Demolishing concrete culvert

[herbenus]

It's a bit late to be straining my brain like this, but I calculated 3600 pounds. I suspect this is low and doesn't account for steel. I had four 3-footers also. I nudged them around and managed to make a creek crossing. I definitely was beyond capacity of tractor. It took hours to move one, some of it was backing up, pulling culvert with fel over top, inching along, etc. Finally let roll into place down ramp I dug and then leveled as best I could. Not all rolled where I wanted them of course, but once they started downhill I didn't have much say-so. Had a lot of hairy moments.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I'd rent a mini excavator with a hydraulic thumb of course, and have them include a hammer so that you can break it up, then you can use the thumb to get the junks and load them into a truck or whatever or like someone suggested, burry them. An excavator will get it done very quickly, no messing around with a FEL.

Blake
WA

 

[RobertN]

I see everyone elses point on how tough the concrete can be. But,I have busted a lot of concrete with a 40lb Makita electric hammer and a 20lb sledge. The biggest thing is to get a crack started, and then follow that crack.

Sounds like you already dealt with them though...

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi,

I once had to take down a cement block wall that I had put up with those steel "ladder type" reinforcement things on each course.

Having taken down walls that were not reinforced with steel, I was totally amazed how much harder it was to take down the reinforced wall...

I would guess that a steel reinforced culvert pipe would be the same...probaby a hundred times harder to break apart than a cast pipe with no steel inside it.

This is just opinion with respect to the culvert pipe...but is is backed up by some related experience... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Hoeman00]

If want to go ahead and bust them I would pick up 20' in air w/ backhoe and drop onto the ground or some big stones.
They are big enough to stick 18" bucket inside to lift them that way no chains to catch when u release them.
I've lifted one side of 24'x30' concrete floor and drop it, ground shakes and concrete breaks. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JimD]

Why not have some fun and try some Dynamite /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif That should brake it up.

 

[herbenus]

Too close to house. I'd be worried about fallout, and how to get a culvert out of my attic...

I bought an ad today. "$200 OBO, You pick up" I'll see if I get any responses. If not, it's either the jackhammer or the gasoline saw. By the way, after measuring for the ad: 4 foot is the inside measurement and the wall is 5 inches. New estimate is 6900 pounds.

 

[tdenny]

herbenus,

Just thought of the best way for you to get rid of this thing. If you live on a hill you could simply roll it down the hill to your neighbors yard - you think he'd notice? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Just kidding.

 

[RJohnson]

I think I would get a high capacity hydraulic jack and cut a piece of pipe. Fit between the top of the jack and the inside of the pipe and jack til the concrete breaks. This put the concrete in tension and it will break easier than hitting with a sledge hammer. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck.

Randy

 

[herbenus]

That's a very good idea. I wonder how much force it would take? I have two bottle jacks at 6 ton each but I'm guessing I'll need much more. But I couldn't imagine how much more? Of course I might wind up with two halves that I also couldn't move... Hopefully someone will come get them and I might even make some money that I can buy some concrete mix with.

 

[herbenus]

Re: Demolishing concrete culvert - follow up

I had one response to ad. We agreed on $300 for two (his offer). He was supposed to come by with his "construction guy" to see how to move. But he never showed up. I waited 3 weeks and then decided on the jackhammer option, around $100 for a weekend. However, I kept thinking that I wasn't sure if I could break up all 3 in one weekend, so it might cost more. Plus after breaking up, I'd still have to move all the pieces which I expected would be accompanied by considerable manual labor.

So without much planning and while sitting on tractor the other evening and looking at culverts, I started digging. I buried first culvert in evening (about 4 hours). Second one on Saturday in about same time frame. I'll catch third one later. Only cost me a little diesel, no manual lifting, no jack hammer work, and I got in some great seat time.

Most of the time is spent building the ramp to keep at semi-safe angle. It seems like that last 6-inches takes forever. And of course I got impatient on my first one and now will have a 15" permanent hump. I told boys it's a bike ramp so they're happy. And I'm sure I'll have seepholes for years to come as the pipes fill up slowly with dirt (no way to pack them easily and I wasn't really worried about it).

So thanks for all your ideas. I think I took the easy way out and am wondering why I waited 3 years to get rid of these eyesores when it was so easy. Maybe I was busy or maybe I thought I'd actually find a use for them. And I still have them if needed but it was a whole (get it?) lot easy rolling them into these holes, then it will be getting them to levitate back out.

 

[CTyler]

I know this is kinda late but I had to laugh at the dynamite idea.
Made me think of the dead whale that was laying on the sand. Someone got the idea(DNR?)to blow it up with Dynamite. There were lots of people around and BLAM! Blew up a good part of it. Sounded reasonable until the fallout of large chunks of whale blubber and guts started landing everywhere and plastering people. Sent everyone running. LOL!!!!

Geeeewwwwd what a mess but it was hillarious to see. Theres a vid of it floating around the internet. It was quite the spectacle.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

If you could find that vid or an address I'd love to see it! Blowing up a whale has to be a once in a life time sight. Its' amazing what people come up with.
DaveL

 

[Anonymous Poster]

That whale video

Amazing, isn't it? There are alot of sites out there with the full video- try this one (which is where the above GIF comes from as well- all credit given to Steven Hackstadt)

This story always makes me feel a lot better about the crazy things I dream up sometimes...

 

[r0GuE]

I'd love to get T-shirts made up of the moment of detonation, and then get a bunch of good ol boys together to go protest a greenpeace meeting! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Why yes, I am a troublemaker!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif