Reilly Concrete Pumping
The UK’s largest privately-owned concrete pumping company has taken delivery of what is believed to be the country’s first Euro VI truck-mounted concrete pump – an 8x4 Mercedes-Benz Arocs.
The latest addition to the fleet of St Helens-based Reilly Concrete Pumping arrived via the Bolton branch of reigning Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year Ciceley Commercials.
The Arocs 3240 is powered by a 290 kW (394 hp) straight-six engine, driving through a Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated transmission. The new truck is capable of delivering 140 cubic metres of concrete at distances of up to 41 metres. Its five-section ‘RZ’ folding boom was built by Italian specialist Cifa and fitted by the manufacturer’s sole UK agent, Danfords of Eardisland, Hertfordshire, and is specifically designed to unfold in restricted areas, making it ideal for use where there is limited headroom.
Reilly has worked on some of the country’s biggest construction projects – including, recently, the new BBC Media City development in Manchester. It runs a fleet of 40 vehicles, which operate from10 depots nationwide. All but four of its trucks are by Mercedes-Benz, including the biggest, a special five-axled, V8-powered Actros 4151 supplied by Ciceley last year. This truck started life as an 8x4 but had to have its chassis extended, and the extra axle fitted, to accommodate its huge pumping unit. Equipped with a 52-metre boom, also by Cifa, it is capable of delivering 180 m3 at the point of discharge.
“Mercedes-Benz is definitely our chassis of choice,” confirmed Paul Beard, the company’s St Helens Depot Manager. “Its vehicles are always well built and fit for purpose, but the new Arocs was clearly designed as a construction chassis and appears particularly well suited to our application. Ground clearance is excellent, while the frame is both tough and flexible, and there’s lots of space for body and ancillary attachments. The cab is very well appointed too.
“Mobile concrete pumps are expensive pieces of equipment and have to work hard over a long life cycle to repay the amount we invest in them. Mercedes-Benz chassis have proved themselves to be well up to the task in our fleet – a few of our vehicles are eight years old, still working hard and performing well.”
He continued: “The back-up we receive from Ciceley Commercials is first-class. The dealer’s workshop is open round the clock so maintenance and repairs can always be carried out around our own schedules. Downtime is kept to an absolute minimum, which is vital as our vehicles are so specialised that it’s not always possible to cross-hire a replacement if one is off the road. For smaller jobs that we undertake in-house, their parts ordering and delivery process – either by phone or internet – is fast and efficient.”
The muscular Arocs is the ‘New force in construction’ from Mercedes-Benz. Available in a huge number of variants, the purpose-designed range comprises tractors and four-, six- and eight-wheeled rigids, with gross weights from 18 to 250 tonnes. All combine previously unseen levels of performance and efficiency, with state-of-the-art Euro VI engines that offer mpg savings of up to 5% compared to equivalent, outgoing models, as well as big reductions in AdBlue consumption.
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