The Rammer 9033E hydraulic hammer, the flagship of the Rammer Excellence line, is a powerful tool both on land and at sea. Tested in a Port of Turku project, the water compatible 9033E proved to be exactly the powerhouse Terramare needed.
When Terramare needed a powerful hydraulic hammer for a demanding underwater demolition project, Marakon was the natural choice – Finland's leading expert in hydraulic hammers and excavator attachments.
Terramare has a long history with Rammer hydraulic hammers, which the company and its predecessors have used since the 1990s. This time, they were looking for a heavy-duty tool capable of withstanding the tough conditions underwater.
When choosing a partner, factors beyond the equipment itself also matter. It is essential that the partner has a deep understanding of the project’s requirements, along with extensive experience with the equipment and its use in demanding conditions. Marakon’s expertise fulfilled all these criteria.
Terramare reached a whole new level of breaking force when it equipped a 130-tonne excavator with a water-compatible Rammer 9033E hydraulic hammer. Specializing in dredging, fairway construction and especially in building harbors and piers, Terramare worked on the Turku cruise ship quay as part of the Ferry Terminal Turku project. The new hammer was tested on breaking underwater concrete erosion slabs and mooring dolphins.
“Erosion slabs prevent soil from being scoured out from beneath quay structures and seabed material from spreading into the fairway due to propeller wash. A mooring dolphin, on the other hand, is a steel-pile-supported mooring structure located apart from the quay,” explains Marko Saarelma, Terramare’s site manager.
Convincing first impressions
Both Saarelma and operator Juho Ylikarjula had exclusively positive first impressions of the new hydraulic breaker. The dolphins to be broken were approximately 6 x 10 x 3 metres in size.
"It certainly has power! The mass multiplies the impact, so results come quickly," says Ylikarjula, who has operated hydraulic breakers on land and at sea for some twenty years in total, about his new tool.
"The new Rammer is a perfect match for our 130-tonne excavator. It clearly speeds up the work. The previous 4099 model worked, but was undersized for this machine," Saarelma states.
Rammer Excellence models can be equipped for underwater use
The Rammer 9033E is the heaviest hydraulic breaker manufactured by Sandvik, often used in mining, but the structure of the Excellence range also allows underwater configuration for demanding subsurface applications.
"A large specialist breaker and underwater configuration require not only technical expertise but also appropriate facilities, so that the configuration and servicing can be carried out safely and efficiently. The massive unit is impressive even from the perspective of experienced heavy equipment maintenance professionals," says Marakon's service manager Anssi Juselius.
Underwater capability is achieved through an air cushion created by compressed air directed into air channels inside the breaker, which prevents water from entering the unit and mixing with the hydraulic oil.
The air pressure is calibrated according to the size of the breaker and the working depth. Excavators are often equipped with a system that prevents impact if the pressure is too low. The breather is also removed from the breaker, and a number of other modifications are made to keep water out. To maximise breaking performance, it is advisable to optimise the excavator and the hydraulic breaker to suit each other.
Underwater breaking begins with echo sounding
Underwater breaking differs from land-based contracts in a couple of ways. First, the 130-tonne excavator is permanently mounted on a dredger, which remains in position at sea by means of three support legs. The second difference is visibility: in silty water, there is none whatsoever. Background information on the structures to be demolished was obtained already at the tender stage.
"Breaking is prepared by echo sounding the seabed, after which a map of the harbour area and the structures to be demolished is drawn up. The map is used to plan the strike points so that the pieces can be easily collected from the bottom," Saarelma outlines the preparatory work.
GPS and animation ensure striking accuracy
The dredger's GPS and the excavator boom's joint sensors relay data to the operator. On one screen, he can see the position on the map, and on another, a real-time animation of the boom and breaker movements underwater.
"The operator can monitor where the blows have landed, and a skilled driver can feel when the slab has broken."
During two weeks of breaking, the materials were collected into a barge. The seabed was then levelled, and finally divers will cast a new erosion slab in place.
Fast servicing is a basic requirement
On dredging sites, machines often operate 24/7, as fairway dredging, for example, must be carried out during the ice-free season. The reliability of the Rammer pleases the works manager, and servicing of the previous 4099 hydraulic breaker has consisted only of replacing wear parts.
Marakon has over 40 years of experience with hydraulic breakers and their application in a wide variety of contexts. The company is one of Finland's longest-established Rammer dealers and offers its customers unique additional services, such as a fast 24-hour service guarantee for Rammer breakers, as well as expert support for equipment selection, operation, and maintenance.
"Our job is to ensure that the customer can focus on the contract itself, while we take care of everything else so that the equipment operates faultlessly," says Marakon's technical specialist and sales manager Tuomo Virtanen.
"The income would dry up immediately if 10 men had to wait for, say, a seal from China. Rammer's domestic manufacturing and Marakon's servicing have guaranteed fast spare parts delivery and repairs," Saarelma states.
Succeeding in demanding conditions requires experience, the right equipment, and expert support. Marakon's comprehensive expertise and extensive services ensure that contracts progress smoothly, whether working above ground or below the water's surface.
Rammer 9033E hydraulic breaker
- The largest machine in the Rammer Excellence series
- Recommended carrier weight 65–120 tonnes
- Operating weight 7,400 kg
- Tool diameter 215 mm
- Underwater configurable
- RD3/SAM remote monitoring
- Sound-insulated HD housing
- Ramlube II automatic greaser
- Ramvalve overload protection
- Blank firing prevention, on/off
- Stroke length adjustment, long/short
- Adjustable impact energy