Deconstruction is a dirty, dangerous, and lengthy process. This is an essential and obligatory task. How can demolition sites be made safe for construction workers? Get them the hell outa there!

Making use of robots for destructive purposes is becoming increasingly common recently. Demolition obviously includes the removal of structures, but the service is in high demand because of the renovation and reuse of existing buildings.

Skid steers with the right attachment can achieve this, but contractors have been exploring into robotic solutions to safeguard their employees from exposure to dust, gases, and falling debris.

Due to concerns for the safety of its employees, many demolition sites prohibit the use of diesel or even propane-powered equipment. Several of these difficulties can be alleviated by employing electric robots.

The power of a huge demolition tool in the convenience of a palm-sized instrument

Ever since the remote demolition equipment market was first established, Brokk Inc. has been at the forefront of innovation. This was long before the widespread adoption of electric robots for demolition machines.

Due to their compact design and low weight, Brokk robots are employed in a variety of contexts, including demolition operations inside of buildings. Without overloading the elevator or reaching the weight limit for the floor, as many models as possible can be moved and built. Whenever appropriate, a model can be hoisted into place via crane thanks to its built-in lift points.

A demolition robot’s size and weight aren’t necessarily indicative of its effectiveness because they aren’t always optimised for the specific job at hand. Jeffrey Keeling, v.p. of sales and marketing at Brokk, said, “Our four smallest versions can fit through a standard doorway, but an excavator weighing three times as much as a Brokk equipment piece is often needed to provide equivalent breaking capabilities. In this scenario, we are not just connecting one piece of gear to another. For destruction in confined spaces, we designed specialised equipment.

From up to a thousand feet away, the robots can be controlled via radio and cable.

The Allure of Electric Destruction Tools

Similar to how electrification is affecting the development of autos and earth-moving construction machinery, it is having an effect on the development of demolition machinery. Diesel-powered vehicles are available from Brokk as required, but the company’s most recent technological developments have been directed at electric vehicles. Electricity can be produced either by tapping into the electricity of a plant or a structure, or by using a generator in the event that none of these options is viable. Electric versions of the Brokk need between 20 and 100 amps of 480 volt power. Wire gauge can be affected by both the model and the total length of the wires.

Thus, the natural follow-up question is: why not just use batteries instead? Currently available battery technology restricts the run time of attachments to two or three hours, which is obviously insufficient, as stated by Keeling.

What factors towards the longer lifespan of some electronic gadgets? The battery packs of other devices are substantially larger, they use far less power, or they are hybrids. Brokk machines are not well-suited for use with hybrid power or massive, stacked batteries due to their focus on high power production from small, compact equipment.

Battery technology is not yet where it needs to be, but we are keeping an eye on developments in this area,” Keeling said of the possibility of providing battery-powered types of remote demolition equipment in the future.

An Array of Destruction Tools

The versatility of a remote-controlled demolition machine and its attachments is a top consideration for any business looking to make a purchase. It’s not just hammers and breakers that may be attached to Brokk machines; there are also many other tools and accessories available.

Construction equipment can be outfitted with a wide variety of accessories, such as steel shears, concrete scabblers, drilling extensions, and splitters.

In addition to standard tools, Brokk can make unique implements for you, such plasma cutters and torches.

Another report claims that a Brokk demolition robot is “essentially just a tool transporter.”

The versatility of attachments has led to their use in a variety of new contexts. “Brokk equipment is also being utilized at the Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota,” the company’s website boasts, referring to its applications throughout the nuclear power and safety/rescue sectors.

Brokk was an early innovator in the field of remote demolition, and their three-part arm design and expansive attachment tilt range have become industry standards. These innovations not only increase efficiency in confined spaces, they also open up novel approaches to dealing with roofs, floors, and walls.

The Situation in the Demolition Business

The adoption of robotics in manufacturing has been a thorny issue for decades. Somebody had said, “You’re trying to eliminate our employment,” and Keeling remembered hearing that. “We’re now expected to assist in reducing wage expenditures.

Contractors are aiming to lessen their dependency on hourly labour and reallocate their remaining personnel to higher-paying projects due to the persistent labour shortage, notably the paucity of available operators.

Nowadays, some people have given up on the conventional job market in favour of more adaptable options. Those that stayed behind do so for a variety of reasons, but many of them are now working from home, either by choice or need.

It’s predicted that by 2025, as much as 30 percent of the workforce will do business remotely. What does this mean for the future of commercial building renovation? Not yet,” Keeling said. The owners of commercial properties are waiting to make any decisions until they know how the situation will evolve.

Most people picture well planned or huge explosions that reduce buildings to pieces in a brief amount of time when they think of demolition. There is a significant transformation occurring in the demolition industry towards something more controlled and sophisticated, but no less risky.

