Compact Bobcat S650 Loader and E16 Excavator in Löhrhof Center Demolition

InMotion chooses Bobcat compact machines for gutting operation

As subcontractor to GL-Abbruch, InMotion Construction and Trading Services GmbH of Düsseldorf has been responsible for the interior gutting and asbestos removal work involved in the demolition of the former Löhrhof Center in Recklinghausen in Germany. InMotion has chosen Bobcat compact loaders and excavators to carry out this work, particularly inside the building complex.

The Löhrhof Center is one of the oldest shopping centres in Germany. Built back in 1975, it was for a long time a real crowd puller, attracting shoppers from the district of Recklinghausen and far beyond. Despite several renovations over recent years, the shopping centre gradually lost its appeal. Even so, when it was finally closed down in February 2012 to make room for the new Recklinghausen Arcaden Mall, there were still approximately 35 shops open in the complex. The Recklinghausen Arcaden development will create a new, highly modern shopping mall in the town centre, offering approximately 90 shops as well as restaurants, specialist health stores and consumer-oriented services in differently themed plazas occupying a total retail space of 27,700 m². The opening is planned for Spring 2014.

Robust, Versatile Machines
However, before this can all happen and construction of the new centre can begin, several processes need to be completed, including demolishing the old Löhrhof Center. The latter involves demolition of 167,000 m³ of enclosed space, requiring the removal of some 70,000 tonne of concrete, more than 30,000 lamps, 18,750 m² of floor covering and 10,000 m² of dry walling.

InMotion Director, Zijad Delibasic, has specified Bobcat compact machines to complete the gutting work: "I have been working for 20 years now with machines from Bobcat. Their robustness and powerful performance make them ideal for use on demolition sites." At the moment, he has a Bobcat S650 compact loader and an E16 compact excavator on the job at the Recklinghäusen site. He is also using a Bobcat S70 compact loader at a construction site in Dortmund.

Perfect Design for Demolition Work
The S650 is being put to work not only outside but also inside the building. With its industrial bucket reinforced by corner cutting edges, it is ideally suited for loading debris into on-site containers, using both its excellent dumping height, allowing it to load over the container walls and its compact dimensions, which allow the operator, Marvin Schäpers (AK & CO Sanierungs GmbH) to drive the machine into containers to unload debris when required.

For work on the upper storeys of the building, the low weight of the S650 relative to its performance, and its extreme agility offer distinct advantages. Marvin Schäpers praised the attention to detail in the Bobcat design: "The auxiliary hydraulic lines are routed inside the lift arm which protects them against damage. And the protective bar at the auxiliary hydraulic connections also does a great job."

The poly-fill tyres on the S650 have proved to be particularly useful for work on demolition jobs. Rainer Pieper, Branch Office Manager at Bobcat Mülheim, the local branch of Bobcat Bensheim, the company-owned Bobcat store in Germany, which supports the products used by InMotion, said: "During demolition work, tyres are exposed to the toughest conditions due to sharp stones, iron and glass, so we advised Mr Delibasic during the purchase consultations to take the poly-fill tyres. Even if they are pierced by a piece of reinforcing steel, they remain fully functional and can continue to work. At the same time, they also offer much greater driving comfort than conventional pneumatic tyres."

In addition to the construction and industrial buckets, InMotion also uses a universal bucket equipped with a clamp. For the transport of metal and steel scrap or wood, especially, the grippers make the work much easier by holding the material in the bucket while the loader is being driven. Marvin Schäpers also uses a pallet fork attachment not only to lift standard pallets but also other large, cumbersome objects such as a 2.5 tonne emergency power generator, which is no problem for the S650 loader. In addition, in the evenings, the compact loader is driven round the site with a sweeper attachment to clean the roads.

The Bobcat E16 compact excavator is being used chiefly inside the building at present. Under these conditions, the adjustable undercarriage can open up to its full width. With the undercarriage retracted, the E16 only needs a 1 m wide and 2.18 m high opening to move from one room to the next. Extended to its full width of 1.36 m, the undercarriage offers unmatched stability. Equipped with a backhoe bucket and width-adjustable stabilizer and dozer blades, it is very well suited to demolition clearance work. A hydraulic hammer attachment is also proving very useful in the gutting work at the Löhrhof Center.

Care and maintenance
Although the machines are mainly being used for demolition work under heavy-duty conditions, they are still in excellent condition. This is not only due to the robust design - the E16 for instance has a solid, steel rear door - but also because the machines are well looked after. Marvin Schäpers commented: "The machines are greased every second day and they continue to work without problem."

To ensure that they continue to do so, servicing work is provided by Bobcat Mülheim, one of 16 branches Bobcat Bensheim has in Germany. The team at Bobcat Mülheim has been catering for all local customer requirements relating to the Bobcat brand since 2008.