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43 Demolition

43.1 Introduction
The demolition industry has its origin among those small
contractors who specialized in the removal and resale of archi-
tectural items, building materials and structural components. In
the past, their operations were labour-intensive and time-con-
suming and often the salvaged items remained on their hands
for considerable periods.
Development over the years has determined that demolition
contractors organize their work and equip themselves to meet
critical programmes. The size of firms undertaking demolition
and associated fringe activities, such as excavation and tempor-
ary works, varies from organizations offering a complete pack-
age, through to small firms undertaking specialist works such as
concrete-cutting or demolition blasting.
The capability of contractors varies from those thoroughly
organized with managerial and technical facilities backing up a
skilled labour force, down to those who work in excess of their
capacity to the detriment of their clients in particular and the
industry in general.
It is important that demolition contracts or the demolition
phase of major projects, should receive the same careful con-
sideration as those for rebuilding and civil engineering.
Much can be done to eliminate delays to works by ensuring
that obligations to third parties and statutory undertakings are
negotiated before commencing work.
Details of the buildings or structures to be demolished or
altered, together with a careful assessment of the restraints
imposed by location, should be discussed by clients and pros-
pective contractors at an early stage to permit realistic and fair
tendering.
‘Demolition’ embraces a wide spectrum of activities - from
simple cottage demolition to the dismantling and removal of
industrial complexes. No broad boundaries are found between
demolition styles in different localities. Certain types of struc-
ture lend themselves towards a preferred method, but of the
many techniques available few can be applied individually and
most successful jobs employ a combination of one or more
methods.
43.2 Organization and planning
The person inviting tenders or negotiating for demolition work
should ensure that it will be undertaken by experienced contrac-
tors who have an awareness of the problems likely to be
encountered on and off the site.
Forms of contract normally used for building or civil engi-
neering may consist of documentation made unnecessarily com-
plex by alterations, omissions and additions. A simple form of
contract such as that published by the National Federation of
Demolition Contractors in London may be acceptable.
The specification should be as simple as possible while
adequately defining the work required. Items such as shoring,
weatherproofing and accommodation works may be impossible
to determine until parts of the redundant building or structure
have been removed and assessments made with the professional
adviser(s) appointed by owners of the adjoining premises.
Where this is the case, ‘provisional sums’ should be included.
In partial demolition or refurbishment, the structural detail
may have a critical effect on the proposals. Even though original
drawings may exist, it is prudent to open up relevant parts of the
superstructure to confirm what has, in fact, been built. This
preliminary work will often be needed by the consulting engi-
neers charged with modifying the structure, but in any event the
structural survey should be done prior to inviting tenders for
demolition in order that prospective contractors may have the
benefit of seeing the structural detail.
Organization and planning 43/3
Where original drawings exist an allowance must be made for
alterations and additions which have not been formally
recorded.
Parts of the premises which are inaccessible should be care-
fully opened up. It should not be a prospective contractor’s
responsibility to survey below the surface; indeed, the practi-
cality of a number of such contractors bringing equipment on to
a site which is not formally in their responsibility normally
precludes this.
The likelihood of toxic or hazardous material either being
built in to the structure or arising from previous use should be
assessed and the information forwarded to tenderers. It may be
prudent to decontaminate premises prior to the start of demoli-
tion works or carefully phase a programme so that demolition
does not produce a hazardous environment by scattering resi-
dues. The discovery of toxic and hazardous material at a late
stage can have the serious result of closing down work until
residues are removed.
The specification should state, and drawings should clearly
indicate, the levels to which buildings are to be demolished. If
ground slabs and foundations are to be removed, approximate
quantities with provisional sums for excesses, or a schedule of
rates, should be included for an item which is basically excava-
tion. Any architectural features or sections of the building which
are to be retained should be defined clearly and removed early in
the job if possible.
Once the decision to demolish has been taken, there are many
matters that can be put in hand alongside preparation of
contract documents.
