Demolition of Buildings – An Overview

We know that every structure is designed for a specific life period, generally 100 years. The existence of the structure after the service life period is very dangerous to its occupants and surrounding buildings. Therefore it becomes essential to demolish the building. Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings which involves taking a building apart while preserving the valuable elements for re-use. There are various methods of demolition. The building is brought down either manually or mechanically depending upon the method used for demolition of buildings. Equipments used for demolition work are hammers, rammers, excavators, bulldozers, wrecking ball and the explosives used are dynamites and detonators etc. which is generally preferred for tall buildings. The various steps involved before the demolition process includes surveying of the demolition site, removal of hazardous material and safety precautionary measures. The study also includes the precautionary measures regarding machinery or equipment, scaffolding, public safety and worker safety. Various strategies of demolition waste have been reported in literature for implementing good practices for demolition of buildings.