers incorporate more technology into attachments, some are achieving as much as 25 percent more power without increasing the cylinder size. To pull this off, manufacturers build additional chambers into the cylinder to allow for as much as 20 percent more

When working jobs with light materials — such as wood and brick, commonly found in residential demolition — use a demolition grapple. Besides breaking apart materials, rotating grapples work well for sorting during secondary demolition, and increase versatility and productivity by allowing a wide range of movement.

For versatility across different demolition jobs, a multi-quick processor often fits best. The attachment’s interchangeable jaws handle numerous materials. The jaw types include crushers, pulverisers, a combination of both, and steelcutting jaws. Some manufacturers offer additional specialty options, such as jaws for cutting through timber in the forest industry; jaws for cutting steel tanks, pipes and vessels; and highly powerful jaws for heavily reinforced concrete.

While multi-quick processors may cost more than other attachments, approximately 15 to 20 percent more than crushers for example, they more than make up for that difference in their versatility achievable through the interchangeable jaw sets.

Powered Up After determining the best type of attachment for the job, consider the technology powering the tool. Cylinders power demolition attachments, and typically the larger the cylinder, the more powerful the tool. Because of this, contractors seeking more demolition power in the past had to buy or rent a larger

62

surface area. Often, this results in an attachment with the same power as a tool two sizes larger. For example, for a crusher it means that a section of concrete that may take a competitive attachment five or six “bites” to break through only takes the tool with the enhanced cylinder technology one or two.

This technology gives contractors access to higher crushing and

OUR KIND OF PLAYGROUND

This is the natural habitat for Brokk’s compact giants.

With the perfect combination of power, operability and accessibility our demolition robots provide efficient solutions to increase profits.

Brokk UK | www.brokk.com/uk

ATTACHMENT FEATURE cutting forces they previously couldn’t have had without the huge expenses of a larger tool as well as a bigger carrier to operate that tool. Larger carriers also come with higher operating costs. The high power-to-weight ratio — higher on attachments with this technology than any other tool in its size class — also opens the door to more efficient high-reach demolition. This is both because contractors can use smaller carriers and because the attachment’s light weight and superior cylinder technology improve tool performance and fuel efficiency.

Some attachments with innovative cylinder technology reduce carrier fuel consumption by up to 20 percent compared to other models.

In some cases, the attachment’s efficient design allows it to function normally when the carrier is set

in economy mode, achieving the same performance as competitive attachments on an excavator running at full throttle.

In addition, this advanced cylinder technology allows manufacturers to design high-performing attachments. When combined with double-acting speed valves, the advanced attachment designs not only offer improved power and efficiency but also improved productivity. Together, the enhanced cylinder design and double-acting speed valves deliver faster cycle times — from 3.8 seconds to 5 seconds on bigger tools — and as much as 20 percent more power than conventional cylinders.

If the Tool Fits Of course, the best attachment in the world still needs a suitable carrier to perform well. Make sure

to match the attachment to the carrier size and weight. Heavier attachments, naturally, require larger, heavier carriers which cost more to operate. Too heavy an attachment can cause excessive wear to the excavator and will affect performance. In addition, tools that are too heavy for a machine are a safety risk for other workers near the carrier while an attachment that is too small reduces productivity.

Also ensure the carrier has enough hydraulic capacity to feed the attachment. Inadequate flow or hydraulic pressure will slow the tool’s cycle times, reducing productivity. Too little pressure also results in less closing force or torque, depending on the attachment.

Another item to check is the attachment’s hydraulic circuit requirements. Is the excavator equipped with enough auxiliary hydraulic circuits for the attachment? For example, rotation shears and multi-quick processors require two double-acting hydraulic circuits, one circuit for opening and closing the jaw and one for 360-degree rotation. Attachments that don’t rotate, such as static pulverisers or shears, only require one double-acting circuit.

Easy Fix? When determining the attachment best suited for the application and power rating, look for a product that is durable and easy to service. Some attachments may seem great up front, but end up being a nightmare of downtime and repair costs.

