Hydraulic breakers

09 June 2020

BR 02 IMG_7790

Epiroc hammers were specified for a major project in Gran Canaria

Attachments from manufacturer Epiroc were provided for the demolition of a wastewater treatment plant in the UK.

IJ Lynn & Sons, a drainage and earthworks contractor in Northern Ireland, used Epiroc鈥檚 MG 1500 multi grapple and MB 1650 breaker for the works, which included the breaking down of water tanks.

Ivan Lynn of IJ Lynn & Sons said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e been using the new breaker and grapple to demolish a wastewater treatment plant and then remove the waste from the site.

鈥淚鈥檝e been particularly impressed with the MG 1500 R 鈥 the rotation unit on the grab makes it so much faster and more flexible than our old grab.鈥

The MG 1500, which was supplied with the MG 1650 by dealer WAC McCandless (Engineers), was also used during the building鈥檚 dismantling to sort hardcore from other materials.

According to Epiroc, IJ Lynn鈥檚 decision to use the MG 1500 and MB 1650 on the project was based on the company鈥檚 previous experience with the brand鈥檚 Solid Body breakers. The contractor acquired the SB 152 model in 2017.

On the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, road construction work is being carried out on a new section of the GC-2 motorway in the northwest of the island.

BR 01 MG 1500 moving demolition waste

Epiroc鈥檚 MG 1500 R was recently used on a project for Irish company IJ Lynn & Sons, moving demolition waste

The new section, from El Risco to Agaete, requires the construction of 8 km (five miles) of safe fast road on complicated terrain. For the difficult excavation work required, the subcontractor Perforaciones Trujillo is using Epiroc HB 4100 hydraulic hammers mounted on crawler excavators.

Manager Ignacio Trujillo and the director Juan Monagas said that Epiroc hammers they have been using currently represent the best option for the work, thanks to the saving in time and cost that they offer, as well as the total cost of ownership of the equipment itself.

The new stretch of motorway, which replaces the old GC-200 regional motorway, will include eight tunnels, two viaducts and three junctions.

The tunnels alone total of almost 5.5 km (3.4 miles). The subcontractor faces a complex situation as the project is on a mountainous terrain with numerous ravines and cliffs. For locals, the new motorway is welcome, since the old route was dangerous and experienced constant landslides that often left the village of La Aldea cut off from the rest of the island.

Improved productivity

According to the Perforaciones Trujillo鈥檚 technical director, Jacinto Gonz谩lez, the best feature of the Epiroc HB breaker is its performance which, in turn, allows high levels of productivity to be achieved. He also points out that its high availability and long service life allow for low operating costs.

The Epiroc HB range of hydraulic breakers offers nine models that are suitable for carrier machines from 22 to 140t. The exclusive intelligent protection system (IPS) 鈥 which combines the well-known Epiroc AutoControl and StartSelect functions 鈥 automatically adapts the behaviour of the hammer to any working condition.

BR 03  IMG_20191001_102331

Finnish demolition contractor Purkupiha turned to Green Attachments for a challenging job in Helsinki

The IPS system allows the hammer to be positioned more quickly and accurately, thanks to the centring effect, as well as preventing the occurrence of blank firing that can cause damage to the tool. The uptime of the equipment is said to increases due to the IPS system does not require any type of intervention on behalf of an operator, meaning that there is no interruption of the work process.

Epiroc HB breakers also incorporate the Contilube II automatic greasing system, the PowerAdapt pressure control valve that offers maximum equipment protection, the Vibrosilenced Plus system that reduces noise and vibration levels, recovering energy to increase the efficiency of the equipment, and the DustProtector II protection system to prevent against the ingress of dust.

Green Attachments鈥 hydraulic breaker was in action when a Finnish demolition company, Purkupiha, tore down huge the Merihalli site in Hernesaari, Finland.

Purkupiha has long history in demolition but still this was quite a challenge. The area of Merihalli is greater than that of four football fields and is in the city centre of Helsinki. It was built between 1970 and 1990 and it was very important to carry out the demolition in a certain order, said Santeri Karell from Purkupiha.

Material handling

Another big issue was the transportation of material, with 90% of all material being recycled. All concrete was pulverised immediately on the job site, with a recycling rate of 95%, half of the metal was recycled, wood and plastic was delivered to power plant and burned, roof material was sent to recycling plant and used to asphalt production, and more than 100,000t of material was handled in total.

BR 04 Promove

BR 04 Promove

Green said the fully hydraulically operated Red 025 breaker is very reliable and efficient hammer for demolition applications. Movement of tool is achieved by the hydraulic oil pressure on the piston head and speeded up by the oil and gas load of the accumulator on the top of the piston. Red breakers are reliable choice for demolition contractors due to minimum service and strength.

In April 2019, the well-known company Costruttori, which specialises in the construction of tunnels, was awarded the contract for the execution of the construction works for the road SS 652 鈥淔ondovalle Sangro鈥 and again chose Promove hammers for this job.

The overall development of the work is 5,739m (18, 828ft), with 2,465m (8,087ft) of tunnels and viaducts for a total development of 1.2 km (three-quarters of a mile).

In the construction of the tunnel, the Promove XP3100 breaker was used at the front, with an average progress of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) every four hours for 16 hours a day on material consisting mainly of pelitic units such as marl and clay.

