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Concrete patio demo

E

Electra_Glide

Senior Member
What's the best way to demo a 15'x15' concrete patio?

I was going to use a cut-off saw to cut it into pieces, then pick them up with forks and into the truck.

Somebody suggested to me to use an electric jackhammer instead of the cut-off saw.

Either way, I have to make a trip to the rental center.

Which way would the experts do it :notworthy

Take care...

Joe
 
digger242j

digger242j

Administrator
How thick is it, and how much reinforcing is in it?

If you can reach it with the Bobcat, and it isn't too thick, you might be able to do it with nothing more than a sledge hammer. Tired back, yes, but the extra bucks in your wallet will help to ease the pain.

Forget the saw, period. Unless you'll need it to cut rebar...

You'd be surprised what you can do with a sledge hammer, especially if you put a little tension in the concrete. Try getting your teeth under the edge of the patio, and lifting it, even just an inch. A couple of good swings will break off a chunk. Repeat as necessary...

(Now, if it's six inches thick you may need the jackhammer.)
 
Steve Frazier

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
There are gas powered jackhammers now too that work very well. Digger is right though, with 2 guys swapping an 8 lb sledge you should have it broken up in about an hour.
 
tylermckee

tylermckee

Senior Member
be a man, get a 20lb sledge and got to town. like digger said if you lift up some and have a guy swing at it a few times it should snap pretty easy.
 
F

Ford LT-9000

Banned
My back is getting sore thinking about swinging a sledge hammer :yup

A Bosch Brute electric jack hammer will work I have used one quite abit sure saves the swinging a hammer work.

You never know how well the patio is constructed you get some of these people that over do things and use alot of rebar or wire mesh. If you can get a skid steer or mini ex into the area and try lift a corner then throw a timber under and crack the concrete into managable chunks. You want to remove the patio in the largest pieces possible or what ever will fit into the truck or dumpster bin. It means less little chunks you have to pick up by hand.
 
digger242j

digger242j

Administrator
You never know how well the patio is constructed you get some of these people that over do things and use alot of rebar or wire mesh.
Click to expand...

I took one out once, about 12 X 16. I expected to be able to do it the way I described. :spaz I grabbed one corner of it with the backhoe, and eventually spun the whole thing 180 degrees and it never cracked! If the trailer had been closer I'd have taken it home and slid it off into my own yard.
 
Dozerboy

Dozerboy

Senior Member
It you can lift it a little even just a corner pick it up and drop it a few times. Even with bar in it this should break it up enough to get at the bar to cut it. I would see what you can do with a sledge hammer and by dropping it before I went and got anything else IMO electric jackhammer are worth less unless your time and a lot of it is all you would be losing.
 
cat320

cat320

Charter Member
well the last one i had to demo was 15' X 42' and about 8-10" thick just rented the demo hamer on the backhoe pluse there was rebar thru out .Made quick work of it.

If ya got to rent it why break your behinde make it easy for yourself.
 
J

jmac

Senior Member
If you can pick up a corner and drop, do that a few times it could break up. Another way is pick up a corner of it and put something under it so it does not lay flat. Then drive on with your skid. That works for me.
If not rent air hammer and an Illegal immigrant a lot faster.:bouncegri :bouncegri Just kidding
 
N

norrodbh

Well-Known Member
What everyone said.

I tore out a 16x16 3" slab last week using bobcat bucket. lift a corner and if it don't break on it's own, nail it with a sledge. If you can unseat it from it's pad, and get it to bounce, it'll go pretty quick.

Two weeks ago I tore out a 40'x40' shop floor. But I elected to rent a breaker for the Bobcat on that Job.


On the other hand, I had a 4'x2' pad that someone had poured to set garbage cans on. Homeower offered me $125 to bust it out. I had a sledge in my pickup, so I said sure. The thing was 16" deep ! I had to go rent a 75# electric hammer.
 
dayexco

dayexco

Senior Member
make DAMN sure the patio slab isn't doweled into house foundation. you could end up damaging that if not careful
 
RonG

RonG

Charter Member
dayexco said:
make DAMN sure the patio slab isn't doweled into house foundation. you could end up damaging that if not careful
Click to expand...

I wondered when somebody was going to think of that!!Ron G:notworthy
 
E

Electra_Glide

Senior Member
Thanks for the advice guys...I'm going to try the "pick up a corner and bust it with a sledgehammer", but I figure the $50 to have the electric breaker on the truck is cheap insurance. Hopefully my little Bobcat S175 will have enough guts to pick it up.

We'll see what tomorrow brings...


Joe
 
Steve Frazier

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
Sounds like you've got it figured out. I'm not afraid to swing the hammer, many times I can have the job done in the time it would take to go to the rental center to pick up the jack hammer.
 
F

Ford LT-9000

Banned
You could always try find the biggest boulder the bobcat can pick up take it over to the slab raise the boom up and drop the boulder in the center of the slab and see if it cracks the slab. Trust me its easier to use a machine than go see the chiropractor afterwards because you put your back out swinging a sledge hammer.
 
N

norrodbh

Well-Known Member
Electra_Glide said:
Thanks for the advice guys...I'm going to try the "pick up a corner and bust it with a sledgehammer", but I figure the $50 to have the electric breaker on the truck is cheap insurance. Hopefully my little Bobcat S175 will have enough guts to pick it up.

We'll see what tomorrow brings...


Joe
Click to expand...

You shouldn't have a problem. Rather then trying to dead lift the slab, dig your teeth and leading edge under the slab, and then curl your bucket open and close as you work your "wedge" under. most slabs will start to crack at this point.
 
Bob Horrell

Bob Horrell

Charter Member
Make sure you have a strong bucket before trying what I am about to suggest. I have found that if you put a 4X4 under the bucket about midpoint and then stick the front edge under the slab, you multiply your force significantly and you would be amazed at what can be curled with your machine. You can experiment where to put the 4X4 to give you the most leverage.
I have modified a 78 in. John Deere 4in1 skid steer bucket to use on my Bobcat S250 because it is significantly beefier than the Bobcat 4in1 (it weighs 1200+ lbs.). I have used the 4X4 with this bucket with amazing results, especially curling up the corner of very large slabs of concrete.
 
E

Electra_Glide

Senior Member
:laugh ... a sledgehammer, yea right... :laugh

It's done, but it took a good 5 hours with the electric breaker to get it done (including loading the truck and making the trips to the dump site). It was pretty well built with both mesh and rebar, and it was pinned to the house.

Maybe I'm a wuss, but since I was working right up next to the house, with a nice set of french doors, I didn't get too crazy with the skidsteer.

Joe
 
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