We have been taking on apprentices and trainees for 40 years but recently we took on our first female crawler crane operator!

Liz Hardwick joined us in October as a Crane Supervisor / trainee crawler crane operator. Here she is pictured after successfully passing her training course at Ivor King Training in Nuneaton.

She has since completed her NVQ through our in-house training programme and now is a fully fledged crawler crane operator. She is currently operating one of our most popular cranes, a Marchetti Sherpina, 25 tons telescopic crawler crane in Cambridge and the feedback about her performance has been excellent. Well done Lizzie!

Long standing customer Ivor King Piling recently engaged us to assist them on an HS2 project at Sheephouse Wood, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. 

Here Ivor King are installing temporary sheet piles for a concrete structure using both vibratory and silent piling techniques.

We were called on to provide telescopic crawler cranes as service cranes and telescopic leader rigs with vibratory & impact hammers.

In October 2022 we mobilised an RTG RG19T telescopic leader rig with MR150AVm vibro to install the 18.5 m long pairs of AZ sheet piles. Assisted by one of our Sennebogen 673R, 70 tons telescopic crawler cranes. 

Shortly afterwards further telescopic crawler cranes were mobilised including a Marchetti Lupa 65 tons and Sennebogen 6113R 120 tons capacity. These were supplied to support the Giken SCZ675WMG super crush piler which commenced work on a second wall of sheet piles.

Latterly in January 2023 a Fambo HR5000 hydraulic impact hammer was fitted to the RTG RG19T to assist with back driving the piles to level through the extremely stiff soils.

All of the machines were supplied with tier 4 & tier 5 engines to comply with the HS2 requirements.

Click on the link below to see a video of the machine in action.

We were recently asked to supply a Sennebogen 653R, 50 tons telescopic crawler crane to BBV (Balfour Beatty Vinci) for their project on HS2 in Birmingham.

The crane was required to remove the props within the cofferdam of the Bromford Tunnel East Portal. Due to the limitations of the working height as shown below, we had to lift underneath the capping beams. The Sennebogen 653 was requested due to its Full Power Boom and virtual wall system. The former allowing you to lift and boom out under load. The virtual wall being a way of restricting the crane from booming up into the exclusion zone while also restricting slewing movements in a prescribed area.

Props were removed from their position and stored to be within range of the mobile crane, that had lifted the crane into place, to allow them to be removed from the cofferdam. Due to location the crane was needed to be lowered into the cofferdam. The concrete works in place for launch of the TBM had to be buried and protected before the crane was lowered into position.

The crane worked 24 hours per day, 7 days a week for 4 weeks and we supplied directly employed and fully trained operators for the duration of the works.

See photos, drawing and a video to learn more about this exciting project.

RTG & AGD have three good reasons to celebrate and chose to do so last week at the RTG factory in Aresing, Germany.

AGD had recently attained 20 years of distributing the RTG product in the UK & Ireland. 

RTG are celebrating 25 years of manufacturing telescopic leader rigs.

So what better time but to combine it with the delivery of a brand new RTG RG16T telescopic leader rig for our rental fleet. This will be the 39th RTG imported into the UK by AGD!

It is a fantastic achievement that we are very proud of. Here's to another 20 years of co-operation.

Pictured here on the left our Managing Director being presented with a certificate by the Sales Director of RTG Matthias Saehn.

AGD exhibited a selection of cranes at the industry leading exhibition for the UK market's "Vertikal Days" at the Eastern Showground in Peterborough for 2 days during May 2022.

On display was:

Sennebogen 673R - 70 tons telescopic crawler crane

Marchetti MTK40 - 40 tons truck mounted crane

Marchetti Lupa - 65 tons telescopic crawler crane

Marchetti Sherpina - 25 tons telescopic crawler crane - Now available in two hybrid models

Hitachi ZX160LCT - 8 tons mini crawler crane (used)

The exhibition was well attended and kept our sales team busy for the duration of the show!

Marchetti launches two electric versions of the popular 25 tons CW25.35 Sherpina telescopic crawler crane.

In the hybrid version with battery there is a “small” Stage 5 diesel engine which serves only to charge the batteries when it is not possible to connect to the mains to recharge them. In this version the CW25.35 is always driven by an electric motor.

The second version is equipped with the standard Stage 5 129 Kw diesel engine. It can work exactly like the previous versions, but it can also work by means of an electric motor to connect by cable to the mains electricity supply (400V AC, three-phase) It doesn’t have a battery. So when you have a mains power source you just plug in and run off the mains, and when you don't you revert to diesel power, albeit with stage 5 emissions standards.

The Sherpina is an incredibly versatile machine designed for working in restricted areas. it has almost no tail swing radius, a virtual wall system built in to the LMI which prevents you from booming up or out or swinging into obstacles. Perfect for near to roads or railways. It's 25 m full power boom is generally more than adequate but there is also an option of a fly jib which can work up to 40 degrees offset.

Click here for further info about the electric versions or click here for a spec sheet.

RTG Rammtechnik GmbH is a subsidiary of the BAUER Group and focuses on the development and sale of piling rigs. AGD Equipment Ltd has been representing RTG since 2001 when we became a dealer for RTG for the UK & Ireland. Within the past 20 years, AGD has observed several changes to the equipment focusing on the reduction of sound and vibration. These benefits are appreciated by our customers who are faced with frequent concerns from neighbouring businesses and residents in proximity to their pile driving operations. RTG understands that improvements made to their equipment is a value add that can help the customer in situations where noise and vibration regulations exist.

