Demolition of Structures

BMRT A V Venugopal S8 BArch

Contents
1. Demolition of buildings: IS 4130 1.1 Planning 1.2 Precautions before starting the work 1.3 Protection of the public 1.4 Sequence of demolition operations 1.5 Removal of materials 1.6 Demolition of walls 1.7 Demolition of floors 1.8 Recommendations for demolition of particular elements 2.Government Clearances 3. Demolition Methods

Why?

Demolition of buildings: IS 4130

1.2.PRECAUTIONS BEFORE STARTING THE WORK

Danger signs shall be conspicuously posted all around the structure and all doors and openings into it shall be barricaded or manned. However provision for at least two independent exits for workmen to be given

During nights, red lights are to be placed on all barricades

Possibilities of any danger to adjacent structure shall require the people to be vacate for the safety The power lines, gas and water supply shall be cut off All the mains and meters of the building are to be removed or protected from damage

1.3.PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC

Sidewalks and roads adjacent to the work likely to be affected are to be closed or protected A side walk shed is to constructed along the entire length of the sidewalk if the distance horizontal is 4.5m or less and building is 7.5m or high. The roof of the shed should be able to sustain a load of 73N/mm sq.

1.4.SEQUENCE OF DEMOLITION OPERATIONS

All glazed ,sash, glazed doors and windows etc shall be removed All loose plaster is stripped off to reduce dust production All floor openings and shafts shall be floored over and enclosed with guard rails Demolition shall always proceed systematically storey by storey in a descending order

1.5.REMOVAL OF MATERIALS

Dismantled materials may be thrown to the ground only after taking adequate precautions. The serviceable and unserviceable materials are separated in heaps. It should be lowered to the ground through:
Chutes-wooden or metal chutes for the removal-at the centre of the building for efficient building Holes in the Floor-without the use of chutes-size should not exceed 25 per cent of floor area

1.6 DEMOLITION OF WALLS

Overloading of floors shall be prevented by removing the accumulating debris Walls shall be removed part by part Structural or load bearing members on any floor shall not be cut or removed until all the storeys above that floor have been demolished and removed In framed structures, the steel frame is left in place during the demolition of masonry work

1.7 DEMOLITION OF FLOORS In cutting holes in a floor which spans in one direction, a slit of width not exceeding 300mm shall be cut at the first stage for the entire length of the slab along the way it spans. The demolition shall be started only after the floor in question and the surrounding floor area for a distance of 6m have been cleared of people and debris.

Firm Planks given for the workmen to stand on to guard any unexpected floor collapse

1.8 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEMOLITION OF PARTICULAR ELEMENTS

Precast Reinforced Concrete - avoid toppling

Suspended floors-floors cut parallel to main reinforcement

Reinforced Columns-reinforcement exposed at the base

Reinforced Beams-Support ropes-concrete removed from both ends by pneumatic drill Cantilevers-supported or demolished first Roof Trusses-If a pitched roof-the roof structure to be removed to wall plate level by hands

2. Government Clearances
1.1 PLANNING A careful study of the structure which is to be pulled down-the manner in which the various parts of the building to be demolished are supported and how far the demolition will effect the adjacent buildings. A definite plan for the demolition stage wisedepending on the way the loads are supported

Demolition Methods

3.1 BALL & CRANE METHOD

Oldest Method where a ball weighing up to 13,500 pounds is either dropped or swung into the element to be demolished. Concrete may be demolished but secondary cutting may be required.

3.2 DISMANTLING Cutting elements and then removing with a crane is possible.The cutting process may be sawing,water jetting or thermic lance. Because the surface of cut concrete is almost smooth it is useful when partial demolition required.

3.3 WATER JETS Water jets reduce dust and eliminates vibration and fire hazards Used to cut straight lines and contours and access manholes. 1 inch penetration per minute is possible for RCC slabs.

3.4 THERMIC LANCE Thermic Lance is created by packing a seamless mild steel tube with low carbon rods and passing oxygen through the tube.Fusion creating about 4000 to 7000degree Farenhiet can burn through 12 feet thick.Rate of 2 to 3 inch per minute. Vibration and dust reduced but smoke and fire hazards

3.5 PNEUMATIC AND HYDRAULIC BREAKERS

Used for demolishing bridge decks,foundations and pavements. Hand operated and machine mounted types. Underwater Demolition possible. Remote controlled machines Noisy,generate dust and vibrations

Selective Dismantling of RCC structure using Diamond Cutting Technology

Diamond Cutting technology is over five decades old. What started as a simple device for the marble industry in Italy has been perfected to cut heavily reinforced concrete structures. The power of diamond cutting technology is unlimited and unparalleled. Diamond Cutting Machineries

Diamond Techniques
1) 2) 3) 4)

Flat Sawing Wall Sawing Core Drilling Wire Sawing

Circular and rectangular openings in RCC Wall saw being set-up

3.6 PRESSURE BURSTING

3.7 EXPLOSIVES-Implosion Efficient means to remove large volumes of deteriorated concrete Dangerous and hence computer modeling done to study the failure

Mechanical and Chemical methods Mechanical- in expensive, quiet and no vibration Chemicals used which cause expansion internally

Nitroglycerin, dynamite

Implosion of the Athlone Power Stationcooling towers on 22 August 2010.

The basic idea of explosive demolition is quite simple: If you remove the support structure of a building at a certain point, the section of the building above that point will fall down on the part of the building below that point. If this upper section is heavy enough, it will collide with the lower part with sufficient force to cause significant damage. 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 clean-up following the blast.

REFERENCES

IS CODE 4030 : Demolition of Buildings Demolition of Concrete Structures by Hal Hudgins, Demolition Specialist

BMRT A V Venugopal S8 BArch

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