Budimex.pl

First Electrical Bulldozer Works on S19 Via Carpatia

News date: April 26, 2021
 First Electrical Bulldozer Works on S19 Via Carpatia

The first bulldozer equipped with a direct electric drive has started operating on Budimex construction sites. This modern machine is quiet, more environmentally friendly and more efficient.

 

The construction industry accounts for half of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere in the world. One of the main emitters of CO2 is construction equipment powered by combustion engines. The Caterpillar D6 XE is equipped with an electric engine that directly drives the entire machine, while the current generator is powered by a more economical internal combustion engine. There are 90% fewer moving parts in the machine than in the traditional drive system. The machine uses 15% less diesel than its conventional counterparts. Thanks to the use of state-of-the-art components, the number of maintenance operations, filters, and oils and lubricants required for the operation of the machine has been reduced (approx. 25%). At the same time, while extending the service life, the maintenance costs has been reduced by approx. 10% compared to the conventional drive. Budimex’s new bulldozer is currently working on embankments and construction layers.

 

One of the elements of the company’s strategy is to set trends in an innovative and sustainable construction industry. The Company has just started implementing a new CSR strategy for the years 2021 - 2023, which provides for, among other things, active environmental protection measures, including a 50% reduction of CO2 emissions on its construction sites by 2023.

 

‘We are constantly developing and over the years we have invested in modern technologies and innovative equipment, which allows us to limit the environmental impact of our construction sites. The new electric bulldozer, which has recently started work on the Via Carpatia near Kamień, reduces noise, reduces CO2 emissions and saves fuel consumption’, – Artur Popko, Vice-President of the Management Board, Operations Director at Budimex.

 

The Caterpillar D6 XE, a medium-sized bulldozer that has joined Budimex’s machinery, is the world’s first electrically powered bulldozer with a raised drive wheel. The electric drive makes it possible to transport 35 and 10 per cent more material per gallon/litre of fuel and hour respectively. The bulldozer is also equipped with an integrated reversing camera for better visibility on the construction site, handrails on both sides of the cab roof, improved ventilation, which provides a cleaner environment for drivers by protecting from dust and debris, and a Bluetooth®-enabled microphone for hands-free mobile phone use.

 

Budimex, commissioned by the General Directorate for National Roads and Highways, is currently constructing the over 8 km long Kamień-Sokołów Małopolski Północ section of the S19. The General Contractor is responsible for the construction of a two-lane expressway, two road junctions and ten engineering structures. The progress of construction works on this section is more than 50%.

 

As part of the works on the S19, apart from the Kamień-Sokołów Małopolski Północ section, Budimex is also responsible for the construction of the section from the Białystok Zachód junction (excluding the junction) to the Białystok Księżyno junction (including the junction). The general contractor’s portfolio of infrastructure investments will also include the section of the A1 Tuszyn-Piotrków motorway, S61 expressway (in the following sections: Suwałki-Budzisko with the Szypliszek bypass, Stawiski-Szczuczyn, Wysokie-Raczki), as well as the following bypasses: Tricity Metropolitan Area, Wałbrzych and Oleśnica in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.