Gulf Construction Online - RMD launches new ground shoring products

Scaffolding & Formwork

Backhoe Trench Box ... high capacity.

RMD launches new ground shoring products

01 December 2016

RMD Kwikform, a construction equipment specialist, has unveiled new ground shoring products that are set to boost the speed and safety of construction projects across the Middle East, thus becoming a single-source provider of above- and below-ground solutions.

“Our complete range of ground shoring products are part of an exciting new investment strategy for RMD Kwikform in the Middle East, complementing the existing business to create a single point of contact for formwork and shoring solutions,” says Paul Williams, managing director of RMD Kwikform Middle East.

He says the team focused on developing a fully engineered solution, using the latest design and manufacturing techniques, when it set about bringing each one of the company’s new below-ground products to market. It selected high-yield materials in the manufacturing process, to deliver superior performance and superior products to those of its competitors.

This means its Backhoe Trench Box is lighter (at less than one tonne) in weight yet much stronger, with a higher capacity than some of the ‘standard’ trench boxes available on the market which can weigh up to two tonnes.

Williams says the design of this particular product was driven by the trend towards the use of lighter construction equipment on site in the drive for fuel economy.

“In practical terms, this means customers can perform a much larger range of tasks with our product, without the need to switch between boxes for lower and higher capacity work. This not only saves time and cost on site; it also means that in this case, our boxes can be handled by a smaller, more efficient piece of machinery.”

And while RMD’s box products have been designed with strength, weight and durability in mind, with varying sizes in all three ranges (Trench Box, Drag Box and Manhole Box), it is the non-commodity items such as the hydraulic range that truly showcase the company’s engineering excellence.

The Backhoe Trench Box can achieve a large range of tasks.

“At the lighter end of the Trench Sheet Support range, with an allowable axial capacity of 180 kN for the hydraulic rams, RMD’s double-acting manhole brace is the strongest on the market, as are the struts in our ‘Hydraulic Struts and Aluminium Walers’ range – making for more efficient designs with less components than those offered by the competition.

“For larger excavations, thanks to its unique and innovative design, our 254 Brace not only has the slimmest section at the joints on the market (reducing the size of dig required), but also it has absolutely no loss of its impressive 404 kNm bending moment capacity anywhere along its length – even in reverse bending at the joints,” says Williams.

RMD Kwikform is also currently in the process of manufacturing a new high-capacity hybrid prop. The 610 Tubeshor will be the strongest hydraulic prop with mechanical lock-off on the market for spans of up to 36 m with a maximum axial capacity of 2,500 kN hydraulically or 3,000 kN mechanically (reducing with length). This latest addition will be released by the year-end.

Enhanced site safety is paramount in all of RMD products, says Williams, and as such it has ensured that its Edge Protection System, Laddersafe Access Platform and Davit Systems are compatible with all of its ground shoring product ranges. The new products are designed to be compliant to rigorous European ‘Eurocode’ standards.

Williams further says: “For customers, one big advantage with our new product line is that they will now be able to manage equipment deliveries more effectively, especially for those sites that have limited storage space. This is because we intend stocking products throughout the region, in the same branches that we use to supply our above-the-ground formwork and shoring kit.

“This means that in the future, we will be able to deliver formwork and shoring equipment and use the same vehicle to collect ground shoring products, once they are finished with. This has the potential to drastically reduce truck movements and the need for extra storage onsite.”

With regard to future product development, Williams says RMD Kwikform will be looking to work further with customers to understand any unique challenges they face, particularly with larger excavations.

“This will help us to identify innovative ways to address these issues with new and future product developments,” he concludes.