Demolition equipment that is both efficient and safe is the future, and that future is electric and robotic.

ENGAGE IN PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

A regular service and maintenance plan, performed before anything breaks or goes wrong, is probably the best tool you can use. At the same time, you look for methods to lower equipment running expenses. Many technologies covered here use electronic warnings to urge suggested services, eliminating guessing from the equation.

LEAVE FLUIDS MONITORING TO YOUR DEALER

Your dealer will inspect and analyze coolant, oil, and hydraulic fluids for excessive wear, low levels, contamination, and other issues that may require remedial action to prevent failure or damage under the SOS fluid analysis program.

USE PRODUCTLINK TO COLLECT DATA

Product Link is a technology that various machines have integrated into them that provides details on the health and condition of your equipment. It lets you view use records and maintain contact with a sizable dealer network. By working smarter, you can boost fleet management and the trust of your supervisors, workers, and clients.

VIEW ASSETS IN THE FIELD USING VISIONLINK TECHNOLOGY

Your equipment’s engine, hours, systems, location, diagnostic codes, and fuel and idle time are all provided to you via VisionLink. This system delivers data directly to your mobile phone or other device using satellite/cellular technology, with possibilities for up-to-the-minute and real-time data. The transmitting antennas are made small, so it is simpler to access them when an adjustment is required.

LOOK INTO THE NETWORK OF SERVICE-INFORMATION SYSTEMS

With the help of 17,000 publications, the SIS Web quickly makes a world of information available to you. You can discover maintenance instructions, technical specifications, assembly or disassembly instructions, and more.

Equipment research requires a lot of time, but SIS makes it easier to get the information you need. The SIS Web provides human management solutions that increase productivity and reduce risk. It can produce a realistic timetable for your service professionals to keep them from being idle or overburdened.

MONITOR THE EQUIPMENT REGULARLY

Every day, take a trip around the facility and visually examine your equipment to look for smoke, leaks, or unexpected circumstances. You should also record any subpar performance. Any data obtained can be shared with your dealer to stop minor faults from developing into significant issues and improve equipment monitoring. Pay attention to the machine’s overall wear and tear, windscreen fractures or pits, the state of the bucket and digging teeth, tire condition, and even the tiniest cracks where welds are present.

PERFORM SMALL MAINTENANCE NOW TO AVOID MAJOR REPAIRS LATER

Allow the statistics and alarms to help you identify problematic situations and address them before they cost you money or time. For instance, replace an inadequate seal to prevent the machine from running out of fluid or springing a large leak that results in a significant expenditure.

EDUCATE OPERATORS ON BEST PRACTICES

Use the machines to track user performance daily to recognize and reinforce effective techniques and identify any areas that can benefit from extra training. By using your equipment correctly and not pushing it over its limits, you’ll prevent early wear and performance issues and extend its lifespan.

CHECK THE BASIC ELEMENTS

Regularly inspect the quality of grease, fittings, air and oil filters, and other components necessary for the operation to help keep equipment running costs low. The idea is similar to how a good air filter on an automobile can help it get greater fuel efficiency.

COLLECT AND RETAIN COPIES OF RECORDS

To identify trends, collect and save data that tell you about the history of your machines, component life, and running expenses. Thanks to those figures, you will be able to monitor workflow and costs with more accuracy and precision, which will also help you keep the machine’s resale value high.

ANALYZE THE COST BETWEEN ON-SITE MAINTENANCE AND IN-SHOP REPAIRS

Instead of transporting your equipment to the shop whenever anything breaks, have a skilled technician come to you for routine maintenance. Some business owners think house calls are too expensive, but that isn’t the case as they save money on costly repairs and the expense of transporting large equipment.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DEALER

Establish and maintain a reliable connection with your preferred dealer so you can turn to them if you need to borrow machinery while yours is being repaired. Additionally, you may use this to field test equipment you are considering purchasing or renting.

MAKE USE OF CHECKLISTS

Create and put into action a maintenance plan and service checklists that require the signature of site and task managers. This process keeps workers responsible, organizes service items, and makes them consistent. It also offers you evidence that you’ve maintained the equipment in good shape for when you sell them.

DON’T SAVE MONEY ON QUALITY

Allow the experts to offer service and parts so you can be confident you’re receiving the best. Taking shortcuts with defective components or unskilled professionals costs more money down the road since components don’t last as long as they should, or poor servicing results in a failure. For instance, hydraulic oil should be of high quality, just like the machine, as it lubricates and safeguards moving components and is essential to the power-transfer process.

SET UP A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Ensure that everyone on the path between you and your machine is well informed about what to do and whom to contact in various circumstances. This might involve mishaps on the Jobsite, property damage, faulty equipment, theft, unforeseen issues, or when things don’t feel quite right. When everyone understands what to do and has all the tools they need to report a problem, including names, contact information, and process charts, you save delays and money.

