DEMOLITION

S.RANJITH KUMAR
GRDUATE,CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT,
MEENAKSHI SUNDARARAJAN
ENGINEERING COLLEGE.

UNIT V DEMOLITION
Demolition Techniques, Demolition
by
Machines,
Demolition
by
Explosives, Advanced techniques
using Robotic Machines, Demolition
Sequence, Dismantling Techniques,
Safety precaution in Demolition
and Dismantling.

WHAT IS
DEMOLITION?????
Demolition means dismantling, razing, destroying

or wrecking any building or structure or any part

by pre-planned and controlled methods.
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other

structures

WHY DEMOLITION????
The structures which have already passed their

design life need to be reconstructed, for safety

and operational requirements.
The old structures need to be demolished for
replacement by new structures.
Small structures can be demolished by manual
methods
but
machinery
and
advanced
techniques are required for demolition of bigger
structures.
Advanced techniques are also required for
faster demolition and demolition in confined
areas.

S
E
Q
U
E
N
C
E

DEMOLITION SEQUENCE
Demolition sequence shall be determined based on
Actual site conditions, Restraints, The building layout, The
Structural layout and its construction.
In general, the following sequence shall apply:
1)UTILITIES disconnection.Electricity,plumbing water
lines,drainage conections etc..
2)All cantilevered structures, canopies, verandahs and
features attached to the external walls shall first be
demolished prior to demolition of main building and its
internal structures on each floor
3)When demolishing the roof structure, all lift machine
rooms and watertanks at high level shall be
demolished in top down sequence to the main roof
level

DEMOLITION SEQUENCE
3)Demolition of the floor slabs shall begin at mid span
and work towards the supporting beams.

4) Floor beams shall be demolished in the

order of cantilevered beams, secondary
beams and then main beams.
5) Non-load bearing walls shall be removed
prior to demolition of load bearing walls.

Columns and load bearing walls shall be

demolished after removal of beams on top.

If site conditions permit, the first floor slab

directly above the ground floor may be
demolished by machine standing on ground.

DEMOLITION METHODS
Demolition methods can vary depending on the
following
The area where it will be held on
Time available
The building material
The purpose of the demolition and
The way that debris is going to be disposed.
Time saving methods are more expensive
than the slower ones.
If noise, dust, and vibrations are to be
restricted, it will add to the cost of
demolition.

MANUAL METHOD
Manual methods are carried out top down,
proceeding, in general, from the roof to
ground.
The sequence of demolition may vary,
depending on
1. site conditions and
2. structural elements to be demolished.

For reinforced concrete buildings,

jack hammers are commonly used

to break down the concrete.
Oxy-acetylene torch could be
used to cut the reinforcements.
The reinforcements shall remain
until all the concrete connecting to
or supported by the reinforcement is
broken away or when its support is
no longer required.
In congested areas, these features

Demolition of these features shall be

performed with extreme caution.

If rope or tie wires are used to pull
down the structural elements, the
pulling wire must be at least 4 times
stronger than the anticipated pulling
force.
In addition, workers shall be shielded
from the rope or tie wires. The rope or
tie wire shall be checked at least
twice per day

DEMOLITION BY
MACHINES

DEMOLITION BY
MACHINES
The sequence of demolition by

machine is typically the same as

the
top
down
manual
method, except that most of
the demolition is done by
mechanical plant.
The demolition begins with the
lifting of the mechanical
plant on to the building top
floor.
When rope or tie wire is used for
pulling, the workers shall be
protected or stay away from the
area within reach of the rope or
tie wire.

Adequate propping shall be installed at

floor levels below the working floor to safely

support the operation of the mechanical
plant.
The movement of the mechanical plant
shall only be within the propped area.
The propped areas shall be suitably
marked.
The movement of the mechanical plant
shall be prohibited within 2 m of the
building edge, within 1 m of any floor
openings or any cantilevered structures.

The mechanical plant shall be lifted

onto the roof of the building by the

use of mobile crane or other
appropriate means as approved.
The machine shall descend down to
the next floor by means of a
ramp. The ramp may be a temporary
structure or other appropriate design.
The slope of the ramp shall be no
steeper that 1.75 to 1 or as
recommended
by
the
machine
manufacturer.

DEMOLITION BY HYDRAULIC RUSHERS

The crusher attachment breaks the

concrete and the reinforcement by the

hydraulic thrust through the long
boom arm system.
The hydraulic crusher can be operated
from
the
ground
outside
the
building. This method is also suitable
for dangerous buildings, silos and
other industrial facilities.
The operation shall have a minimum
clear space of the building
height as a safety zone for the falling
debris.
The excavator shall operate on firm
ground that can support the machine
during the crusher operation.

