The UK’s largest supplier of hydraulic excavator attachments has made waves with the deployment of its biggest underwater breaker solution to date.
Tasked with supplying a breaker large enough to fit an 80t long-reach excavator by Ovenden Earthmoving, Astra Site Services, a specialist division of A-Plant, has broken new ground by adapting a Soosan SB121 to do the job.
Astra’s specially adapted breaker has been deployed to the Thames where it is currently being used to dismantle a partially sunken pontoon at the Deptford waterfront development, Convoy Wharf.
Despite Astra’s previous experience supplying breakers for underwater use, the size, scale and duration of this bespoke project provided a first for the company.
Josie Mann, Hire Manager at Astra, explained: “This is the largest breaker for underwater working Astra has supplied to date, which meant we were faced with a variety of challenges from sourcing suitable brackets to sourcing a bespoke compressor line and fitting to a specially adapted excavator in the centre of London.
“Any prolonged period of underwater working presents a considerable strain on a breaker so we brought in our senior engineers who spent a full day on site, fitting, checking and testing the breaker in preparation for its mammoth task.”
The equipment worked successfully and Josie believes the project demonstrates the lengths the company is prepared to go to in order to provide tailored, unique solutions that meet customer expectations.
She explained: “The project, which is still ongoing, has been a huge achievement for the team. Not only were we able to supply and install specially fabricated equipment within days of receiving instruction from the client, we have also proven that we have the knowledge and expertise to commit to such a project and carry it out with ease.”
Astra has been supplying the construction, demolition and rail industries with specialist equipment for over 20 years. Boasting over 25 different types of excavator attachments and thousands of top brackets, Astra holds the largest and most modern fleet of excavator attachments for hire in the UK.
In addition, Astra offer an attachment repair service, spare parts, and are the sole UK distributor for world leading manufacturers Taets, Soosan and Trevi Benne.
