international
construction
april 2015
UTILITIES
54
Technology is key
Elsewhere, AFT has released its HW60 hydraulic wheel
trencher. Based in Sudbury, UK, the company hasmanufactured
machines for a wide variety of utilities installation projects and
cabling contractors.
Its latest compact trencher was developed for mounting onto
skid steer loaderswith a highflowoption.
The company said the combination of heavy-duty trencher and
loader offered an ideal solution for fast and accurate trenching in
difficult conditionswhere accesswas limited.
It is said to cut the narrowest of trenches evenwhen trenching
in concrete and compacted aggregate. The advantages are in
increasedproductivity and reduced costs of backfillmaterials and
labour.
AFT Trenchers has also signed a partnership with a major
communications company in India, resulting in its machines
being seen across the country –working in temperatures of up to
45°C aswell as heavymonsoon rain.
Another of the company’s successes has been in optimising its
MH100 tobe apowerful hydraulic chain trenchermountedonto
the armof an excavator using an adjustable 360° turntable.
By placing the excavator in an offset position, the trencher can
be used in canals, down embankments, in roads and road verges,
andover traffic safety barriers.
AFT has also won contracts in emerging countries such as
Turkmenistan and Algeria, which the company said was due to
the versatility of itsMH100 equipment.
Employing such a diverse range of equipment and solutions
suchas trenchers anddigitally-controlledapplicationshas ensured
that contractors have awide range of options at their disposal for
utilities sites.
iC
The route of its project south of Verona, runs east to west,
covering 46 km and crossing 11 municipalities.The scheme set
out to expand the SNAM natural gas transmission network in
an east-west direction in the Po valley, as part of awider plan for
major gas network improvements in Italy.
Known as the Zimella-Cervignano d’Adda natural gas pipeline
project, it consists of excavation work to lay range of pipes,
backfilling and restoring farmland.
SALPpipeline constructionmanagerGiancarloFiore explained
theprojecthadusedafleetof300machines, including42Doosan
excavators.
He said, “Every excavator performs a different job on the
various sections of the construction project. Broadly speaking,
the DX225NLC and DX235NLCmodels are used for general
excavation and for strengthening the embankments and
coverings.The larger models are also used on the embankments,
for screeningmaterial using special buckets and for lifting system
equipment.”
Expanded range
Other manufacturers, including Volvo, have introduced an
expanded series of equipment tomeet demands in the sector.
ItsD-seriesof compact excavators,whichcanbefittedwith low-
noisebreakers, havebeendevisedwith efficiency andproductivity
inmind.
Meanwhile the company’s latest PL3005D-Series rotating
pipelayer is working on construction of a new 1,200 m water
pipeline inStockholm.
AtHuddinge, 7miles (11.3 km) south of the country’s capital,
the Stockholm Water Company is
building a new water pipeline. For this
latest project, the utility provider has
contracted Stuttgart based Ed. Züblin to
handle and lay the pipeline.
To assist with heavy lifting, Züblin
rented one of Volvo’s new pipelayers –
the first one to be used in Sweden. Its 51
tonne tipping capacity enables it tohandle
the 16m long pipeswith reported ease.
Each concrete coated steel pipe weighs
11 tonnes, and a total of 75 pipes will be
required to complete the project.
The HW60 trencher has been released by AFT.
Volvo’s PL3005D-
series of rotating
pipelayers has
been used for
a project in
Stockholm,
Sweden.
The AFT Trencher in action.
Pettibone has released its Cary-Lift 154, featuring an
overhead lift arm design, boosting operator visibility, aswell
as a quick attachment system useful for utilitieswork.