One method for choosing a lowmaintenance attachment is to find a tool with no or very few protruding parts, such as hydraulic hoses.

These can be easily damaged during operation, particularly in harsh demolition environments. Look for attachments with these components enclosed within the tool yet are easy to access through service openings.

64

Also keep wear parts in mind. Shear and crushing attachments’ cutting edges and teeth need to be replaced when worn. Exchangeable cutting edges are an industry standard, but it’s still smart to ensure they are available.

When considering multi-quick processors, pay attention to how quickly jaws can be switched out. Some manufacturers build multi-quick processors with jaws that operators can change within minutes on site, compared to the hours needed to bring many other attachments back to the shop to

exchange. Workers only need to manually remove one pin from quickexchange models during changeouts, compared to three from many other manufacturers’ processors.

The rest of the jaw exchange process is done hydraulically from the safety of the cab. This system not only removes the hassle of pounding out two or three pins, but virtually eliminates the danger of the jaw falling and injuring a worker after the last pin is removed.

Choose Carefully Just like with beer, the best tool depends on the situation. Seasoned

65

buyers and industry newbies can all benefit from taking a careful look at their options and requirements while searching for a new attachment.

Also, it’s always a good idea to ask the dealer and manufacturer questions.

Choosing the most effective pairing of tool and carrier goes beyond application and power. Carefully consider every aspect of the attachment and carrier to form a pair that will boost productivity, ROI and, potentially, open up opportunities to work in new applications. The right choice will mean the perfect match.

ATTACHMENT FEATURE

BROKK BREAKS OUT Brokk, the world’s leading manufacturer of remotecontrolled demolition machines, has launched its own line of hydraulic breakers. The new Brokk Hydraulic Breaker (BHB) series is perfectly matched with the company’s full range of remote-controlled demolition robots. In essence, each robot is designed from the attachment backward, providing the

exact amount of flow, pressure, backpressure, and downward force that the hammer requires, which offers the best possible demolition performance to Brokk customers.

“As an industry leader in compact demolition, it makes sense for us to introduce our own line-up of powerful hydraulic breakers to match the high strength and performance of Brokk demolition machines,” said Martin Krupicka, president and CEO of Brokk Group.

“Our customers benefit from the greater productivity, efficiency and quality that comes with the pairing of Brokk breakers and machines.”

The BHB series includes eight breaker models, starting with the 50 kg BHB 55 breaker for the compact Brokk 60 remote-controlled demolition machine. The range goes all the way up to the 700 kg BHB 705 for the recently introduced Brokk 500 and Brokk 520D. Like Brokk remote-controlled demolition machines, the BHB series features a high power-to-

66

weight ratio. The attachments are lightweight and compact, yet feature power similar to larger, heavier breakers from other manufacturers. The hammer bodies are machined from a solid casting, eliminating side and through bolts, along with the side plates found on many other hammer designs. An integrated, sidemounted accumulator holds a nitrogen gas charge for as long as a year.

Brokk demolition robots and breakers are designed to work at maximum performance together, resulting in more total demolition power. Brokk engineers its demolition machines starting at the tip of the breaker for maximum compatibility. This includes reducing back pressure and optimizing machine oil flow, oil pressure and down pressure to allow for more hydraulic power while using less energy. The result is that pound for pound, Brokk demolition robots provide the highest powerto-weight ratios in the industry, allowing contractors to substitute robots for much larger excavators, and achieve the same concrete removal rates.

ITALIAN FLAIR Having been shown in prototype format at Intermat in 2016 and then tested extensively ever since, the Mantovanibenne line of concrete crushers with asymmetrical jaws and shear-shaped blades is now complete.

The new Combined Cutter line is a hybrid product that incorporates characteristics of other two MBI established products: the Eagle Shears and the Concrete Crusher.

The CC design is unique as it combines high penetration teeth for concrete cracking to shear jaws for metal cutting. According to customers the CC is five times more productive than a traditional crusher.

