It’s twilight on a rather cold day in late November as work grinds to a halt on the Pakuria Bridge. Or whatever is left of it. Since demolition work began on the 1-km bridge some four weeks ago, 30 of the 32 spans of the bridge, each spanning 26 m, have been razed to the ground at an astonishing speed. Engaged in the tearing down of the bridge is Mumbai-based Matte & Associates. The company is among the leading demolition firms in the country with a string of accomplishments to its credit.
The Pakuria Bridge runs over a dry river bed and railway line on the Dhankuni-Kharagpur stretch, about 23 km from Kolkata.
"By next weekend, people won’t know the bridge was ever there," says Ram Matte, Owner, Matte & Associates. "Our Volvos will ensure that." The company’s demolition squad includes four heavy-duty Volvo excavators – a EC210B, EC210B Prime, EC290B and EC290B Prime. They have been hard at work for the company for nearly five years now, taking down bridges, multi-storied buildings, roads and other structures across the country with consummate ease.
"Every job we undertake presents a tough challenge. It calls for solid planning and out-of-the-box thinking" Ram Matte says. "If you ask me, pulling down structures is actually twice as hard as putting them up. But when you have a couple of Volvos around, they can make demolitions look like child’s play!"
According to Ram Matte, any demolition equipment must deliver on safety, comfort, reach, power and control to make a difference. In fact, the first two – safety and comfort – are critical because demolition is hazardous business. The Volvo series excavators, Ram Matte believes, deliver on all counts. Featuring demolition-grade hydraulics, a robust under-carriage system and top-of-the-line operator cab, a typical Volvo excavator can undertake the most demanding demolition tasks in the stride.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.