In the United Kingdom, just south of the M25 junction 18 at Rickmansworth, Herfordshire, the 260 meter-long Berry Lane Viaduct was in need of widening, in part, due to increase traffic loads in relation to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Part of the project for the consortium of Skanska, Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis Projects SA involved the drilling of hundreds of various diameter and depths into the exposed sloping edges of the existing bridge deck and pier heads. Colin Jailler, of E-Z Drill’s UK dealer, the Castellan Group, met with subcontractor A.J. Wilcock to come up with a drill system. After talking with E-Z Drill, they brought in a Model 210B modified to drill up to 42” deep and with a modified front wheel assembly.

The drill system was needed to drill into the two sides of the existing viaduct for the installation of tie bars for new concrete pier heads and an extended concrete bridge deck.

Andrew Wilcock said, “…within 2 weeks the drill had been built and shipped from the US and was on-site, drilling holes…It’s the only one of its type in the UK and is doing a great job, and there’s no risk of any hand-arm vibration being transferred to the operator, who can use it all day long…it’s the only machine that would enable us to work in the confined areas on the viaduct and comply with the very tight programme.”