Alblasserdam shakes to its foundations

The former Nedstaal site in Alblasserdam has been the stage for an intensive demolition operation since January of this year. Lek Sloopwerken BV is dismantling the buildings there, commissioned by SVE Group BV. A titanic job on no less than 800 hectares! Maarten Lek, director and owner of Lek Sloopwerken BV, is tackling the concrete with 10 of his employees with big guns.

"We are working there with two Epiroc HB 7000 and one Epiroc HB 4100 demolition hammers, supplied by Saes International BV of Weert," explains Lek. "This job is the largest we have been privileged to carry out so far and therefore we leave nothing to chance. Nothing is safe from the demolition violence of these fantastically good demolition hammers."

Circular demolition

The released materials will be put to circular use, we learn from Lek. "Of course, all asbestos is disposed of responsibly. The rest is reused, concrete goes to the shredder to be recycled, the wood is sold and the steel is partly sold and partly recycled. The recycled building materials will later be used again for the development of the new site and the construction of future projects."

In total, we are talking about 350,000 tons of concrete rubble that will be released and partly reused. "That's sustainability at its best," Lek continued. "One of the reasons the contract was awarded to us is the fact that we are transparent in our bid. We showed where the work is, where the costs are and what the revenues are. With an honest representation of how things are going, you get the farthest."

One phone call to Weert is all it takes to have additional machines delivered directly from stock on the job.

Trust is the key word

Lek Sloopwerken BV likes to work in good partnership, both with clients and suppliers. "We see that reflected in Alblasserdam, where we were given the trust to work without any supervision," Lek explains. "This keeps costs manageable and we don't get in each other's way." That same trust exists between Lek Demolition Works and Saes International. Lek: "Three years ago, we switched suppliers and found our way to Henk Saes. For us, that meant a turnaround with many advantages. Of course, we now have access to Epiroc's high-quality demolition hammers. Crucial for us, because we only want to work with the very best brands. Furthermore, Saes International's service is a very strong plus for us. Deliveries are arranged quickly and well and the service and communication is excellent."

Extensive machinery

Lek Sloopwerken BV boasts the largest number of Epiroc HB 7000 demolition hammers in the Netherlands. Lek lists, "We have three HB 7000s, five HB 4100s, one HB 3100, one HB 2000 and one MB 1650. That's why we rarely miss out and always come up trumps. And if we do come up short on a job? Then one phone call to Weert is enough to have additional machines delivered directly to the job from stock. After all, Saes understands that we must not stand still. That's real partnership!"