sectional concrete 1960's garage demolition - 1.5t or 3 ton 360 excavator?

[Dug]

A question for anyone with knowledge of either 1960's build concrete garages or mini excavators and breaker attachments. I have a little weekend project to safely bring down a garage like the one in this link:-

have 2 main areas of query:-

1. I know it is made from concrete panels about 2m tall x 1m wide x

0.03m thick, but that is about it. Are they reinforced? And more generally does anyone have an idea as to how they are put up and therefore can safely be demolished?

1. The area in which I am working in is restricted and I can only pull it down from the inside. I want to know if a 1.5 ton machine, with breaker will be able to handle it? I should be able to get decent purchase on the top of the section with the bucket and lever the panels down, but ultimately the answer to this one may rely on whether the concrete sections are reinforced. If they are reinforced they will be a real pig to move. I am sure the 3 ton machine would be capable of demolishing both the garage and the base, but it would obviously cost more to hire and would be a bit of a squeeze in the driveway.

What would be the smart excavator choice, based on the info provided?

Any advise on either of the two questions would be welcomed.

Thanks

Dug

[Paul Andrews]

I had one put up like that in the 1980's. It was bolted together and sat on a concrete base. It wouldn't require a digger to demolish - just unbolt the panels. All they are are connected panels. The very old ones had concrete slats that fitted between uprights. The one I had erected would be a doddle to take down - without an excavator.

Not to use an excavator at all.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dug submitted this idea :

They are reinforced with a hardened steel wire of around 3/16" each will weigh around 2cwt.

Take the roof/front off first, then work back panel by panel along the sides. When you get to the final panel each side, leave one in place as a brace, then tackle it from one side and then along the back until just two panels in the corner support each other. Two people should cope up to that point, but you will propably need three at the final corner. The panels generally use a tongue and grove, with a pair of bolts to and bottom.

If you are thinking of breaking up the panels, they break quite easily with a tap from a sledge hammer, however the reinforcing will need to be exposed and cut. A small angle grinder with cutting disk will cut the steel easily.

I took one down in less than four hours by hand with two helpers, without damaging any of it, why not take it down - perhaps even resell it?

One the garage is out of the way, the base might or might not be more difficult. I have seen them easily broken up using nothing more than a scaffold pole and a sledge hammer. You lever the base up, then wallop it with the sledge, breaking it into smaller and smaller sections until handleable. Another way would be to use an electric Kango.

[shaun]

Don't bother. Do it by hand. If the panels are 2m tall and you're sat in a mini digger in the middle of the garage where are they going to fall?

If you've got such a restricted space and you've never operated a mini digger before (assumed by your question) you have a lot of potential to cause serious damage / injury.

Mini diggers with peckers on are for demolishing air raid shelters, not 3cm thick sectional garages ;-)

[John]

Advertise it on eBay for the buyer to collect.