A high-tech building demolition procedure involves the assessment of several factors when it is about to be performed. Most developers and professional building demolition services consider these factors prior to demolishing a building but the important considerations including the location of the building, the raw materials needed to build the structure, the purpose of the demolition and last but not the least, disposing of debris and removing hazardous waste from the construction site. Once these factors are determined by a construction contractor, he then moves out to demolition methods that can range from an inch by inch dismantling of pieces to a full building blown up. However, in a stuffed urban community, any demolition technique to be applied must be safe for the on-site crew, the surrounding premises and public spaces.
- Implosion
Implosion is the fastest way to demolish a building which substantially demolishes large structures in urban settings. Based on the urgency level, it uses explosives to take down the building in one attempt. These explosives first collapse a building’s primary vertical supports and then it collapses the entire building from the inside out. To encounter a safe demolition, the placement of the explosive charges and the sequence of the explosion are critical aspects to study by demolition blast experts. Before the demolition, the blaster crew analyzes a complete set of structural blueprints to determine the main areas of the building and other areas in addition that needs to be blasted. After then, the blasting team screen the type of explosives to use in the procedure, following two main steps:
- Where to position explosives in the building
- How to time an implosion
- High Reach Arm
It is practiced as an alternative to implosion and is best for buildings with a height of more than 66 feet. This option uses a base machine such as an excavator, equipped with a long demolition arm with three sections or a telescopic boom. The demolition procedure is carried out when a demolition tool, such as a crusher, shears, or a hammer, is attached to the end of the arm and progressively breaks up the whole building from a top to down movement. When the demolition is done, the machine is set to pick up the remaining traces of the structure from the ground and another specialized crew then breaks down the large pieces into small and gets them ready for a convenient disposal.
As compared to implosion which holds potential risks for the external environment, high reach arm demolition is believed to be safer for reinforced concrete, masonry, steel, and mixed-material tall structures
- Wrecking Ball
The wrecking ball is one of the oldest traditional building demolition methods which many modern building demolition services use even today. In general, it is popular for concrete and other masonry structures. The wrecking ball machine consists of a heavy steel ball that —weighing up to 13,500 pounds—is mounted on a strong cable supported from a crane or other heavy equipment in use at that time. The ball is then dropped onto or swung into the building, ultimately crushing the building with consecutive frequencies. In order to perform the wrecking ball demolition, it requires a well-trained crane operator who knows at what position and at what time, the ball has to be released into the structure.
The most critical part is to control the swing of the ball as misfiring a target can result in out-of-control tipping or overloading the crane. The wrecking ball mostly demolishes the limited sized building depending on its crane size and the working room, significantly focusing proximity to power lines. Not to forget that this type of demolition creates a giant deal of dust, vibration, and noise.
- Selective Demolition
This demolition method is considered as an innovative technology because it allows builders to reuse or recycle the building’s knocked down materials. The selective interior of wood, brick, metals, and concrete involves blending the old materials with the new for future use in new projects. This step clearly speaks the main goal of this method which is to recover the maximum amount of primary (reusable) and secondary (recyclable) building materials in a harmless and cost-effective procedure.
But if simply put, selective demolition is a time-consuming and totally a labor-based procedure that is relatively difficult to perform, considering the time and economical style for light-framed buildings.
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