Skip to main content

Hitachi digs deep in Paris

A Hitachi excavator has enabled the creation of a subterranean six-floor car park in the centre of Paris. The ZX225USRLC-3 was used to dig deep below ground in the French capital and remove 65,000m³ of earth before construction of the facility could begin. For Saperfe Travaux Publics, a sub-contractor working on the project, the Hitachi machine was the only specialist equipment required. The clamshell telescopic arm of the ZX225USRLC-3 can reach depths of up to 25m.
February 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The Hitachi ZX225USRLC-3 excavator was used to dig deep below ground in paris
A 233 Hitachi excavator has enabled the creation of a subterranean six-floor car park in the centre of Paris.

The ZX225USRLC-3 was used to dig deep below ground in the French capital and remove 65,000m³ of earth before construction of the facility could begin.

For Saperfe Travaux Publics, a sub-contractor working on the project, the Hitachi machine was the only specialist equipment required. The clamshell telescopic arm of the ZX225USRLC-3 can reach depths of up to 25m.

At the site, the small footprint achieved with the zero-tail swing maximised productivity as it enabled trucks to stop directly adjacent to the excavator for immediate loading. As a result, the Hitachi excavator loaded each of the 13 trucks productively.

According to operator Marco Ferreira, the ZX225USRLC-3 was ideal for digging deep below ground and beyond the range of conventional excavators.

"The extension/retraction device in the arm moves quickly to enable a smooth telescopic movement. The sliding cab and extended window make it comfortable to operate," he said.

According to Hitachi, the ZX225USRLC-3 also coped well with the earth's high-water content which presented the toughest challenge. As the ground was so soft, a network of pipes was used to hold the car park's underground structure in place.

The excavator had to work in and around these pipes, which proved a delicate task.

Site manager Laurent Petain explains: "The excavator worked in 5.5m deep sections at a time and had to be extremely precise." Supplied by official French Hitachi dealer Payen, the ZX225USRLC-3 is the third Hitachi addition to the Saperfe fleet. The company also has a ZX210W-3 wheeled excavator and a ZX25 mini excavator.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Hitachi launches the first Zaxis-6 excavator in Europe
    January 6, 2017
    Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) has presented the first model of its Zaxis-6 medium excavator range, the X300LC-6, which is said to benefit from several enhancements made to the Zaxis-5 range. Hitachi design engineers have incorporated new TRIAS II technology into the Zaxis-6 range of excavators to meet EU Stage IV emission regulations. Hydraulic loss is decreased by reducing the amount of hydraulic oil returned to the tank due to cooperative control of the pump and valve.
  • Hitachi launches the first Zaxis-6 excavator in Europe
    April 23, 2015
    Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) has presented the first model of its Zaxis-6 medium excavator range, the X300LC-6, which is said to benefit from several enhancements made to the Zaxis-5 range. Hitachi design engineers have incorporated new TRIAS II technology into the Zaxis-6 range of excavators to meet EU Stage IV emission regulations. Hydraulic loss is decreased by reducing the amount of hydraulic oil returned to the tank due to cooperative control of the pump and valve.
  • Prized recycling
    June 13, 2012
    Wirtgen has won the US Cold Recycling Award 2012 for applying its cold recycling structural road rehabilitation technology on Interstate I-81 in eastern America. The I-81 is one of the major north-south routes running across Virginia state with two lanes in each direction. Increasing traffic volumes and the loads imposed by heavy-vehicle traffic were said by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to have left the pavement surface covered with alligator cracks, wheel ruts and patches where minor re
  • CTB forges ahead with Naylor Denlok pipes under A556 upgrade
    September 30, 2016
    Recent trenchless installation of surface water drainage pipes was used underneath a UK road improvement scheme to allow highway upgrades to proceed unimpeded The A556 Knutsford to Bowdon Improvement Scheme, being undertaken by Costain for its client Highways England, is valued between €197 million and nearly €265 million. The 7.5km section will transform the A556 trunk road between the towns of Knutsford and Bowdon into a modern dual carriageway. Costain will also be making the existing A556 into a single