53
april 2015
international
construction
UTILITIES
Technology is key
worked hard with customers to develop equipment which was
both fuel-efficient and improving its environmental emission
performance.
“Whatwehave seenover thepast year or twohas been a general
increase in rental equipment rather than end user sales,” saidMr
vandenMaagdenberg.
“Companies are making investment inmachines that are used
for utilitywork on job sites, includingmini-excavators and small
excavators up to six tonnes in size. These are being used with
several buckets and are now available in a number of equipment
options and attachments.
“Since the LehmanBros. crash in 2008, many companies have
been cautious, which has led to companies researching more
about theequipment andcalculatingwhat theirbest solutions are.
“This has seen contractors choosing rental – for theUK around
90% of themarket is for rental equipment, withmany plant hire
companies availablewithinmainlandEurope covering local level,
and at regional andpan-regional level.”
He added that while rental of equipment had become popular
as a result of market conditions, he said there were countries
such asNorway, where logistics issuesmeant that contractors still
preferred toown their equipment.
Service locator technology
Company expands its rangewith new utilities equipment
A
ustralian rental company Kennards Hire has expanded its Test &Measure division,
offeringwith the addition of a new underground service locator.
“The Service Locator uses the latest in digital signal processing to pinpoint the
exact position, route and depth of pipes,” said LeoDe Sousa, branchmanager of Kennards
Hire Test &Measure East Brisbane.
“It is designed to detect, identify and trace specific sub-surface pipes and cables reliably
and accurately, even in themost congested areas and difficult environments. The Service
Locator is also capable of locating smaller diameter (20mm diameter) copper services.”
Weighing 2.6 kg (5.7 lbs), the lightweight service locator is designed as a ‘get-and-
go’ piece of equipment for a range of industries from commercial developers, to civil
construction and utilities services such aswater and sewermaintenanceworks.
He explained there had been considerable research and
development into the full range of Hitachi excavators, with the
advanced technology featuring in someof its larger rangebetween
17 and40 tonnes filtering through into its smallermodels.
“Contractors are choosingmachines that allow them to switch
between attachments easily, and we are seeing features such as
grapples andhydraulichammers beingused forutilitywork,” said
Mr vandenMaagdenberg.
“They are looking for versatility with their machines – for
example companies that once worked largely within landscaping
are now taking on awider range of jobs including demolition.”
Hitachi said its 21 tonne, the ZX210LC-5, has successfully
completed an earthmoving and drainage pipe laying project in
Copenhagen.
Following major flooding in the city two years ago, one of its
main roads in Østerbro had been left with sewers overflowing
followingheavy rain.
Contractor Græsted Entreprenør Service used the Hitachi
machine to lay two new pipes to a total of 330 m – one for
rainwater and another for sewer water – then fill in the new
trenches.
Meanwhile Italian contractor SALP has led a project laying a
natural gas pipeline southofVerona, Italy, using afleet ofDoosan
construction equipment.
Based in Bagnaria Arsa, Udine, the company operates
internationallyand specialises inbuilding largepipelinenetworks.
Italian company SALP has led a
project laying amajor natural
gas pipeline south of Verona,
Italywith Doosan excavators
including the DX225NLC and
DX235NLC.
According to Volvo, the utility sector in Europe is switching
away from the use of backhoe loaders andmore towards
compact excavators.
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