Hydraulic

shears
Pulverizers
Grapple

DEMOLITION BY
WRECKING BALL
The

wrecking
ball
application
consists of a crane equipped with a
steel ball.
The destruction of the building is by
the impact energy of the steel ball
suspended from the crawler crane.
The wrecking ball operates outside
the building.
This
method
is
suitable
for
dilapidated buildings, silos and other
industrial facilities.
However, the operation requires
substantial
clear
space.
The
application also demands high level
skill operators and well-maintained
equipment.

The balling of each section of the

structure shall proceed from top to

bottom.
Recommended techniques for the
wrecking ball operations include (1)
Vertical Drop -free falling of the
wrecking ball onto the structure
and (2) Swing in line - swinging of
the ball in-line with the jib.
A second dragline will normally
connect to the ball horizontally to
control the ball motion.

The jib or boom shall be operated with no less

than 3 m above the portion of the structure

being demolished.
Clear space for operation between the crane
and the structure being demolished shall be
of the height of structure, with additional
distance between crane and boundary wall for
maneuverability.
High strength wire shall be used to allow
pullout of the wrecking ball from potential traps.
To minimize
the dust impact on the
surrounding area, the structure to be
demolished shall be pre-soaked with water
before demolition. Water spraying shall
continue on the structure during demolition.

DEMOLITION BY
EXPLOSIVES

IMPLOSION
Implosion

is the strategic
placing
of
explosive
material and timing of its
detonation so that a structure
collapses on itself in a matter
of seconds, minimizing the
physical
damage
to
its
immediate surroundings.
The technique weakens or
removes critical supports so
that the building can no longer
withstand the force of gravity
and falls under its own
weight.

The

explosives are just the

trigger for the demolition. It's
gravity that brings the building down.
Explosives
are
loaded
and
progressively
detonated
on
several different levels of the
building so that the building
structure falls down on itself at
multiple points.
When everything is planned and
executed
correctly, the total
damage of the explosives and falling

In order to demolish a building safely,

each element of the implosion must be

studied ahead of time. This is done by
a blasting expert.
The
first
step
is
to
examine
architectural blueprints of the building
to determine how the building is put
together.
Next, the building is surveyed to study
about the support structure on each
floor.
Based on this data and drawing from
past experiences with similar buildings,

The main challenge in bringing a building

down is controlling which way it falls.

Ideally, a blasting crew will be able to
tumble the building over on one side, into a
parking lot or other open area. This sort of
blast is the easiest to execute, and it is
generally the safest way to go.
Tipping a building over is something like
felling a tree.
To topple the building to the north, the
blasters detonate explosives on the north
side of the building first, in the same way a
tree would be chopped into from the north
side if it is to fall in that direction. Blasters

Sometimes, a building is surrounded by structures

that must be preserved. In this case, the blasters

proceed with a true implosion, demolishing the
building so that it collapses straight down into its own
footprint (the total area at the base of the building).
The basic idea in implosion is to think of the building
as a collection of separate towers.
The blasters set the explosives so that each "tower"
falls toward the centre of the building.
When they are detonated in the right order, the
toppling towers crash against each other and all of
the rubble collects at the centre of the building.
Another option is to detonate the columns at the
centre of the building before the other columns so
that the building's sides fall inward.

Generally speaking, blasters will explode the

major support columns on the lower floors

first and then a few upper stories.
In a 20-story building, for example, the
blasters might blow the columns on the first
and second floor, as well as the 12th and
15th floors.
In
most cases, blowing the support
structures on the lower floors is sufficient for
collapsing the building, but loading columns
on upper floors helps break the building
material into smaller pieces as it falls. This
makes for easier cleanup following the blast.

Columns are fully loaded with

explosives

Primary charge

Blasting machines
Traditional

rack-bar and
Modern
electronic
control box

The Scudder Homes in Newark,

N.J., blasted in 1996

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES USING

ROBOTIC MACHINES

There

is a different, specialized approach to every

demolition project.

Identifying the projects unique requirements and

selecting the right machine to ensure the work is
done is a safe and efficient manner.

Robotic machines meet these unique challenges.

We have large high reach equipment that has the

capability to reach some very high and awkward
areas.

Smaller Robotic demolisher machines to get into

those tight spots and if a project has some tricky or
confined spaces we have robotic equipment on
hand
to
get
the
job
done.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES USING

ROBOTIC MACHINES

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES USING

ROBOTIC MACHINES

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Demolitio

n
Dismantli
ng.

