52 metres of dry stone wall in 4 days: that's where the ingenuity lies
‘With the MB Crusher grapple, we can do anything we want.’
Ivanovic Battaglia, owner of Battaglia Costruzioni, chose the MB-G350 grapple for his Komatsu mini-excavator to build a 52-metre dry stone wall in the heart of the Euganean Hills that seemed impossible.
The result? In just four days, two people completed a job that would otherwise have taken weeks of manual labour and a team of at least five workers.
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One pair of grapples, endless possibilities
‘With these grapples, we can fit the stone exactly where we want it, turn it and shape it. It's unbelievably easy.’
For Ivanovic, the MB Crusher grapple was more than just a piece of equipment: it was a revolution. The company operates in the lower Vicenza area and often works in restricted areas, such as this construction site in the municipality of Lozzo Atestino in the Euganean Hills Park, where there are very strict requirements: no concrete or cement-based materials may be used.
The challenge? To build a dry stone wall with trachyte from the Euganean Hills, a hard and durable stone that is also used to make most of the floors in Venice.
‘If you look at the stones, there are exactly 52 linear metres with an average height of 160 cm, and in 4 days, I as the operator and Francesco, who followed me in placing some stones, we processed a good 42 m3 of trachyte. For such a job by hand, 5 people and 35-40 working days would have been required.’
If you want precision and speed, buy an MB Crusher grapple
Technology that makes the difference
The detail that convinced Ivanovic to choose MB Crusher? The two-hose functionality.
In fact, the MB Crusher grapple is prepared for the installation of an electrical kit for two-pipe functionality, which allows it to work with 360° rotation even with mini-excavators that have only two hoses.
With the pedal used for the hammer and a button for rotation, Ivanovic was able to get the most out of his excavator without expensive adaptations.
- Perfect adaptation to standard excavators.
- Complete and smooth rotation without the need for additional installations.
- Ease of use: ready to use practically straight away.
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The dry stone wall: a tradition that looks to the future
At the end of 2017, UNESCO recognised the value of dry stone walls, including them in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage to be protected. This ancient technique, handed down from rural communities to today's professionals, has always been fundamental in preventing landslides, flooding and soil erosion, ensuring sustainability and respect for the environment.
Eight European countries share this tradition, building dry-stone walls ‘in a workmanlike manner’, placing the stones on top of each other without the use of binding materials, with exceptions using dry soil. However, the gradual disappearance of specialised craftsmen has led to an evolution in methods: today, innovative tools such as the MB-G Sorting Grapples make it possible to speed up work, ensuring absolute precision in the handling and laying of stones.
- Environmental sustainability: no use of cement or chemical materials.
- Durability: the stones fit together naturally, creating solid, long-lasting structures.
- Traditional aesthetics: perfect for blending into historical and landscape contexts.
With the MB-G350, Ivanovic has proved that even the most complex jobs can be tackled efficiently and professionally.
Do you have a project to be finished quickly but with precision?
‘If stones could talk, they would tell about MB’
Ivanovic has no doubts: ‘Very happy with the purchase and the solution offered by MB Crusher.’ The MB Crusher MB-G350 has also opened up new possibilities for him: from dry wall construction to demolition and the preparation of yards.
Did you ever think that?
At the end of the interview, Ivanovic gives us two ‘tidbits’, typical of those who practically live on construction sites and therefore make a virtue out of necessity. In short, those do-it-yourself solutions that save you both time and money.
With a touch of ingenuity, you can mount an iron girder on the grapple and turn it into an improvised leveller. A simple but ingenious idea to guarantee an even result in record time.
If, on the other hand, you only have a grapple and an excavation bucket and don't want to dismantle one to install the other, you can simply take the bucket with the grapple and start working. Easier done than said!
How much does it cost?
