A Queensland-based sheet piling and earthmoving company has designed an innovative multi-piling system that is mounted on an excavator from Kobelco-CNH Australia .  

Mavtech Sheetpiling Pty Ltd Director George Mavraganis has invented the single unit piling attachment, which mounts to the Kobelco SK350DLC excavator for drilling and pile driving operations.  

George says the multi-piling system increases the versatility of the excavator.  

He explains that the drill and the pile driver are attached to the same unit. The auger needs to be unhooked to attach the sheet piles. The multi-piling system eliminates the need to bring in two machines to do one job. A single attachment replaces the drill rig and sheet pile driver.  

A key advantage of the multi-piling system is that it cuts piling time down significantly and is 2-3 times faster than a standard pile driver and drill.  

Additionally, switching from drilling to piling is a 10-second job.  

George’s multi-piling system attachment features a piling alignment system to keep sheet piles straight as they are hammered into place. It’s also rigged up to a computer to give the operator a close-up view during drilling and pile driving.  

According to George, the machine simplifies pre-drilling work requiring the services of only one operator and one labourer as a spotter.  

George says the Kobelco SK350DLC excavator was the ideal machine to complement his multi-piling system.  

Listing out the advantages of Kobelco SK350DLC excavators, he says that the Kobelco is a powerful and versatile machine that can dig, demolish and sheet pile in addition to having massive reach and lifting power.    

George’s two-month-old SK350DLC excavator has a reach of 13 metres, an extra four metres over all his other excavators.  

One of the first major jobs for the SK350DLC excavator was the installation of 10-metre sheet piles on the north and south sides of the Queensland M1 Motorway near Nerang.  

The SK350DLC is the second Kobelco excavator purchased by George from Kobelco dealership Chesterfield Australia in the past two years.  

His two-year-old, 35-tonne SK350 has a vibro-hammer attached and can drive 8-metre steel sheets in hard ground conditions.     

George plans to eventually replace three other excavators with Kobelcos.  

George said Kobelco was very price-competitive compared to other brands. Additionally, he got a good deal from Chesterfield. He is also very happy with their service.  

George lists key advantages of Kobelco excavators:

  • Powerful performance
  • Fuel efficiency with about 20 per cent fuel savings over other excavators
  • Good hydraulics
  • Superior operator comfort for extended operations

Mavtech Sheetpiling specialises in the construction of coffer dams, deep trench support, basement construction and zero vibration sheet piling.