The CC is an extremely powerful attachment, thanks to the two oversize cylinders and the central twin-pin solution, which enables larger opening and higher crushing force. However, what makes this

tool unique are the asymmetric and specifically shaped jaws, which have been designed to cut steel like dedicated shears and crush concrete at the same time.

The unique CC body design grants maximum penetration of concrete and precise cutting of metal structures, while interchangeable blades and tooth enable fast and easy maintenance. On the other side there is a double jaw with two interchangeable teeth.

Following positive feedback from customers, Mantovanibenne extended the range with two new models in 2019 and two more in 2020 when the CC65 and the CC90 will be released, the two new heavyweights that will increase the line. With a weight of 6.65 and 9.5 tonnes respectively, they are suitable for excavators

67

from 60 to 95 tonnes. The CC65 offers a cutting force of 423 tonnes while the larger CC90 models delivers 494 tonnes of cutting power.

KIT TALK

HR MEETS WASTE EXPERT The UK’s first Bobcat ‘Waste Expert’ telescopic loader has been purchased by H.R. Skip Hire, based in Sheffield. The new TL38.70HF Waste Expert model was supplied by AMS Bobcat Limited, the Authorised Bobcat Dealer for Lincolnshire and East and South Yorkshire.

“We provide top quality waste management services for residential and commercial customers across Sheffield. We decided to purchase the Bobcat telehandler to meet increasing demand particularly in the summer period at the very busy Waste Transfer Station at our headquarters in Sheffield,” explains Barry Howe, one of the owners. “ Providing a lifting capacity of 3.8 tonne and lift height

of 7.0 metres, coupled with its excellent specification to meet the tough conditions of the waste and recycling industry, the new TL38.70 Waste Expert machine allows us to increase productivity and throughput.”

TL38.70HF is one of four of Bobcat’s current productivity and high-flow telescopic loaders that are offered as Waste Expert machines. Powered

by Bobcat Stage IV diesel engines, these new Waste Expert models offer lifting capacities from 3.4 to 4.3 tonne and lifting heights from 6.5 to 8.0 metres.

Bobcat telescopic loaders are already well proven in the market as sturdy, efficient and particularly

68

easy to operate machines and these are essential features for working in the intensive industrial applications found in the waste management and materials recycling industries. Recycling and waste management sites are tough working environments so the equipment they use needs to be up to the challenge.

As a result, the new Waste Expert machines are even more robust, with heavy-duty Dana Spicer axles and additional reinforced protection, making them the toughest on the market. They also incorporate an extra-large boom head, a high tensile steel boom, boom cushioning and protected hydraulic rams under and inside the boom. Like all Bobcat telescopic loaders, the Waste Expert machines have a box welded frame to meet heavy duty cycles and offer a high ground clearance, with a bottom plate along the entire length to protect vital parts.

Visibility from the cab is also crucial, for the safety of the operator and anyone around them. In the Waste Expert machines, all-round

KIT TALK

panoramic visibility is provided by the Patented Asymmetric Cab with ROPS/FOPS Level 2 protection and a pillar-less rear window. A protective grill provides added protection for the windshield and roof of the cab.

The HF/High Flow Technology in the HF models such as the TL38.70HF offers outstanding hydraulic capabilities and performance with a class-leading 190 l/min load sensing pump and flow sharing distributor.

This allows the operator to work at significantly lower speeds if needed, consume less fuel and benefit from remarkably shorter working cycles. To prevent unnecessary oil heating and power loss, the load sensing pump supplies oil only when hydraulic power is required.

“We were particularly impressed with the visibility, compactness, boom speed, protection and ease of use of the TL38.70 Waste Expert machine,” Howe continues. “To back this up, Chris Scott, Sales Manager at AMS Bobcat, provided us with a fantastic package with extended warranty and a very attractive finance programme.”

