Demolition specialist demolishes old GCHQ with new Cats

Lawson Group invest in new Caterpillar fleet from Finning specifically for the job

DEMOLITION contractors Lawson Group have acquired a new fleet of Caterpillar machines from Finning, that have been put to work on demolishing and remediating the old GCHQ in Cheltenham for a major house-building development.

The new equipment deal includes a Cat 374DL, two Cat 336ELs and an MP30 work tool, while Lawson’s existing Cat 365CL excavator has been refurbished with a new engine. All units are joined on site by two existing Cat 323DL excavators and a Cat 962H wheel loader from the demolition firm’s fleet.

The lead Cat 374DL excavator, complete with a 3.8 cubic metre heavily modified bucket, is being used to rip apart the vast network of reinforced concrete tunnels and data cabling.

Martin Wilson, managing director of Lawson Group, said: ‘This is a particularly challenging project, as it was not the above ground buildings we had to worry about, it was what awaited us below the ground. This is why we added the Cat 374DL to our fleet, as we required a really powerful piece of equipment to cope with this and additional secured work.

‘With our new additions, we have now grown our Caterpillar fleet to 14 units strengthening our capabilities to offer customers not just demolition services, but also complete site remediation, materials handling and recycling services. We have a strong ongoing relationship with Finning and Caterpillar and with sustainability now an important part of our industry, it is vital that suppliers become an integral part of our business.’

As part of the deal, Lawson Group have opted for the Finsight monitoring service from Finning. A team of Finsight engineers at the Finning head office in Cannock monitor the health and performance of the fleet, alerting the Lawson team to any potential maintenance requirements.

Darren Bodio, Finning key account manager, said: ‘Competition is still fierce in the demolition industry, so it is important to customers like Lawson Group that they have the edge over their competitors. To support the team we have put in place advanced equipment monitoring, a preventative maintenance strategy and developed a close working relationship with the whole business. This is all aimed at increasing equipment uptime, helping the machines to become more fuel-efficient productive on site.’