Compact excavator solution for Coleman & Company

Coleman & Co, winner of two of last year's World Demolition Awards, gained the contract to demolish gas holders on a site on Grafton Street in the UK city of Liverpool. Normally, the company would have used its Volvo EC360C machines to carry out the work, but the nature of the site was such that this was not possible due to space restrictions. Instead, the company made use of two Volvo ECR305Cs to carry out the work.

Dismantling the circular gas holders from the inside, Coleman & Company was able to position the ECR305 with its rear against the circumference of the structure, while safely reaching across to the opposite side to maximise the efficiency of the demolition process. The result has been high productivity and immense stability, which has exceeded managing director Mark Coleman's expectations considering the compact dimensions of the excavators.

According to Mark: "We were able to use a crane and lower the ECR's into site - in an environment where a larger EC360C simply wouldn't fit. And with such a high power to weight ratio, we have been able to use EC360 attachments to take full advantage of its much smaller footprint."

The largest of the three models in Volvo's short radius line-up, the machine weighs from 33.7 to 37.4 tonnes depending on specification.

The company routinely recovers up to 97% of the waste it generates from its demolition projects, having recently invested £6m (US$9.5 million) redeveloping its urban quarry at Shady Lane in Birmingham, where it is headquartered.