Help with Rock Breaking

digggs · Jan 17, 2006

Help with Rock Breaking

I am wondering if anyone out there has had experiance with a product called Dexpan? It is an expanding agent. You drill holes in the rock, mix the dexpan, pour it in, and an hour or so later it expands and breaks the rock. I was going to rent a buldozer. The rocks I am clearing are covering the top of a hill and I am afraid that they may end up going though the niegbors house below if they start rolling on me. So I bought one box of Dexpan and the problem I am having is drilling the holes in the solid granet boulders. Some are about 5 or more feet tall. The recomeded way is with an Air rock rotory hammer drill with a large air compressor. It will run me about $200 a day to rent it all and I have to buy the bit tip for the drill. ( the rental yard said it is about $35 plus for a 1 and 1/2" inch bit tip ) Any other ways to drill 1 and 1/2 inch holes in granet rocks?

Digggs

Egon · Jan 17, 2006

Re: Help with Rock Breaking

Wish I could offer some method of splitting your rocks that is inexpensive and not labour intensive. No experience with your question.

In another time I have seen the use of air drills and dynamite in road construction work but I don't this would be an economical solution.

Some alternatives perhaps:

Feathers and wedges have seen considerable past use in splitting granite into blocks. This method requires much smaller holes and may be less expensive.

Have you considered a chain type harness for moving the rocks and keeping them from rolling? This would only work if the eqipment being used is of sufficient weight.

Could you make an earth berm to contain the rocks and keep them from rolling?

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ronjhall · Jan 17, 2006

Re: Help with Rock Breaking

Here is a thread on using Feathers & Wedges. Click Here
There is also a link to a product other than Dexpan.

KubotaSteve · Jan 17, 2006

Re: Help with Rock Breaking

A friend of my dad's used some stuff that sounds like the dexpan you are describing. He called it silent explosive. He said you drill a hole put it in and let it expand breaking the rocks. He used it to put a basement in his existing house. This was about 20 years ago. He excavated the hole basement like that.

digggs · Jan 19, 2006

Re: Help with Rock Breaking

Egon,

Thank you for your ideas on feathers and wedges. That would be a less expensive approch. It might be fun to try it out.

I do have a terraced level I made that I have been pushing the rocks onto. From there I have been placing them along the driveway and making piles where ever I can.

Digggs