Beyond heavy lifting: loaders perform a variety of tasks from material handling to primary demolition and site clean up

Construction & Demolition Recycling, Sept-Oct, 2004 by DeAnne Toto

"In demolition, skid-steer loaders are typically used for interior demolition or exterior flatwork" Bobcat's Mathern says. "For example, they can be equipped with a breaker, drop hammer, wheel saw or planer attachment to demolish concrete, asphalt, etc., and then switch to an industrial fork or bucket grapple to remove material."

Mathern continues, "In recycling operations, SSLs play the cleanup role. SSLs equipped with an industrial fork or bucket grapple typically remove debris from the immediate demolition area, particularly from tight places." Additionally, skid steers are often used to dean up around processing equipment, removing any debris that may fall off conveyors or from the machinery itself and to remove the processed material, he says.

For many, the benefit of skid steers lies in their maneuverability and versatility.

"The real benefit of skid steers in any application is their maneuverability in confined areas," Schaefer says. "When used with hydraulic couplers and a vast array of attachments (shears, hammers, scrap grapple buckets, pallet forks, brooms) skid steers can be highly utilized machines."

TWO-IN-ONE OPTION

The backhoe loader offers yet another option to the demolition contractor.

"A backhoe loader can give you a lot of versatility," Jay Barth, mid-range product manager for JCB Inc., says. "You have the loader bucket on the front end and a highly maneuverable boom on the rear." If the boom were outfitted with an impact hammer, for instance, a demolition contractor would be able to break concrete and load it out with the backhoe's bucket or thumb attachment, Barth says.

"Backhoe loaders with a hammer as a work tool are most frequently utilized to remove concrete decking in bridge repair or demolition applications," Leblanc says. "Once the concrete has been broken tree from the steel structures, the backhoe is then utilized--like a small wheel loader--to load trucks with debris."

Clearly, versatility remains a key consideration when selecting loaders for use in C&D recycling applications and in demolition applications, particularly. Manufacturers are doing their best to deliver durable, dependable equipment that is up to the challenge.

"Any machine and tool combination that can improve productivity and minimize manual labor--demolition contractors are very concerned about skilled labor shortages in their industry--is a priority," Leblanc says. "Equipment versatility will help to ensure that a contractor remains competitive for years to come."

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Because of the rigors of the demolition environment, contractors may wish to consider specialty tires for their loading equipment in order to reduce downtime resulting from flats and wear,

"Many C&D recycling facilities and some demolition contractors use solid. hybrid or foam-filled tires," Jack Bolton of Volvo Construction Equipment, Asheville, N.C., says.

Kelly Moore, product manager for Gehl, West Bend, Wisc., says, solid tires are the best choice for demolition environments in terms of wear and puncture resistance. "Solid tires are quite heavy and make the machine much heavier, and the machine will ride a little harder because you have the hard-surface rubber on the ground," he says. "If they are traveling longer distances at higher ground speed some customers might prefer to go to severe-duty ties that can be air inflated or poly inflated. With the poly material, you still get the same softness as when you have air in the tire."