Building Demolition Contractors

The building demolition process begins with planning. Demolition contractors first survey the structure and study their materials, construction methods and current physical conditions. After the survey, all hazardous materials will be eliminated from the area. Utilities previously used will also be disconnected. When it is deemed safe, the demolition plan will now be created. Details such as demolition method, equipment needed, and clean-up will be outlined. Following the planning is the securing of permits. Areas near the site will be blocked, and workers are advised of the hazards.

In preparing a building for demolition, there are three critical factors to consider. First is the structure. How big is the building? For small structures, it can be prepared for demolition in less than a week. But for multiple, complex, and bigger structures, it can take up to six months. The second factor to consider is where the structure is situated. If it’s in the city, it will take more time than if it was in a rural area. The final factor to consider is what the building was for before demolition. This is to check for potential hazards like gas, chemicals and asbestos.

There are four common types of demolition – implosion, high reach arm, wrecking ball and selective demolition.

1. Implosion: Implosion involves explosives that will knock out a building’s primary vertical supports. This will cause the building to collapse from the inside out. This is usually used for large structures in urban areas, but because of its explosive nature, implosions are used only 1% or less in structural demolition projects.

2. High reach arm: This method of demolition is usually for structures of more than about 20 metres high. It uses an excavator that is fitted with a long demolition arm that consists of three sections. Demolition tools are attached to the end of the arm and will be used in disassembling the building from top to bottom.

3. Wrecking ball: Other than implosion, wrecking ball is also a well-known method for structural demolition. Weighing up to 5 tonnes, this massive steel ball is suspended from a crane to be swung into a building. With gravity, inertia and its weight, it does an excellent job of bringing a building down. But because it causes a lot of debris, dust and other safety hazards, this method is not often used today.

4. Selective demolition: Selective demolition is an eco-friendly method that allows the reuse and recycling of the building’s materials for other projects. It uses safe and cost-effective procedures that will enable the recovery of reusable and recyclable materials. Since this requires selective interior and exterior demolition, it also requires more time and labour than the other methods.

To determine the building demolition cost, a lot of factors need to be taken into account including the size and material of the structure; its location; hazardous materials onsite; labour costs and more. Therefore, to demolish a building, it can cost from anywhere between $10,000 - $40,000 or more. It is also recommended that you contact a building demolition company for a more accurate estimate of costs involved with building demolition.

iSeekplant has a nationwide network of quality building demolition companies operating in all Australian capital cities from Brisbane to Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne to Darwin, Perth and Adelaide. We also offer building demolition hire solutions in all major towns and cities from Townsville down to the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Newcastle and Geelong.

iSeekplant has a nationwide network of demolition contractors available for your demolition projects. Use our get a quote tool to easily get a quote for building demolition services in your area. You can also give us a call on 1300 691 912 or email us at projects@iseekplant.com.au.