 HOARDING isolates the demolition

site
from
the
public,
thus
preventing unauthorized access
and trespassing.

WALKWAYS:

Walkways shall be provided for the use of

the workmen who shall be instructed to use
them and all such walkways shall be kept
adequately lighted, free from debris and
other materials.
CATCH PLATFORMS
In demolition of exterior wall of multistoreyed structure, catch platform of heavy
planking shall be provided to prevent
injuries to the worker working below and to
the public, when the external walls are
more than20 m in height.

The covered walkway, in conjunction with

catch
platform,
provides
additional
protection to the pedestrian traffic against
falling debris.

PROTECTIVE SCREENS

Protective

screen covers shall be placed, where

necessary, to prevent flying pieces from injuring the
fellow workmen.
Bamboo scaffolds or metal scaffolds shall be used for
providing protective screens to completely enclose the
building structure for retaining dust and small debris.
Tarpaulin and heavy duty nets shall be used to cover the
exterior face of the scaffold.
The protective screens shall be secured to the
scaffoldings at intervals in both horizontal and vertical
directions.

TEMPORARY SUPPORTS
Temporary supports are required to cater for

the loads due the machinery used in

demolition, debris accumulated, impact from
fallen debris and lateral loads due to the
fallen debris and wind force etc.
A suitable factor of safety shall be
considered.
They are also provided when any part of the
structure or any element being demolished is
not self-supporting (or)
when the temporary stability of the structure
or its elements could be impaired as a result


Demolition
TRAINING AND COMMUNICATION
workers,

including
plant or equipment operators,
shall go through proper job
safety training and be informed
of the potential hazards by
attending training sessions as
well as on-the-job training.
They shall be trained regarding working at heights, working in
confined spaces, working with
lifting appliances, use of personal
protective equipment, handling
of chemicals, health hazards in
demolition
works
and
safe

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

All equipment shall be tested

and examined before use.

They shall be properly stored
and maintained.
The
equipment
shall
be
inspected daily and results of
the
inspection
shall
be
recorded accordingly.
A detailed safety instruction
shall be provided to cater for
specific situations of the
project, if necessary.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY
A properly connected

power source from a

local electric utility
supplier or a mobile
electricity generator
shall be utilised in
demolition sites.
The
safety
requirements given in
the
Electricity
Regulations shall be
adhered to.

FIRE SAFETY
All flammable goods shall be

removed from site unless they are

necessary for the works involved.
Any remaining flammable goods
shall be stored in proper storage
facilities.
All furniture, timber, doors, etc. shall
be removed before any welding work
is performed. Fire fighting appliances
shall be provided and maintained in
working conditions. Emergency
access to site shall be provided.

Vibration
Demolition
work
will
cause
vibration
to
neighbouring buildings or structures to various
extent, depending on the method of demolition,
which should be controlled by suitable monitoring.
The most serious vibration is caused by implosion.
Air Pollution
Concrete breaking, handling of debris and hauling
process are main sources of dust from building
demolition. Dust mitigation measures, such as
water spray, shall be adopted to minimise dust
emissions. Burning of waste shall not be allowed.
Diesel fumes generated by mechanical plant or
equipment shall be controlled.

NOISE
Noise

pollution
arising
from
the
demolition works due the use of
powered mechanical equipment such as
pneumatic breakers, excavators and
generators, loading and transportation
of debris, etc. affects the workers, and
the sensitive receivers in the vicinity of
the demolition site.
Silent type equipment shall be used to
reduce noise impact as much as
practicable. Demolition activity shall not
be performed within the restricted hours

DEBRIS AND WASTE HANDLING

CHUTES
Debris, waste and other materials shall not be

thrown, tipped or shot down from a height where

they are liable to cause injury to any person on
or near the site.
Existing lift shaft, light well and openings on floor
may be used to convey debris down the building
floors.
Areas adjacent to the openings of these features
used as a chute shall be barricaded when they
are not in use. Warning signs shall be posted to
prevent workers from entering the area.
As an option, plastic chutes may be used inside
the floor openings and lift wells to minimise
noise and confine the falling debris.

DISMANTELING
Dismantle" means to take apart

something and can easily be use/built

again.
Dismantle is usually used when you take
something apart in different pieces and
Demolish is to damage something beyond
repair or reconstruction.They overlap in
that you are breaking something into
pieces but demolish is mainly used when
you destroy something.

Example:
Doors
Windows
Grills
P.V.C pipes
Bath fittings
Electrical cables/wires