Unlike any other manufacturer on the market, all Bobcat telescopic

loaders are covered by a three year/3,000-hour warranty as standard. There is also the option of extending the warranty to five years/5,000 hours. All Bobcat telescopic loaders are designed and produced in Europe to meet the demand for high comfort required by customers.

The TL38.70HF purchased by H.R. Skip Hire has been supplied with new Camso TLH 792S 13 R24 tyres, an extreme-duty solid tyre with optimized stability, durability and comfort – delivering flat-free operation and excellent traction.

Equipped with this tyre, machines have a maximum drive speed held at 15 km/h and feature reinforced heavy-duty axles.

The Camso TLH 792S 13 R24 is one of several different tyre options available for Bobcat Waste Expert telescopic loaders to meet the requirements of the different types of surfaces encountered at waste and recycling sites. These include the Michelin 460/70R24 BIBLOAD – a steel-fortified tyre with a diamond tread pattern providing more resistance to wear and tear and a smooth ride. The Nokian 480/65R24 Tri Steel tyre, a special

69

steel-fortified tyre ideal for waste handling and recycling facilities and for industrial use requiring enhanced puncture resistance, is another option.

H.R. Skip Hire is a family-run business local to the Sheffield area, with over 25 years’ industry experience in the waste and recycling industry, including hiring out an extensive range of top quality 4, 6 and 8 tonne skips and a range of grab wagons. Customers can rely on a dependable and punctual service from the company for long and short term hire, six days a week.

H.R. Skip Hire also runs its own Environment Agency registered waste transfer station, where the company disposes of all processed waste, including soil, concrete and metal, in an environmentally-friendly and very efficient manner. H.R. Skip Hire uses the latest techniques to dispose of processed waste, sorting and screening waste through its material recovery facility, enabling the company to recycle 90 percent of all the waste it handles. The materials recycled include bricks, soil, concrete, metal, plasterboard, plastic, cardboard, green waste, glass and timber.

KIT TALK

EPIROC SHARPENS FOCUS

Epiroc has appointed Coyle Equipment Services Ltd (CES) as the authorised dealer for its hydraulic attachment tools across north London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the West Midlands.

“With CES’s commitment to local stock holding, prompt service and on site back up we are confident we will see more growth and happy customers. Will and his team are perfectly placed to grow Epiroc’s share of the market for the full range of Epiroc hydraulic attachment tools within their territory,” says Keith Lambourne, Epiroc’s Business Line Manager for the UK & Ireland. “We are confident that their investment in sales, service and stockholding of attachments and parts will enable the CES team to effectively support our products.”

Epiroc’s Hydraulic Attachment Tools (HAT) division has been a technology leader for more than 50 years. The hydraulic breaker was originally developed in 1963 by the German company Krupp Berco Bautechnik, which became part of Atlas Copco in 2002, and is now Epiroc. The product range today includes 100 different hydraulic attachment tools, and is designed to ensure that customers can always find the right tool for their specific application and excavator.

The division manufactures excavator attachment tools such as hydraulic breakers, cutters, pulverisers, bucket crushers, shears, grapples, drum cutters and magnets. Among others, the division manufactures the HB 10000, the largest serial hydraulic breaker in the world – every punch equals the weight of 130 elephants. Epiroc continues to invest in product development, introducing functionality such as the Intelligent Protection System (IPS) which fully automates the popular AutoControl and StartSelect functions, to provide simpler, more efficient, and more economical operation than ever before. “We are delighted to now be representing Epiroc’s market leading range, offering fast and reliable back-up service to new and existing customers,” concludes William Coyle, Managing Director of CES. “Epiroc’s comprehensive and robust product range, combined with our commitment to holding the full range of spare parts, supported by our fully trained workshop and field engineers makes this the perfect partnership.”

70

R 960 Demolition.

Liebherr, setting new dimensions in Selective Deconstruction • • • • •

Brand new, in-house-designed, Liebherr class leading demolition machines.

Heaviest tool carrying capability with greater reach.

360º working envelope providing maximum safety with the new Liebherr Demolition Control System (LDC).