The so-called party wall awards, with their very specific
details of what can and cannot be done to adjacent properties,
need considerable time for practical assessment and preparation
of documents. Whilst it may be impossible to agree fully the
extent of the party wall award prior to opening up and exposing
an adjacent property, it is better to have made some progress,
thus allowing a demolition contractor to work normally and
logically rather than be prohibited from approaching a site
boundary.
The removal of statutory undertakings’ equipment should be
organized as soon as the premises become vacant, in order to
avoid delays to the works and accidents caused by live services.
Demolition work may involve the diversion or protection of
services where there is a wayleave across the site and such
matters should be considered early, as sometimes extremely
complex planning has to be done to avoid disconnecting adjoin-
ing premises.
In industrial premises which have existed harmoniously with
their neighbours, demolition, even over a short time, can cause
concern to residents, or hazards to adjoining premises. There
needs to be liaison between the client and concerned neighbours
in order that prospective contractors are aware of restraints
upon their methods of work.
43.2.1 Insurance
Clients and their professional advisers should make certain that
specified insurance requirements are adequate, but at the same
time realistic, for the risks arising from their projects.
Policies on behalf of the client, the contractor and sometimes
jointly, should be in force prior to commencement of the works.
The amount of cover required can vary considerably, depen-
dent upon location. Demolition work on an active mainline rail
terminal, for example, would require considerably more cover
than work on a remote and disused factory premises.
Employer’s liability insurance is a statutory requirement, the
premium reflecting the hazardous nature of demolition work
and the record of the contractor.
 43/4 Demolition
43.2.2 Surveys and method statements
The object of a demolition survey is to establish sufficient detail
about the premises to allow a decision on the method of
demolition and to identify any restraints affecting proposed
activities on the site.
Problems may arise due to characteristics of the building or
structure, or to the previous use of the premises or the location.
Drawings of the building are not always available, and even
where they are, the survey should be comprehensive enough to
determine the extent of alterations from, and additions to, the
original plan.
The sequence of building or erection, together with an
assessment of any temporary works or equipment used, can be
usefully compared with the proposals for demolition.
The need to provide shoring either on adjacent premises or
within the structure being demolished should emerge from the
survey; also, the need for weatherproofing either temporary or
permanent (see sectiohs 43.2.3 and 43.2.4).
On any type of building or structure, the condition can, to a
greater or lesser extent, determine the method of demolition to
be used.
Traditional brick, masonry and timber structures left unat-
tended and open to the atmosphere, may have deteriorated to
the extent that they cannot be relied upon to provide safe access.
Industrial uses producing corrosive atmospheres and long-
term lack of maintenance may have affected structural steel-
work, particularly connections, to the extent that preweakening
of a structure would be hazardous.
Persons undertaking demolition surveys should be aware of,
and experienced in, finding such conditions.
In addition to surveying the building, the adjoining buildings
should be assessed in terms of structure and equipment con-
tained to determine any restraints. For example, in urban areas
the increase in use of computers, which are very sensitive to
vibration, has added to the problems traditionally arising from
dust and vibration.
Following the demolition survey, a detailed method state-
ment should be prepared prior to the start of work.
The presentation of this statement has been widely debated:
BS 6187:1982 Code of practice for demolition‘ recommends that
a programme should be drawn up in which the proposed
sequence and the method of operation is indicated clearly. The
Health and Safety Executive Guidance Note GS29/1* goes
further by advising that a detailed method statement should
identify problems and their solutions and form a reference for
site supervision.
The degree of difficulty in the work must determine the detail
on the method statement, but in any event, it must be in terms
that can be understood by the supervisor and labour force. It
may be written with annotated drawings, or instructions may be
painted on to the structure.
43.2.3 Shoring
The need for shoring-up adjacent buildings or, on occasions, the
temporary shoring of the structure being demolished, should be
investigated prior to the start of demolition. In cases where this
is not possible a procedure for checking the requirements as the
job progresses should be formalized.
The simplest approach is to leave parts of adjacent walls or
part of the structural frame as buttresses if they are in an
acceptable condition - provided their retention would not
hinder subsequent building.
