[Job Story] Epiroc Cutters For Fast Railway Bridges Demolition in Germany

After a major tanker accident on the A40 motorway near Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, two massive railway bridges had to be demolished on just one weekend. Epiroc was used extensively with five demolition cutters and hydraulic breakers and impressed with the usual speed, performance, and reliability.

Strong partners take on a mammoth task together

Following a tanker accident on the A40 motorway just under the railway bridges in Mülheim-Styrum in September 2020, experts determined that the traffic safety of the structures was no longer guaranteed. The devastating fire on the tanker had caused massive and irreparable damage to the bridges and demolition was unavoidable. But both important railway lines and the heavily frequented city motorway had to be completely closed for the work at times – an enormous pressure to succeed for the companies responsible for the demolition.

Albert Horn from Hückelhoven was responsible for the large-scale use of seven demolition excavators. It was supported by Vortmann Baumaschinen from Marl, Heermann Abbruch from Gescher, and Köster Abbruch from Haltern am See, and above all by the valued partner Epiroc, who ensured a smooth and efficient process with five quality machines. Epiroc’s chosen partner, in this case, was A.B.T. Abbruchtechnik from Billerbeck, who delivered and maintained Epiroc demolition tools quickly and reliably.

Impressive excavator ballet 

Bright and early at 6 am on Saturday, a large supply of construction machines arrived on the fully closed A40 to bring the mammoth task to a successful end. The work had to be carried out like in a time-lapse. A total of seven excavators took on the two demolition-ready railway bridges at the same time – each weighing 1800 tonnes. This showed both impressive and efficient operation of Epiroc products. The two CB 7500 and CC 5000 demolition cutters broke off enormous concrete sections without any loss of power, while the three hydraulic breakers HB 7000, HB 5800 and HB 4700 used demonstrated high impact force with astonishingly low vibration.

Thanks to the parallel use of numerous quality machines, the large construction site was successfully completed on Tuesday at 2 pm – to the delight of all residents and road users. Around 2000 m³ of the material was moved during this operation on just one weekend. 200 truckloads alone were necessary to drive away from the vast amounts of debris.

Epiroc attachment tools – powerful in every application

The challenging bridge demolition gave Epiroc the opportunity to demonstrate the well-known advantages of its attachment tools once again – both demolition cutters and hydraulic breakers were impressive in every respect.

The CB 7500 concrete demolition crusher is designed for primary demolition of wide reinforced concrete structures and is an excellent choice for long-reach or long boom applications due to its comparatively low weight. The wide jaw openings and high breaking forces were ideal for demolishing the thick concrete bridges.

The CC 5000 demolition cutter also impressed with its modular design, easy maintenance, and a remarkable combination of high crushing force, short cycle times, and high reliability. The devices can be rotated 360 degrees for excellent handling.

Three hydraulic breakers of types HB 7000, HB 5800, and HB 4700 were also used on the A40 – all flexible in use and surprisingly quiet, with low vibration. Attributes that are extremely helpful in a time-consuming large construction site in the middle of the city. The unique solid-body concept stands for high reliability, outstanding versatility, high efficiency, and performance, and is known for its extremely maintenance-friendly design. The recoil force of the piston is automatically used to increase the power, without additional hydraulic energy. The stress from vibrations is therefore extremely low. The air and water inlet, which is used to connect a compressed air supply and an integrated water channel for dust suppression, is also health-friendly. The advanced control technology is particularly impressive: The performance of the demolition hammer is optimized by AutoControl, an automatic stroke length switching. The automatic lubrication system ContiLube II, the patented dust protection system DustProtector II and the redesigned service opening improve the longevity of the components.