CREATE AND MAINTAIN A DOWNTIME PLAN

Substitute the typical production slumps with necessary but seldom top-priority activities, such as maintaining and repairing equipment, running errands and making deliveries, picking up and finishing documentation such as schedules and forms for awaiting inspections, rearranging, or staging supplies at the project site for forthcoming working days, and training your employees.

 

USE AFTERMARKET PARTS

Instead of buying new parts from a main dealer, you can save thousands by sourcing aftermarket machinery parts from a local or nationwide dealer, such as Cat Parts UK.

BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST AHEAD OF TIME

Spend time creating a backup plan for every worst-case situation, then let everyone know about it. Thinking through these issues when you’re not in a panicked, crisis mentality will provide a lot better outcome than when you’re forced to make judgments on the spot.

KEEP YOUR TEAM UPDATED AND HAPPY

Ask for input from the workforce to determine what functions well and what does not, to recognize and reward excellent performance, and to encourage and promote best practices. Instead of letting your employees unintentionally discover that difficulties are frequently rewarded with overtime or praise for solving a problem quickly, demonstrate and explain how complacency undermines profitability and productivity.

ANALYZE THE ENTIRE FLEET’S USAGE

To improve operations at all of your job locations, identify overused or unused equipment and make the necessary changes. Avoid running equipment for longer than necessary or for only 20% of the workday. The goal is to operate each piece of equipment at or close to its maximum potential. You can either hire experts to handle this for you or create your spreadsheets, charts, calendars, and other monitoring tools to keep an eye on essential business areas.

EXAMINE AND MAKE THE MOST OF DOWNTIME

Invest resources in learning how long your machinery is idle. Unnecessary idling can violate some states’ pollution standards and waste gasoline, which is also a waste of money. It also wears out your machine’s engine and reduces its warranty’s remaining time.

GIVE YOURSELF ROOM FOR STRATEGIC THINKING

Set aside time each day to analyze your data, look for solutions, advertise your business, create promotional materials and research, come up with fresh concepts, and keep one step ahead of the competition.

ADD FEATURES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Before you reply, “Oh, I’ll add it later,” figure out the savings you’ll get from data features like VisionLink, ProductLink, EMSolutions, and preventative maintenance plans. These features can pay for themselves and result in significant savings while you wait till you have more money or time because of their less downtime, optimal performance, and highest efficiency.

LOOK AT REBUILT PARTS

Consider remanufactured components as a less expensive alternative with quality equivalent to new ones. They often come with warranties, are of the highest quality, and are promised to be a perfect match for your particular machine.

SAVE MONEY WHEN PURCHASING TECHNOLOGY

When feasible, include data features when you acquire a machine since doing so is less expensive than adding them later.

ALIGN MACHINE WITH TASK

Spend some time doing the math to ensure that you are utilizing the appropriate-sized tools for the task. When you attempt to utilize a smaller machine that is better left to the capabilities of more extensive equipment or when you employ an enormous machine for a small operation, your bottom line suffers.

RESEARCH LEASE, RENTAL, AND LOAN OPTIONS

Compare the expenses of utilizing or buying undersized, overly large, or infrequently utilized equipment with those of leasing, renting, or borrowing comparable equipment. These choices spare you the hassle of replacing outdated equipment, provide you access to newer models every few years, and cost less for storing the equipment and shipping.

CONTROL YOUR UNDERCARRIAGE

Avoid abusing or misusing any equipment, especially machines with tracks, because that multifunctional component accounts for 50% of the cost of repair and maintenance for equipment that incorporates them. Poor circumstances can still harm vital components of undercarriages, including seals, links, pins, rollers, idlers, segments, bushings, and shoes.

KNOW YOUR NEEDS FOR EQUIPMENT REGENERATION

Understand your equipment’s limitations and appreciate the fact that it must renew at regular intervals rather than disregarding it, which might lead to damage, malfunctions, and costly repair.

GET RID OF WASTE

Analyze your fleet and utilize the data to calculate the percentage of productive time and profit you make by eliminating waste like excessive idling, improper operator behaviors, overtime, wasteful use, and other costly activities.

GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME

Schedule time for regular servicing and preventative maintenance into the daily routine. It will save you from paying extra fees for services or deliveries that must be provided during an emergency, in a hurry, after business hours, or on a weekend or holiday.

VERIFY THE MANUAL

To guarantee optimum performance and prolong the life of machines, adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations for operation, components, fluids, maintenance, and other practices. Even if you believe you know what your equipment wants, following the instructions will help you save money on heavy machinery.