If it is decided that raking shores are necessary, it is some-
times acceptable to erect them after demolition, but if the
durability of the exposed wall is suspect in the short term, the
- shores may have to be inserted prior to demolition, with all the
attendant difficulties of preparing the foundation block and
handling the sections in confined spaces.
When a free area of land is required, and where there is a
convenient support, a flying shore can be connected horizont-
ally to an adjacent and sufficiently robust premises, provided the
owner of the supporting building agrees.
On flying shores of long spans a central prop may be
necessary and, although this to some extent defeats the object of
obtaining a clear area, it can be less inconvenient in the centre of
a site, where it may interfere only with floor construction, than
raking shores at the edge, interfering with walls.
Raking and flying shores are inserted to prevent a sideways
movement of a wall. It is sometimes necessary to effect vertical
support to a wall, either because its foundations have failed, or
it is to be underpinned, or is to have additional openings made
in it.
In these circumstances, needle shores, in which short hori-
zontal members are placed through a wall and given their own
support, are used. Vertical support is referred to as ‘dead
shoring’.
The loading on the shoring must be assessed and the system
designed and detailed in a manner which takes into account the
circumstances of its erection and later dismantling.
Shoring was traditionally of timber, but examples from
scaffold tubes and fittings, and from fabricated steelwork are
more common today, with the use of traditional carpentry skills
becoming uneconomical.
For dealing with dangerous structures, say a building which
has been hit by a vehicle or suffered a severe fire, shores made
from scaffolding are normally used, often erected not by the
demolition contractor but by scaffolding companies who have
arrangements with the authorities for rapid turnout to deal with
such emergencies.
For retaining facades, scaffolds may be used, but fabricated
steelwork providing quick erection and a compact design is
popular, particularly in congested city areas.
43.2.4 Weatherproofing
Walls previously protected by buildings which are being demol-
ished, will quickly absorb moisture and deteriorate if weather-
proofing is not provided.
Walls exposed on a long-term basis can be rendered or
skimmed with brickwork if this is desirable from a visual
viewpoint. Walls in good condition can be treated with water-
repellent compounds. c
It is more usual for bitumen or polythene sheeting to be used
on a temporary basis to stand until the new adjacent walls
provideprotection. Such sheeting must be fixed to the wall with
vertical and horizontal battens in a regular pattern and in a
workmanlike manner if it is not to be torn by the wind and
become ineffective. It is both annoying and costly to have to
return to repair small areas of weatherproofing as the access
from the original building may not be available and scaffolds or
elevating platforms will have to be obtained. The sheeting must
be overlapped and horizontal faces must be weatherproofed to
ensure that the arrangement is completely watertight.
43.2.5 Hoardings
It is usual for the contractor to provide a hoarding, sometimes
to his own design, sometimes to that of others.
As a precaution against trespassers, it is in the contractor’s.
best interests to secure the site at all times, but this may not be
practicable, particularly during the early stages of work.
The provision of a hoarding can be a substantial item.
Erection should be done by experienced personnel in order to
ensure that it will resist overturning by the wind, and be robust
 . -
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43.4.2 Hydra& excavators and tractor shovels
Most demolition sites will eventually reach the stage where a
hydraulic excavator
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43/8 Demolition
43.4.12 Hydraulic bursting
Mass or lightly reinforced concrete can be broken by drilling a
series of holes near an open face and inserting a burster from
which plungers are forced out by hydraulic pressure, thus
cracking the concrete.
A more recent application of this technique is the removal of
a core into which a small hydraulic jack is placed. When the jack
is operated, the concrete will crack from the core to the open
face.
Bursting techniques are relatively quiet, but tend to be slow.
In an effort to speed the process, large areas of concrete may be
broken out, but their subsequent removal, particularly if in
awkward areas inside the building, may be a problem.
43.5 Demolition blasting
The use of explosives for demolition attracts a great deal of
publicity, but it should be considered as another demolition
method requiring careful selection based on suitability, location,
competent practitioners and careful planning.
