PILING

Aarsleff continues to expand fleet with new drill rig additions

Aarsleff Ground Engineering has taken delivery of a new Junttan PMx22 piling rig, one of many fleet investments already secured for 2020.

 (Left to right) Aarsleff’s UK Group plant manager Steve Wilkinson, piling director Mark Fuller, and managing director Kevin Hague with the recently acquired rigs

(Left to right) Aarsleff’s UK Group plant manager Steve Wilkinson, piling director Mark Fuller, and managing director Kevin Hague with the recently acquired rigs

The PMx22 is the third of its model to be added to the company's fleet, bringing the total number of driven piling rigs to 14. The new rig, which was transported directly from Junttan's factory in Finland, is part of Aarsleff's overall programme to reduce the average age of its fleet and overhead costs on maintenance.

The PMx22 provides benefits such as lower emissions, better fuel economy, quieter and safer operations, and more reliability to Aarsleff's growing fleet.

Mark Fuller, Aarsleff piling director, said on the delivery of the rig: "With our new Junttan rig, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to being UK market leaders for driven precast concrete piling. We have seen a rise in large commercial and industrial shed work requiring robust foundations."

Expanding its geotechnical capabilities, Aarsleff also invested in two new Casagrande C6 XP-2 drilling rigs over the winter period, along with acquiring a Klemm 709.

The C6 XP-2 from Casagrande is a multifunctional machine, suitable for ground anchors, soil nails, drilling and grouting works and micro piling. The machine is also designed to drill boreholes, to insert and extract casings, to power a casing oscillator and for piling by the continuous flight auger method - all ground engineering solutions offered by Aarsleff.

The rig benefits from Smart Power Management and full-load sensing hydraulic systems which provides intelligent power management, improves the performance of the machine and reduces overall fuel consumption. Furthermore, designed using sound-absorbing material, the C6 XP-2 has been able to reduce its overall noise output and uses oil heat exchangers to reduce noise levels even further.

The C6 XP-2 is fully radio controlled, providing easier manoeuvrability when working on restricted-access sites. Smart monitoring allows the operator to be aware of everything the machine is doing, providing foresight into required maintenance and work progression.

"Over the past six months we have been able to invest in new machinery and equipment, giving us a strong position to provide our customers with assurance and the continued commitment required to deliver large schemes across the UK," said Kevin Hague, Aarsleff's managing director, adding: "We took delivery of two new Casagrande C6 rigs for our mini piling and drilling and grouting works which have already been busy completing major drilling works on the M6 and in Ouseburn."

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