Demolition Giants by Steven Vale. DVD, approx 85 minutes plus 30 minutes extras. ISBN 978-1-906853-02-0. Available from Old Pond Publishing IN STOCK. £15.95 (inc VAT).
The technology of demolition has changed beyond all recognition over the past two decades. The dust-raising ball and chain have gone, replaced by telescopic high-reach extensions to tracked machinery.
Steven Vale’s programme is the first to look at the machines that undertake this work. In Holland and the UK he has been able to film some of the largest examples in the world, offering a reach of 90 metres. No less impressive are the tools at the end of the booms, weighing up to 28 tonnes and capable of slicing through reinforced concrete and steel.
The DVD includes an insight into boom manufacturing processes afforded by a visit to the Kocurek workshops.
The two interviews that comprise the Extras are particularly interesting. First, David Coleman, managing director of Coleman & Co., gives insights into his choice of demolition machinery and why he has just bought the UK's tallest and heaviest demolition machine. David Kocurek, owner of Kocurek Excavators then describes the evolution of high-reach demolition and talks about the practical limits of the equipment and what he sees as the future engineering trends.
The programme has been organised and scripted by machinery journalist Steven Vale. The narrator is David Holt. The programme's director is Jonathan Theobald who has previously directed so many of the Old Pond DVDs including the Massive Machines series described by Earthmovers magazine as 'sheer quality'.
For features and photographs of the machines filmed see blogs 29 September 2008, 3 October 2008 and 17 November 2008. The main sections and machines featured are as follows:
1. Introduction
High Reach
2. Hitachi ZX870 with STC 50 m four-piece boom and Verachtert VT40 2.6-tonne scrap
shear
3. Hitachi EX1200 with Kocurek 50m telescopic boom and concrete crusher
4. Cat 385C with Rusch Special Products 62 m telescopic boom and scrap shear
5. Hitachi EX1200 with Genesis GXP 2500 scrap shear
Massive Tools
6. Cat 385 with VHS 70/3 scrap shear
7. Hitachi EX1200 with Genesis GXP 2500 scrap shear
8. Cat 5110B with 27 m three-piece STC boom, Mantovanibenne 12-tonne concrete crusher and 12-tonne scrap shear
Ultra High Reach
9. Liebherr R984C with Kocurek 65 m telescopic boom and 3.5 tonne Cat MP30 Multi Processor concrete crusher
10. Kocurek factory
11. Cat 5110B with Rusch Special Products 90 m telescopic boom and scrap shear
Extras: Interviews
David Coleman
David Kocurek
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