A 20-strong fleet of Volvo excavators have been enlisted to build a subterranean shopping mall in Eastern China.
The project is taking place in the city of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province. The main contractor, Hangzhou Qiangjie Municipal Construction, is using its Volvo machines to excavate several thousand cubic metres of soil.
“In 2008, I visited Ningbo, China, where six Volvo excavators were working together on a construction site,” said Lai Guoqiang, chairman of the contractor.
“[It was] the first time I’d seen just one brand of machinery on a jobsite, and it was very impressive – the machines were working together as one solid unit,” he explained.
Guoqiang and his colleagues already had experience of Volvo Construction Equipment, purchasing their first 210 excavator in the early 1990s. However, the chairman’s visit to Ningbo convinced him to pursue the single-brand strategy.
Almost six years later, 20 of Hangzhou Qiangjie Municipal Construction’s Volvo excavators – including EC140BLCs, EC210Bs, EC240BLCs, and EC360BLCs – are working together to make way for an underground shopping mall.
“Previously, I selected different excavators from competitors, but the choice was limited,” said Guoqiang.
“Now, after using Volvo machines for over 20 years, I am a dedicated fan. My Volvo excavator fleet has become a vital force for Hangzhou Qiangjie. We focus on large-scale real estate projects, so our excavators play an irreplaceable role in the business.
“Volvo machines meet the strict regulations that are increasingly being implemented, so it’s one less thing for us to worry about,” he added.
Hangzhou was the largest city in the world before silting at its port caused trade to move to nearby Shanghai. Today, the location is a major tourist attraction owing to its breath-taking natural scenery and West Lake – a body of freshwater that boasts numerous temples, islands, and gardens.
With its Volvo fleet, Hangzhou Qiangjie is the largest contractor in the city, with involvement in approximately 70% of its construction projects. The subterranean shopping mall is being built in a bid to keep pace with tourism-related demand, and is expected to complete in five years’ time.
