How the Swiss Dig the World's Best Holes!

Shop stickers, hats, and shirts to help us fund these videos at DirtWorldStore.com!
This summer, we visited Swiss contractor Eberhard, one of my favorite companies I've visited worldwide.
This video covers day one when we visited two enormous basement excavation projects: one for a university and the other for a hospital.
And it ain't as simple as digging big holes... There's A LOT to these urban excavations, but Eberhard's more than up to the task.
To learn more about the company, check out their webpage (sorry, it's in Swiss German) linked here:
eberhard.ch/

[@acidbronson9712]

That model collection at the end is absolutely insane

[@markfryer9880]

That's about the only way to describe it.

[@AaronWitt]

yeah it's nuts I can't even begin to describe it

[@mhxxd4]

@@AaronWitt are any of them running RC or just models?

[@johnmodeste6616]

You should do a video on some 1/50 scale models

[@codywaltz9329]

Read my mind.

[@stefanschneider3681]

Very impressive! If you are interested in Swiss tunnels: Besides Gotthard and Lötschberg through the Alps there is very near this project one of the most underrated projects in my opinion. It's the so called "Durchmesserlinie Zürich". It's a tunnel under one of the busiest train stations, under a river, through a hill, they spent one billion Swiss franks, they finished it on time, on budget - and nobody really realised it! A little "Bravo" and on with the show, that's how we are here in Switzerland 😉

[@AaronWitt]

nice!!

[@peettheengineer]

… and there is another underrated tunnel just nearby: the Hirschengrabentunnel for railway from Zurich HB to Stadelhofen. It goes also under the Limmat and was excavated on some places only two feet under the basements of existing houses. Some excavation was made by hand starting from the basements of this houses. It was also finished on time.

[@AdrianSenn]

The next project will start soon there. The 4th tunnel connection at the side of the Stadelhofen train station. A lot of digging under rail traffic.

[@neutralview8788]

Nice, merci. Hani nd gwüsst.

[@peettheengineer]

So cool to see Eberhard in this international context. It is our local construction giant. It started out at 1954 as local road builder and it‘s big blast came with the extension of the airport in Zurich. Nowadays he is involved in almost all major building projects in Switzerland and is specialist in cleaning up hazmat land fills and cleaning spoiled ground. Never miss to visit Ebianum, the construction machine museum of the company near Zurich. It‘s just round the corner from my home.

[@paulstuartwilson485]

Ok. In the instant that the scale model collection room lights were turned on, EACH and EVERY male viewer was transported back to being an 8-11yo kid, regardless of current age. That collection is freaking insane!! I could live in that room the rest of my life. Thanks for letting us (me) see it. I am SO tempted right now to go to the local hobby store and buy a model kit right now! 👍🇺🇸

[@AaronWitt]

much more Europe coming!!

[@jonasjunker2383]

So cool to see content from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology where I am doing my PhD and also your videos from the last weeks from Iceland, where my research project is based (actually not far from the lava barrier ;)).

[@AaronWitt]

nice!!!

[@MrSaemichlaus]

That model collection room would be a very good backdrop for brainstorming on a difficult project. Just going through the models and weighing the options.

[@karlschleifenbaum5793]

Man, I just jogged around the hospital pit a few days ago and asked myself what's going on there. YT must read minds as I never watched this channel before. Fantastic insight, thanks

[@SierraKilo76]

Finally someone explaining how those Walls are build and anchored in a way that people who have no background in this field can understand. Thank you!

[@lusolte]

So cool that you are in Switzerland 🇨🇭

[@AaronWitt]

I love Switzerland!

[@bullbutter9699]

I own Switzerland🤫

[@TeimonKauppa739TeimoJake]

​@@AaronWittmy home country@

[@landmarkcreations1183]

Always interesting to see how other countries build. Love the video!

[@petermalanchuk8210]

Excellent video Aaron, full of great sights and info. The museum of small-scale construction equipment models is very impressive and the detail of each model is amazing. Thank you for sharing with us, your tour and more, of this construction site.😊👍💯

[@fabianmerki4222]

The museum is ultra cool. We went there with the kids more than 20 times. I'm shocked now, that we never appreciated the value of the small scale models. There are so many and you just take them for granted ...

