Feel the Power - Squibb & Davies (Demolition)
Leading London demolition specialist Squibb & Davies (Demolition) Ltd has purchased a Dig A Crusher 900 excavator-mounted crusher bucket attachment. Bought following a local demonstration, the 0.75 m3 capacity unit has been put to work in support of a larger, dedicated track-mounted crusher at a former Courage brewery in Bristol.
Squibb & Davies, a London-based demolition company with a fast growing reputation in the recycling arena, has purchased a new Dig A Crusher 900 excavator-mounted crusher bucket. Designed for use with excavators in the 20 tonnes operating weight class, the Dig A Crusher bucket will supplement Squibb’s fleet of dedicated track-mounted crushing plants.
Long History
Squibb & Davies is a longstanding and well-respected demolition contractor that can trace its heritage back to 1938, three years before the formation of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors, when founder Harry T. Squibb began clearing waste from East London. Called up to serve in the Armed Forces, Squibb restarted his business upon being demobbed in 1946 and immediately began diversifying into more mainstream demolition work specialising in the demolition of East End tenement buildings.
In 1950, Harry Squibb had a son, Leslie, who is now chairman of the company that is now known as Squibb & Davies (Demolition) Ltd. In the best family tradition, Leslie’s son Leslie J. H. Squibb, is now managing director.
The company operates a large equipment fleet that includes machines from Caterpillar, JCB, Hitachi, Bobcat and Extec, many of them in the claret and blue livery of the company’s beloved West Ham United football team.
Win-Win Situation
The latest leading marquee to join the company’s impressive fleet is the Dig A Crusher 900 crusher bucket. Plant manager Dawn Power first saw the Dig A Crusher in action during a demonstration in October 2007 and was immediately impressed by what she saw. “As soon as we saw it in action we knew it would fit in with our existing equipment fleet. At present not many people have seen it in action but those that have, have all commented on how good the design is,” Dawn Power says. “Where we will really score with the 900 is on price. Being able to crush on a small site without taking material away wins on all fronts. Lower operating costs, no transport costs, no vehicle movements, and no storage problems. That what I call a win-win situation.”
The first real test for the company’s win-win attachment was on the 2.5 hectre redevelopment site at Finzel’s Reach in Bristol. The site, named after the sugar refinery that once stood on the site, will ultimately contain 399 two and three bedroom apartments, 28,000 m2 of Grade A offices, and 8,500 m2 of retail space including restaurants, bars and public areas. The site will be linked to Castle Park on the opposite side of the river, by the Mobius Bridge, a one-part curved bridge that will enter the site through the old compressor house, which is being retained. Squibb & Davies reports that it has removed and processed around 32,000 m3 of concrete with a further 22,000 m3 remaining. They have also removed and recycled 4,500 tonnes of steel but have had to put 100 tonne of new steel back in to support the facades of the listed buildings.
Crusher Support Role
The lion’s share of the site’s recycling duties is charged to one of Squibb & Davies’ four Extec C-12+ track-mounted crushers. But in the areas of the site where space is more restricted, the new Dig A Crusher 900 has really found its niche.
“There are some parts of the Bristol site where it is simply impractical the get a big crusher in. Many people don’t realise that by the time you get a crushing plant, excavator and loading shovel, plus space to stockpile material, you will need a space in excess of a quarter of an acre. A 900 on a medium-sized excavator takes up a lot less space,” Dawn Power concludes. “Being able to process pre-stressed beams, rebar and concrete makes the 900 an ideal attachment as it means there is no double handling. We don’t need one attachment to break everything up and then pick through the steel before we load into a mobile crusher. The Dig A Crusher 900 can do it all.”
7th Feb 2008
