Steven Vale’s goal to capture some of the world’s heaviest and tallest demolition rigs in action is nearing completion following several days of successful filming in England.
With a great deal of help and support from Kocurek’s Stephen Codd and Ron Callan, this time he took director Jonathan Theobald and cameraman Roger Wiltshire to Birmingham to catch the biggest machine in action at its second job site.
The massive machine belongs to Coleman & Co, and is based on a brand new Liebherr R984C hydraulic excavator that was converted following several thousand hours of work by Liebherr and Kocurek. The result is a 200 tonnes+ monster that rips down everything in its path.
Fitted with a three-stage telescopic boom that is capable of reaching to heights of 65m, at the top the jaws of the Verachtert tool makes light work of crushing even the thickest reinforced concrete.
From Birmingham the team travelled to Barking in East London to see another of Kocurek’s telescopic creations – a modified Hitachi EX1200.
One of only three in existence, the film crew was able to take a close look at one of two belonging to 777 Demolition.
Currently helping to tear down a number of older office and residential buildings, guide Leon McNeish provides them with some stunning vantage points to see this 160 tonnes giant from all its best angles.
The 9-storey block of flats stands no chance against a machine that is capable of operating at a height of 55m.
With kind permission from managing director David Kocurek and great co-operation from his staff the film crew was able to take a peek at some of the manufacturing processes of the Ipswich-based demolition rig specialist.
The visit coincided with the final tests of a brand new demolition rig to India. Based on a Volvo EC460B, it might only reach to 26m but is believed to be the very first high-reach machine in the country.
Filming is nearly finished. With just one main demolition giant still to capture, the team plans to release the DVD in spring 2009.
Steven (who took the photographs and prepared the text for this blog entry) has been careful to get footage of the operators at work. Here are two of them: Chris Hinett in the Hitachi 777 and Bill Robinson in the Liebherr.
I would love to see a copy of this footage, both in my capacity as the press officer for the NFDC and also as editor of Demolition & Dismantling and webmaster of www.demolitionnews.com
Posted by: Mark Anthony | 11/18/2008 at 04:00 PM
As Vice President of The Institute of Demolition Engineers and a leading demolition consultant I would like a copy of the DVD as soon as it is on sale. I would also like to include a link from our website www.demolishdismantle.co.uk
Posted by: John Woodward | 11/18/2008 at 05:50 PM