[@acidbronson9712]

So good at it they put the holes in their cheese

[@Martin_Priesthood]

😮😂😂😂. . . that good 💯👌

[@12345fowler]

Touché

[@IsahiRent]

Unbiased opinion here: The swiss are literally the best at anything when it comes to building or manufacturing anybody thelling you otherwise is simply a laymen

[@rjung_ch]

As a Swiss I'm fascinated what you are showing us. So impressive. The collection at the end is so cool, the amount they have, just insane. Cheers 👍💪✌

[@taylorschils1694]

That scale model collection is insane and impressive. That's got to be 100's of thousands of US dollar's worth of scale models.

[@rp1645]

Thank you for walking through the huge scale model collection 😊❤😊 that special clam bucket on that crane was fantastic 😊 amazed design for moving the hard rock out of foundation cut. It is wonderful to see a CAT track loader filling the bucket. 😊 The track loader has NOT lost its place in dirt work over excavators, in my humble opinion

[@christophercale]

Another great video Aaron! Kinda jealous of hanging out in Switzerland! Thanks for showing the scale model showroom, that was freak'n amazing!

[@AaronWitt]

thanks for watching!!

[@schmerol]

1:21 A technical university...? i'm aghast! Thats worldwide one of the BEST technical universities there is :) cheers, fellow swiss

[@niklask1651]

Is it a University or a "Hochschule"?

[@schmerol]

@@niklask1651 same same in switzerland. we don't have "high schools" if you mean that.

[@tookitogo]

@@schmerol Well, given that it’s the H in ETH stands for Hochschule (and the fact that they didn’t ask “high school”, they asked “Hochschule”) I’m not sure why you’re confused by @niklask1651’s question. I don’t think that Universität vs Hochschule has any legal significance in Switzerland, but it does have connotations about the academic focus at minimum.

[@tookitogo]

@@niklask1651 It’s ETH Zurich, so Hochschule.

[@tookitogo]

@@schmerol What a silly response to a perfectly valid question.

[@TOPTECH-r3r]

Incredible power and precision-these machines are amazing!

[@Silverhornet81]

The model collection.. WOW!

[@CatMeow24-qr7uo]

Oh my god this model collection 🤯 This is wat heaven looks like!

[@krcn00b]

Eberhard and Marti are just kings

[@jasonsk4097]

As a swiss yes switzerland has a obsession with digging holes i mean it makes sense when your country is mostly of alpes and you need to build throw them lol

[@lifeafterourloss]

Your channel just popped up on my feed! I love it. Third generation operator here (now youtuber) 👍

[@465maltbie]

That was very nice, thanks. Charles

[@Caspar__]

Wow this is so funny seeing your own university in a youtube video. Apparently they even made progress on the build site! Very cool content : ) Its super interesting to get some insight into construction, as a physicist its not something that I usually have.

[@Benni_faehrt]

My godness, that is a serious scale model collection, WOW! "You can spend weeks in here and still not see everything" - nothing more to say! 😀 I could stand hours in front of each model, trying to suck up every tiny detail they show. Fabulous collection with a value, every insurance company must be afraid of 🤣🤣

[@marc.k2251]

Hi there, love the videos If you are ever back in switzerland you should visit Implenia we we build intresting stuff like the Gotthard tunnel, grimsel Dam and many more impressive stuff

[@AaronWitt]

hopefully next time!

[@ruefii]

Studying civil engineering next to that amazing construction site is pretty exciting 🥳

[@ProudPapaw88]

Another fantastic video, Aaron. Thanks for taking us along on your journey. That collection is beyond incredible. Would love to know how much money for all. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!!

[@CatMeow24-qr7uo]

In the south of Munich they’re currently building a subway extension and they’re using a Liebherr 8040 with an absolutely gigantic clamshell! It’s amazing to watch!

[@UncleManuel]

One could say that this episode was very holesome. 😁🤘

[@jascollinscork]

OMFG so that's what Swiss Heaven looks like 💰💰💰🤯🤯🤯😍😍😍

[@larrysorenson4789]

That does it. I’m in. Next time I need a Hole, I’m calling in The Swiss.

