Breaking Concrete

[Gary Fowler]

Just another reason in the long list that you need a TLB.
From the photo, I looks like there is a joint about 1foot down (estimate-size on a photo is hard to estimate) but it looks like the joint is about at the dirt line. I would try to separate it at that joint and just lift it out with the FEL.

It looks like there is a cemented joint on the left quarter in the photo. SO digging down about a foot to the seam between joint (as it appears in the photo) then pulling outward on that quarter and it should separate easily, no breaking required.
If you have a FEL on your tractor, then the digging should be easy, not as much as with a backhoe, but very doable.

 

[bigtiller]

Looks like an awesome fire ring... I'd keep it! I might cover it with a stone face, though.

That's an excellent idea but it is about 100' away from the road, which is too close for comfort,,,, if you know what i mean.

 

[bigtiller]

Just another reason in the long list that you need a TLB.
From the photo, I looks like there is a joint about 1foot down (estimate-size on a photo is hard to estimate) but it looks like the joint is about at the dirt line. I would try to separate it at that joint and just lift it out with the FEL.

It looks like there is a cemented joint on the left quarter in the photo. SO digging down about a foot to the seam between joint (as it appears in the photo) then pulling outward on that quarter and it should separate easily, no breaking required.
If you have a FEL on your tractor, then the digging should be easy, not as much as with a backhoe, but very doable.

A tlb would be too much of a stretch, but just maybe i could get into an 1-1/2" sds drill. I have been wanting one of those for about 25 years. The problem is, everyone wants to borrow a tool like that.

 

[k0ua]

A tlb would be too much of a stretch, but just maybe i could get into an 1-1/2" sds drill. I have been wanting one of those for about 25 years. The problem is, everyone wants to borrow a tool like that.

Hide it, and don't tell anyone you have it. Works for me.

 

[ray66v]

What would be ideal is, a hand held pneumatic tool, called a rivet buster.

They hit like a small jack hammer, but you can operate it horizontally.

That would make short work of it.

Since that's not likely to be available to you, I would get a gas cut off saw, with a diamond blade. That could, either cut it off entirely, or, cut it up enough to break it up easily with a sledge hammer.

 

[tcreeley]

I had good luck with this. i used it to take off the top of an old chimney foundation. Easy to use. My wife even tried it.Much easier than a sledge!
Amazon.com: XtremepowerUS 22Watt Heavy Duty Electric Demolition Jack hammer Concrete Breaker W/Case, Gloves: Home Improvement

 

[k0ua]

I had good luck with this. i used it to take off the top of an old chimney foundation. Easy to use. My wife even tried it.Much easier than a sledge!
Amazon.com: XtremepowerUS 22Watt Heavy Duty Electric Demolition Jack hammer Concrete Breaker W/Case, Gloves: Home Improvement
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41gtFEW+HWL._SX425_.jpg

I imagine that would work, but for $149, I might come up to Iowa and knock that thing down with my own sledge hammer.. I am telling ya, it is not that big of a deal to bust that up with a sledge. You don't even have to swing the hammer over your shoulder, just swing it along the ground and that concrete will give way.

 

[bigtiller]

I imagine that would work, but for $149, I might come up to Iowa and knock that thing down with my own sledge hammer.. I am telling ya, it is not that big of a deal to bust that up with a sledge. You don't even have to swing the hammer over your shoulder, just swing it along the ground and that concrete will give way.

i think it is going to take some cutting/drilling/chipping along with the BFH. But you have me interested! I think I will dig down the side with the loader a few inches and just see what the BFH can do before I rent or buy a new tool. Sorry Gary.

Maybe if I can get a section of the 2" thick area started, the rest will go without too much of a fight.

 

[oldballs]

A tlb would be too much of a stretch, but just maybe i could get into an 1-1/2" sds drill. I have been wanting one of those for about 25 years. The problem is, everyone wants to borrow a tool like that.

Okay, I get it now..........you want that drill that you're afraid to tell the MRS about.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

i think it is going to take some cutting/drilling/chipping along with the BFH. But you have me interested! I think I will dig down the side with the loader a few inches and just see what the BFH can do before I rent or buy a new tool. Sorry Gary.

Maybe if I can get a section of the 2" thick area started, the rest will go without too much of a fight.

If you can dig under the concrete and undermine it with an air space, it will break up easier. Sometimes you can wash it with a hose and drive the dirt out. With luck it will end up in the hole you're planning on filling anyway.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I have an SDS drill but it is an old one and the only thing it does now is hammer-drill. The 3-way switch will turn but it won't just drill or just hammer. I think I will rent one with a chipping bit and see what happens.

I find with my SDS drilling a line of holes and then hitting with a sledge works better than a chipping bit.

 

[ultrarunner]

Me too... it also works well to make a break line.

 

[bigtiller]

I thought about that but i didn't know how close the holes had to be. I thought maybe 3" apart but the tile is 5' in diameter so that is a lot of holes.

 

[GLyford]

A good heavy sledge (I think mine is a 12?) is wonderous thing, took out my prefab front steps with one, never had to put my back into it and give it a real overhand swing, I'd just pick it up a couple feet and guide it to the next hit, alternating with side swings sort of like a wrecking ball. Didn't take long at all until I had a pile of concrete and rebar. If I had been using a 6 or 8 lb'er I'd have been swinging hard, like you do for a splitting wedge. Can still be fun, in its own way, but letting the weight do the work made it so easy.

 

[DT86]

Fill it up with dirt and use as a planter. I'm thinking strawberries would be a good fit.

 

[EddieWalker]

It doesn't sound like anybody has any experience with an SDS Max rotary hammer. No need to drill holes, just start at the edge and work your way down. I own a Makita 1 9/16's model. I had a Hitachi for quite awhile, then rented a Bosch to finish a job when the Hitachi died on me. The Makita is hands down easier to handle, smoother and more powerful.

They are fairly cheap to rent, it's just a tool I use all the time and doesn't make sense for me to rent them.

 

[Ford850]

You might be able to take a bottle jack ( the crank will have to be at the bottom or it won't work), and a proper length board and break it up.

I think I would try this first. Seems like an easy effort to get things crackin'. If you try with a hammer, be sure to smack from the inside-out. There's little structural strength that way compared to hitting the outside. Since the wall is 6" thick, it's going to be pretty stout no matter what you use though.

 

[Cord]

If you want a clean edge, I'd saw it and then snap off what remains. If you don't care about the edge the a concrete breaker will do the job. Handheld would work because it's not too thick and a machine mounted breaker will take just moments.

 

[bigtiller]

If you want a clean edge, I'd saw it and then snap off what remains. If you don't care about the edge the a concrete breaker will do the job. Handheld would work because it's not too thick and a machine mounted breaker will take just moments.

A friend of mine has a breaker on his skid-steer but he is working 20 miles away on several concrete projects. I told him my project would take him less than 20 minutes to do, if he included the time it takes to drink a beer and put some cash in his pocket. I'm pretty sure he isn't interested so I'll do it myself or just cover the thing with an extra load of soil and be done with it.

 

[bigtiller]

I have an update.

I drilled a few holes in the thinnest area of the tile and hit it with an 8lb sledge. 4 whacks and I had an opening.



Then I dug around it with the loader, drilled a few more holes and swung the big hammer some more. I was using a 1/2" bit that is 3" long. I quit drilling holes when I got into the thick stuff. But I kept swinging the sledge.



After 3 hours, a lot of heavy breathing and a few breaks, it is done!