Australian company selects Volvo ECR235CL for retaining wall work

United Crib Blocks Construction chose the ECR235CL for the project because of the crawler excavator's ability to work near buildings and its ease of loading to trucks. 

Australian company United Crib Blocks Construction (UCBC) is using two ECR235CL crawler excavators from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) to support the growing demand for retaining walls in the country.

“Retaining walls are a demanding business in Australia, with both the domestic and commercial market segment booming,” said Nicholas Bouhoutsos, co-owner of UCBC. “We chose Volvo's ECR235CL excavator because the crawler excavator has counterweights that allow for work near other buildings and the ability to load up a truck right next to the excavator.”

In 2015, UCBC purchased its first ECR235CL and added a second one to meet growing demand for short-swing excavators, which have the ability to work in confined areas and still deliver best-in-class lifting capacity, stability, digging force and fine control. The ECR235CL has a bucket capacity of 1.09m3, a breakout force of 141.2 kN, maximum digging reach of 9.89 m and maximum digging depth of 6.75 m. On retaining wall job sites, the ECR235CL excavators assist UCBC with backfilling, levelling and delivering longer reach plus larger loading and load-moving capabilities.

Volvo's ECR235CL short-swing excavators offer increased safety and maneuverability, features that are crucial for working on congested worksites. The machine's body is so compact that its rear swings less than 185 mm, only fractionally outside its own track width. This means that the excavator can get extremely close to objects (walls, trees etc.) without risk of collision with the rear of the machine as it swings.

The rounded shape of the cab is also designed to stay within the rear swing radius, yet remains the roomiest and most comfortable in the market - as befits Volvo's reputation for providing superior operator comfort. A sliding door allows the operator to access the machine easily - even when parked close to an obstruction and there's a brighter, color LCD monitor plus selectable hydraulic control options. This monitor can also be used with an optional rear view camera, further increasing machine operating safety.

Even when not working close to obstructions, the short swing radius has other uses - such as on highways, where the machines can safely operate within a typical single road lane width, minimizing disruption to traffic flow. Today these versatile machines can be found in a variety of applications, including utilities work, mining and forestry, in addition to general consutruction.

“One of the main reasons we selected Volvo's ECR235CL is for the excavator's spacious cab and the fact it has its own suspension,” Bouhoutsos said. 

Established in 1977, UCBC is a family-owned business based in Coogee, New South Wales, Australia. Bouhoutsos currently runs the business with his father George and continues to expand his grandfather's legacy of delivering competitive and cost-effective solutions to customers.

UCBC purchased the two Volvo ECR235CL crawler excavators from CJD, Volvo CE's distribution partner in Australia. 

“CJD provides outstanding customer service,” Bouhoutsos said. “The Volvo dealer is always thinking of how UCBC can grow, remain cost-effective and continue to generate a profit.”

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