Basics of Demolition / Brief Demolition Work Plan

Each demolition project is unique and a site specific HASP and Workplan, along with an OSHA engineering survey must be developed. A brief description of common steps, practices and methods of demolition is provided below.

The typical razing of a building, structure, plant, factory, etc. is accomplished as follows:

• Obtain all necessary permits
• Install Soil and Erosion Control Measures as necessary
• Isolate demolition area / perform all utility disconnects
• Perform asbestos abatement
• Removal all lights, ballasts, mercury switches, freon, etc. for recycling
• Removal all hazardous materials

Demolition Operations:

Hydraulic excavators may be used to topple one-or two-story buildings by means of an undermining process. The strategy is to undermine the building while controlling the manner and direction in which it falls. The demolition project manager/supervisor will determine where undermining is necessary so that a building falls in the desired manner and direction. The walls are typically undermined at a building’s base, but this is not always the case as building designs may dictate otherwise. Safety and cleanup considerations are also taken into account in determining how the building is undermined and ultimately demolished.

In some cases a crane with a wrecking ball is utilized to demolish the structure down to a certain manageable height. At that point undermining takes place as described above in first paragraph.

In order to control dust, fire hoses will be utilized to maintain a wet demolition. Hoses may be held by workers, secured in fixed location, or attached to lifts to gain elevation.

Loaders or dozers may also be used to demolish a building. These loaders and bulldozers are typically equipped with “rakes” (which are thick pieces of steel which could be an I-Beam or thick steel tube) that is used to ram building walls. Skid loaders and loaders will also be used to load materials out and sort steel.

Safety is always paramount on each project. A site safety officer is assigned to each project and enforces all OSHA and client specific safety rules and regulations.