Carl C Fon has engaged a total of nine Hitachi excavators on the project
Norwegian contractor 7596 Carl C Fon has secured its largest-ever road construction contract to complete a 4.6km section of the E18 in the Mysen region of its home country. It started the €25million project in August 2012 and it is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2014.
The Sandefjord-based company’s fleet of233 Hitachi Zaxis excavators and other construction equipment has been moving 600,000m³ of soil and 300,000m³ of other materials. There is a large deficit of Stone on the land, which consists mainly of clay, and this is being overcome by bringing in aggregates from a national rail construction project at Holmestrand.
The E18 European route runs from Craigavon in Northern Ireland, through parts of Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland, to Saint Petersburg in Russia. Within the overall route, Carl C Fon’s demanding E18 contract will create an impressive new four-lane highway, complete with central reservation and a 100kph speed limit. It will also include the construction of four new bridges and a 150m tunnel. The traffic will be moved on to the new southbound road in September 2013, allowing for the completion of the northbound carriageway.
The old route – which will remain open for local traffic – has only two lanes, with variable speed limits of between 50 and 80kph. The overall aims of the E18 expansion project in the Mysen region are to enhance road safety – by avoiding urban areas – and reduce journey times.
Carl C Fon has engaged a Total of nine Hitachi excavators on the project (one wheeled and eight crawler machines), including the new ZX250LC-5, two ZX470LCH-5s and a ZX670LCH-5, Plus five articulated dump trucks, two bulldozers and two other excavators. A team of 30-35 personnel has been working on the project on an 11-hour, four-day (Monday to Thursday) week.
“This is the biggest job that the company has worked on to date,” said owner Carl Christian Fon. “Prior to this, our largest contract would have been around €8million. As the main contractor, we are responsible for everything from the drainage to the earthmoving and construction of the highway up to, but not including, the asphalt, bridges and concrete work.
“The ground here is relatively soft, due to the high clay content, and so we are using the lightest machinery that the job will allow. We have invested in a range of new Zaxis-5 excavators from the official Hitachi dealer Nasta to cope with the increased workload. Nasta provides us with an excellent after-sales service, with its team of highly skilled and experienced personnel.”
Fon said that the Total cost of ownership was very important to his firm. “We assess the running costs and resale value of each machine before making a purchase decision,” he explained. “Hitachi is certainly very strong in these areas. It also leads the way with the overall quality of the hydraulics and design, and our operators enjoy working with the Zaxis machines.”
The Sandefjord-based company’s fleet of
The E18 European route runs from Craigavon in Northern Ireland, through parts of Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland, to Saint Petersburg in Russia. Within the overall route, Carl C Fon’s demanding E18 contract will create an impressive new four-lane highway, complete with central reservation and a 100kph speed limit. It will also include the construction of four new bridges and a 150m tunnel. The traffic will be moved on to the new southbound road in September 2013, allowing for the completion of the northbound carriageway.
The old route – which will remain open for local traffic – has only two lanes, with variable speed limits of between 50 and 80kph. The overall aims of the E18 expansion project in the Mysen region are to enhance road safety – by avoiding urban areas – and reduce journey times.
Carl C Fon has engaged a Total of nine Hitachi excavators on the project (one wheeled and eight crawler machines), including the new ZX250LC-5, two ZX470LCH-5s and a ZX670LCH-5, Plus five articulated dump trucks, two bulldozers and two other excavators. A team of 30-35 personnel has been working on the project on an 11-hour, four-day (Monday to Thursday) week.
“This is the biggest job that the company has worked on to date,” said owner Carl Christian Fon. “Prior to this, our largest contract would have been around €8million. As the main contractor, we are responsible for everything from the drainage to the earthmoving and construction of the highway up to, but not including, the asphalt, bridges and concrete work.
“The ground here is relatively soft, due to the high clay content, and so we are using the lightest machinery that the job will allow. We have invested in a range of new Zaxis-5 excavators from the official Hitachi dealer Nasta to cope with the increased workload. Nasta provides us with an excellent after-sales service, with its team of highly skilled and experienced personnel.”
Fon said that the Total cost of ownership was very important to his firm. “We assess the running costs and resale value of each machine before making a purchase decision,” he explained. “Hitachi is certainly very strong in these areas. It also leads the way with the overall quality of the hydraulics and design, and our operators enjoy working with the Zaxis machines.”
