Driveway concrete removal using breaker on Kubota U17

[oceanobob]

Here is the Kubota U17 (version with expando tracks) with the demo hammer. The machine runs this breaker pretty well. Bigger hammers (TLB backhoe size) tend to punch holes whereas this breaker tends to crack off a chunk.

On this task to remove the approx 10yd driveway concrete: The approach and the driveway were mono placed and the concrete saw cut the line at the back of the sidewalk.

As to the demo method: Breaker, hand loaded into the wheelbarrow, and then carted into the rolloff container. There was no reinforcing. About 4 inches thick cept near the approach full 6 plus.

The breaker vs sawcut and thumb 'debate'
Haven't got around to the thumb and - Not sure if a thumb would have helped unless I spent the time and saw blade(s) first cutting the slab into pieces.
Yes, the hammer inadvertently makes small pieces although easily cleaned up with a rake, shovel, and wheelcart. Point being: from what I can ascertain, to use a thumb to save/offset labor, there should be minimal small pieces.

This job onsite took less than the Saturday work day what with the mandatory start noise OK at 8 am. Crew was a couple helpers and the house owner, two wheelbarrows.


In this situation with all those cracks / settlement - the saw would have probably bound the blade.

 

[CM1995]

You lost me at wheelbarrow and shovel.

JK. We are always trying to offset manual labor with machines so my choice would've been saw and thumb if the mini wasn't strong enough to lift the larger pieces.

Our machine is a 305 so a good bit bigger but we can usually get under a corner of a 4" sidewalk or driveway and break it pretty easily. 6" thick we'll have to put the hammer on.

 

[oceanobob]

I have succeeded in cutting an interior slab 6" thick and removing the pieces with a reachfork.

But first we had to 'hammer a hole' for the concrete saw water and the squeegee crew kept the water going into the hole. The perimeter had to be cut, that was about 200 lf and only about 50 more lf accomplished the cross cuts.

Is this the idea??
On a slab like this: for example with the 305, drive onto the slab, get under an edge and break a piece, grab with the assistance of the thumb, then how to get to the rolloff container? Use the excavator back and forth, eg then crawl back for another piece etc etc. Or do you place these pieces in a loader for transport to the rolloff? Or maybe back a dump truck next to the area where removal is occurring? In these parts: Roll off hauling fee is less cost than dump truck (which has to sit while being loaded). Tipping fee is the same.

And the fun factor ~
I thought it was fun to make a 'field of rocks' and drive off for lunch and not return - while they exercised with the wheelbarrows.

One day I am sure that I will find a slab that needs removed: pull it up with a mini from the rental store that has a thumb. And load it directly into the dump truck.

Ahhh these trade offs....

 

[CM1995]

And the fun factor ~
I thought it was fun to make a 'field of rocks' and drive off for lunch and not return - while they exercised with the wheelbarrows.



Ahhh these trade offs....

Well done, well done indeed.

Back on topic it depends on how far the roll off is from the concrete being removed. Tore out the existing drive thru on a BK in order to turn it into a SB with double menu boards. Used the 305 with thumb to break as big of chunks of concrete it could handle and stack the slabs in front of the machine, move back and rinse repeat in order to make stacks of slabs.

Then took a 279 with grapple and hauled it to the back parking lot where I processed it down to small pieces on the asphalt that was going to removed as well.

The concrete varied from 3-6" thick and fairly brittle. The 305 broke these slabs out.




This was towards the entrance to the drive thru and the processing area was close enough it was quicker to carry with the thumb.



Once the slabs were carried to the back parking lot I hammered them down.

 

[PeterG]

A thumb is a must! Look for all the cracks and control joints. Start with a piece that may easily come out something that may be six feet long by four feet and is a corner or side piece. Use the bucket curled under and edge to to see if the piece will break and move. Then try and tilt up over the blade close to 90 degrees and let it fall back down away from you. In many cases it will break! Do it a couple of times. You can even take a few swipes with a sledge hammer in areas where you want it to crack. With a thumb you can lift large pieces 200- 1000lb pieces and drop them from several feet up back down on the slab to break it. Best to not be near residential windows and have a canopy cab. With a thumb lift the big pieces up and put them in dump truck or a dump trailer or container. You can also make a stack, three or four pieces stacked like a sandwich from big to smaller and wrap the thumb around them to remove them. I agree, when the slab is over 6" a hammer is a good idea. We have a TB016 with hammer, so we have tried your method. Mostly we use our two bigger mini excavators. What can also work at times, is a mini skidsteer with a bucket, your breaker, and pallet forks.

 

[mikefromcanmore]

I have never needed a hammer for concrete removal. I have been made to use them but it is far more mess then just tearing it out with a mini. I rent 17s for tight access sites but that looks wide open and my 50 would make very short work of that. looks like a bad base prep broke that driveway