Hydrema 912C Compact Dump Truck Excels in Tight Spaces

Fri September 05, 2008
Aggregate Equipment Guide

Building Corp II, a general contracting company specializing in the development of human services/special needs facilities, is successfully using a Hydrema 912C articulated dump truck to handle its onsite construction needs at the Center for Discovery project.

Located in the mountains of Monticello, N.Y., the Center for Discovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of children and adults with significant disabilities and medical frailties, is developing a 10-acre campus for its students and residents.

The campus consists of 12 buildings, which include 9 residential and 3 educational structures to be situated on a wooded lot.

For the project, Center for Discovery required that the campus be built on a wooded lot with gravel walkways and limited use of asphalt and cement materials to maintain the natural beauty of the property. When the buildings are complete, the surrounding natural materials will be used to landscape around the buildings in lieu of more traditional landscaping, thus giving the campus a natural, undisturbed look.

One goal for this project was to minimize the environmental impact on the property while giving the students a wooded wilderness environment in which to study and live. Because of this environmental goal, Building Corp II was not allowed to clear-cut the 10-acre site. They could merely cut small paths in and around the site and create one main road for transport, making accessibility to and from the job site a challenge.

With this in mind, Building Corp II called Pine Bush Equipment to rent the Hydrema 912C dump truck.

“Pine Bush Equipment informed us about the Hydrema 912C before bidding on this project. We knew the project would require smaller pieces of equipment that were able to maneuver through the job site,” said Dan Wittenberg, project manager of Building Corp II.

“This area of New York is difficult to move large equipment through since most roads can only handle a certain amount of weight. We knew we would be able to have the 912C delivered to the site and start working immediately without any complications. This made it an integral part of our equipment inventory for the project.”

Building Corp II moved many trees and stumps with the 912C early in the project.

“All of the wood from the site has been recycled, while the stumps have been processed into mulch to be sold to landscapers and other contractors. The trees removed were subsequently shipped to Canada for lumber,” continued Wittenberg.

“The 912C easily maneuvered into and out of the site using the access paths and road despite the uneven terrain.”

Once the trees and stumps were successfully removed, Building Corp II disposed of 3,000 cu. yd. (2,294 cu m) of unsuitable soil by moving it to an offsite location; 1,500 cu. yd. (1,147 cu m) of rock and clay were then transported to a staging area for later use as the base material for the 125 space parking lot to be built in the final stage of the project.

Building Corp II also had to handle 12 ft. high by 12 ft. (3.6 by 3.6 m) long boulders. To remove this rock, it rented a Stanley hammer from Pine Bush Equipment to break thousands of tons of rock. The rock was moved to the back of the job site for future use.

“We moved all of the rock on the job site with the 912C and were extremely impressed with its power and speed. It has all the power of a larger articulated dump truck in a smaller, more convenient package. Our operators push it to the max on a daily basis and have yet to slow it down,” continued Wittenberg.

The 912C Series dump truck has a 7.6-cu.-yd. (5.8 cu m) dump capacity and is made of high tensile steel with all-welded construction to provide strength and stability on the job.

The job site also contained clay and shale, much of which had been frozen during the winter months, until recently when the warmer weather, snow melt and rain loosened the dense soil.

“We’ve had some serious mud at this job site. With the ground now thawing and the water leaching to the surface, the high floating capacity and light ground pressure of the Hydrema allowed it to go through the deep muddy terrain, even when fully loaded. It hasn’t gotten stuck yet,” said Wittenberg.

The 912C is powered by a 4.4-L Perkins diesel engine. Rated at 123 hp (91.7 kW), this engine gives it power for hauling heavy loads over rugged terrain. Its wide tires enable it to operate in challenging conditions, regardless of whether the terrain is soft, steep or covered with snow, according to the manufacturer.

Another phase of the project called for excavation of the 12 ft. deep building foundations, which were to be lined with stone and prepped prior to the concrete being poured.

Building Corp II left a small dirt ramp at each foundation, allowing the Hydrema to drive into the foundation to dump stone in lieu of an additional machine and operator doing the work. This process saved time, fuel and money.

“The unique size of the Hydrema 912C is perfect for tight job sites. It was able to get in and out of the foundations quickly and while easily fitting between the already constructed buildings,” said Wittenberg. “The 912C proved to be both reliable and fuel efficient. We run it from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.”

Throughout each phase of construction, staging the material for future use was critical.

“With limited space, the staging of material was a day-to-day project. We had rock piles, dirt piles, stone piles, job site debris, etc. The Hydrema’s speed, power, size and quick unloading times helped us move these materials fast,” continued Wittenberg. “We actually had a schedule for the 912C. Every day it accomplished a variety of tasks.”

Hydrema designed the 912C with a wide tipping angle. This combined with the ground clearance of the body guarantees faster unloading times than traditional dumps.

Building Corp II plans to complete the project in November of 2008.

“We’re just about finished with all of the earthmoving at this project due to the Hydrema 912C. We will definitely use the 912C on future projects,” said Wittenberg.

Building Corp II is a U.S. Housing & Urban Development-approved contractor with a staff including carpenters, general laborers, heavy equipment operators, site utility laborers and a licensed civil engineer.

A/S Hydrema is a modern, international group of companies, which design, manufacture and market high-technology earthmoving equipment. Founded in 1959, with production facilities in Weirmar, Germany, Hydrema consists of a broad network of sales and service facilities with subsidiaries in all major western European countries. In 2005, Hydrema established its North American headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., and has since grown its dealer network throughout the United States and Canada.

For more information on Hydrema, call 404/614-1747 or visit www.hydrema.com.

For more information on Building Corp II, call 845/361-2085.

For more information on Pine Bush Equipment, call 845/744-2006 or visit www.pbeinc.com.

This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.