Fuel efficient Liebherr heavy duty engine that complies with emissions standard stage IV / Tier 4f.

Customer specific requirements available upon request.

Call today on: 01767 602100 Liebherr-Great Britain Limited, Normandy Lane, Stratton Business Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 8QB. www.liebherr.com

BONJOUR PRODEM

PRODEM Attachments has apparently decided that Brexit will not hamper its ambitions. Instead, the company has expanded its global operations with the opening of a new office in France.

Covering the whole of the country with its new base in Valence, PRODEM Attachments has appointed David Vallet as the French sales manager. With a career spanning over 25 years in the construction and industrial sector, Vallet will use his wealth of knowledge, working with various dealers across the country, to bring PRODEM’s world-renowned hydraulic excavator attachments to the French market.

Established in 2003 PRODEM Attachments is one of Europe’s most respected suppliers of high-quality hydraulic excavator attachments in the demolition, plant hire, construction, civil engineering, and recycling/waste sectors. Drawing in the company’s 33 years of manufacturing expertise, the PRODEM range now comprises of 23 different attachments to suit most demolition and construction applications. Its core demolition attachment range is complemented with more specialist application attachments such as a Rotary Screening Bucket and Rotary Tree Shear, as well as specialist grabs, and general construction attachments including compactor plates, excavator mounted pallet forks and pipe lifters. Recent additions to the line-up include the PP Patch Planer, PRW Rock Wheel and the PCB Crusher Bucket.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our operations into France,” explains Matthew Bastable from PRODEM. “While we have previously exported and supplied attachments for various projects in the country, setting up a permanent base and sales force is a huge milestone for the company and we are very excited as to what the future holds for PRODEM France.”

This view is echoed by David Vallet. “I’m delighted to be working with Matthew to bring PRODEM Attachments to the French market,” he concludes. “It’s an exciting time for the company and I’m confident that the market will be bowled over by the quality and cost effectiveness of the PRODEM attachments on offer.”

KIT TALK A specialist demolition contractor has cited the ‘reliability and quality’ of the latest X Series models as the reason for its return to JCB. Ordered by Chamic Industrial Services Ltd, based in Edinburgh and Glasgow, the JCB 150X is joined by a new 220X model and the two machines become the company’s first JCB fleet purchases for 20 years.

X MARKS THE SPOT

Supplied by dealer Scot JCB, the machines have been put to work on a range of industrial demolition projects and city centre regeneration projects across Scotland.

Both have been supplied to full demolition specification including cab frames and cab guards and full machine protection. The machines also feature heavy-duty dippers and side buffers and have been specified with hydraulic grabs purpose-built for demolition applications.

Mike Hunter, Demolition Manager at Chamic Industrial Services Ltd, said: “We chose to come back to JCB because of the reliability and the quality of the latest X Series models.

The team at Scot JCB are also fantastic and always give us 120% commitment. The machines are performing very well, the operators are very happy and the fuel consumption is proving excellent.”

Launched this year, the new JCB 150X shares many of the same quality materials and proven components as its highly acclaimed 20-tonne stablemate. Both benefit from a proven undercarriage with fully welded X frame construction, low in-cab noise of 67dB(A) and spacious JCB Command Plus cab.

The new JCB X Series range is designed to be more productive, durable, quieter, more comfortable and easier to use than its predecessors. These excavators boast large diameter hydraulic pipes and hoses and an innovative

hydraulic regeneration system that recycles oil across the cylinders.

Auto-stop and Auto-idle on the JCB’s EcoMAX Tier 4 Final / Stage IV engine provide fuel saving of up to 5%.

Chamic Industrial Services Ltd is a specialist asbestos removal and demolition contractor. It has been operating throughout Scotland, Ireland and the North of England since 1985 and works with clients including: blue-chip companies, local authorities, hospital trusts and universities, as well as other public sector clientele.

