From our November 2004 newsletter

Lincoln, NE. When Dan LaGrande of LeGrande Excavating reviewed the specifications for the demolition of eleven sewage treatment tanks for the city of Lincoln, NE, he anticipated it would take ten days to demolish each one. The structures were 105' in diameter, 16' tall and 18" thick -- a big undertaking! The $2 million demolition contract is part of a $50 million expansion of the sewarge facility including a new plant.

Working with his salesman, Jeff Smith of James W. Bell, Omaha, NE, LaGrande purchased a DA 450 with an MC concrete cracking jaw and mounted it on a CAT 330C.

LaGrande told us the DA 450 "ate the concrete like it was going out of style." It performed far better than he anticipated: each tank took only three days to demolish! The concrete and rebar were crushed and cut to the size needed for recycling (6" in diameter) in a single jaw closing, and carted off. The project was completed three months ahead of schedule.

According to LeGrande, they were dealing with #11 rebar as well as #6 and #8, easy work for the powerful MC concrete cracker jaws. LeGrande filled the holes left after the tank debris was removed with 100,000 yards of dirt.

The DA 450 Keeps Busy
LeGrande has since used the DA 450 on numerous sites and has chosen to keep it on the carrier as a dedicated machine. He estimated the unit has already put in 500 to 600 hrs. and he can't say enough good things about its performance. He told us that on the last job, it "ate #11 rebar like a toothpick".

He says the 360-degree hydraulic rotation is a big plus, making it much easier for the operator to maneuver, and the crushing force is very impressive. He also commented that despite the size and weight of the DA, it was very stable, even with the "long stick" of the 330C.