December 2010

Works are underway at Cairnryan outside Stranraer to construct a new ferry terminal for Stena Line service to Ireland. The CAT 375 is excavating rock material from a temporary cofferdam structure around the new jetty.

November 2010

Between junctions 10 to 13 of the M1 motorway the widening project is well underway. The seven tonne and 23 tonne long reach excavators from WM Plant Hire being used to profile the new embankments and place topsoil on the slopes. The restricted access makes the use of long reach machines an effective solution in the movement of material and loading of wagons.

October 2010

A huge cofferdam under construction for Severn Trent Water, over 200 meters long, 22 metres across and 18 metres deep, has involved precision excavation between temporar5y shoring. The CAT 375 with a 29 metres reach is able to excavate to the required depth with access available from one side only and load the spoil directly into dumpers.

September 2010

The realignment of the busy A3 near Hindhead has involved the construction of a 2 km long tunnel. Works are now underway to dress the slopes around the tunnel portals with topsoil and profile the steep slopes of the approaches. Two long reach excavators fitted with tilting attachments can reach up to 18 metres and place topsoil into the 'Neoweb' earth retaining system.

August 2010

With a reach of 30 metres, the 105 tonne Caterpillar long reach machine was the ideal solution to place backfill to the cofferdam at the Media City Bridge Project. Main Contractor Balfour Beatty have been making final preparations for the 'sliding' of the bridge across temporary bearings on the central pier some 25 metres out from the abutment. The impressive reach of this machine avoided the need for costly floating plant and equipment, completing the operations ahead of schedule

July 2010

Following the devastating floods during the summer of 2007, the Mythe Water Treatment Works (near Tewkesbury) which houses vital pumping and water treatment equipment was seriously affected. WM Plant Hire provided a long reach excavator on behalf of Costain to undertake the deep excavation of a cut off wall forming vital flood defences to safeguard against future flood events.

Working for Commercial Marine & Piling the 60 tonne CAT 345 was used to place an offshore rock armour embankment at Lymington on the South Coast. The rock was placed to combat erosion of the environmentally sensitive salt marsh with particular ecological importance. The works had to be carried out in close proximity to the navigable channel for the Isle of Wight ferry service.

WM Plant Hire are using their 65 tonne CAT long reach excavator with 24m outreach for specialist civil engineering company Forkers Ltd to undertake soil nailing operations at Weedon Embankment (part of the West Coast Main Line) for Network Rail. This method was successful in avoiding disruption to the rail line and providing improved levels of safety during the earthworks to reinstate the embankment, carried out from the base of the slope.

April 2010

At Pwllheli Harbour in North Wales, a Damen dredge pump system was fitted to one of the long reach excavators to remove silt from this prestigious boating marina. Working systematically across the berths the material was pumped over 500 metres to the deposition area outside the harbour. Tidal and night working ensured that the project was completed on schedule.

Phase 2 works at Acton Turville on the South Wales Branch Line involved two 60 tonne long reach machines fitted with rockwheel and drill mast attachments. The rail slope stabilisation scheme involved reprofiling of the rock slope and the installation of rock mesh together with an anchoring system.

Stabilisation of a rock slope on the A38 major trunk road near Plymouth required a machine capable of lifting a 2 tonne soil nail mast and drill rig. The CAT 345 was used to install the nails at a height of 16 metres and outputs were significantly increased using this machine over a telescopic wheeled excavator.

January 2010

The CAT 375 has been involved in essential dredging operations at the Port of Felixstowe, the largest container port in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. Working for Costain, the dredging had to ensure availability of the berths during their contract to expand and redevelop the port.