Skip to main content

Volvo cuts it close among the trees of Germany’s Rheinland-Palatinate

German contractor Autobahnamt Montabaur is maintaining highways and roadside woodland – all with the support of Volvo CE’s redesigned EW160E wheeled excavator. The Volvo EW160E wheeled excavator’s compact design is perfect for confined highway construction job sites. Stretched across the heart of central Germany lies a network of often tree-lined highways. Nestled among the woodland and amidst the Rhenish Massif mountain range, is Westerwald, meaning ‘Western Forest.’ The city’s 13,000 inhabitants and 4
January 4, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
Volvo EW160E: standing ready for action
German contractor Autobahnamt Montabaur is maintaining highways and roadside woodland – all with the support of 359 Volvo CE’s redesigned EW160E wheeled excavator.

The Volvo EW160E wheeled excavator’s compact design is perfect for confined highway construction job sites. Stretched across the heart of central Germany lies a network of often tree-lined highways. Nestled among the woodland and amidst the Rhenish Massif mountain range, is Westerwald, meaning ‘Western Forest.’  The city’s 13,000 inhabitants and 40,000 district residents rely on the highway for economic growth and so must be maintained to the highest standard.

The authority – Mobility Rheinland-Pfalz (LBM) – designs, builds and maintains the 18,000km of highways, federal state and county roads in Rheinland-Palatinate. Of this total route network, 877km are being maintained by Autobahnamt Montabaur. With over 700 employees, the company’s duties include tree-cutting and salt dispersion to pavement rehabilitation and warning sign placement.

However, during the tree-cutting months from October to March, Autobahnamt Montabaur is primarily tasked with wood maintenance along the tree-lined highways.

To complete tree-cutting projects in a timely and efficient manner, Autobahnamt Montabaur uses the Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) EW160E wheeled excavator. Formerly rented solely for the tree-cutting months, Autobahnamt Montabaur recently added the wheeled excavator to their permanent fleet, joining the 11 Volvo L35G compact wheel loaders the company also operates.

As arguably the most advanced multitool carrier in the industry, the wheeled excavator is ideal for jobs that require flexibility, independence of movement and operational safety. To further aid productivity and reduce fuel consumption, the machine is powered by the robust Volvo Tier 4f engine that features automatic idling as standard, which not only cuts fuel use but noise pollution too.

When in timber management configuration Autobahnamt Montabaur uses a HABBIG HS850 Schnitt-Griffy hydraulic hedge shear and extraction gripper – allowing the operator to secure, cut and remove branches and trees quickly, accurately and safely.

To enhance the safety of operations, Autobahnamt Montabaur has added the optional Volvo Smart View system to its new EW160E. The system uses cameras attached to the front-right, front-left and rear of the wheeled excavator which provide a bird’s-eye view of the machine operating from above.

The 360 degree view of actual footage happening in real time allows the operator to see his surroundings and ensure safe rotation.

Related Content

  • Effective, efficient long reach excavators
    April 13, 2012
    Long reach excavators now dominate the demolition sector - Mike Woof reports The last 10-15 years have seen the way demolition work is carried out change dramatically. Safety issues have long been of concern in the demolition sector, with the industry having been criticised for not doing enough to protect its workforce. Demolition projects can be dangerous due to the very nature of the job, with old structures being knocked down and broken up on-site. There is a substantial risk to site workers from
  • Effective, efficient long reach excavators
    February 15, 2012
    Long reach excavators now dominate the demolition sector - Mike Woof reports
  • Ground control to mining truck offers efficiency gains
    June 19, 2015
    Autonomous and remote control machines are not about to take over the world, but they can provide efficiency gains and savings in some operations – Colin Sowman writes The thought of autonomous machines may conjure up visions of an Orwellian future where society works for the ‘common good’ defined by an all-powerful being and in which people are insignificant in terms of their needs, aspirations and physical wellbeing; of machines that relentlessly carry out their task regardless of anybody or anything that
  • IRF Gulf region event addresses infrastrecture challenges
    March 15, 2012
    The third edition of IRF's signature event in the Gulf region gathered over 450 regional and international delegates amid calls for concerted efforts to meet the challenges posed by the region's growing demand for personal mobility and increased movement of goods