Solid as a Rock

The new ATLAS 340 LC crawler excavator on a challenging assignment in Hamburg-Blankenese – driving in I-beams in a vibration free landmarked environment – working with the telescopic jib, smoothly and accurate to the millimeter

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Powerful, quiet and absolutely stable – that’s the new ATLAS 340 LC crawler excavator working for the company Berliner Verbau in Hamburg-Blankenese. Driving 40 I-beams for a construction pit.

This has to happen in an extremely sensitive environment located right next to a landmarked residential area. Blankenese is a western district of Hamburg where in the past many fishermen used to live. Blankenese’s “Treppenviertel” (“Staircase Quarter”) is characterized by small houses standing very close to each other, in some places climbing more than 90 meters up the banks of the river Elbe. Today, this quarter belongs to Hamburg’s most expensive residential areas.

Precisely working hydraulics

Working here is an ATLAS 340 LC crawler excavator with an operating weight of 42 tons, powered by a cocooned 6-cylinder Deutz engine with 180kW/245 PS and particulate filter (Tier 4F). The interaction of the engine and the Linde hydraulic system turns the excavator into an extremely precise and sensitive tool. “The special telescopic jib works extremely smoothly and you can adjust it accurately to the millimeter without the slightest trace of a vibration”, says Oliver Joite, the 340 LC’s driver. In practical use at a construction site, this combination of Deutz engine and Linde hydraulic system works with incredible precision. The operating outreach is 16.5 meters and was chosen to utilise the high-pressure flushing procedure for driving in these I-beams.

Solid as a rock but easy to transport

This 340 LC is equipped with 700mm crawler chains. The chassis is 4,800mm long and hydraulically telescopic from 2,600mm all the way to 4,500mm. This system has two benefits: it is easier to obtain a special permit for transporting the excavator since it does not exceed a transport width of three meters. And it is absolutely stable. “The chassis is almost square when fully extended. Thus the slewing ring is at the center and the excavator stands firm and stable in all areas“, says Nils Schmuck, technical advisor from ATLAS Hamburg, the regional dealer. This 340 LC is equipped with a special tailweight of 8,200 kg which counterbalances the weight of the telescopic jib.

Precise and comfortable operation

The ATLAS 340 LC belongs to the machine fleet of Johann Heidorn GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg. Heidorn are specialists in the field of earthworks, hydraulic and specialized civil engineering projects. In order to meet these versatile requirements, the ATLAS excavator is equipped with a monobloc boom, mounted at a steep angle, at which the special telescopic jib is installed. This provides an operating outreach of 16.5 meters here at Blankenese, which is fully sufficient to cover all areas of the construction site without having to move the excavator too often – a huge benefit under such cramped conditions. A hydraulic attachment kit makes it possible to use various attachment tools, like vibration hammer, hydraulic auger, underground grab, sheet pile press, etc.. On the outside, you see various additional hydraulic lines installed on the jib – actually, you really do not see much of them since they are perfectly protected. In the cab, hydraulic pressure and hydraulic oil supply can be set individually for up to ten services. This is not only very comfortable to use but also extremely efficient.

Your friendly neighborhood excavator

You cannot “find” this construction site in Blankenese “by ear”. The 340 LC’s cocooned engine works so quietly that you can have a conversation right next to the excavator in a normal voice. Moreover, the Tier 4F engine is extremely friendly to the environment. Although you know that a Diesel engine is at work here, you won’t smell it. What makes working with this machine really enjoyable is the completely smooth operation of the boom. Slewing and telescopic movements both happen quickly and precisely – it’s no exaggeration to call it “to the millimeter”. This makes doing the job enjoyable and it is also economically beneficial.