The wrecking trade is both a multi-billion dollar business and an extreme-spectator sport. Razing has probably been around for as long as humans have been building structures – it pretty much goes hand in hand with construction. Sydney demolition contractors arguably get the fun end of the stick, tearing down buildings with wrecking balls and using explosives to blow things up (though it isn’t always all fun and games).
Certain factors are taken into consideration before selecting a method of destruction. These include the location of the building, what materials the structure is made of, and the purpose of the job. As an example, blowing up a set of apartments in a busy urban area might not be the safest idea.
Here are some of the ways you can knock down a building:
Implosion
One of the most visually impressive methods of dismantling a building is via implosion. A blaster crew at Sydney demolition contractors use explosives to break down the structure’s primary supports, which results in the building falling upon itself. It is essential for safety and success that the explosives are placed in the correct areas and that the detonation occurs in the right sequence. This technique is generally used for large structures.
Before the big event, the team of Sydney demolition contractors must examine the structural blueprints to determine the major areas of the building which need to be detonated. From this point, they then choose which explosives to use, where to place them and how to time the detonation.
Wrecking ball
This is also quite a dramatic way of taking down a building. Perhaps slightly more old-fashioned than implosion, the wrecking ball is a heavy (think over 6000kg), steel ball suspended on a chain by a crane. It is dropped or swung repeatedly into a structure, crushing it.
It takes a lot of skill on the part of Sydney demolition contractors to operate a wrecking ball as it can be extremely dangerous. Missing the target could cause the crane to tip over, or risk hitting something (or someone!) else. The size of the structure that can be taken down depends on the height of the crane.
Strip out
This is a selective form of razing which is becoming increasingly popular due to the ability to reuse and recycle a structure’s materials. The selective razing of things such as wood, metals, concrete and bricks both inside and outside the building can help to save money and also look trendy when combined with new buildings. The aim of this method is to salvage as much reusable and recyclable material as possible in the safest and most effective way. It is, however, quite a time and labour intensive method.
High reach arm
This is a less excessive substitute to implosion for tall buildings. It uses a base machine (e.g. an excavator) complete with a long arm with a tool such as a crusher or a hammer at the end of it. This is used to tear down the building from top to bottom. The machine and its operator does all the work, and then a team of Sydney demolition contractors sort out the debris for disposal at the end.
This method is considered to be a safer alternative to the wrecking ball for tall buildings. It can also be used on materials such as steel, concrete and masonry.
Conclusion
Sydney demolition contractors get to do some pretty exciting work, though it can be dangerous. If you’re lucky enough to get to watch a live wrecking ball or implosion demonstration, enjoy it!
