MB550 Speeds Up Major Demolition
Project for New GM World Headquarters
from our September, 2000 Issue

Detroit, MI. A massive undertaking became manageable when Tramac's MB550 Demolition Processor was put to work. L. D'Agostini & Sons, Inc. of Macomb Twp., MI saved time and manpower taking down a two-level roadway and parking deck behind Detroit's Renaissance Center, the signature building in Detroit's skyline and now home to General Motors' World Headquarters.

"Two Tools in One"
Robert D'Agostini told us the MB550 is very much "two tools in one". Before its arrival on the job, the work was being done using several pieces of equipment – a shear, a grapple, torches – as well as a team of workers to separate the steel from the concrete and load the material into dumpsters.

The parking structure slabs were 12'' to 22'' thick. The huge beams were between 21'' and 42'' in width. The extra wide jaws of the MB tackled beams up to 36'' without difficulty and munched through the concrete and rebar in one single bite. (The MB's unique design cuts rebar in two directions at once, sizing it for easy handling). The concrete literally fell away from the rebar, making further separation unnecessary. The debris was removed for recycling. Steel was taken to a nearby crusher and the concrete was broken up for road base material.

D'Agostini was pleased not only with the speed with which this phase of the project was completed, but said the safety factor – eliminating the manual separation of materials – was an even more important consideration for using the MB. Mike Wykoff, Project Superintendent for D'Agostini, told us that with the MB on the job, they were able to reduce their manpower from fourteen to eight.

The MB jaws were rewelded on site, eliminating downtime while keeping cutting edges in peak condition. The built-in cutting surfaces are easy to maintain and, unlike competitors' models, have no cutting blades to loosen or replace. Tramac provided a custom bracket cap that enabled the MB to attach quickly and easily to D'Agostini's Samsung SE450 excavator.

D'Agostini's dealer is Contractors Machinery, Oak Park, MI, sales reps Bill Theile and Carl Priemer.

Renaissance Center Renovation Tops $500 Million
General Motors will be spending upwards of $500 million over two years to revitalize the Renaissance complex. Eventually 7,000 GM workers will be housed in the new World Headquarters. Plans include major renovations on the exterior of the buildings, new entrances, a new parking facility, an 1100-seat food court, a glass-enclosed shopping atrium and a riverfront promenade. The auto maker's effort is expected to contribute to renewed growth for downtown Detroit.