The Multihog, supplied by Multevo, has enabled the joint venture to deliver productive and permanent road repairs, greatly benefitting the network and its users.
In 2020, Tarmac Kier Joint Venture (TKJV) were awarded the North of the London Highway Maintenance and Projects Frameworks (LHMPF) covering boroughs Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston upon Thames, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Sutton.
They are responsible for routine road maintenance on some of the UK’s busiest roads, which means utilising the most efficient equipment the UK has to offer is essential. Since 2021, the innovative Multihog has been an embedded piece of plant used on the contract to deliver permanent pothole, patch, and defect repairs.
The Multihog is a compact, manoeuvrable, and multi-functional unit, most famous for its productive, safe and cost-effective repair capabilities when fitted with a 400mm planer and integrated dust suppression. TKJV hire the equipment from Multevo, who have been the UK’s sole supplier of the range since 2010, and are the world’s most experienced dealer, working with over 40% of local authorities, most tier 1 contractors, and major airports.
The front mounted planer is unique to the Multihog, and is optimised to minimise bounce, produce a consistent cut, and generate productive outputs. The operation is fully controlled within the safety of the cab including cutting depth, allowing operators to precisely cut out the defected area and create a sound base for reinstatement.
A key benefit is the ability to travel to and from site unlike conventional planing equipment and its small footprint and articulated design makes it ideal for working in narrow and tight urban areas with ease.
In addition to supplying the equipment, Multevo have provided aftersales support including delivering LANTRA operator training and carrying out all service, maintenance and repairs using their inhouse technicians. Multevo provide a flexible aftersales service able to deliver these services on site.
TKJV have seen substantial results with the Multihog in comparison to traditional patching methods. Over a two-year period, the joint venture have seen an astounding 262% daily productivity increase and have reduced repair visits by 72%. The reduction in repair visits has enabled TKJV to reduce disruption to road users and the public and has greatly reduced workforce exposure on the network due to over 400 fewer lane closures required. This is also aiding the joint venture to reduce carbon emissions associated with highways services.
TKJV are investigating further uses of the equipment on the network, including winter maintenance and flood resilience. A vast range of attachments are available for the Multihog and can be changed over in a couple of minutes without the need for any tools. This process has the potential to deliver further cost and carbon savings for the joint venture, by reducing the requirement of fleet required for individual tasks.
Josh Sweeney, Director of Marketing and Growth at Multevo comments:
“TKJV have seen a significant increase in fix-first-time repair performance as a direct result of utilising the Multihog machine. A major benefit of this is the dramatic reduction in disruption to residents; both through less road closures as well as eradicating repeat visits. This is a win-win as the whole operation is therefore much more efficient which allows TKJV to invest more into repairing the asset. “
