A tight fit - confined space demolition by Klaus Anthes

German contractor Klaus Anthes made use of the capabilities of a Doosan DX235LCR reduced radius tailswing machine on a challenging small-scale demolition project in Eppstein in the state of Hess, Germany. The contract involved the demolition of a residential property but it was the site that created a challenge for the company, with the house located on a hillside immediately adjacent to a narrow road that could not be obstructed at any time during the demolition. This meant that the machine had to work witin the footprint of the structure.

A further complication was created by the fact that the replacement structure that will be constructed on the site will sit on the natural stone cellar of the existing house, and the cellar therefore had to be protected from any damage during the demolition process.

Anthes therefore decided to rent the 24 tonne DX235LCR, mounting a sorting grapple, from Bobcat Bensheim for the project. The machine has a short overhang of 18.5 cm (7.3 in) and a swing radius of 3.99 m (13.1 ft).

Klaus said of the machine: "The reach and stability of the excavator were crucial on this project. All of the demolition work had to be carried out from the front yard. That meant we needed a machine that could reach up to 8 m (26.3 ft) into the property while still having excellent stability to stand securely on the slope at the site. The Doosan excavator also has the advantage that its arm can be fully retracted and that made it easy for us to turn in this confined space."

In all, a total of 200 cubic metres (7,000 cubic feet) of rubble, wood, metal and other waste was sorted on site then sent for final disposal, with the machine only requiring 15 hours to carry out the work.