NATIONAL Pile Croppers has unveiled a new hydraulic pile cropper designed to crop piles from 300-400mm.
The Pre-Cast 400 (PC 400) is intended to crop precast piles with four or more reinforcement bars.
Weighing in at 550kg, the PC 400 can be mounted on a 6t excavator and is suited to removing sections of concrete at approximately 250mm per crop. Equipped with four rams and blades, National Pile Croppers explained it has been purpose-designed to penetrate past the rebar and into the centre of the pile to leave a ‘minimum’ of trimming.
“Although we are very proud of the PC 400, we cannot claim that it is all our own work,” said director Lee Aston. “We’ve worked closely with some of the biggest civil engineering companies in the world to add features that makes the PC 400 a safer, more efficient and more productive solution.
“I also need to thank our technicians in the field as they’ve channelled feedback directly based on their real-world site experiences. It is this unique partnership that has enabled us to deliver high quality manufactured solutions with the features that are really required when cropping in the field.”
Careys became one of the first contractors to utilise the PC 400 on a project for Holcim. “The PC 400 proved itself on this project,” Lee added. “Careys reported high levels of productivity, and ease of use.
“Being able to be used by a 6t excavator meant that cropping could be undertaken with existing equipment onsite. The cropping was undertaken in a timely and efficient manner, with the concrete and rebar being able to be recycled and reused in line with Holcim UK’s inspiring environmental goals.
“The PC 400 further benefits from a new range of specifically in-house manufactured chisels, designed with the purpose to not only penetrate the pile, but to leave a perfect finish with little or no tidying up. The new chisels effectively break up the concrete into pieces, and furthermore, the cropped unit can then easily be lifted off the pile enabling the removal and recycling of the cut away concrete in a safe manner.”
The PC 400 is now available for hire or purchase throughout the UK and will be introduced globally in the coming months.