74

KIT TALK

75

educate

BREATH OF FRESH AIR According to statistics published recently by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), approximately 12,000 lung disease deaths can be attributed to past exposures at work. Furthermore, there are a staggering 18,000 new cases each year of self-reported breathing or lung problems caused or made worse by work.

Little wonder then that – together musculoskeletal disorders and stress – the issue of lung disease is one of the key target areas for the HSE’s recently launched

Work Right campaign. That campaign has one simple aim: To make sure that everyone goes home from work healthy.

When looking at the inhalation of dust and vapours, it is very easy to see this as an issue for the men and women on the ground: the soft-strip gangs; the asbestos removal crews; the manual demolition workers. But it stretches far beyond that. And while modern equipment cabs afford a great of protection

76

against the elements, falling objects and from rollover and impact, they are not hermetically sealed. Which means that an operator of an excavator or wheel loader is equally at risk from long-term lung disease if exposed to hazards such as silica dust.

Enter stage left Odour and Dust Solutions; the UK supplier of cab pressurisation systems. These systems keep out dust particles and polluted air by creating a positive air pressure environment within the machine’s cab. “It is simple but clever,” says Odour and Dust’s Gary Thomson. “When you run a positive pressure in the cab, particles cannot leak in. And with the filters fitted, particles cannot be drawn in through the system either.”

Although such systems are increasingly used on frontline excavators, Thomson says that consideration should also be given to other vehicles and items of equipment. “Many people think if they cover the excavator, loading shovel or major plant then that is sufficient. What happens to the dumper driver or the truck driver. When they get loaded they are also at risk

of dust entering the cab. And once it’s in, there is no removal systems.”

The system is controlled using a control panel that automatically increases the pressure if a leak occurs to ensure the safety is maintained. If a window is left open, the system is not able to work. It will shut down and an alarm will start. If any filters are removed from the system the control panel will alarm so the operator knows that the machine is not safe to use.

An indicator may also be fitted to the cab so the alarm can be seen by others.

“The stricter rules set in place by the Health and Safety Executive means that the lung health of workers is one of the most important things in the work place,” Gary Thomson concludes. “If you are in the demolition, quarry, recycling, remediation or compost industry then this level of protection should be a priority.”

Full details of the Health and Safety Executive’s Work Right campaign can be found here: https:// tinyurl.com/tx6qse7

77

FORD DAGENHAM DSTO CLIENT

SUMMARY OF PROJECT

Dagenham Dock Ltd (St Congar)

Scudder Demolition is principal contractor for the project to demolish and remediate the former Ford Dagenham Stamping and Tooling Operations plant on behalf of their client, Dagenham Dock Ltd (St Congar).

SCOPE OF WORK

The site achieved a 98% recycle rate of recovered material. Fellow Carey Group companies, ION Environmental, Seneca Resource Recovery and Careys Design Team are working in alignment with the Scudder team to complete this project.

Complex demolition and remediation works

The vast site, which has a demolition boundary of approximately 20 hectares, contains a large number of buildings and basements. Prior to getting started, Scudder used monitoring wells and trial pits to detect possible ground contamination. Scudder were then able to commence demolition of the entire facility – including floor slabs, foundations and basements – as well as conducting full site remediation.

Due to the proximity of the River Thames, it was necessary to raise the site 1.3 metres above the initial levels, using 500,000 square metres of engineered fill and approximately 100,000 cubic metres of clay to infill the deep basements.

Careys Design Team has played an integral role in the project by designing the temporary works within the existing basements, which has enabled Scudder to overcome the unusually high water table (only 1.8 metres below ground level).

Sister company, Seneca Resource Recovery,has coordinated the recovery of approximately 312,000 tonnes of concrete, which will be recycled to achieve a 98% recycle rate of recovered materials.

ADVERTORIAL

How long has SCS been established?

The company was formed in 2003.

How is the team structured?

Senior Management Team: Jacob Hoare (Managing Director), Murray Hoare (Depot Manager), Dave Wase (Commercial Manager).

