Volvo’s mechanised machine to demolish Chennai's Clarion Hotel President

CHENNAI: On Monday, the first-of-its-kind mechanised demolition machine in south India was showcased as experts got on to explaining the need for such “safe and silent” technologies at a time, when 95 per cent of demolition of high-rise buildings especially are razed to the ground in an “unsafe” manner.

Mohan Ramanathan, Volvo dealer and founder, IDA Demolition Association, was speaking at the live site of deploying the Volvo CE 75 ton crawler excavator EC750DUHR to carry out the ambitious project of the demolition of the iconic Clarion Hotel President in the city. Volvo’s EC750DUHR (33 m), imported from Korea, is touted as the largest demolition machine in south India.

Ramanathan, also CEO, Advanced Construction Technologies (ACT), emphatically stated that such a technology intervention is imperative in the demolition phase. Having pioneered the mechanised demolition methodology in 2008, he said “we got the Volvo dealership in 2006, when my company (ACT) entered the heavy equipment business vertical. Excavators were being sold as a primary product but my intent was to use it for multiple purposes rather than confining it to be a digging machine. It has hydraulic power and the components such as boom, arm, and bucket are designed like a hand.”

Noting that there are 25-30 high-reach machines in India now, Ramanathan said Volvo was a trend-setter with safety being paramount. He vouched for the brand by saying “it has not caused a single accident in the world,” as even one accident is enough to “finish or bury” those in the business.

“There is no safer machine for demolition in the world, tech wise, machine wise and operator wise,” the expert sought to reinforce, adding that 95 per cent of demolition was happening by not deploying safe machines, while drawing a parallel with the West, where it is mandatory to use mechanised technology. He also spoke about Bridge and Roof, which nurtured safe demolitions with the use of advanced technologies.

Surat Mehta, head, productivity and retail development, Volvo Construction Equipment India, announced its partnership with PK Unique Projects and said it is better to term the exercise as “deconstruction” to prevent the negative connotation that demolition signifies.

“We have been a part of the demolition industry for over 20 years. When considering safe demolition, Volvo leads the way with advanced features like dust suppression and elevated cabins,” said Kannan, managing director, PK Unique Projects.