Demolishing Concrete Wall
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TC18guy
Silver Member
I would be real concerned about the impact of using the recking ball on the bridge, it appears from the pics that the wall & the bridge are somewhat attached. Banging on that wall would be like banging on the deck of the bridge. The conc. saw seems like the best idea, open a hole big enough to get as much water as possible through. Maybe bury some overflow culverts through the path the creek is taking now as you fill it in.
A full sized jackhammer would be impossible to hit the side of the wall with and only work for the top few feet from up on the bridge. There are smaller versions by Milwaulkee, DeWalt, etc. all electric of course.....hmmm
A full sized jackhammer would be impossible to hit the side of the wall with and only work for the top few feet from up on the bridge. There are smaller versions by Milwaulkee, DeWalt, etc. all electric of course.....hmmm
Rch
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http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=off&Number=43401&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1
Here is a post 2 years ago that discusses a product called Liquid Dynamite. Sounds like exactly what you need. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Here is a post 2 years ago that discusses a product called Liquid Dynamite. Sounds like exactly what you need. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Egon
Epic Contributor
The extra pictures sure help give a better idea of what you are faced with.
Thoughts and questions:
Is the wall attached to the bridge and if so how strongly ?
Can you work in the two feet of water or build some scafolding so you can work at the base of the wall and along the original retaining wall abutments?
Are there gas powered jackhammers for rent available in your area?
Think about breaking the concrete away from the abutments, then hammering holes and a line at the water line along the length of the wall. Maybe even some vertical scores. Then use a winch to try and pull over the wall. It may break in tension where the line has been made at the bottom of the wall.
Consider your safety and the wall falling if you are at the bottom of it.
It's a pretty big job for one person basically working with his hands.
On the light side:
It's such an idylic looking spot set up a chair, enjoy the spot with a beverage of your choosing, think about the job and call in some heavy equipment. A tracked hoe with proper attchments should make quick work of the seemingly long and arduous manual work facing you.
Egon
Thoughts and questions:
Is the wall attached to the bridge and if so how strongly ?
Can you work in the two feet of water or build some scafolding so you can work at the base of the wall and along the original retaining wall abutments?
Are there gas powered jackhammers for rent available in your area?
Think about breaking the concrete away from the abutments, then hammering holes and a line at the water line along the length of the wall. Maybe even some vertical scores. Then use a winch to try and pull over the wall. It may break in tension where the line has been made at the bottom of the wall.
Consider your safety and the wall falling if you are at the bottom of it.
It's a pretty big job for one person basically working with his hands.
On the light side:
It's such an idylic looking spot set up a chair, enjoy the spot with a beverage of your choosing, think about the job and call in some heavy equipment. A tracked hoe with proper attchments should make quick work of the seemingly long and arduous manual work facing you.
Egon
BB_TX
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I guess my first concern would be putting in 500 yards of fill only to see it wash down the creek the first time it overflowed. You have probably already thought about that. Looks like you might have a good supply of rock. Just make sure the fill is heavily compacted and the sides well covered in riprap.
CTyler
Veteran Member
What about just leaving the wall there and drill holes in it? This means you would need to rent a drill to cut out the plugs. I know you said you dont want to rent equip but I'm not sure you have much choice. A long weekend like this one would let you put in quite a few holes for water flow.
Anonymous Poster
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I really don't have a clue what will work, but this is what my imagination conjured up. I think you're on the right track with a swinging weight. Build a gantry frame in the creek bed from timber, like an A-frame or 4-sided teepee, high enough to suspend a weight and let it swing. The higher the better, as you would get more swing. If you don't get enough swing, it probably won't work. You could also rig a second tower with a pulley on it so you're pulling the ram up was well as back - getting the swing from the maximum height.
Suspend the weight (I was thinking of something more like a battering ram, such as a hunk of RR track). If you attach the ram to the gantry with more than one rope, you can probably adjust the ropes and change the aiming point. Multiple ropes at each end of the ram will also ensure that it swings straight.
Attach a rope to the weight and pull it back ("cock" it) with your tractor. With a long enough rope, you should be able to do it from the bank. Aim the battering ram so it hits low, in the middle of the wall or lower, so it won't damage the bridge itself.
Once you have the ram pulled all the way back, you'll have to rig some sort of quick release clamp for the rope (the trigger). Then, with the rope clamped, back up the tractor until there is enough slack in the rope to let the ram reach the wall. Release the "trigger", and the ram will swing into the wall, taking the slack rope with it, and allow it to be pulled back, cocked and triggered once more. The tractor and the trigger could be a couple of hundred feet from the ram; you should be safe enough.
I think once you break through a middle section, you'll find that the entire wall is weakened enough that you will be able to break whole sections radiating out from the first breach. If there is reinforcement steel in the wall, you'll need a torch or a metal cutting sawzall running on a generator or soemthing to cut it. There are HD rebar hand cutters available that might work if enough steel is exposed.
With someone to help you by clamping and releasing the trigger, you should be able to stay on your tractor, and should be able to get into a rhythm and make a swing every minute or so.
You've already discovered that this is not a weekend project. If you're like me, however, you will get adequate satisfaction when it's over and you can say, "I beat that sucker."
Suspend the weight (I was thinking of something more like a battering ram, such as a hunk of RR track). If you attach the ram to the gantry with more than one rope, you can probably adjust the ropes and change the aiming point. Multiple ropes at each end of the ram will also ensure that it swings straight.
Attach a rope to the weight and pull it back ("cock" it) with your tractor. With a long enough rope, you should be able to do it from the bank. Aim the battering ram so it hits low, in the middle of the wall or lower, so it won't damage the bridge itself.
Once you have the ram pulled all the way back, you'll have to rig some sort of quick release clamp for the rope (the trigger). Then, with the rope clamped, back up the tractor until there is enough slack in the rope to let the ram reach the wall. Release the "trigger", and the ram will swing into the wall, taking the slack rope with it, and allow it to be pulled back, cocked and triggered once more. The tractor and the trigger could be a couple of hundred feet from the ram; you should be safe enough.
I think once you break through a middle section, you'll find that the entire wall is weakened enough that you will be able to break whole sections radiating out from the first breach. If there is reinforcement steel in the wall, you'll need a torch or a metal cutting sawzall running on a generator or soemthing to cut it. There are HD rebar hand cutters available that might work if enough steel is exposed.
With someone to help you by clamping and releasing the trigger, you should be able to stay on your tractor, and should be able to get into a rhythm and make a swing every minute or so.
You've already discovered that this is not a weekend project. If you're like me, however, you will get adequate satisfaction when it's over and you can say, "I beat that sucker."
MarkV
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When we were building in the North Georgia mountains we hit a fair amount of hard granite during excavation. At one point it looked like the only option was to blast the rock. After making some calls and having a "shooter" come out and take a look it turned out to be an easy job and only cost $500. The guy told me that normally $1000 per day is what you should expect. From what I saw, one of these guys could drill the wall with a pneumatic drill in no time and set several small charges to break an opening in the wall. That 20 lbs sledge is going to take a lot of swinging. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
MarkV
MarkV