Three Komatsu excavators fitted with Sandvik breakers and demolition attachments are playing a key role in the demolition of a 17 storey building in Brisbane's CBD between June and the end of August.
The project is being carried out by Enviro Site & Civil, which was founded by Myron Lichtnauer in 1998 to form part of the Enviro Site Group of Companies a leading player in the Queensland demolition industry for more than 30 years.
Equipment being used to demolish the building, at 77 Eagle Street and formerly home to Friday's Nightclub includes a PC40MR-2 and a PC78UU-5, both fitted with Sandvik Rammer breakers and cutter crushers. A Komatsu SK815-5 skidsteer is used to push material down a chute for collection and cartage at the bottom.
The machines were lifted to the top of the building in late May and mid June using a 120 tonne capacity crane, with the project expected to take around four months in total.
Down at street level, a Komatsu PC300-7, also fitted with a Sandvik breaker and a pulveriser, is used for breaking up material and loading it into tippers for cartage off site.
Enviro Site & Civil sends all material from its demolition projects to its recycling and transfer station in the Brisbane suburb of Virginia.
The company is able to process all concrete and brick work straight from the project sites, using its own crushing and screening equipment, while it has a timber mill for processing of timber products.
All scrap metal and steel is sent straight to the metal processors, with other materials such as fittings and fixtures being recycled through various channels.
Enviro Site & Civil was established in 1998, celebrating 10 years of leadership within the industry in March of this year. Over that period, Enviro Site & Civil has re-developed its approach to offer "out-of-the-box" solution packages to its clients for all works within the demolition industry.
Company Director Myron Lichtnauer said the business was positioned as a leading provider of environmentally based solutions, such as site decontamination and rehabilitation.
"We are extremely environmentally conscious and we were one of the first demolition companies in Brisbane to invest in recycling capabilities in our own yard," he said.
"We now aim to recycle up to 90% of all products from every project and we've secured a number of Green Star Projects where you have to recycle over 90% of product from the site."
The PC78UU being used on the Eagle Street project is the sixth Komatsu machine bought by Enviro Site & Civil.
"We go for Komatsu because they are easy to work with; with the guys there, if I've got a problem, they'll just sort it out," said Myron.
"The criteria we look for are that mechanically the machines have to be sound, and they have to have good service and support.
"The Komatsu's are great machines, and well finished but the support we receive from them is the main thing," he said.
"In the demolition business, the machines get knocked around a fair bit, and we hang on to them for a long time, so reliability, service and support are essential for us."
Myron said that Enviro Site & Civil purchases all its Komatsu equipment through Komatsu Australia Corporate Finance (KACF).
"They give us competitive rates, and they are very easy to work with, because we deal with them all the time, they know us well and what we require, this is all taken into consideration, and because of this I just have to sign a piece of paper and it's approved", he said.
"For us, that's the main thing: the ease of use. Once we're registered with them, they are very easy to use, which makes my job easier as well".