Okay.

A little tip out there, reinforced concrete is alot harder to remove than its un-reinforced cousins.

I decided on Saturday mid morning, after successfully removing the remaining bricks/concrete from the back of the house, that I would rent a jackhammer and take on the path area out the front of the house.

After practising (with delight) around the back on some small slabs I went out the front of the house with high expectations of cutting through the concrete like a knife through butter.

If only.

After 20 minutes of tapping on the concrete, I’d managed to slightly damage one corner of the slab.   Disappointed, I took a break.

Returning later, I started in a different point and began making progress.  Slow progress.  Painful, tiring, hot, aching progress.

The main problem is the reinforcing.   It frustrates breaking up the concrete, causing fractured sections to stick, and making you pulverise the rest into small pebbles - which you can’t get out until you pull away the mesh.

My hints

Focus on removing the mesh, once it is gone, you can scoop the rubble with a shovel afterwards.

Work from the edges (naturally), especially if an edge is exposed (not embedded in the ground).  If the pad has nothing to transfer the energy of the jack hammer to, it helps it vibrate.

The smaller the pad gets, the easier it gets. 

Be careful not to trap the jackhammer bit in the concrete.  If you jackhammer in one spot until you punch through the pad, then you run the risk of trapping the bit. 

Rock the jackhammer gently back and forth, side to side reduced the chance of trapping the bit and is more effective at breaking up the concrete.

As the piece starts to break away, change the angle of the bit by bringing the end of the jackhammer you are holding low to the ground, pushing the piece away (this helps dislodge the piece away from the mesh and helps free it).

If your bit gets stuck - have a spare bit handy to help free it.  Also have a sledgehammer handy.  Its useful for some smaller work.

Wear goggles at least.  

I’m trying out a new technique tomorrow using a combination of the ‘pointy’ bit, and the ‘chisel’ bit.

Wish me luck!

 

Sunday, September 3rd, 2006 @ 8:42 pm Technology
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