Eleven LiuGong’s Demolishing

One of the earliest adopters of LiuGong machines in the UK market, is the long established and well-respected Essex based demolition contractor, the Squibb Group.

The company actually purchased their first two LiuGong excavators as far back as 2013 and have continued to invest in them ever since, according to a site spokesman we talked to, the brand has proven to be extremely reliable and cost effective for them in the tough and often rigorous demolition environment.

On an ongoing high-profile £220m regeneration project to demolish the 1960’s Morris Walk Estate, in Woolwich, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Squibb Group has deployed no less than 11 of its LiuGong excavators including two of its three 50-tonne class 950E DM High Reach models to tackle the job.

The High Reach machines which were also supplied by LiuGong Direct UK feature a 30m high reach boom designed and fabricated by Ipswich based specialists Kocurek, who also widened the track frame and increased its length by 800mm which gives the machine an excellent footprint on the ground for increased stability. On this particular job the machines are engaged in taking down the largest tower blocks which are 17 floors high.

The project kicked off towards the end of June, with soft stripping works, followed by hard demolition of the concrete frames and precast structures which is ongoing. The work is scheduled to run for 52 weeks.  

The LiuGong excavators which consist of a mix of 924E, 928E, 939E and 950E models are deployed on various tasks, including extracting foundations, loading road going trucks, loading skips using a selector grab, hammer work and concrete munching operations.

Talking about the machines Squibb’s High Reach operator Nick Smith said, “Well referring to my own machine the 950E DM HR, It’s a nice smooth machine with plenty of power, I also find it a lot more precise than some of the earlier models, something that is very important when you are engaged in precision work like demolition, the extra wide track frame offers me lot more stability too.

As for the other models on the fleet, they do what they say on the tin at the end of the day, and are an economical alternative to other perceived higher quality brands, especially in this harsh game which can be tough on machines”.

Once these aging old properties are cleared construction on the new buildings that are part of the six-year regeneration plan will begin in the Autumn of 2021.