In the fall of 1999, Ben Digiorgio, president of Urban Foundation Engineering, approached Gerry Alessi of Alessi Equipment Inc., New Rochelle, NY, about a hammer big enough to handle the tough streets of New York City. Urban, a well-known foundation and excavation company in New York City, already owned three Tramac V53 hydraulic hammers.

But Digiorgio felt he needed a hammer twice the size of the V53 if he were to be able to do any excavation job without using dynamite. Consequently, Alessi presented the idea to Phil Von Hemert, president of Tramac Corporation.

Just two months later, a trip was planned to the manufacturing headquarters of Tramac Hammers in Lyon, France. Toby Romano, president of Breeze Demolition, accompanied Alessi and Digiorgio on the trip. Breeze, the largest demolition contractor in New York City, would provide the excavators to handle the new hammer.

After months of engineering and testing, the Tramac V65 (20,000 ft./lb) hammer arrived at 56th and Broadway in New York City, mounted on Breeze’s Cat 245. Immediately, the V65 was nicknamed “Godzilla” because of its awesome size and green coloring.

The hammer was then put to use removing 40,000 cu. yds. (16,722 cu m) of rock. For the next several weeks, the hammer proved indispensible, breaking the rock to a depth of 40 ft. (12.2 m) below the street level. Not one single stick of dynamite was needed.

John Triplets, an operator for Breeze Demolition, was chosen to run the unit.

“I never had a hammer with such power,” remarked Triplets. “This is some of the toughest rock I’ve ever come across, and the hammer just eats it right up.”

“So far, the V65 is proving to be a big winner,” said Digiorgio, who recently purchased a second V65 hammer.

Today, Urban runs two V65 hammers and two V53 hammers, all mounted on Breeze’s Cat 245s.

“I was a little skeptical at first to put such big hammers on my machines,” admitted Romano. “But after seeing how smooth the V65 works, I was very comfortable to set up another 245 for the hammer.”

Recently, Romano purchased a Cat 375 excavator and a fourth Cat 245.

“I am very fortunate to be doing business with great people,” Romano said. “Urban is one of the finest companies in the industry to work with and as far as Alessi goes, their service is second to none.”

Urban is now running two V65s and excavating 35,000 yds. (32,004 m) of rock.

“We have two great operators running these hammers — Pio Pellegrini and John Triplett — and between the two of them, we are ahead of schedule and have experienced no down time,” said Digiorgio.

The V65 has been a great hammer, according to the Alessi.

“The V65 has seriously changed the way people look at a rock job in New York,” said Alessi. “Even more, it comes with a great maintenance contract and a great warranty,” Alessi added.

Alessi Equipment has been a Tramac dealer since 1988, a top 10 dealer for the past 11 years and the top Tramac dealer in the United States last year.

For more information on the V65 and other Tramac products, call Alessi Equipment at 914/636-7828.

(Sou Acha is an executive assistant with Alessi Equipment Inc.)

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