What is the ethos of the company?

To provide first-class waste disposal and recycling services to our customers safely and on time.

How has the company reacted to market changes?

We continually invest in the latest technology and make sure that we use best practices to ensure we are at the forefront of the recycling industry

How has the marketplace changed since SCS was established?

The waste management and recycling industry has changed considerably. The introduction of the landfill tax directive created a market where much more effort was put into recycling as opposed to landfill, which in turn created an international market for the resale of those recyclates.

Have you proactively invested in or planned changes or have they been more of a natural process?

A bit of both, really. We have a strategy for taking the company forward, which includes reviews of market trends and government proposals. But we cannot always predict what is going to happen, so the business naturally evolves as well.

Has your range of equipment or services changed?

The basics have remained the same; we still need trucks to collect and deliver skips and picking stations to sort the materials. The real change has been in the services we provide; originally our customers just wanted their rubbish collected and disposed of. Now we are finding that more and more customers, both private and commercial, are taking a keen interest in what happens to their waste and want to ensure that it is processed in an environmentally friendly way and they are willing to pay a small premium to ensure that happens.

Do you have a premier piece of kit or ultimate service?

I wouldn’t say that we have a premier piece of machinery that is somehow more special and better than our competitors. What I would say is that we have a fantastic team of people that means our service is better than anyone else. We try to never turn a job down and are willing to work with our customers and suppliers to make sure that we can fulfil almost any requirement.

What have been the most significant developments in terms of equipment?

The development of flip flop screens with plastic mats has meant that we are able to process more of our fine

80

ADVERTORIAL material into products. The days of trommel fines going to landfill are now well and truly behind us; we have been zero-landfill since 2012.

How has the customer base developed?

We have seen more and more brokers entering the marketplace, which has had a negative impact on price. However, the brokers have worked to professionalise the industry and helped to make sure that only responsible waste operators are handling the bulk of the waste streams.

How do you see the future development of the company?

The future is bright for us; we are working hard to find outlets for our recycled material within the UK. That is important to us as we feel the concept of shipping material around the world for reprocessing does not represent a long term solution to our recycling requirements.

We need to have more recycling capacity within the UK so that we can process our own recycled materials into new products for use within the UK. What do you think will be the most significant driving forces in the way the market and South Coast Skips and the broader industry develop over the next few years?

Any trade deal that is struck with the EU, or any other country, will have an impact on our market and our company. Currently, the majority

of our recyclates are exported to countries within the EU with zero tariffs; if tariffs are introduced, that will have an impact on prices and where we can afford to send our material for reprocessing.

The waste industry is going to experience significant change over the next decade as the public (and not just those in the UK) become more and more invested in what happens to their waste. People want to reduce their environmental impact and it is up to the waste industry, working together with manufacturers, to ensure that we give them the tools to achieve that.

We must make sure that the public can easily understand what can and can’t be recycled, and that we are open and honest with them about what happens to their waste materials after they are collected.

This means that everyone will have

Tel: 0808 169 7463

to work harder to find solutions to the problems and issues facing not only the UK but the wider world as well – sending recyclates and waste to developing countries for landfill and/or recycling is no longer a solution the public are willing to accept.

Statistics Turnover: cÂŁ6.5m

Waste dealt with:

c.45,000 tonnes of mixed waste processed per annum; this is in addition to aggregates, ready mixed concrete and muck away services we provide.

Employees:

Approximately 68 full-time staff and 30 agency workers depending on how busy we are.

info@southcoastskips.co.uk

81

Setting the standards in demolition since 1924, we are a leading demolition and deconstruction contractor.

Our range of specialist services includes top down demolition, structural demolition, land remediation, faรงade retention, temporary works, enabling works, soft strip and asbestos removal. Delivered as either a principal contractor, trade/package contractor or subcontractor, providing high-quality, bespoke solutions to the challenges faced by our clients.

Tel: 020 8900 0221 | www.careysplc.co.uk/scudder-demolition @careygroupplc