[@MrGuliton]

Let us talk about your banking arrangements, while I dig your hole :)

[@larrysorenson4789]

@Belize. 🤣🟤

[@AbrAhAdAbrA-111]

I worked briefly for Eberhard before the turn of the millennium and the company was already a leader in dismantling, deconstruction and complicated projects. Welcome to switzerland, I hope you enjoyed your visit. :) P.S. question: is this project near Zurich Oerlikon? The surroundings look so familiar to me.I could be wrong.

[@peon9282]

The first project is at ETH Hönggerberg, the second is at the Universitätsspital.

[@AbrAhAdAbrA-111]

@@peon9282 Lolz. I thought it looked familiar, but it wasn't Oerlikon. Thanks

[@dnhug]

Ja de Ebi wider :) Great video.

[@Rufusdos]

Haha I teach in a room that overlooks this hole!! Interesting to watch it develop.

[@ElonMusk-hx8yw]

Love the Hardhat

[@floydwilliams3321]

That’s one super successful company great job

[@lukiluvssuga]

Aaron nerding out with all the little models

[@erickseguraroman8333]

Que colección más impresionante😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@Ulf_H]

6:20 you didn´t mentioned the coffeemachine in the container to keep the workers going!

[@frankrosebrock4424]

Didn't know how well they are digging in my home country.

[@connorshoots]

i could spend an entire week in that museum just staring at allllllll

[@R1712D]

If you are already in Zurich, visit the Liebherr company in Germany, which is only about 150 kilometers, in the direction of Munich

[@bobcaleyrealtor]

That museum!!!

[@Eisenwolf.de1]

Schönes Video 🇨🇭

[@JTRch]

When a man sees heavy machinery, he is happy.

[@CatMeow24-qr7uo]

2:10 the look of disappointment 😂

[@danmcclaren5436]

Meanwhile in Miami all they build is 10 story parking garages for Ultra luxury apartment buildings and use the excuse that there's water in the ground. Which is true, but there's ways around it.

[@Wyi-the-rogue]

I managed to hit water with a fucking shovel. Do not dig in Florida. Just. Just no. Not worth it. Most things in Florida as a person who lives there kinda aren’t ngl But JESUS CHRIST NO HOLES

[@zapfanzapfan]

Precision watches, precision digging.

[@MrHariSheldon]

Ah, the campus Hönggerberg of the ETH... Haven't been there for years since I made my Masters. Before, I had almost all of my lectures there. Nice to see how it looks like now, maybe I should pay it a visit when I am in Zürich.

[@ohasis8331]

That scale model room would have to be every boy's fantasy dream.

[@PaulsensGarage]

2:13 "3 points of contact 🤣"

[@ElonMusk-hx8yw]

Osha approved

[@antr7493]

If your still in Europe check out the Seine-Nord Europe Canal build.

[@chaichalermpolhedegaard6595]

6:20 “wherever this machine goes,🕺”

[@the215sean]

For reference, a 6.5ft truck bed on a pickup holds 1.5 yards³. So they're moving 1000 trucks of dirt a day. Not bad.

[@jamesadams893]

Wow the excavator and trucks all running on batteries, the swiss truly are fantastic people

[@ikocheratcr]

At which timestamp you saw battery equipment?

[@jamesadams893]

@ikocheratcr at the timestamp that gave the definition of sarcasm

[@matti1469]

these holes are amazing...

[@floydwilliams3321]

❤wow that video was too cool, but that collection in freaking credible witt

[@bdubbs75]

I need some of those toy models on my desk.

[@Thomas-PG71]

kein Stein, kein Fels zu hart, für Eberhard!

[@MrJimsparky]

Aaron, Is it Eberhard that have Models in there floor? Good to see you wearing an Australian Shirt!

[@onesimpleclik]

These videos could seriously be an hour long & I would watch every second. I'd love to see some longer, deep dive videos on some construction companies or particular jobs being done.

