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Demolition News
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Demolition Headlines
Wrecking
Ball Snaps Loose, Bounces Down Pa. Street
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Paramedics place the
driver of a Ford Taurus onto a stretcher
after a l,500-lb. wrecking ball slammed into
the back of Alex Habay's car on North Main
Street at Randolph Street in Meadville July
9. The wrecking ball damaged numerous
vehicles after it broke loose from a crane
on the campus of Allegheny College and
rolled four-tenths of a mile south on North
Main Street before embedding itself into
the back of the Taurus. |
MEADVILLE, Pa. (AP) A l,500-lb. (680 kg) wrecking
ball broke loose from a crane cable and raced
downhill, smashing into cars and injuring three
people before coming to rest in the trunk of a car
at an intersection. The wrecking ball, approximately
3 ft. (.9 m) across, was being used July 9 to
demolish part of a library at Allegheny College when
the cable snapped, police said.
The crane operator tried to stop it, but it rolled
nearly three-quarters of a mile downhill, damaging
more than a dozen vehicles as it bounced from curb
to curb, police said. Most of the damaged vehicles
were parked, but the ball slammed into the rear of
Alex Habay's car stopped at an intersection, causing
a chain reaction accident with two other cars at the
traffic light, police said. "All of a sudden, the
back. windshield exploded and I hit the car in front
of me," said Habay, a junior at Allegheny College.
The ball lodged in the trunk of a car, pushing the
vehicle about 20 ft. "I got out of my car and
couldn't believe it when I walked back and saw this
giant wrecking ball sitting in the trunk of the last
car," said Meadville police Officer Brian Joseph.
Meadville is approximately 90 mi. north of
Pittsburgh .
Demolition Attachments
By Uwe Kausch, Stanley LaBounty; Kevin Loomis,
Atlas Copco Construction Tools; and Mark Ramun,
Genesis Attachments.
Construction Bulletin: Improving productivity and
profitability
When thinking about demolition tools and processes,
a wrecking ball likely comes to mind. This piece of
equipment produces a spectacular display of force
and power when it meets its intended target.
However, its use creates obstacles contractors must
face. Excessive noise from the wrecking ball's
impact disrupts homes and businesses near the job
site. Dust from the demolition can be a health
hazard to workers on the site, not to mention the
safety concerns raised from steel, concrete and
other materials falling from the condemned
structure.
Demolition equipment manufacturers realize the
challenges contractors face and have responded with
a series of attachments that are capable of reducing
jobsite worries while performing multiple functions
on a demolition job. While traditional tools like
wrecking balls could perform only one function on
the job site, today's more efficient and versatile
demolition attachments allow contractors to maximize
results, and profits, by taking on numerous
demolition tasks.
Attachment 101
Contractors today can choose from three categories
of hydraulic demolition attachments shears,
pulverizers and universal processors to meet the
requirements of a demolition job. Shears are
primarily used for cutting, sizing and removing the
steel framing structures and supports associated
with the skeleton of a building.
Shears are an appropriate choice when a contractor
takes advantage of material recycling opportunities
by readying the steel removed from a structure for a
scrap yard or mill. A contractor can use shears to
cut the steel into "unprepared" lengths, typically
about 20 feet; the lengths can then be easily
transferred to a truck or rail car for delivery to a
scrap yard for further processing.
Contractors can also use shears to complete "final
processing" directly on the job site. This involves
cutting the steel into a length specified by the
scrap processor, thereby increasing the value of the
material.
Like shears, pulverizers can also be used for both
demolition and recycling applications that involve
crushing concrete and separating out the rebar, mesh
or cable. In a demolition setting, this tool reduces
large pieces of concrete to smaller, more manageable
pieces that can be removed from the site more
easily. This kind of equipment can also be used to
break off small pieces of concrete and crush them
into fill material for reuse in foundations or other
construction jobs. To aid in separating materials
for recycling, some pulverizers include cutter
blades that cut rebar and smaller pieces of steel
away from concrete to produce two recyclable
products.
Universal processors, often called the "Swiss army
knife of tools," offer the combined functionality of
shears and pulverizers. This equipment features
interchangeable jaws that can both cut steel and
crush concrete, speeding up the entire process of
demolishing concrete structures. For example, if a
structure was demolished with dynamite, a contractor
would be faced with a large pile of debris to sort
through and remove. However, demolition conducted
with a universal processor reduces each piece of
debris, whether concrete or steel, to the size the
contractor wants. This material can be loaded
immediately into a vehicle for quick removal to
shorten the cleanup process.
