In early March 2003, Magnum Industries, based in Northern Cambria, PA, began the demolition of the Dubois, PA, reservoir.

Measuring 265 ft. (80.8 m) in diameter, the structure’s reinforced concrete walls stood 26 ft. (8 m) tall, with a 36-in. (91.4 cm) thick base that tapered off to 14 in. (35.6 cm). The sidewalls were reinforced with steel pencil rods measuring 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) in diameter. Because of the concrete’s thickness, the bottom of the wall had to be broken with a hammer and pulverized into rubble.

To accomplish this, Magnum purchased a Bodine Manufacturing pulverizer.

“In late January, I contacted our local dealer for their [equipment] recommendation. They recommended Bodine because the company makes a good concrete pulverizer, and the dealer suggested we call the manufacturer directly,” said Michael Berzonski, president and owner of Magnum. “Key to our decision was the manufacturer answering all of our questions about concrete pulverizers, including the thickness of concrete it would crush, concerns about shearing the rebar, custom fitting to our existing equipment and being able to get it built in time for the job.”

After discussions with the manufacturer, Berzonski decided on the model APCP-235 pulverizer. Magnum had been using two of Bodine’s heavy-duty grapples in its fleet for years.

“We already knew that Bodine’s products had stood up well under the harsh conditions in which we operate. Their people are easy to deal with, and, with a job of this size, it was important to have their experience on our side,” said Berzonski. “Robert Johnson, Bodine’s designer, was able to answer all of our questions and confirm that the attachment would fit properly to our existing mounts.

“The Pulverizer worked well. It crunched up the biggest pieces of concrete that we had to attack, and even cut the pencil rod to five inch lengths or less. We were able to recapture 72 percent of the cost of the pulverizer in fewer than 30 days by the sale of the scrap steel alone,” he said.

Magnum completed the demolition in 30 days; however, it turned out to be a much bigger job than anticipated.

“If it wasn’t for our new Bodine concrete pulverizer, the concrete demolition would have taken much longer,” said Berzonski. “It crushed everything, even with the jaws wide open.”

Founded in 1979, Magnum Industries of Pennsylvania primarily specializes in coal mine demolition and reclamation. When completing its diverse demolition projects, Magnum uses 22 pieces of heavy equipment including five excavators equipped with grapples, three front-end hi-lifts, two cranes and a variety tracks and trailers. The company maintains a staff of approximately 18 people.

Under contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Magnum currently is involved in the cleanup of a tire dump in Lancaster County. “We are using our Bodine grapples on this job, and, once again, it is progressing much faster than we had anticipated,” said Berzonski.

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