During the demolition phase in the shell, the most delicate phase, when the breaker works in an almost vertical position, the hammer is heavily stressed but thanks to the combined gas and oil technology, the XP3100 Promove significantly reduces the stresses transmitted to the excavator and the impact force of the piston is not affected by the 鈥渦nnatural鈥 position of use of the hammer.

The Promove breaker for these special applications is set up with a compressed air system and dust cover on the tool to prevent dust and debris from entering the hammer, which would reach the piston and damage it irreparably.

Promove said that once again the choice of the its breaker has proven to be strategic for reliability and productivity, now distinctive characteristics of a leading company in the demolition equipment sector.

Idromeccanica鈥檚 range of IMI hydraulic breakers is suited to the newest machines up to 50 t equipped with pressurised oil plants. They are used for several applications such as standard excavations, foundations, demolition of concrete works, quarrying, tunnel excavation and for many other jobs besides being able to work underwater according to customers鈥 needs.

BR 05 2018-08-07 10.04.08  IMI 170 versus Very hard rock, Ironstone.

BR 05 2018-08-07 10.04.08 IMI 170 versus Very hard rock, Ironstone.

Adaptable breakers

For urban agglomerates, 鈥渟ilenced鈥 versions are also available. Breakers can also be equipped with the automatic greasing device which is simply bolted onto the casing and works without an oil plant but only with the vibration of the breaker itself. Idromeccanica also manufactures top brackets or quick hitches to fit any machine.

At Idromeccanica there is a range of hydraulic plate compactors/pile drivers to suit machines up to 20t. Compactors are usually used to compact excavation filling materials, consolidate slopes and prepare a solid base for road paving. Idromeccanica鈥檚 compactors are a two-in-one as they can also be used as pile drivers as the lower plate is bolted on and is therefore easily interchangeable. To complete primary and secondary demolition jobs, Idromeccanica offers a selection of hydraulic shears, crushers, selection grabs and buckets. Customers can also find replacement parts for the most well-known brands of breakers besides being able to manufacture any part upon drawings or samples.

BR 06 IMG_0554

British manufacturer Webster Technologies prepares for a breakthrough with its new Rockhit product

UK-based design engineer Webster Technologies is set to introduce a hydraulic breaker which combines high performance and reduced environmental impact.

Funding from the UK government innovation agency together with significant self-funding has enabled the company to translate the idea through a working prototype to a production model ready for launch in its home country.

鈥淗ydraulic breakers are a very important tool on job sites,鈥 said business development manager Belinda Naylor.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e a real work horse but very noisy. High productivity is paramount in helping achieve project budgets that are constantly under pressure 鈥 you only need to look at the financial challenges associated with delivering huge infrastructure projects like Hinkley Point and HS2.

鈥淭he Rockhit has more than three times the energy of a conventional breaker and doesn鈥檛 need to hit as frequently so the noise is much more tolerable.

鈥淚t also uses less fuel and does not need to be constantly greased.鈥

Hilti goes cordless

BR 07 Hilti Cordless Breaker TE 500-A36 Application Photo

The cordless breaker includes Hilti鈥檚 Active Vibration Reduction technology

Hilti has expanded its cordless tool offering with the addition of the world鈥檚 first cordless breaker, the TE 500-A36. Specifically engineered for the challenges associated with breaking concrete and masonry, this new tool gives construction professionals the power of a corded breaker with the mobility and productivity of a cordless solution.

Powered by the strongest and highest capacity (36 V 9.0 ah lithium-ion) battery in its class and a high efficiency brushless motor, Hilti said the cordless breaker delivers unmatched power, performance, and reliability. The tool includes Hilti鈥檚 exclusive Active Vibration Reduction technology, which reduces the tool鈥檚 triaxial vibration over 30% compared to the competition and helps keep contractors productive. Couple it with the VC 75-A22 cordless backpack vacuum system for an OSHA compliant virtually dustless solution that allows users to fully cut the cord.

鈥淲e鈥檙e at the forefront of delivering cordless tools strong enough to take on the most challenging applications without sacrificing performance or ergonomics (e.g. weight, vibrations, etc.),鈥 said Rafael Garcia, Senior vice president of marketing at Hilti North America.

鈥淲e introduced 36-volt cordless tools nearly 35 years ago, and our longevity in cordless leadership and battery innovation is a testament to our commitment to solving our customers鈥 challenges. The world鈥檚 first cordless breaker is a great addition to our growing, cordless solutions as we continue to service our customers鈥 needs.鈥

STAY CONNECTED

Receive the information you need when you need it through our world-leading magazines, newsletters and daily briefings.

CONNECT WITH THE TEAM
Andy Brown Editor, Editorial, UK - Wadhurst Tel: +44 (0) 1892 786224 E-mail: [email protected]
Neil Gerrard Senior Editor, Editorial, UK - Wadhurst Tel: +44 (0) 7355 092 771 E-mail: [email protected]
Catrin Jones Deputy Editor, Editorial, UK 鈥 Wadhurst Tel: +44 (0) 791 2298 133 E-mail: [email protected]
Eleanor Shefford Brand Manager Tel: +44 (0) 1892 786 236 E-mail: [email protected]
CONNECT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA