Revolutionizing Interior Demolition: How JE Dunn Found an Electric Edge with Toro

JE Dunn Construction, a construction powerhouse and one of the largest domestic general building contractors in the United States, is known for tackling ambitious, complex projects across industries such as healthcare, aviation, corporate environments, federal and state governments, education, science and technology and more.

So, when JE Dunn entered into a contract with a midwestern state government to perform structural demolition on approximately 50,000 sq ft of a state office building as part of a larger renovation project, the company knew it had a unique jobsite on its hands. Structural demolition is inherently high-risk, labor-intensive, and costly.

Compounding the difficulty was the need to address concerns about engine emissions and noise within the enclosed jobsite. The solution would require both ingenuity and the right tools to uphold the company’s high standards of safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility.

“We immediately recognized we were going to need a lot of equipment to help us with the structural demolition portion of the project,” says Adam Maxfield, project engineer at JE Dunn. “Right away I knew we needed compact utility loaders. They’re a multi-use piece of equipment that can tackle a lot of applications.”

Maxfield had his eye on the Toro Dingo line and had heard the manufacturer offered battery-powered versions of its popular Dingo compact utility loaders and material buggies. That’s when he decided to get creative. “I thought, let’s build a relationship with Toro and see what we can get done together,” he says.

Working Together with Toro

JE Dunn partnered with Toro to deploy prototypes of its new eDingo TX 750 and electric tracked high lift Ultra Buggy e2500-THL across the office building renovation jobsite. Both pieces of equipment are powered by Toro’s HyperCell Power System, which offers up to 8 hours of continuous runtime with zero engine exhaust emissions and minimal operating noise. The machines also feature intuitive, operator-friendly controls, which allow less experienced operators or those unfamiliar with the product lines to easily learn how to operate the equipment — ideal for JE Dunn’s large crew handling a variety of tasks in the office building renovation.

It didn’t take long before JE Dunn crew members discovered the benefits of each machine on an interior demolition site.

“Before we really got a lot of the architectural demolition done, we were working in an enclosed space where you had walls up and windows and doors,” says Maxfield. “We quickly realized we could drive in there with the Toro battery-powered equipment and not have to worry about any fumes or noise, which was huge. Plus, the crew loved the equipment — it was really helpful for eliminating a lot of manual labor and increased the safety factor because you don’t have guys that are bending over and lifting heavy items and putting themselves in awkward positions to lift debris.”

From Manual Labor to Machine Power

The Ultra Buggy e2500-THL is a material buggy with a steel tub capable of carrying up to 2,500 lbs of material. What makes this version of the popular Ultra Buggy line stand out is its 76-in. dump height and its ability to dump up to 1,250 lbs of material cleanly into a 6-ft tall 30-yard dumpster.

Instead of loading material into wheelbarrows and carting it off to a dumpster — a task that often includes long periods of walking — JE Dunn crews were able to load large amounts of debris into the Ultra Buggy e2500-THL. An operator then transported the debris to a loading dock. Thanks to a compact 31.5-in. width, the Ultra Buggy e2500-THL can maneuver in tight spaces and fit through standard doorways, making almost every area of the jobsite easily accessible. 

“When we were taking drywall, windows and framing out of the building most of the crew were pushing piles of debris in a cart by hand, which is taxing, but the one crew member on the electric Ultra Buggy was driving piles of debris out — and frankly having fun,” says Maxfield.

With the newfound efficiency of the Ultra Buggy e2500-THL, other crew members were freed up to tend to other tasks and areas of need, ensuring the work kept moving. 

Productivity Game Changer

The eDingo TX 750 is the latest addition in a long line of game-changing Dingo compact utility loaders. Like the Ultra Buggy e2500-THL, the eDingo TX 750 has a compact 31.5-in. width design that makes it easy to access nearly every part of the jobsite. It also features do-it-all versatility thanks to a range of attachments made to take on a variety of demands.

Specially designed, narrow 30-in. attachments are ideal for interior demo, including a floor scraper, grapple and standard buckets, and adjustable forks. Operators can easily move through doorways with the attachments, and quickly change out attachments throughout the day depending on the need. The JE Dunn crew utilized the grapple bucket attachment to move piles of debris while driving through doorways.

When it came to floor removal, the crew was faced with a sea of 12-in. X 12-in. carpet squares that were put in place with weak adhesive. Before the eDingo TX 750, crew members would use pliers to pull up each individual square, which required long periods of bending over and crawling in awkward and uncomfortable positions. Once the eDingo TX 750 arrived at the jobsite, the crew attached the floor scraper attachment to rapidly remove the carpet.

“They basically put the floor scraper down like an ice scraper — you just drive forward, and it scoops everything up. That was cool to see, and I know the guys really loved it a lot because it eliminated so much of the manual labor,” says Maxfield. “A single operator completed half of the floor in just one hour, a task that would have previously taken multiple crew members up to four days to complete.”

When paired, the eDingo TX 750 and Ultra Buggy e2500-THL make a dynamic demolition duo. Instead of crew members bending and lifting heavy materials, an operator can use the grapple bucket attachment to lift the debris and drop it into the tub of the Ultra Buggy e2500-THL.

“Altogether in the demolition phase, the Toro machines were very helpful,” says Maxfield. “It was nice to be able to utilize them and get creative. I know that our foreman was very hard on the eDingo and the electric Ultra Buggy and they stood up to the test.”

Demolition Duo

With the eDingo TX 750 and Ultra Buggy e2500-THL, JE Dunn was able to quickly and efficiently progress through the demolition job. Operators utilized both machines in an indoor space with zero engine exhaust emissions and minimal noise. The equipment’s versatility not only saved time but also reduced manual labor and enhanced crew safety.

“The biggest thing is that the electric Toro equipment allowed us to operate inside buildings — emitting no fumes at all. The size of the eDingo and electric Ultra Buggy is very, very nice,” says Maxfield. “The ability to fit through doorways, especially with a narrow attachment, improved and simplified the interior demolition process while contributing to a safer jobsite, making this a huge success-factor for the project.”

The partnership proved mutually beneficial, giving JE Dunn the opportunity to enhance productivity with cutting-edge equipment while providing Toro valuable insights to refine and optimize its line of versatile electric compact machines. “We’ve started a really good relationship with Toro, and we hope to continue to help each other grow and learn on future jobs,” says Maxfield, who plans to incorporate more productivity-enhancing equipment from Toro on JE Dunn’s next interior jobsite.

Kaitlyn Ingli is a product marketing manager at Toro.