In a different thread (Walk / Don’t walk I think) Tomikawa helped me out with the information that the prfered method of demolishing buildings for some ime has been to clear out most of the insides and then implode them.
While I miss all the fun of the idea of whaking things with one of those big iron balls on the end of a crane cable I’d like to know more please…
An any other modelling ideas for demolition sites please…
Has anyone modelled one?
TIA [:)]
EDIT friday…
Thanks for the help so far… Anyone got any more demoltion ideas please?
That’s a common method for large buildings, but for smaller, medium size buildings, Ye Olde Wrecking Ball is still around. Nowadays, the ball is often attached to a tracked backhoe, both to minimize excessive swinging, and because many contractors don’t have a crane dedicated for this purpose. An operator can detach the ball and then use the backhoe for clean up.
Many demolition contractors use the tracked backhoe, some backhoes have the extra arm on the hoe to grab with. They just reach up and grab a chunk of wall and pull down, then load in dump trucks and take away.
The tracked excavator or backhoe, as we call it out here in the west, usually with a thumb on the bucket is the prefered method of demolition of up to about a three story building. I"m not sure about demolition of bridges. Thats big time stuff. The backhoe usually turns the building to a pile of rubble then climbs up on the pile and walks around on it to crush it into small peices which can be loaded out on to trucks without any over hang to make them road safe.
prior to 1970 or so the smaller outfits ussed a small crane. First with a ball then put a clamshell bucket on to load out the crumbs.
Nowadays the attachment one can get for a hydraulic hoe is amazing. Besides thumbs the have cutting jaws. loggers use them with huge chainsaws and grapples on the end for effortless work in the woods.Like the man said there are hydraulic hammers on the end for concrete demo, compactors ,magnets, forks, you name it.