New Tools, New Techniques
With the advent of demolition attachments, a variety
of demolition techniques are available to meet the
needs of specific applications. One technique
growing in popularity is dismantling.
Dismantling involves using demolition attachments to
take down a structure piece by piece in a controlled
and precise manner. This process is perhaps the
complete opposite of conducting demolition with a
wrecking ball. A wrecking ball's impact causes
debris to scatter over a wide area and fall to the
ground randomly, whereas concrete and steel removed
with demolition attachments are brought to the
ground smoothly and relatively predictably.
The process of dismantling can open new doors for
demolition contractors. Contractors who practice
dismantling with demolition attachments can take on
jobs that aren't suited for wrecking balls. For
example, demolition attachments work well for
dismantling structures in urban areas. The
attachments can fit into tight spaces, like in
between buildings, where a wrecking ball cannot
access. Additionally, environmental impact is kept
to a minimum with the use of attachments. Less dust
and wreckage is spread around the site, which keeps
neighbors happy, reduces safety hazards for a crew
and quickens site cleanup tasks.
If the exterior of a structure is viable but the
interior requires extensive remodeling, the
dismantling process can also be moved indoors.
Building owners are looking to contractors to apply
small, skid-steer-mounted demolition attachments to
interior renovation jobs. The precise movements of
attachments are well suited to "gutting" buildings,
and contractors can enjoy the new revenue
opportunities these jobs offer.
Choosing The Right Attachment
Adding a hydraulic demolition attachment to an
equipment fleet will enable a contractor to take on
new jobs and work more efficiently, but buying this
kind of tool is a major acquisition that must be
made only after doing careful, thorough homework.
Gather information, such as literature and videos,
from attachments manufacturers to understand the
primary applications and breaking forces for each
attachment. Read demolition industry publications
and speak with other contractors to understand
market trends and new attachment technology. This
field changes rapidly, as manufacturers frequently
introduce new tool designs, so it pays to take the
time to learn about the latest advancements in the
demolition attachment market.
Speaking to the manufacturer is the next step.
Product experts can answer questions and assist in
choosing the correct attachment. Some manufacturers
have even gone as far as establishing a dedicated
team that serves as a resource for contractors who
want an outside opinion on an attachment. Attachment
specialists accompany the contractor to the job site
to see first-hand the requirements of the job and
recommend an attachment that can get the job done
safely and on time.
The National Demolition Association supplies
contractors with safety manuals and guidelines, as
well as videos demonstrating how to properly use
attachments and highlighting appropriate jobs for
the equipment. These resources outline what
contractors across the country and around the world
are doing to handle difficult applications.
When purchasing an attachment, keep in mind that it
shouldn't be selected based on price alone. Quality
is not only a tangible product that you can touch
before you buy it or while you are using it, but
it's also how well the tool is supported and how
responsive the company is to the needs of the
customer from beginning to end. Purchase an
attachment from a company that provides excellent
customer service and technical support.
New Attachment Technology
As the demolition industry has advanced, so has the
demolition attachment industry. Attachment
manufacturers continue to turn out innovative
designs that add value to their products. For
example, hydraulic rotation allows the operator to
reach materials at different angles while keeping
the excavator parked in one location. Many companies
have also incorporated a speed valve feature into
the hydraulic system to make the attachment respond
faster and do more work per cycle the time from
when the jaw of an attachment is fully open to when
it becomes fully closed and then fully open again.
The faster the cycle time, the more work that can be
done in a given period of time.
Maintenance has also become easier over the years.
Older attachments have weld-on blades and teeth that
have to be cut off and replacements welded back on.
This work requires more dedicated tooling and an
experienced mechanic who can perform this kind of
repair. However, newer units feature blades and
teeth that bolt onto the attachment, allowing for
replacement work to be done in the field by a less
specialized mechanic.
These advancements reaffirm attachment
manufacturers' commitment to helping demolition
contractors achieve success. By moving beyond the
wrecking ball and into an era of versatile
demolition attachments, contractors can navigate
today's competitive marketplace and the job site
efficiently and profitably.
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