Huge Demolition Projects Easily Handled With the Right Machine

MCM Management Corp, listed as one of the Top Ten demolition contractors in the U.S., had not expected to make a change in its choice of hydraulic material handlers. But when the firm’s preferred model was discontinued by its OEM, Dan Perry MCM’s fleet manager, found that his search for a suitable replacement also took his operations a step forward in safety.

MCM specializes in large-scale demolition projects such as auto manufacturing plants, stamping plants and steel mills. Perry and the owners of the company, Rob and Dave Mardigian, agreed to put their first Sennebogen 825 M to the test at the former GM Stamping plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

They were pleased with the machine’s ability to move in and out of the press plant to perform various clean-up tasks and discovered that several of its other features were equally impressive. These include:

the stability of the cab, raised or lowered;

great visibility to the work zone;

rear- and side-camera systems to see blind spots;

a railing system on the top of the machine’s engine housing;

a sliding door for ease of access to the cab; and

a permanent catwalk beside the cab.

“The 825 gives us an unparalleled level of safety to protect the operator and maintenance crews. The operators’ input was that they really liked having these cameras and they feel that it provides them with an extra level of safety,” Perry reports. “Sennebogen does a great job with their catwalks and cameras, so we took that and adapted it and, where possible, customized our other machinery as well.”

Along with the guarding that Sennebogen includes as standard equipment, he notes that the auto-lube feature also makes the machine safer as operators and technicians now spend less time walking on and around them for servicing. MCM’s large fleet of heavy equipment has been getting retrofitted with similar hand railings, including demolition excavators up to 250,000 pounds, large dozers and water trucks.

“There are so many hazards in this field of work. Sennebogen recognizes it and we’re looking at our equipment the same way,” says Perry.

Equipped for major projects

Since MCM acquired its first 825 M wheeled material handler, its Sennebogen fleet has expanded a lot.

Today, most of the green machines are at work on one of the country’s largest-ever demolition projects: decommissioning the 3,500-acre site of the former Sparrows Point steel mill in Maryland. Half way into an estimated three-year undertaking, the operation will dismantle 20 million square feet of roofed mill facilities in 75 structures. MCM will recycle 98 percent of the recovered material, with only the asbestos and other regulated waste going for secure disposal.

While the 64,000-pound, 825 M models take on a wide variety of clean-up and pick-and-carry duties, MCM has also added a few larger Sennebogen machines, including the 123,000-pound 840 M and the 135,000-pound 850 M. “The 850 is our superstar,” says Perry. “We use it to load ships and barges, and load quarry trucks as well, while the 840 is pretty much dedicated to rail.” All of the material handlers are equipped with magnets, mostly in 69- to 72-inch diameters.

Perry works closely with his Sennebogen dealer, Alta Equipment, to build and maintain his material handling fleet. “We have a technician from Alta come through once a month to go over every machine, front to back. If I have a situation, Alta just brings in another machine and I virtually lose no downtime. They take the unit in and since they have the repair parts in stock, I get the unit back quickly.”

‘M’ models for mobility, transportability

Mobility is a recurring theme when Perry talks about his material handlers. On large sites where a crawler-based machine could take all morning to move from one job to the next, the wheeled machines make the trip in just 5 or 10 minutes. Simply getting the machines to the project site was also a major factor in MCM’s decision to go with Sennebogen equipment.

“The fold-up transport mode of the 825 M was a big, big thing for us – it was a key factor in Michigan. You just drive it onto the heavy hauler and drive it off. With our previous machine, you had to remove the stick and reassemble it at the job. I estimated any transport as at least a day. Now, if we have an emergency clean-up to do, we can get an 825 on the road in less than an hour.”

“Our material handlers do a lot of moving around,” Perry continues. “We have been speaking with Sennebogen about taking them to the next level. They are pretty far advanced in moving on wheels and we can see applications other than a grapple or a magnet for our next Sennebogen.”