Demolition contractor chooses Bobcat equipment
Hughes & Salvidge use S550 skid-steer loader on major Sheffield demolition project
A BOBCAT S550 skid-steer loader model, supplied by MTS Plant Hire & Sales, is part of the fleet of equipment being used by Hughes & Salvidge to help demolish Castle Market in Sheffield.
Constructed on the ruins of Sheffield Castle in 1270 but destroyed in 1648 by Parliamentarians after the English Civil War, Castle Market was, for many years, a local landmark dating back to 1928 with later additions made in the 1960s and 1970s.
The site has now entered the demolition phase of the Castlegate Regeneration Project, which forms a key part of Sheffield City Council’s wider plans to revamp the city and help conserve the remaining castle ruins, although at present the local authority is not sure how much of the original castle remains intact.
The Bobcat S550 loader has proved to be a vital item of equipment for Hughes & Salvidge. Thanks to its compact size, the machine has been able to work easily in the confined spaces inside the market, collecting debris and rubble via a Bobcat grapple attachment also supplied by MTS.
Demolition work began with careful asbestos removal followed by a ‘soft strip’ on the site. The superstructure is currently being demolished down to the concrete, with 98% of the waste materials being recycled. Some elements of the demolition have had to be carried out by hand with steel plates utilized to protect and preserve the ground under the structure. Hughes & Salvidge will leave the site at ‘slab level’ so that the ground can be dug up for archaeological purposes in phase two of the project.
According to MTS, the Bobcat S550 skid-steer loader provides the manoeuvrability and productivity needed to do more work in less time than other types of equipment for the customer. Featuring controls that allow for precise movements even in the tightest of spaces, Bobcat compact loaders, such as the S550 model, ensure safe, efficient operation at all times in areas inaccessible to traditional machines.
As well as offering plant hire, MTS Group are also authorized Bobcat dealers for the North, South and West Yorkshire. In addition, the company is nationally approved to provide training to all levels of competence and at two standards – Bobcat accredited training and Lantra Awards.
