A civil engineering contractor specialising in environmentally sensitive projects has taken delivery of the first long-reach Liebherr machine of its kind in the UK.
Landmarc Environmental Engineering, formed in 1989 by Marcus Evans, has earned a reputation as a ‘go to’ company for landscape engineering and conservation, particularly on complex projects in challenging conditions. It has worked on more than 50 properties for the National Trust.
The fleet ranges from remote control mulchers and ground clearance equipment to a range of excavators from 3-27 tonnes but for the latest addition, Liebherr was deemed to be the only manufacturer capable of building a long-reach machine to the company’s specifications. The result is the first factory-built R 922 G8 15-metre long reach to reach these shores.
From the undercarriage up, the machine was designed to satisfy the contractor’s application requirements. “We undertake a lot of work on both soft and sensitive sites,” explained site supervisor Will Evans. “To reduce any potential damage and to stop the machine potentially sinking we specified 900mm track pads and, while they add a little to the over-all width of the machine, they give us a very stable platform to work from.”
The 15-metre working envelope is achieved by a combination of an 8.9-metre boom and a 6.3 metre dipper. The 4.5 litre D924 engine develops 163hp and meets Stage V emissions by a combination of a DOC and AdBlue system combined with passive regeneration.
One crucial element is the use of bio-oil in the hydraulic system. “We cannot afford to have any environmental damage that could potentially occur if there was a hydraulic leak on any of our projects,” said Will.
Among the first applications for the machine was the installation of a method of protecting beaches from erosion called Tecco Cell. This is a series of cells constructed from high-grade stainless-steel mesh that the company has developed and patented in partnership with Geobrugg, the producers of the high tensile stainless steel. This system was installed to stabilise and protect a 70-metre section of beach on the Devon coast.