FOLLOW THE WORK ORDER

Establish a system whereby nothing occurs without a work order. It will not only give you complete control over what is purchased, but it will also result in a precise record of what was purchased, why it was ordered, who requested it, and when. In most cases, you won’t remember those specifics; even if you do, they’ll probably be vague.

COMPARE THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR FLEET TO OTHERS

Find out how your fleets of machines and equipment compare domestically, nationally, and internationally, as this information can help you establish valuable benchmarks for further studies and decisions.

Being part of a construction project is fun. Nevertheless, demolishing an old building is much more fun. A building may require demolition for safety and health reasons or create room for a bigger and better structure.

Regardless of the reason, a demolition project is unique. The two machines that are required for demolition are a bulldozer and an excavator.

What Is Demolition?

We can define demolition as the act or process of demolishing; it is tearing down, knocking down, or clearing away a structure or part of it. These structures could be roads, parking lots, or old buildings. Other structures that may require demolition include prominent skyscrapers, multi-story units, and small residential homes.

Why Is Demolition Necessary?

There are several reasons for demolishing buildings and structures, including;
When buildings are not structurally sound or may collapse on their own, a demolition is necessary for safety reasons; This is usually common with buildings and bridges

When a building is outdated or no longer needed, a demolition is necessary to create room for a new project.

When a building is damaged and unsafe due to environmental impact, then immediate demolition is necessary. Usually, hurricanes, extreme weather, floods, and fires severely impact structures, thus damaging them.

All demolition projects require specific equipment and laid down processes for keeping both operators and contractors safe.

What Is The Purpose Of A Bulldozer?

The bulldozer is a classic demolition machine. It is necessary for pushing down walls breaking debris apart, and clearing rubble. The bulldozer’s blade is from steel and uses the machine’s horsepower to demolish concrete, brick, stone, or wood walls. Due to its strength, the blade is also suitable for clearing debris and making room for other machines.

A claw-like attachment known as a ripper is usually attached to the bulldozer’s back. It is necessary for loosening packed materials and foundations. The ripper is also suitable for loosening up main floors, roads, parking lots, driveways, and concrete-poured pads.

It is important to note that bulldozers are limited in their movement and reach. Therefore, you can’t use them solely for a demolition project. Generally, an excavator is used in combination with the bulldozer for tearing roofs and ripping walls down.

What Is The Purpose Of An Excavator?

Popular excavators for demolition projects weigh 20 tons or more. Generally, excavators are great for lifting. They can accommodate different attachments like augers, hammers, and buckets that help with demolition. Augers and hammers are ideal for loosening up the soil and pouring concrete. On the other hand, buckets are suitable for lifting and carrying debris and pulling walls down. Furthermore, when buckets have thumb attachments, they are ideal for grabbing and moving large structural elements, including large beams and pipes.

During a demolition project, excavators and bulldozers work hand in hand to pull down structures and clear debris.

What Are The Necessary Demolition Measures?

Building demolitions are entirely different from tearing down walls. Before commencing a demolition project, it is vital to carry out material testing and create environmental reports to ensure the safety of the demolition and prevent contamination of the surrounding.

Also, the place of communication cannot be overemphasized. Operators, engineers, and project managers need to communicate every day during the demolition project because demolitions require a specific technique to prevent unexpected collapse.

 

Other Popular Demolition Equipment

Bulldozers and excavators are not the only demolition equipment. Other necessary demolition machines include skid steers, long-reach excavators, and backhoes. Demolition projects may also use explosives, wrecking balls, and specific hand tools for delicate demolition.

Some equipment operators do not see the need to use extra PPE because they work in cabs. Nevertheless, additional PPE is necessary because demolition projects can pose a danger.

Noise Pollution and Hearing Loss

Demolition projects can be pretty noisy than a traditional construction site due to the sound of clattering machines, falling structures, cracking wood and stone, and sometimes explosion. Although some contractors do not enjoy wearing ear protection, it is one of the most essential and underutilized PPE in a construction or demolition project. A report from the CDC shows that about 14% of construction workers have hearing loss.

Breathing Protection and Nose Masks

Demolition sites also have more air pollutants like dust and mold than construction sites. Pulling down old buildings and structures pollutes the air with debris that, when breathed in, can harm the lungs. It is best to use masks and air filters to protect your lungs and chest if you often work on a demolition site.
How Demolition Equipment Rentals Make Demolitions Easier

The most challenging part of a demolition project is getting the specific machine size or attachment. This is not a problem if you are a demolition company because you know and may have the needed machinery. On the other hand, one-off or odd-job demolition projects may require larger excavators or additional equipment. Hence, the need for demolition equipment rentals. You can carry out demolition projects without worrying about the cost of a new machine that you hardly use. Therefore, for any demolition project, excavator and bulldozer rentals are essential.