Atlas Copco HB10000 makes light work of foundations in London

777 Group is the first UK purchaser of Atlas Copco's HB10000 breaker, the largest hydraulic breaker currently available. It used the giant tool on a challenging demolition project in the heart of the city of London to break out deep rooted foundations.

777 had won the contract to remove the foundations of Peggy Middleton House, an already demolished six storey office block on a 1.5 acre site in Woolwich. The contract featured a tight time schedule for completion with substantial financial penalties should there be any over-runs, and was further complicated by working hour restrictions.

To carry out the work on time, 777 brought two Hitachi EX1200 tracked excavators to the site, with one equipped with a 7 cubic metre (248 cubic foot) bucket. It was decided to equip the second with the HB10000 to break up the concrete foundations, since they had proved to be tougher and deeper than expected. In all, the breaker dealt with more than 50,000 cubic metres (1.8 million cubic feet) in a seven week period, with half the volume being recycled on site to be used during the site's redevelopment.

According to Daryl Pierce, 777 Group business development manager: "The HB10000, powered by the EX1200's very capable hydraulic power pack, was able to break out the concrete at a truly impressive rate. In fact, there's little doubt that without it, we would have found it difficult to complete the contract on time. Our HB10000 was a significant investment, but it's already proved its worth on this project, and it will undoubtedly be an invaluable asset for us on future contracts."