Knocking down a concretar pillar - nightmare job

elperello · 03-11-2019 10:49PM

It seems that the pillar was built in the 20th century so unlikely to be a base for a chimney.
They used to throw any old bits of steel or iron into those type of constructions.
I saw one old wall that was full of old cast iron street gas light columns.
An awful job to demolish.

Was the building ever used as a printers? It's possibly a base for a printing press.

Odelay · 03-11-2019 10:59PM

elperello wrote: »

It seems that the pillar was built in the 20th century so unlikely to be a base for a chimney.
They used to throw any old bits of steel or iron into those type of constructions.
I saw one old wall that was full of old cast iron street gas light columns.
An awful job to demolish.

Was the building ever used as a printers? It's possibly a base for a printing press.

Sounds very likely use for it

Idbatterim · 03-11-2019 11:01PM

Get Sean Quinn’s Mates in, they’ll have experience using explosives!

pauldavis123 · 03-11-2019 11:02PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cvcnkzK8Jk

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QubVytUFvJw

Simple!

v638sg7k1a92bx · 03-11-2019 11:34PM

gman2k wrote: »

It's called chemical rockbreaking.
A hole is drilled into the rock- usually with a pneumatic machine mounted drill. The chemical breaker is basically fast acting cement, which when it "goes off" heats up very rapidly, which in turn expands the surrounding rock braking it. A pick mount can then pull the rock apart.
This is generally used in sensitive urban areas to reduce noise and vibrations from standard explosive or mechanical rockbreakers. However the drilling and rock picking are in themselves quite noisy.

OP, you need to engage a good structural engineer, who will advise on the safest, and least damaging way to remove the RC structure.

pauldavis123 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cvcnkzK8Jk

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QubVytUFvJw

Simple!

Can this be bought in Ireland? Anyone know the brand?

screamer · 03-11-2019 11:37PM

Being honest you need to get someone who knows what they are doing to come and remove that for you. Not chance you should DIY that sort of a job

Still waters · 03-11-2019 11:39PM

Malcolm Fit Supervisor wrote: »

Can this be bought in Ireland? Anyone know the brand?

Some quarries use it, I've used it a couple of times when I'vegot it off local place that uses it, its great stuff but no idea where he sources it

MrMusician18 · 03-11-2019 11:45PM

Malcolm Fit Supervisor wrote: »

Can this be bought in Ireland? Anyone know the brand?

There's a lad in Longford selling something similar in adverts. https://touch.adverts.ie/other-building-materials/expanding-demolition-agent-for-concrete-stone-breaking/8502942

€35 a bag.

04-11-2019 12:01AM

Originally I thought this was a wind-up (sorry op) but as the day went on it started to look genuine. Now at 11pm I think it's an interesting thread.

There are so many trolls or windup threads it's easy to dismiss a genuine one

Sam Quentin · 04-11-2019 12:13AM

Strong chain, good length strong rope, decent jeep or truck... and give it a good tug. Awwwwwwh I dunno

elperello · 04-11-2019 12:23AM

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Originally I thought this was a wind-up (sorry op) but as the day went on it started to look genuine. Now at 11pm I think it's an interesting thread.

There are so many trolls or windup threads it's easy to dismiss a genuine one

It's solidly based ok

gman2k · 04-11-2019 07:27AM

MrMusician18 wrote:

There's a lad in Longford selling something similar in adverts.

Best to drill vertically, so the mix can drop all the way into the hole.
Don't stand over the hole when the mix goes off, as it can explode upwards

Bonzo Delaney · 04-11-2019 07:47AM

gman2k wrote: »

Best to drill vertically, so the mix can drop all the way into the hole.
Don't stand over the hole when the mix goes off, as it can explode upwards

Think this is the answer
Prob will have to be done in 4 stages as it's about 6ft high .
I'd remove all the block work first then go with the chemical approach . There's still a lot of labour work in it . There's no fun drilling about 25 35 mm holes in a concrete 8x4 x 6 ft high concrete monolith .
Elbow grease and tea

Lumen · 04-11-2019 07:57AM

Reinforced concrete is not going to behave like rock because.... it's reinforced.

At best you'll end up with a mass of steel reinforced rubble. Is that progress?

v638sg7k1a92bx · 04-11-2019 08:34AM

Lumen wrote: »

Reinforced concrete is not going to behave like rock because.... it's reinforced.

At best you'll end up with a mass of steel reinforced rubble. Is that progress?

You don’t think the chemical solution will work?

Lumen · 04-11-2019 08:43AM

Malcolm Fit Supervisor wrote: »

You don’t think the chemical solution will work?

Depends where the reinforcement is, but I'd put money on it cracking the concrete but not breaking it up.

pauldavis123 · 04-11-2019 09:30AM

The newer Hilti drill bits paired with a powerful Hilti drill go thru concrete like it is butter.

Go to a hire shop and get some good equipment and it will be actually easy enough.

A heavy digging bar will expose the rebar and you can cut it with an angle grinder,

https://www.handyhardware.ie/product/17588/Digging-Bar-7.7kg-1.8M

GreeBo · 04-11-2019 09:36AM

Lumen wrote: »

Depends where the reinforcement is, but I'd put money on it cracking the concrete but not breaking it up.

+1

the rebar/etc is there to precisely avoid the structure falling apart should the concrete crack. A chemical solution is possibly going to give you a bigger problem. (Think cured expanding foam holding all wall together...you just made the wall stronger!)

I think a large con saw and carving off piece by piece is going to be your only way.

A potential alternative is to take it down to about 1M and use it as the base for a bench? You said you needed storage, store things on top of it?

pauldavis123 · 04-11-2019 09:50AM

Going from the video it looks like 6mm rebar at best and not much of it.

Chemical is 100% the way to go, even if you end up with a tangle of concrete/ rebar breaking the concrete futher will be easy as there are so many cracks to work twoards when breaking, not just one edge.

MrMusician18 · 04-11-2019 02:43PM

The chemical will break it into manageable chunks. The rebar looks like the old stuff that's not ribbed, and usually it doesn't have a great bond as a result. The chemical expands evenly so be careful close to structure you don't want to damage such as the adjoining wall.

That said once it's all cracked, you may need a bolt cutters or angle grinder to cut the bars.

If this is the way you go it would be great if you documented it on thread OP. I would also echo some caution (which I'm sure you are sick of hearing) in that I hope you are sure at what you are doing won't cause an instability in your own or adjoining structure

deandean · 04-11-2019 02:57PM

OP I had an enormous chunk of concrete like that in the back garden of my last house (although no rebar).
I rented a hydraulic demolition hammer and used it DIY. It was very effective, and a lot less hassle than the pneumatic type.
There's an engine-powered powerpack with about 20' hoses to the hammer. You'll have no option but to put the powerpack up on the footpath; have a pal there apologising to any passers by.
If using it horizontally, suspend the hammer with a rope from one of those overhead joists so you don't have to lift it.
Here's a link to one in JW hire. It'll fit into the back of an estate car or a small van.
http://www.jwhire.ie/hire/breaking-and-drilling/hydraulic-breakers/hydraulic-breaker-power-pack-and-breaker-diesel/2014/
Best of luck!

Calahonda52 · 04-11-2019 05:02PM

small horizontal Hydraulic breaker on a jcb parked on the foot path for a few hours, just strip off the flooring
Get a grab hire lorry then to remove all the stuff

Knocking down a concretar pillar - nightmare job

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