Combi Cutter Pulls Down 44 Meter High Feed Silo

A 44 m high feed silo on the dockyard of Messrs. Kaatsch in Plochingen had to be pulled down quickly, efficiently and with as less harmful environmental effects as possible.

The cellulose in store nearby had to be protected from dust and any concrete or rebar debris. In the course of demolishing work it had to be ensured that no debris could drop into the river Neckar just 8 m away from the demolition site.

Because of the structure's height of 44 meters the demolishers GL-Abbruch GmbH, of Esslingen were faced with a demanding chore.

Demolition work carried out on such high structures requires a real expert excavator operator as well as special machinery with robust and perfected demolition tools.

For this kind of work GL-Abbruch use a CAT 365 BL with a 33 m long demolition boom equipped with an Atlas Copco CC 3300 U combi cutter. This combination of an excavator with a working height of over 30 m and a demolition tool weighing 3.5 metric tons. To minimize the amount of dust produced during demolition, the excavator was equipped with a water spraying system and spray nozzles in the area of the demolition tool.

Gerhard Ludwig, managing partner of GL-Abbruch GmbH, was impressed by the performance of the Atlas Copco CC 3300 U: The combi cutter's design is ideal for the service on longfront excavators. The two cylinders with the cutting jaws movable on both sides prevent strains from being transmitted to the excavator boom. Nevertheless the cutter makes a powerful and quick bite.