For all demolition blasting, good protection and carefully
selected clear zones must be achieved. Brick, masonry or mass
concrete, when drilled and charged with explosive, will rupture
or disintegrate when detonated. The effect will vary and be
dependent upon the amount and type of explosive, the weight of
material charged in relation to the amount of explosive, the
pattern and position of the charges in relation to open faces and
the integrity of the material.
Taking these many variables into account, successful blasts
can be achieved and used to remove key parts to fell structures
or simply fracture banks of material to allow removal by
mechanical excavation.
With reinforced concrete, the problem becomes more com-
plex. It is easy enough to disintegrate the concrete but bursting
open the steel and thus allowing the debris to disperse is not
quite so simple. The firing of test shots may be necessary, and
the manual cutting of reinforcement will (subject to advice from
engineers) assist towards a successful demolition.
Recent years have seen more use of explosives on the demoli-
tion of steel structures. The cutting of steelwork was done
traditionally by using substantial charges to blast a section apart
-a procedure which tended to have a limited application due
to noise and the risk of shrapnel. However, the development of
linear or cutting charges, previously well established for military
or underwater operations, with the proviso that proprietary
products are available, has meant that such charges, coupled
with the careful use of delay detonators and propellant charges
to shift cut sections, are now regularly used to fell substantial
steel structures.
With all types of demolition blasting, no matter what type of
structure, it is essential that those personnel involved under-
stand or have access to advice concerning the 'mechanism of
collapse'. A structure which has failed to respond to the use of
explosives, or has partly collapsed, can be extremely dangerous
with all the attendant problems of safe access for completion of
the task.
43.6 Preferred methods of demolition
Some types of structures lend themselves to particular methods
of demolition, subject, of course, to local restraints. The basis of
these methods is that the sequence of work retains the stability
of the remaining part of the structure.
Simple examples of preferred demolition methods concern
arches which, if demolished by hand, should be in strips parallel
to the rings forming the span of the arch. Likewise, reinforced
concrete floors should be demolished in strips parallel to the
main reinforcement.
When working on a filler joist floor, it should be tackled
progressively by releasing individual filler joists, whilst ensuring
that the workmen have the protection of a well-secured tempor-
ary deck spanning the main floor beams.
The principle of removing as much deadload as possible also
should be applied to bridges, bearing in mind that temporary
support may be necessary to support the skeleton before re-
moval by crane or dropping on to a prepared area.
The procedures for demolishing chimneys by explosives re-
volve around leaving the chimney standing on pillars created by
taking 'windows' out of the base in a pattern arranged to
encourage a particular .direction of fall when the pillars are
blasted clear. If chimneys are to be demolished by hand, access
must be provided to the top. This is normally by a laddered
scaffold on the outside. It is normal for material to be dropped
inside the chimney and removed through a doorway cut in the
side of the base. The debris must be cleared to avoid pressure on
the walls of the chimney, and regular checks must be made to
ensure that material has not arched inside the flue.
Brick or reinforced concrete chimneys can be treated as
described, but in prestressed and post-tensioned structures,
expert advice from engineers should be sought to deal with the
particular problems.
On sites in confined spaces it will be necessary to dismantle
pylons and masts by hand, but in open areas, these can be felled
accurately by preweakening the legs against the direction of fall,
cutting the rear legs and pulling over the structure with a
previously secured steel-wire rope.
For steel flues, the guylines at 45" on plan against the line of
fall should be maintained or, if absent, provided and made taut
prior to cutting the remote guys and severing the base of the flue
in a pattern which allows it to hinge over.
Above ground, storage tanks must be free of fire and explo-
sion risks before structural dismantling takes place. If the tank is
too large for the roof to be lifted clear as one piece, then the
plates should be removed exposing the structural steel 'spider'
which should be removed in a regular pattern until a simple
cruciform exists which finally can be cut down.
Some tanks have roofs which float on the contents. Such
roofs should be lowered to their supports and removed once the
tank shell has been dealt with. Tank shells should be removed in
horizontal bands rather than vertical strips as the behaviour of
plateqcut down vertically is unpredictable.