[@Fwit69420]

I love Swiss holes❤

[@KelvinWilliams-fu2wv]

Great video, consider checking out marti and implenia in switz

[@DIESELPOWER-AUSTRIA]

Awesome 💪👍💯

[@siccicey9479]

Great video

[@AdrianSenn]

I‘m also involved in the project at the university hospital. Sadly there was no meetup :-)

[@n00bnetrum]

We have the best holes, tremendous holes. Nobody has holes like we do.

[@bloodasp90]

that double D8 is still out front of the hillsboro location if you drive by anytime soon.

[@d34dw4lk8]

Wer andern eine Grube gräbt, hat ein Grubengrabgerät :)

[@HanTheProphet]

its so clean where the truck is being loaded that you couldnt even tell thats where its happening lol

[@jonathanray83]

Heck Yeah Eberhard Museum that is cool as a Penguin

[@Gammaduster]

beautiful CAT 963 Track loader (the next gen )

[@benbro8287]

hey that is where my way to work was for almost a year , i watched them starting that site :P

[@CatMeow24-qr7uo]

The one tearing up the runway was a different 390 with a special boom

[@qu3nt0r]

We all love holes don't we?

[@lustigspa4672]

I am working for a projeckt where they dig a hole of 40 meters in the middel of the city, and they build it from the top to the botem

[@_CJ_]

you could have made video just about that models :D awesome

[@raoulkaiser559]

Im from the switzerland your vids is very genies thank you Aaron🙏

[@muhdhafiidz1206]

Heaven for men like me

[@snorttroll4379]

The quick swap thing does that work by having the hadric actuator stay on the arm, and then there's an a mechanical actuator that is on the equipment side?

[@deathaman1125]

Id love to see you get a chance to work with michels. They're headquarters is right by my home town and they're yard has some crazy equipment

[@Nudnik1]

No Liebherr or Volvo equipment on site or museum? Awesome place thank you 👍

[@peon9282]

No, Eberhard owns mostly cat. They have one Volvo EC 300E Hybrid and a few Liebherr excavators from a company they‘ve taken over. Apart from that, only Cat.

[@Nudnik1]

@peon9282 Ok. I have some CAT 320 and 289. Service and parts unmatched with CAT equipment. Sadly alot of Chinese parts on CAT now. I have CAT ET scanner for trouble shooting. I like Komatsu Japan and Volvo also. I was curious since Leibherr is so popular in Europe. Parts Service for them is not so good in here in America.

[@Jab7581]

There must be at least a million pounds worth of models in that collection because 1.50 scale models ain't cheap 😊

[@ptminiaturasportugal]

Come more time to europe 💪

[@DanielBaumann-m4s]

During the shoring process when drilling through the piles, do they drill through the steel cages inside them too?

[@ronlawson5819]

Any chance you could do a video specifically on the Cat Track loader 953,963 and 973

[@astroedCH]

Super sach 🤙🏻🇨🇭

[@cabanford]

With foreigners! 😂

[@KennyV96]

Reminds me of clamshell dredging

[@jerseypaddle]

Wowwww 🔥

[@xemodadx]

Whoa was that shoring video of michel’s? Like michels based in Brownsville WI? I just drove by their main yard in like the smallest town with the one cop just trying to bust everyone. They have expanded their services rapidly as I knew them mainly for being a sewer and related contractor but now they do concrete for bridges and massive transportation projects.

[@AaronWitt]

that's the one!!

[@lifeteen2]

$20k sounds like a lot, because "all it takes" is 3D printing and lost resin casting... but then I realized if I did that and charged my regular hourly rate, it'd be about that much for all the 3D modeling and then labor of printing/casting/assembling/painting.

[@MrCzech78]

Just wondering what kind of material is 3 tones to m3? You know saying 8 cubes is 24 tones??? I know asphalt and concrete are ones of the heaviest materials on job sites.

[@michaelmckeown3164]

Wouldn’t make more sense to do a conveyor belt? Might be a good opportunity to put the engineering talent from a polytechnic university to work.

[@glennback3105]

A nother cracking vid mate from mount isa QLD Australia if i was better looking and had any talent i would do your job 😅 unfortunately I have neither 😊

[@maxscott3349]

Lots of new stuff going up in Wisconsin apparently

[@Farmboy1927]

Getting FoxConned again?