The Vermeer T455 perfects the art of tight trenching

All Track Trenching, as its name suggests, concentrates solely on trenching services using tracked machines. This leaves contractors specialising in cable, pipe and conduit installation to concentrate on their area of specialisation, while leaving the civil works of digging the hole in the hands of a specialist company with modern equipment and trenching expertise.

The company said that it has closely evaluated the economics of trenchers versus excavators, and believes that in most instances trenchers provide the most cost-effective solution. With the Vermeer T455, All Track Trenching has successfully filled a niche in the market to create a productive machine with a compact footprint, which can operate comfortably in an urban environment.

The chosen specification of the T455 reflects an understanding of the particular needs of the industry in confronting the challenges presented by the confined spaces where trenching is frequently required. As such this versatile track trencher is fitted with rubber tracks for working on roadways and climbing kerbs; has tilting tracks for vertical trenching on side slopes; and, as it is equipped with an offset boom with 122 cm of travel, the machine can trench alongside a guard rail, fence, curb, embankment or retaining wall.

As the smallest tracked machine in the Vermeer Commander range, the T455 weighs approximately 8 tonnes and has a transport width and height of 2.9 metres, with a transport length of 5.84 metres. This makes it transportable without restrictions and also means that it can operate in a narrow corridor that would prevent the use of other machines. The ease of transport means that it can be economically moved between jobs and undertake multiple jobs simultaneously, if trenching speed is not the critical determinant in work progress.

The T455 is fully hydrostatic, and the 93 kilowatt John Deere engine provides the power for the T455 to achieve good production rates in difficult conditions. In its first 40 hours of operation the machine worked in shale and sticky clay, and was still able to average 100 metres per hour. The T455 will also cut up to 1.8 metres deep. In addition, All Track Trenching has 200 mm, 300 mm, 450 mm and 600 mm wide digging chains available, with chains able to be swapped in a matter of hours.

The positioning of the operator’s platform enables the operator to see both the boom and the trench, while still being able to monitor the conveyor. Moreover, the T455 allows the operator to stop the ground drive, slow the chain down and monitor tooth wear from the operator’s seat during trenching. The tilt track facilitates the tracks to tilt 10.5 degrees in either direction for trenching on slopes, hills and curbs. The track trencher is also equipped with self-levelling counter rotating tracks, truck-loading conveyors and single-lever ditcher control.

Apart from the T455, All Track Trenching has a Vermeer T755 tracked trencher, which is significantly larger, weighing in at 30 tonnes. Where competitors’ lighter machines may bounce when operating on solid rock, the heavy-duty Vermeer D-5 track has 27.9 tonnes of tractive force for smooth, reliable performance without excessive ground pressure. A 275 HP, 205 kW CAT C9 engine supplies increased torque; meets all new emission requirements; has an anti-stall feature to protect the engine and components; and, is equipped with hydraulics. These features combine to give the T755 uncompromising design and low-maintenance power.

In addition, the company has two mini excavators in its fleet, with the mini excavators used for digging pits, digging around services and trenching where the trencher does not have a straight run.

The T455 has recently been digging a tench for street lighting cable in the Springfield area for electrical contractor Powatek, whose National Operations Manager Peter Akers said “Compared to an excavator, the Vermeer leaves a neat trench with straight sides, a narrow opening at the top that leaves the trench less prone to side wall collapse, and a flat bottom. It produces spoil that is suitable for backfill.

“The sliding offset feature was a real benefit when trenching on a narrow footpath beside a high retaining wall. We could trench beside the curb, and place the soil against the retaining wall for backfilling later.

“It is fast and cost-effective compared to an excavator, and allows us to re-use the spoil as backfill instead of trucking it off site and importing materials,”? he concluded.

Leave a Reply

Send this to a friend