British Standard 6187: 1982' includes a guide to typical meth-
ods of demolition from which it can be noted that on the more
widely found buildings and structures, more than one method
may be applied successfully.
There is little experience to date with the demolition of
prestressed concrete. There is, however, a recognition that
uncontrolled release of stressed wires, cables or bars may
provoke the ejection of anchorages, particularly if the stressed
member is unbonded or the bonding is faulty.
Pretensioned members are rarely a problem during demoli-
tion. This is not the case with post-tensioned members, which
are sometimes incrementally tensioned as successive loading is
applied. Most post-tensioned members are bonded by grouting,
but some unbonded examples must remain and it is difficult to
identify the difference other than by physically exposing the
stressing wires. Expert engineering advice should be sought
when dealing with such members, as uncontrollable release of
the tension can lead to catastrophic collapse and/or ejection of
debris from anchorages which will fly a considerable distance at
great speed.
Incorrect unloading of incrementally tensioned beams with-
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Figure 43.4 Example oi temporary stsetwork supporting 8

five-storey fa@e

out partial release of the stressing can lead to hogging and/or 43.8 Health'and safety
bursting with unpredictable results.
The technology for dealing with prestressed concrete exists,
but it is important to recognize the problem at the outset. It is
also important to realize that, complex as the problems may be,
the actual method for destressing and removing prestressed
concrete beams, say, may pall into insignificance in comparison
with the problems posed by their location (which is likely to be
permanently encapsulated in working structures). red- the risks from premature collapse, falling materials and

43.2 Gatwagnand rsey~ling

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0s sglac pzqab, paqtic;larly t& diistm&interest:orcbi-
tectural items, such as weathercocks, clocks, door portioee awl
boundary marks may have to be recovered ahead of the
demolition work for restoration and later repositioning.
Internal fittings, staircases and banisters m y ,* &?@f

interest, particularly in listed buildings. The demolition contrac-
t@ h&a&~ieOnlly bees interatadinmet& beit d m o m or
ferrous scrap. During demolition, &tse da*eed to ba @ed
intetypeawMzeforini&dngtogrocaesorsfetittmAringor
expoh. "he'terhaval d d resak!%F'Wil&i%' items, debrs,
window frames, flooring and china is no longer attractivr:as it is
time-consuming and prohibited by tight schedules.
The practice of recycling debris to produce a single-size
crushed concrete or an all-in material has developed in reccnt
years. Although it has proved difficult to maintain a specific
grading because of the variable raw material. these materials are
often acceptable as backfill, subgradc for estate roads or car
parks.
Research aimed at producing a specification for crushed
concrete and subsequently a wider acceptance of its use is
currently being undertaken. In the UK this is at an early stage,
but in Europe it is more advanced, boosted in part by a lack of
acceptable landfill sites and in some areas by a lack of roadmak-
ing aggregate.
The recycling of timber as a fuel has been developed in The
Netherlands where charcoal is obtained with some gas produc-
tion. Such plants are extremely expensive and do not, as yet,
exist in the UK.
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and the decontamination procedures required for asbestos
removal have to be maintained stringently; most workmen take
seriously the publicity given to the risks from this material.
Apart from these two welldocumented hazards, the demoli-
tion contractor often encounters others associated with the
structure or its previous use. Timber used for building m a y be
treated with preservative requiring its removal to a licensed tip,
as burning will produa a toxic smoke. Heavy metals such as
cadmium or mercury may be found mgrained in slabs or even
the subsoil of factory premises. Sometimes these contaminants
surface from processes used many years prior to the final use of
the premises.
43/10 Demolition
43.8.1 Fire and explosion risks
Flame-cutting through structures and within buildings can
create a serious fire hazard if precautions are not taken to isolate
areas and clear burnable debris from underneath working areas.
When bonfires are lit they should be carefully sited, of modest
size and be extinguished before the end of the shift.
At the other end of the scale is the devastation caused by
explosions due to the ignition of vapours from small quantities
of residues in closed vessels.
