Demolition with excavator attachments
Demolition
Construction demolition means destruction, deconstruction, breaking down, removal. Construction demolition of a building or a part of a building is the process of dismantling or destroying of a structure after its life of serviceability by pre-planned and controlled methods.
Demolition applications
Wooden houses and structures
Wooden houses and structures such as wooden bridges, etc., are common in areas where there are big forests and wood is easily available. Depending on the structure and age of the wood it can be deconstructed on the jobsite, separating different materials during the work, or in a terminal later on. Some buildings, such as log houses, can be dismantled and rebuilt in other locations, for example if they have cultural value and the logs are in good shape.
Multi grapple sorting the material
Multi grapples are common tools for demolition and for sorting the material afterwards. Foundations and concrete structures may need a hydraulic breaker or cutter. Steel reinforcements are removed from the rubble with a pulverizer. Steel and glass will be reused and burnable material will be crushed and used for energy production. Most of the materials in wooden buildings are recyclable and only a very small amount will be discarded.
Brick and other masonry buildings
Brick and masonry buildings are common in areas where wood is difficult to obtain or is not popular for cultural reasons and where, on the other hand, clay and sand have been readily available. These buildings can be deconstructed on the jobsite, separating different materials during the work, or they can be reduced to individual material fractions in a terminal later on.
Foundation demolition with a V cutter
Multi grapples are common tools for demolition and for sorting the material afterwards. Walls can often be demolished with a multi grapple or excavator bucket, but foundations and concrete structures may need a hydraulic breaker, cutter or drum cutter. Steel reinforcements are removed from the rubble with a pulverizer.
Bucket crusher crushes the debris
Steel and glass will be reused, and burnable material will be crushed and used for energy production. Demolition rubble will be crushed on the jobsite or in a terminal to be used for backfilling or landscaping.
Concrete buildings and structures
Concrete has become the most important construction material during recent decades and therefore a growing number of concrete buildings are coming to the end of their lives and will be demolished. Concrete is a very versatile construction material that has been used for various kinds of structures, which have big differences between them in terms of the demolition and recycling process.
Apartment and office buildings
There are countless different ways to build an apartment or office building from concrete and there are different ways to demolish these. Low buildings are often made of precast concrete, and they can be deconstructed easily by picking up the elements with a grapple or cutting them into smaller pieces with a hydraulic cutter. Foundations and some structures, such as garages, will be demolished with a hydraulic breaker or a powerful hydraulic cutter.
Demolition with a concrete cutters
Higher buildings have a steel frame supporting concrete walls and floors that are often pre-cast. Concrete sections can be demolished with a high-reach demolition machine and cutter from the ground or by using a small excavator or demolition robot with a breaker and cutter down from the top floor. The steel frame can be demolished with a high-reach machine and steel shears from the ground, or manually from the top down after the concrete is removed.
Separating steel from concrete
Demolition rubble will be pulverized to separate steel from the concrete. This can be done by a demolition pulverizer during the demolition process, by a bulk pulverizer on the jobsite or at a recycling terminal. Finally, the concrete will be crushed to be used for backfilling or as construction material.
Industrial buildings
Demolition of an industrial building with a concrete buster
Industrial buildings have often been built in several stages and one building may consist of construction materials from many different eras. For example, a small factory, originally brickbuilt, often has an extension in concrete and in steel later on. Old concrete sections can be very easy to break while new ones are hard and heavily reinforced. These different construction materials and styles need various machines and hydraulic attachment tools for demolition.
Bridges and viaducts
Bridge demolition with hydraulic breakers
Bridges and viaducts are challenging demolition projects. They are often demolished to make space for bigger ones to replace them and traffic cannot be interrupted for long periods. Typically, the timeframe for such a job is very short and contractors need to build temporary roads and bridges to keep traffic moving. Even on relatively small projects only the biggest companies can do the job, or special contractors need to collaborate in order to finish all aspects of the job on time. Construction materials on these structures can range from wood to steel and heavily reinforced concrete.
Roads
Solid body breaker crushes the asphalt
When roads are replaced with shortcuts or relocated to make way for buildings they need to be demolished. Asphalt can be ground away with a milling machine or collected with an excavator to be crushed at a terminal. Aggregates and other backfill material will be collected and transported away to be used elsewhere. Concrete paving can be removed by cutting it into pieces for transportation to a terminal. Or it can be crushed with a breaker on the jobsite, then a pulverizer can be used to separate the steel and crush the rubble.
Techniques and methods
Demolition employs various techniques tailored to each unique project. Learn about the different methods commonly used, including:
1. Implosion:
Witness the controlled collapse of structures, where precise explosives strategically bring buildings down in a spectacular display of engineering prowess.
2. Mechanical Demolition:
Uncover the brute force of excavators, wrecking balls, and high-reach machines as they systematically dismantle structures piece by piece.
3. Deconstruction:
Discover the meticulous art of deconstruction, where careful disassembly salvages materials for reuse, reducing waste and supporting sustainable practices
Safety first
Safety is paramount in demolition. Explore the rigorous safety protocols in place to protect workers, the public, and surrounding areas during demolition projects. From comprehensive risk assessments to proper training and equipment, we prioritize safety at every step.
We provide our safety and operations information as .PDF from DocMine!
Environmental stewardship
Demolition doesn't end with destruction; it also focuses on sustainability. Learn about eco-conscious approaches to demolition that minimize environmental impact. Explore strategies such as recycling materials, responsible waste management, and the integration of green practices to promote a cleaner and greener future.
Overview of our excavator attachments for demolition applications
More applications
