Hydrock take UK’s first Doosan DX490LC-5 excavator

Fuel-efficient 50-tonne machine working on large-scale land remediation and ground engineering contract

THE UK’s first Doosan DX490LC-5 Stage IV-compliant crawler excavator featuring the distinctive new ‘LC-5’ machine styling scheme has been purchased by Hydrock, providers of consultancy and specialist contracting services for construction, infrastructure and the environment in the UK.

Supplied by Kellands (Plant Sales) Ltd, the authorized dealer for the Doosan and Bobcat ranges in south-west England, the new 50-tonne DX490LC-5 is powered by a 283kW Scania DC13 diesel engine which meets Stage IV emission regulations without the need for a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalyst reduction (SCR) after-treatment technologies.

The Scania engine operates at a much lower engine speed of 1,800 rev/min than the previous Stage IIIB model (2,000 rev/min), leading to a reduction in fuel consumption of around 5%. This is complemented by the introduction of new, innovative and exclusive energy-saving features that together lead to an overall 13% reduction in fuel consumption compared with the Stage IIIB machine. 

Jacqueline Vargo, plant manager at Hydrock, said: ‘As experts in environmental and land-remediation work, the low emissions and outstanding fuel efficiency of the new DX490LC-5 are ideal for the specialist contracts we undertake.’

The new excavator is currently working on its first contract – a £3.3 million large-scale remediation and ground engineering project at the Kings Weald residential development on the site of the former Keymer brick and tile works in Burgess Hill, West Sussex.

Hydrock have already carried out demolition of the former Keymer factory buildings and are now preparing the ground for the commencement of new home building at the site. After many years of clay extraction associated with the former Keymer works, the redevelopment of the brownfield site, including the clay extraction pits, requires the levels on the site to be re-graded to generate a suitable and stable development platform.