Manual Demolition Techniques
– Perform asbestos abatement and remove hazardous materials before demolition
– Obtain necessary permits and submit required notifications
– Disconnect utilities and perform rodent baiting
– Develop site-specific safety and work plans
– Use hydraulic excavators to undermine and topple one- or two-story buildings
– Determine where undermining is necessary to control the direction of the building’s fall
– Use a crane with a wrecking ball to demolish structures to a manageable height
– Employ high reach demolition excavators for tall buildings where explosive demolition is not possible
– Utilize shear attachments to dismantle steel structural elements
– Use hydraulic hammers for concrete structures and concrete processing attachments to crush concrete
Building Implosion
– Implosion is a fast method of demolishing large structures using explosives
– Ensure the structure falls into its own footprint to avoid damaging neighboring structures
– Flying debris can be a significant danger if not properly prepared for
– Partial failure of implosion can result in an unstable structure with un-detonated explosives
– Air overpressure during implosion can cause damage to surrounding buildings
Preparation for Demolition
– Clean up the section to meet quality standards
– Perform asbestos abatement and remove hazardous materials before demolition
– Obtain necessary permits and submit required notifications
– Disconnect utilities and perform rodent baiting
Demolition Techniques
– Use hydraulic excavators to undermine and topple one- or two-story buildings
– Determine where undermining is necessary to control the direction of the building’s fall
– Employ a crane with a wrecking ball to demolish structures to a manageable height
– Utilize high reach demolition excavators for tall buildings where explosive demolition is not possible
– Use shear attachments to dismantle steel structural elements
Safety and Environmental Considerations
– Control dust by using fire hoses for wet demolition
– Loaders or bulldozers equipped with rakes are used to ram building walls
– Vérinage technique weakens and buckles supports for a rapid, symmetrical collapse
– Computer-controlled hydraulic jacks support the bottom floor during demolition for a safer and more environmentally friendly process
– Hoe rams and hydraulic shears are used to demolish bridges, removing concrete road decks and piers Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for reuse purposes.
For small buildings, such as houses, that are only two or three stories high, demolition is a rather simple process. The building is pulled down either manually or mechanically using large hydraulic equipment: elevated work platforms, cranes, excavators or bulldozers. Larger buildings may require the use of a wrecking ball, a heavy weight on a cable that is swung by a crane into the side of the buildings. Wrecking balls are especially effective against masonry, but are less easily controlled and often less efficient than other methods. Newer methods may use rotational hydraulic shears and silenced rock-breakers attached to excavators to cut or break through wood, steel, and concrete. The use of shears is especially common when flame cutting would be dangerous.
The tallest planned demolition of a building was the 52-storey 270 Park Avenue in New York City, which was built in 1960 and torn down in 2019–2021 to be replaced by 270 Park Avenue.
