Two heavy duty 240V concrete grinders from Kennards Hire were used to remove line markings in the vehicular backstage area of the Sydney Opera House.
 
Mostly painted during the construction of the iconic building, which opened in 1973, the line markings have been repainted several times since.
 
Engaged to carry out a major building, electrical and mechanical upgrade of the area called the Central Passage, which is the delivery and dispatch point for a huge amount of equipment and other goods, Simpson Building Group had to remove more than 300m² of line markings. Work had to be done at night quickly to avoid disruption to events.
 
Project manager Gerard Nellestein found Kennards’ heavy duty grinder following a search on the web to find an efficient machine. Offering powerful performance in the 240V class, the grinder attaches to a high-performance industrial vacuum unit.
 
Given the heavy restrictions involved in working at the Sydney Opera House as well as project time compulsions, the contracting company decided to complete the job themselves. On advice from staff at Kennards Hire’s Penrith branch, they hired the heavy duty grinder, also subsequently picking up a second unit from the Rydalmere branch.
 
According to Gerard, the concrete grinders were very efficient with their interchangeable discs allowing the unit to complete rough finishing or light sanding, which was perfect for areas on soft concrete and epoxy right through to areas reaching 40-50Mpa. The grinders also ensured almost dust-free operation.
 
Night shift foreman Shane Clarke said that they were able to cover more than 20m² an hour with the two grinders. The dustless performance was a major benefit from the OH&S perspective, which also reduced the clean-up work while the handle could be adjusted to suit the height of the operator.
 
Kennards Hire operates 142 equipment hire centres in Australia and New Zealand.