Historic demolition job for Bobcat S550 skid steer
Compact loader to work in confined spaces in old Castle Market in Sheffield, UK
A Bobcat S550 skid-steer loader is playing a vital role in the demolition of an old market in Sheffield in the UK.
Sheffield’s Castle Market was constructed in 1928, with later additions being made in the 1960s and 1970s, and is situated on the ruins of Sheffield Castle, which was built in 1270 and destroyed in 1648 by Parliamentarians after the English Civil War.
One of the UK’s leading decommissioning companies, Hughes & Salvidge Demolition won the contract to reduce the site down to ‘slab level’ so that the ground can be dug up for archaeological purposes in phase two of the project.
Demolition work began with careful asbestos removal, followed by a ‘soft strip’, with the superstructure now being demolished down to the concrete, with 98% of the waste material being recycled.
Some elements of the demolition have had to be carried out by hand with steel plates utilised to protect and preserve the ground under the structure.
The S550 was hired from MTS Plant Hire & Sales, and with its compact size it has been able to work easily in the confined spaces inside the market, collecting debris and rubble with the Bobcat grapple attachment also supplied by MTS.
At this moment in time, no-one is completely sure how much of the original castle remains intact. However, the local council has plans to turn the area into a public park which will feature whatever exposed ruins are currently buried under the former indoor market.
