demolition

[yellowdogsvc]

Looking at demolishing a building. Specs are for all scrap to be recycled and not put into containers for landfill.

Based on the pics, after collapsing, is this type of material best suited to torch cutting or would a saw or scrap shear be a better solution? I'd rather not spend the dollars on renting a scrap shear.

The building is 75x35' and it has 6" and 12" roof purlins, 12" i beams for vertical supports, and corrugated metal for roofiing and the exterior sides.

Experienced advice appreciated.

 

[brin]

In our area there are folks that will come take buildings like that down for the Tin and Materials and clean it up to...no cost to you...My neighbor at my farm had a huge 50 yr. old chicken house that someone took apart and hauled away and cleaned up ...did not cost him a penny...they got the materials.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

A plasma cutter would work well in this situation.

 

[two_bit_score]

Looking at demolishing a building. Specs are for all scrap to be recycled and not put into containers for landfill.

Based on the pics, after collapsing, is this type of material best suited to torch cutting or would a saw or scrap shear be a better solution? I'd rather not spend the dollars on renting a scrap shear.

The building is 75x35' and it has 6" and 12" roof purlins, 12" i beams for vertical supports, and corrugated metal for roofiing and the exterior sides.

Experienced advice appreciated.

I take it you are bidding on the demo job?

In it to make money and don't need an unnecessary extra expense.

You probably have a torch. That is what I'd use.

I had some old poultry houses I have been working on taking down on a place and ran into some spring steel augers in the feed tacks. Spring steel was heck to cut with anything I had and the outer tube it was in was galvy so I hated o breathe all the fumes using a torch to cut it so I'd did buy a Stihl cut off saw which worked great. Cut right through the

Keep us posted on the progress, please.
.

 

[two_bit_score]

A plasma cutter would work well in this situation.

Would be a good excuse to buy one. Especially if you were going to have air available already.

 

[deereman75]

I would say use a torch for cutting the heavy stuff, but it would probably be worth it to switch to propane.

 

[weldermike]

Smash that thing to bits with a loader, fold it up and crush it as much as possible and a gas powered abrasive saw will prob do the heavy stuff. Hard to tell from pics tho, I understand. Looks like alot of galvanized, hate breathing that crap!

 

[Taylortractornut]

Id use a torch on the beams. I took down a few like this with my 12 000 ound mini ex and thumb. I didnt saw the purlins just bent them double. Then loaded them into rollo ff cans. You could probably sell the beams for more than scrap. WHat happened on one job a farmer bought the old beams and had them sand blasted and put them up for a machin shed.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

I'm looking at getting about half of the scrap. the other half, the owner wants.

Job scope requires recycling what isn't saved by owner.

I have thought about a 5 or 6 inch angle grinder with metal cutting blades to assist. I have a torch setup. Wish I had a scrap shear!

 

[yomax4]

If you don't already have a Plasma...I would opt out of this deal. You just wont make any money if you have to do all the work and only get half. The physical part of the clean up wouldn't even be worth the money let alone the trouble and danger of cutting it all up. Just sayin..

 

[aczlan]

I have thought about a 5 or 6 inch angle grinder with metal cutting blades to assist. I have a torch setup. Wish I had a scrap shear!

Too small (and unwieldy with a cord) IMO. Get o rent a Stil or other Demolition saw (like this). It takes a 12-16" abrasive blade and will cut through anything you can find.


Aaron Z

 

[JB4310]

I'm surprised at all the suggestions for torch and plasma, I would of thought 12+ inch demo saw would be the way to go. A one day rental would be less than the cost of the gas cutting supplies. The only problem would be those 12" I-beams, might not be able to cut the center of those with the saw.

Which ever way you choose, I'd have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide handy.

JB

 

[MikeD74T]

I don't see a lot of "salvage" here as much as I see "recyclable scrap" so I'd bid on processing scrap for best return. How's the rest of the building look? How bad do you need the work?
On occasions where I bid a job that requires special tools I put the price of the tools in the bid. If I don't get the bid I don't need the tools, if I get the bid I buy the tools and still make wages, I'm a happy camper.
I learned this from the first bridge contractor I ever worked for. He was invited to bid on a job to drive several hundred feet of steel piling. His theory was, if you don't really want a job bid high enough to tool up & get a crew if necessary 'cause if you don't at least bid every job you'll stop being asked to bid. On that bid he included a brand new 40 ton cable truck crane & a brand new diesel pile driver plus the normal pile driving rate. Turned out HE SUBMITTED THE ONLY BID. 16 weeks later he'd made his normal profit PLUS owned the crane & piledriver outright. MikeD74T

 

[Tobias Dunlap]

Too small (and unwieldy with a cord) IMO.
Aaron Z

I agree too. Those cut off wheels get expensive really fast. I would use a torch. Cut the main support columns, drop the thing to the ground then unscrew the tin sheets from the roof with it on the ground. After all that is off I would then cut the roof structure to pieces. Unless you have prior experience with a wrecking saw I would do my best to stay away from them. They are quite dangerous in the hands of the novice and have an appietite for anything they get ahold of including you. Of course the only way to get experience is to do it. However you decide to go about it be careful and happy wrecking!!

 

[yellowdogsvc]

Update. I got the job. Start next week sometime. Going to use my mini ex, Bobcat, and winch to collapse the building so it's safer to work on. Owner is a friend and a customer so I'm going to help them recycle.

I know I can pull a lot of the building apart and at least get it where it will not fall on anyone. Then the fun part begins with the cutting. I have to have everything cut to 18' lengths for the owner to haul away as scrap. I get some of the scrap and I am responsible for a clean slab at the end. Charcoal and little stuff goes in roll-off containers..

I haven't decided on which method to use for cutting, though. I have a torch setup but have explored a plasma (partially because I want one and partially because it would speed the process up and be safer than a saw).
Also have a heavy duty makita sawz-all. Was told that there are some quality demo blades for cutting the corrugated metal and purlins? Anyone try that?

Keep in mind that a lot of the roofing tin will get shredded and balled up by the mini ex so I am mostly concerned with the purlins. The big round posts will probably be recycled for other projects or if they are too warped, scrapped. The I-beams will most likely be reused somewhere on the property.

So it's mostly purlins, bracing, and corrugated roofing metal to worry about. I will unscrew some panels if they are accessible but not going to spend a lot of time on that aspect.

Not sure I want to spend the money on a plasma cutter but it sure looks fun. Out of time to order one online, though. All I've found local in the $1500 range is a Hobart 500i. Not sure if it's up to the task? Have a Miller Bobcat 225 8kw generator/welder to power it.

Anyway, thanks for the opinions.

 

[JB4310]

Good luck!

But 18" is gonna be a huge PITA and time consumer.
Why so small, is he using a shopping carriage to bring it to the scrap yard?

Forget the sawzall, they are for home hobbyists and plumbers :laughing: get a demo saw.

JB

 

[deereman75]

Good luck!

But 18" is gonna be a huge PITA and time consumer.
Why so small, is he using a shopping carriage to bring it to the scrap yard?

Forget the sawzall, they are for home hobbyists and plumbers :laughing: get a demo saw.

JB

uhh he said 18 FEET long, not inches.

 

[JB4310]

JB