The Silent Vibro

In 2017, RTG developed the Silent Vibro. There were five main modifications made to decrease the decibel levels and noise emissions. The first was the introduction of noise insulation of the vibro housing and complete encapsulation of the front section including hydraulic motors. RTG also integrated the hydraulics insulation in the housing, which helps to reduce sound levels. The next modification was the noise insulation between the housing and pile clamp with a flexible form element. Finally, noise reduction modifications in the area of lifting chains and connection points round out the noise advancements made to the newly developed Silent Vibro.

What does this all mean in terms of data? When running the “old style” hammer in a standard chain and sheet pile application, RTG measured decibel levels from 120 dB(A) – 123 dB(A). When testing with the “Silent Vibro” in a chain and sheet pile application, they measured decibel levels from 114 dB(A) – 116 dB(A). That is a reduction of 6-7 dB(A)!

Automatic Noise Protection Flaps

Another major improvement made by RTG in recent years was the introduction of the Automatic Noise Protection Flaps. When engine emissions were the main issue the industry was facing several years ago and manufacturers worked on converting from Tier 3 to Tier 3B, Tier 4 and eventually Tier 5, RTG used this opportunity to make additional modifications. The first was to change the base carrier from an old style BS60RS to a new and improved BS65RS. Fully automatic ventilation flaps were developed for integrated noise protection along with unchanged transport dimensions. This is accomplished by having the noise travel vertically instead of horizontally. Another small adjustment was covering the exhaust pipe for additional noise emissions and corrosion protection. These two additional modifications, along with the Silent Vibro, are the main reasons that contribute to the 114 dB(A) rating on the RTG piling rigs.

ECO-Mode

With the advancements to tier 5 engines becoming a standard in Europe, RTG and BAUER developed an Eco-Mode option. This allows the machine to achieve a fuel consumption savings of 20 percent. This also improves noise reduction. When running the Eco-Mode option, the data shows that the machine can operate at 112 dB(A). On average, the data shows a reduction in noise emissions by approximately 3 dB(A).

Variable Moment Hammers

At AGD, every piling rig that enters our rental fleet has a variable moment hammer. The one we most commonly order is the MR 150 AVM. This hammer starts up in a free wheel mode until it reaches the desired speed. Once that speed is reached, the hammer engages the eccentrics. This action drastically helps with vibration control. A similar function is also performed when powering down a hammer. The eccentrics are disengaged before the speed of the hammer starts to slow down.

Another contributing factor that helps with vibration control is the ability to adjust the speed of the vibratory hammer. The faster the speed of the hammer, the less vibration it produces. Dialing in the amplitude of the hammer gives you the ability to adjust to different soil conditions, which gives you control over its output and vibration. So in sands you will use the high speed mode whereas in clay you will engage the slowest mode so that the vibro works more like an impact hammer giving you the best driveability possible in the soils you are in.

Down Crowd

A very important feature that exists with all RTG machines is the ability to introduce down crowd. In theory, the faster you can install a pile or sheet pile, the less time you will be sitting on top of it. That in itself is an added benefit of controlling the duration of vibration on site.

Lastly, when introducing down crowd on sheet piles, you are putting tension on that individual sheet pile, which helps with vibration and noise. The less the sheet pile shakes, the less noise it creates on your jobsite.

In conclusion, the advancements made from RTG are a value add that we can supply to our customers. AGD has been approached by clients in the past with noise and vibration concerns. These recent advancements allow us to provide a product that meets their noise and vibration hurdles. Improving productivity on top of that is a nice added benefit. Finally, if the noise and vibration levels are more critical then RTG also manufactures a pile press which can install sheet piles silently and without vibration.

At AGD, we are proud to represent a manufacturer like RTG that listens to its clients, pays attention to industry concerns, and adapts its products to address customer’s needs.

Sennebogen have launched a brand new model in their telescopic crawler crane range. The 6113E has a 46.8 m long pin type boom which can be extended to 62 m when utilising the extension and fly jib options. 

It has the ability to telescope and travel with 100% load making it a perfect machine for pick and carry duties. Combined with three different transport options it is the most versatile machine on the market it its class.

Available for sale or hire from UK & Ireland distributors AGD Equipment Ltd.

Click on the links below to see detailed videos of the machine. Click here for further technical info and brochures.

Brand new Marchetti MTK40 truck crane sold to A-Lift Crane Hire from Northamptonshire.

The 40 tons truck crane was chosen for it's simplicity and low running costs compared to an all terrain crane.

Here are some photos of the machine in our yard after finishing in their livery in 2-pack paint, with a handover to their MD David Robson by our Sales Executive Grant Currivan.

This week we're involved in an exciting project in Somerset for TMS installing a new sheet piled wall at Watchet Marina.

One of our RTG RG21T telescopic leader rigs is working on a jack-up barge fitted with a Eurodrill DKS 50/100 twin rotary head with 18.5 m long 610 mm diameter casing and 550 mm diameter CFA augers inside pre augering through the rock initially. The casing acts as a core barrel and advances ahead of the auger which follows behind pulverising the rock. We then switch to MR150AVM vibro using the RTG patented ACS system and install the 18 m long pairs of AZ26 sheet piles to level.

All serviced by one of our Sennebogen 650HD, 50 tons lattice boom crawler cranes from the quay.

Click on the link below to see a drone video of the site.