How to dismantle the foundation?

If the house is too dilapidated, or a new one needs to be erected on the site of the old building, then the building will have to be completely dismantled. Moreover, it is necessary to remove not only the walls and roof, but also the foundation. Such work requires special attention, since it is of a specific nature. It is not always possible to dismantle the foundation with your own hands without the use of special tools and equipment. In addition, for such work, it is necessary to prepare technical documentation approved by professionals. Let's consider the features of this procedure in more detail.

After the structure has already been demolished, do not rush to immediately start disassembling the concrete foundation. First, you need to decide on the dismantling method, correlate costs, clarify what equipment and in what quantity will be needed. And it is also important to take care of the removal of all construction waste and waste in advance, to familiarize yourself with the safety rules in detail. And already on the basis of all the prepared information, draw up a detailed work plan. Only then can you start dismantling.

To date, several technologies for disassembling the foundation are known.

To find out which one is right for your case, you need to take into account several parameters:

• the depth level at which the base of the building is located;

• type and configuration of the foundation (strip, pile);

• the presence of reinforcement;

• condition of the concrete array;

• variety and characteristics of the soil;

• the presence of groundwater;

• the degree of accessibility of the object;

• type of material - concrete, brick, quarry;

• remoteness of neighboring buildings and so on.

The most common and obvious methods for dismantling a concrete base are manual and mechanical methods. Many people think that manual disassembly of the foundation is the best and easiest option, because its implementation requires only your own strength and time. However, this method is very lengthy, and it is far from always possible to use it. It is important to consider not only the total cost of the work, but also the energy consumption and the rationality of the time spent. At the same time, it should also be understood that the same dismantling technologies are not suitable for every site. So, for a summer cottage building, which is located in a remote area, the type of work will be optimal, different from the methods of dismantling the foundation in a large residential area.

Let's consider both options in more detail.

This is the simplest and most rude method of work. It would be quite fair to call it "ancient" and the most non-technological. It requires practically no financial costs, which is why manual processing still attracts some homeowners. However, the huge amount of time and effort that will have to be spent on dismantling is incomparable with the cost savings. And if you manage to destroy a brick or rubble foundation with your own hands, then it will not work at all for a monolithic concrete base. Especially if its frame is made with the addition of reinforcement. The same goes for the strip foundation.

If you nevertheless decide to dismantle the foundation manually, then arm yourself with a pickaxe and a sledgehammer. And also involve all friends and relatives in the work, and it is better to hire a team of workers. After all, it is definitely not possible to cope with this alone.

Much more often, the dismantling of the foundation is carried out precisely with the involvement of special equipment. With the help of it, it will be possible to break even strong reinforced concrete, rubble concrete and pile foundations.

To complete the work, you will need the following equipment:

• hydraulic hammer;

• jackhammer;

• puncher;

• hydrocline;

• diamond cutter;

• hydraulic shears and the like.

But also for the implementation of the mechanized method, excavators with a hydraulic hammer, cranes, and so on are sometimes involved. This is mainly the case when the concrete base is large or deep underground. The crane is used when assembling the base from FBS blocks, therefore it becomes necessary to immerse the component elements for reuse. A hydraulic hammer is most often used to destroy a monolithic concrete foundation. The tool is suspended and attached to the excavator. It is with the help of such equipment that the bridge supports are dismantled. It should be noted that the cost of work involving special equipment is quite high. However, the efficiency and speed of this method is at the highest level.

In addition to the advantages of mechanized dismantling of the base, this technique has significant disadvantages. So, special tools and equipment make a lot of noise. This means that permission to carry out such work may not be obtained. This is especially true when the building is located next to a school, kindergarten, hospital or other similar public institution. In addition, working with technology requires the utmost care and caution. It is important to take good care of your safety. Do not get close to the equipment, as fragments of the material can fly over long distances and cause harm to others.

Since the first two methods of work are far from always possible to apply, professionals have developed alternative options.

Let's list some of them.

1. Explosion. The main advantage of this method is speed - concrete or any other material collapses instantly. However, the explosion creates a lot of noise. This means that it is also not suitable for all areas. But this method is also not always safe, since fragments of concrete can fly over long distances and cause damage to neighboring structures. In addition, the cost of such services is quite high.
2. Corrosive substances. If none of the above dismantling methods worked for you, you can use another simple but effective method. First, you need to drill holes in the surface of the base, then pour a special solution there that destroys materials. It will take a lot of time to complete this process - from 8 to 50 hours. But at the same time, there are no restrictions for its use. And even nearby kindergartens or hospitals will not stop you from dismantling the foundation.
3. Ultrasound. The crushing of the material is carried out by powerful ultrasonic waves, which are directed into the prepared cavities. The base destroys in blocks of the required size. This is a very convenient and effective way, but the price of such work is quite high.

To calculate the approximate amount that the dismantling of the foundation will cost, there are several factors to take into account:

• features of the chosen method,

• the level of complexity of the work,

• the number and qualifications of employees,

• site release speed,

• depreciation of mechanisms and tools,

• the cost of services for the removal of construction waste,

• the size of the concrete (or other) base.

The exact cost of the work can be calculated only after a complete inspection of the site and its analysis by specialists. But also a considerable expense item will be the rental and delivery of special equipment, if the dismantling method you have chosen involves its use.

For information on how to dismantle the old foundation using a hydrocline, see the next video.