Construction Demolition Equipment
Volvo Demolition Equipment
Volvo manufactures hydraulic excavators specifically for demolition tasks. They have two major categories of products: Standard demolition and High reach demolition. The EC460CLD is a standard demolition excavator that has 320 horse power, an operating weight around 105,000 pounds, and a bucket capacity between 1.7 and 3.3 cubic yards. It is a powerful tool that has great fuel efficiency and quick production cycles. More information can be found here: Volvo EC460CLD.
About Excavators
Caterpillar Excavators
Caterpillar produces four main groups of excavators: Mini Excavators, Small Excavators, Medium Excavators, and Large Excavators. Their smallest Mini Excavator is the 300.9D which has a Yanmar 31NV70 engine with 13 horse power and an operating weight of 2,061 pounds. The 390F L is the largest Large Excavator on Caterpillar's product line. It has a Cat C18 ACERT engine with 524 horse power and an operating weight of approximately 190,000 pounds. More information on these products and Caterpillar's other excavators can be found here: Caterpillar Excavators.
In modern day construction, hydraulic excavators are the most commonly used equipment for medium size demolition projects (1-2 stories). They are also used to demolish larger structures in cases where other methods such as wrecking ball demolition or building implosion are not possible. Typically, excavators are used to dismantle the structural steel and concrete components of buildings from the outside. In some cases, smaller excavators are used to pull apart portions of buildings from the inside without disturbing the exterior walls. Excavators can have different size booms to allow for higher reaching capabilities and they are often equipped with different attachments for specific demolition tasks.
Why Excavators?
John Deere Excavators
John Deere has three main types of excavators: Compact Excavators, Construction-Class Excavators, and Production-Class Excavators. In total, there are 22 different excavators produced by John Deere. The 17D is the smallest with 14.8 horse power and an operating weight of 4,173 pounds. The largest is the 870G LC which has 532 horse power and an operating weight of 193,000 pounds. More information can be found here: John Deere Excavators.
Volvo also produces three machines that can be used for high reach demolition: EC380D HR, EC480D HR, and EC700C HR. The booms for these pieces of equipment range in size from 69-105 feet. The EC380D HR has an operating weight of approximately 108,000 pounds and a maximum breakout force of 54,600 pounds. The EC700C HR has an operating weight of approximately 196,000 pounds and a maximum breakout force of 80,000 pounds. More information can be found here: Volvo High Reach Demolition Equipment.