Residues in petroleum, oil, gas or chemical tanks, pipes and
vessels remain almost indefinitely after the tanks have been
drained and abandoned. Even when containers have been
degassed, pockets of residues may remain and vaporize.
If it is proposed to dismantle such containers using flame-
cutters or tools which produce sparks, such as abrasive disc
cutters, the contents must be made inert.
Water can be used to fill a tank to exclude vapour, but it does
not render the contents inert; indeed, flammable liquid may
float on top of the water. Nitrogen, an inert gas, is recom-
mended in BS 6187:1982' for purging tanks. Nitrogen is, how-
ever, an asphyxiant and should be handled carefully by special-
ists. 'Dry ice' - frozen carbon dioxide - can also be used as an
inhibitor.
As well as the problems of neutralizing fuel tanks, contractors
are increasingly involved with the dismantling of factories which
have used chemicals in their working processes. On some
occasions, the plants which produce or convert such chemicals
are themselves demolished.
Notwithstanding the operator may have purged the process
equipment, pipework, tanks and vessels, they may nevertheless
have accumulated volatile residues over a considerable period
which present health risks from toxicity or irritants.
These problems will be anticipated by experienced contrac-
tors who will know where to seek the necessary expert advice.
43.9 Environmental matters
The demolition contractor's activities will attract the attention
of the authorities required to look after the interests of the
public both physically and environmentally. Local authorities
will be concerned particularly about: ( I ) noise; (2) vibration;
and (3) dust.
Restrictions on working hours, e.g. placing limits on early
starts or imposing early finishes, or the enforcement of silent
periods through the day, can seriously affect site production.
The level of noise acceptable at a site boundary may be settled
in advance by agreement with the local authority, but few
developers opt for this procedure, preferring to leave the nego-
tiations to the contractor once the job has started.
The careful siting of diesel-driven. plant, shielding of static
items and use of electrically driven equipment (if mains power is
available) can reduce noise considerably. Good maintenance of
engines and bodywork, and the avoidance of unnecessary
dropping when loading, can also contribute to this.
Vibration may be impossible to avoid; indeed, efforts to
eradicate it by changing methods may produce other problems.
However, the intermittent use of a demolition ball may be more
acceptable to neighbours than the constant noise of pneumatic
breakers.
The demolition method quite obviously must take into ac-
count the susceptibility of adjacent or neighbouring structures
to damage from vibration, and the increasing use of sophisti-
cated office equipment - which is highly susceptible to vibration
- means that work must be organized to provide as early as
possible a gap between occupied buildings and the building
being demolished. Even then, there may be a problem if office
equipment is in basements, picking up vibration from falling
debris or moving plant and vehicles.
The major problem is dust. Sheeting and dampening down
can reduce the inconvenience but not eliminate it completely.
Contractors face an increasing number of complaints about
blocked filters which purify the air circulation to computer
rooms; air-conditioning units are also affected. Much can be
done to relieve this problem if the contractor allows for the time
and cost of additional sheeting or occasionally the use of a
prefilter at the installation.
In general, the contractor can do much to prevent environ-
mental difficulties by good housekeeping around his sites,
responding to complaints from the authorities and individuals,
and keeping local people informed of the reasons for temporary
inconviences.
43.10 Future developments
The demolition industry, as conservative as any section of the
construction industry, watches new techniques and machinery
with interest as it continues to move toward greater mechaniza-
tion, encouraged both by economics and legislation, effectively
bringing about methods which allow a reduced workforce.
On a broader front, contractors recognize that their manager-
ial and supervisory skills will be assessed thoroughly prior to
obtaining a share of the markets becoming available, e.g.
decommissioning offshore oil installations and nuclear power
stations. Many governmental policy decisions will affect the
procedures .
References
I British Standards Institution (1982) Code ofprac'tirefor demolition,
BS 6187. BSI. Milton Keynes.
2 Health and Safety Executive, Health and sufetJ in demolition work,
Part I: 'Preparation and planning'. Guidance nole. GS29/1, HSE,
London.