Concrete Demolition Method - Pressure Bursting

Pressure bursting can be used in cases where relatively quiet, dust-free, controlled demolition is preferred.

Both mechanical and chemical pressure bursting split the concrete, either with a splitting machine operating on hydraulic pressure provided by a motor in the case of mechanical bursting, or through the insertion of an expansive slurry into a pre-determined pattern of boreholes in the case of chemical bursting.

The split concrete is then easily removed, either by hand or by crane.

Hydraulic and chemical pressure bursting break up concrete structures with a minimum of noise and flying debris. Both methods work by applying lateral forces against the inside of holes drilled into the concrete, and can do virtually any job other demolition methods are capable of. However, rather than shattering the concrete into bits as dynamite and impact tools would, the lateral forces build up over time to crack the concrete into smaller sections.

Mechanical bursting highlights

  • Inexpensive, quiet, no vibration
  • Initial drilling of holes for splitter does produce some noise and vibration
  • Diamond-tipped coring machine greatly reduces noise and vibration during hole drilling, but is much more expensive
  • Controlling crack direction and movement of demolished concrete can be difficult
  • Hand-held or machine-mounted breaker may be needed to expose reinforcing bars for cutting

Chemical bursting highlights

  • More costly method of pressure bursting
  • Can split concrete in a controlled manner
  • In excess of 4300 psi of expansive pressure may be generated to produce concrete cracking within 10 to 20 hours
  • Quiet, no vibration, little or no dust
  • Temperature sensitive freezing greatly reduces effectiveness

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