Beyond Heavy Lifting

The loaders employed on demolition sites and in construction and demolition recycling yards perform a variety of material handling tasks, but their usefulness goes far beyond loading processing equipment and outbound trucks.

It’s this versatility that many manufacturers are keeping in the forefront as they design the next generation of material handling equipment, whether they be wheel loaders, skid-steer loaders or backhoe loaders.

Faced with all these choices and the numerous options available for loading equipment (see sidebar), selecting the right mix of equipment for a particular demolition job or C&D recycling yard can be somewhat intimidating. However, determining the right loader typically starts with the material to be handled and the level of production required.

"A few key considerations that affect equipment selection would be the size of the job, the type of material being removed and the height of the structures," Rusty Schaefer, marketing manager for Case Construction Equipment, Racine, Wisc., says. "Additional considerations include dust control, sound restrictions, and lift capacities of the equipment."

Schaefer adds that demolition contractors should also consider their project deadlines in order to determine the number of pieces of equipment needed, and the way in which the machines will be used.

Kelly Moore, product manager for Gehl, West Bend, Wisc., says that while compact equipment may be more suitable for jobs with space restrictions, he suggests choosing the largest loader a site will allow enables contractors to increase their productivity by getting more done in less time.

"Large equipment allows for more production on open projects," Lance Mathern, marketing manager for Bobcat Co., West Fargo, N.D., agrees. However, he adds that compact equipment, like skid-steer loaders, is often less expensive, easier and quicker to transport on and off site, can fit into tight spaces and can operate a variety of attachments.

"All machines working at a site are often needed to perform multiple tasks. Various work tools, properly applied, are the key to success," he says.

As far as durability and reliability are concerned, Leblanc says, "Machines and work tool designs must afford for maximum up time when utilized in harsh environments."

With this information in mind, selecting among the variety of wheel loaders, skid steers and backhoe loaders available should be a bit easier, though each machine offers different strengths that may be more suitable for a given job.

"In demolition, the wheel loader most often supports the primary demolition tool, the excavator," Jack Bolton of Volvo Construction Equipment, Asheville, N.C., says. "The loader can set barricades and set steel plates with a set of forks or a material handling arm. When equipped with a broom, the loader can clean dust and debris blown out from the demolition site. Of course, when the loader has a bucket, it can load trucks and clean large debris from haul roads," he adds.

Leblanc says wheel loaders are often used to move bulk quantities of demolition debris, such as crushed concrete, blocks and wood, in primary and secondary demolition applications. "Staging materials and loading trucks are a common requirement," he says.

"In terms of demolition, a wheel loader is primarily a tool carrier because of its ability to change attachments," David Morice, heavy-range equipment manager for JCB Inc., Pooler, Ga., says.

When equipped with hydraulic couplers, which allow for quick attachment changes, Case’s Schaefer points out that wheel loaders can be equipped with forks, scrap grapple buckets and brooms, increasing the machine’s versatility and utilization.

"Overall, skid loaders are probably more predominant in recycling or demolition because of their versatility," Gehl’s Moore says. "For overall purposes, whether it is any kind of recycling or demolition application, the skid loader is really going to be the best performer and producer that a contractor can look for," he says, crediting the machine’s versatility.

Dan Rafferty, compact equipment product manager for JCB Inc., Pooler, Ga., says that skid steers offer small to mid-size C&D recyclers the versatility needed to handle multiple tasks thanks to the machines’ quick attachment changing features and auxiliary hydraulics.

In demolition applications, Rafferty says skid steers can handle anything from sidewalk demolition to tearing apart a gas station.

LeBlanc also finds skid steers to be the most versatile equipment in recycling and demolition applications. "Their compact size, light weight, nimble maneuverability, ease of operation and endless array of work tools allows the SSL (skid steer loader) to perform many functions."

Additionally, compared to a wheel loader, Moore says a skid loader’s cycle time is going to be considerably faster.

"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 clean 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."

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 free 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." C&DR

The author is associate editor of C&DR magazine and can be contacted by e-mail at dtoto@gie.net.