HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

The amount of road surface damage continues to increase with the volume of traffic in Europe. New routes are also required to reduce traffic problems and delays. The German Government is currently investing heavily in new road construction and ongoing maintenance of the existing network. We visited one of the many road construction projects currently being undertaken by the Faber Group and its large fleet of Hitachi construction machinery.

Road freight traffic throughout Germany is relatively high due to its location in central Europe and therefore it has developed one of the densest road systems on the continent to handle this level of demand. Roadworks are becoming an increasingly common sight in each of Germany’s 16 states, and Stockstadt am Rhein is no exception.

The western state is Germany’s largest producer of wine with Riesling being the local speciality. The Rhine and its tributaries are sheltered by mountains, which provide perfect conditions for the cultivation of grapes. Many small vineyards only produce enough wine for domestic consumption, but there are also a number of world-famous wineries exporting their goods.

Stockstadt am Rhein is also the first territory in which Kiesel – the German distributor of Hitachi construction machinery – sold a Hitachi Zaxis excavator. In addition to its beautiful green landscape, numerous roads in the region are undergoing major engineering works to provide safer driving conditions.

The Faber Group has been contracted to a number of important projects in the state, including the construction of new roads. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Faber in Schlierschied and initially specialised in threshing and cutting firewood, before expanding into road construction in 1919.

The family-run business established its current headquarters in Alzey in 1963. Wilhelm’s sons then joined the company and in 1979 decided to separate their operations. Along with their sons, they transformed their new divisions into modern building contractors for civil engineering and road construction work respectively.

The two companies integrated once again in 1991 and were renamed the Faber Group. It has continued to develop ever since and now offers a wide range of services, including: construction engineering; water technology; environmental engineering; sewer rehabilitation; recycling; and waste management. It has an impressive annual turnover of approximately €150million and operates internationally.

Karl-Wilhelm Faber (Wilhelm’s son) joined the company in 1976 and is the current President. “People will always need roads,” he says. “They are as important as food and shelter. This is why road construction remains at the forefront of our business.

“Construction machinery has changed with the needs of the industry, but there have been no new inventions. However, technology has certainly become more advanced and the Faber Group has kept pace with these developments. In the early days, we even used steamrollers and we are currently preparing to display our oldest machine at an exhibition in England.”

When Karl-Wilhelm joined the company, he also decided to change the company’s corporate colour from grey to orange. Faber Group’s equipment can now be easily identified on job sites in the same way as Hitachi construction machinery. It paints all of its equipment the same colour, with the exception of its Hitachi excavators!

One of Faber Group’s projects is approximately 70 kilometres north of Frankfurt Airport in an area surrounded by vineyards. The company is replacing the road which connects the traditional villages of Stadecken and Niederolm. It is a six-month contract in which Faber is managing the various stages of planning, design and construction.

“The value of this particular job is €2.3million,” says Faber’s Fleet Manager Markus Kasper. “The single carriageway will be 3.3 kilometres long when it is complete. The old road was badly damaged and the local council decided it was time for it to be renewed.”

The German Government provides primary funding to all 16 states for road construction. They then administer this funding for federal interstates and highways, state and link roads. Funds are replenished by special taxes paid exclusively by road-users. This is supplemented by special tolls paid by trucks. This system was introduced in 2005 to account for the growing trend of freight traffic shifting from rail to road.

“We were one of the many companies who tendered for this contract,” explains Markus. “However, we were successful because we are renowned in the industry for our experience, capabilities and the quality of our machines. Our planners and engineers have been working with the local authorities to plan the road, which is part of the all-inclusive service provided by the Faber Group.

“Once the existing road surface has been broken up, the excavators dig up the loose material. On this site we are digging down to a depth of 60 centimetres along the entire route and so far 24,000 tonnes of debris – including old asphalt and concrete – have been taken away.

“This is transported in our trucks back to head office. The crushing and screening facilities located there can produce concrete, cement and other aggregates to specific sizes.”

The void is filled with 0-32mm filter aggregate, because on projects such as this it is ideal for drainage. This is supplied by the Faber Group or from other quarries if the job site is too far away. The final part of the process is to lay the new asphalt, which is more hardwearing and creates less road noise than concrete.

The Faber Group currently has a fleet of 40 Hitachi excavators, including mini-, mid-range and five recently-purchased Zaxis-3 wheeled excavators. Each machine has been supplied with a two-piece boom so that they can be driven on the roads.

“The three new ZX170W-3s are perfect for this job,” continues Markus. “We also bought two ZX140W-3s and both models provide the greatest versatility for the work that we undertake. The ZX170W-3 on this site only has 150 hours on the clock, but I have already noticed that it is more stable than some of the other models due to the wider oscillation angle. The four-valve diesel engine also makes it extremely powerful without affecting fuel consumption. This is a great combination for us!

“Health and safety are big considerations when buying any equipment for use in road projects. The width of machines is an important factor when you are working close to moving traffic. The new Hitachi Zaxis wheeled excavators are the perfect size for the majority of our contracts. The rear-view camera is also a key feature as it allows the operator to ensure that there are no vehicles or people nearby while the machine is working.

Alexander Wirthwein is Kiesel’s Regional Key Account Manager in Stockstadt am Rhein. When he joined the company, the decision was taken by Faber to start purchasing Hitachi construction machinery.

“Faber has a long-standing relationship with Alexander and so this is one of the main reasons we changed excavator manufacturers,” continues Markus. “We receive excellent support from Kiesel and we can call on Alexander or one of his colleagues at any time if we need anything.

“We have benefited from the quality, attention to detail and advanced technology that is inherent in each Hitachi excavator. We were so pleased with the original Zaxis excavators that we took delivery of 15 new machines in 2007. In addition to the wheeled excavators, we purchased ZX35U-2 and ZX50U-2 minis – all with a six-way PAT blade – and ZX350-3 and ZX470-3 excavators.”

The PAT blade on the mini-excavator is an important feature for Faber. This allows it to be operated like a modern bulldozer, which is beneficial in digging trenches for cabling, drainage works and so on. This is a special feature that has been developed by Kiesel to meet market demand and is another reason that Faber is so satisfied with the service it receives from the dealer.

Business appears to have gone full circle for the Faber Group. It helped to build the concrete roads back in the early 20th Century and is now involved heavily in the upgrade – or even replacement – of these routes. Faber’s expanding fleet of Hitachi construction machinery and the support from Kiesel are helping it to meet increased demand in this sector.

With heavy investment in the industry set to continue until at least 2009 – and the next generation of Fabers already working for the Group – this family-run business is definitely on the road to continued success and development.