Demolition of rare WWII bunkers

The wasteland on the Prins Hendrikweg in Vlissingen is being redeveloped. During the preparation of the construction work, two rare bunkers from World War II were stumbled upon by chance; according to documentation, the entire bunker complex would have been demolished as early as April 1980. Sinkegroep was engaged to carefully demolish the two bunkers. The by SAES International new delivery Epiroc HB 4700 Dust demolition hammer came in handy.

Contrary to what the documentation suggested, only the 2-meter-thick concrete roof of the bunker complex in Flushing was demolished in 1980. The 3-meter-thick walls and floors were left behind in the subsoil. The bunkers originally served as ammunition storage, but during the war they served as a refuge for wounded German soldiers. "Although the bunkers were fairly rare in the opinion of the Bunker Preservation Foundation, their condition was so poor that demolition was the only option," said Wilco Sinke, owner of Sinkegroep. 

Eye for the small

Since its founding in 1976, Sine Group has grown into a leading full-service company in the areas of infra, demolition, remediation, transportation and recycling. "We are a family business with big ambitions and an eye for the small," says Wilco. "We deliver artisanal work, using the most modern and innovative techniques." In mid-November 2023, Sinkegroep started demolishing the bunkers on behalf of the municipality of Flushing. "We started by partially excavating the bunker complex free and making provisions to drain the ground and rainwater," Wilco explains. "The latter posed quite a challenge, given the location and the nevertheless considerable depth, but with the necessary creativity we eventually succeeded. We then very carefully removed the original armored doors on behalf of the Bunker Preservation Foundation.

Significant difference

Sinkegroep was also creative with the use of equipment. Wilco: "We started with an Epiroc HB 4100 demolition hammer, supplied by SAES International, attached to our then brand new Caterpillar 352 crawler crane. Since the concrete was extremely hard, the hammer was used to prise off small pieces of concrete at a time. These could go straight into the crusher. Along with the purchase of the new and heavier crawler crane, we ordered a heavier type of demolition hammer from SAES International to complete the set: a Epiroc HB 4700 Dust. It was delivered during this project. This allowed us to approach the project even more efficiently with this heavier set. The new hammer, including OilQuick OQ 90 plate, weighs around 5 tons. By mid-December, all the debris had been removed, a total of about 2,400 tons, and we backfilled the two holes as far as possible with sand and soil."

Good service

Sink Group has been working with equipment from SAES International for more than 30 years. "In the meantime, we also had a brief taste of attachments from other brands, but eventually returned to SAES  returned," Wilco says honestly. "The contact with SAES is extraordinary, the service is good and they can deliver quickly. Meanwhile, in terms of Epiroc demolition hammers the range does complete, ranging from the HB 2500 and the HB 3100, which is also new, by the way, to the HB 4100 and HB 4700. We also have some smaller sets of minis and midis." 

Ambitions abound for Wilco. "We already serve the entire Zeeland market. That's why we want to continue growing in the demolition world further into Brabant and South Holland. At Sinkegroep we know where we come from. We originated and grew up from the Zeeland clay and we are 'groôs' at that. We also know where we want to go, namely towards a sustainable future. With our circular demolition activities, we contribute to a better environment. Safety for our employees and the importance of sustainability are important pillars for our continuous development."