Cement removal.

[HardDrive]

We are about to embark on a large construction project at our home. The old sidewalks and poured cement stairs (the most half assed looking junk I have ever seen..... ) will need to come out.

I don't mind getting dirty, and I don't mind hard work. Is this something I can do myself with a jack hammer? Should I rent a Bobcat with a breaker on the front?

I would be fine with finding some guys via craigslist to take this stuff out, but it seems like 100% the folks that do cement on there are are unlicensed illegals, and I'm not having folks that aren't bonded and licensed on my property operating heavy equipment.

advice?

[javadog]

Some pictures of the work areas and the access to them would help. Sometimes sidewalks can be removed a panel at a time with a bucket or forks on a bobcat. It depends upon how the joints were originally made and whether or not there is continous rebar between slabs. If you use a jackhammer (not hard) rent a trailer compressor and an air powered jackhammer. The electric ones are worthless for large jobs. I wouldn't use a bobcat-mounted hammer.

JR

[MT930]

Depends on how long of a run on sidewalk.

You will need for DIY
Jack hammer
Skid steer Loader
Suitable truck or dump trailer
Saw or torch for re-bar, You may not have it


Use the hammer to separate sections and the skidster to put the sections in the truck. You don't want lots of concrete bits. Leave the pieces big less work faster clean up.


If some one else can do it for less than your rental cost. I would have them do it.

It will cost you to dispose of the waste as well. Run the numbers

This type of job is many times cheaper to hire out. It is fun tho !

[URY914]

You need to call it "concrete". Cement is in concrete.

May seem like a little thing but you call it the wrong thing and people will realize you're a greenhorn and the price will go up.

[gtc]

I'd give it a test thwack with a sledge. If it's truly half-assed, they probably didn't pour too deep and probably didn't use rebar either. A few solid hits from a sledge hammer should break it up pretty easily.

[looneybin]

C4 usually does the trick

[MikeSid]

Rent an electric jackhammer and break up all the material into manageable pieces.

Call Kendall Trucking and have them deliver a rock box to your parking strip (it's a large
dumpster for aggregate materials) 206/545-6950.

Load material into rock box. Call kendall for pick up.

Alternatively, you do the hammering and hire some laborers to load the box.

[Danimal16]

Hard Drive,

My eye is twitching. You hit on one of my stupid idiosyncrasies. It is concrete that you want removed, not cement. Cement is a component of concrete.

Thank you for your tolerance.

Dan

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by URY914

You need to call it "concrete". Cement is in concrete.

May seem like a little thing but you call it the wrong thing and people will realize you're a greenhorn and the price will go up.

Good point.

[Zeke]

If there is any tractor access, a loader can pick up as much as 4' x 4' pieces. That's a lot faster than picking up rubble. Unless access is real tight, I always hire this phase out. It's cheaper in the long run. Trust me on this, I've filled my share of dumpsters and it was always labor intensive and expensive.

[HardDrive]

Thanks for the tip on 'concrete' guys.

Access for a large machine is near impossible. A skidsteer of some kind could get in, but it would mean tearing up some roses that the wife really want to keep around. As ugly as it sounds, it might have to busted into pieces that humans can move.

I'm 99% sure their is not rebar involved. The cheap jerks that built this place did everything half ass. I would be shocked if there is rebar in there.

[Danimal16]

Hard Drive,

Any day and thanks again for your humor.

Good luck with that. I have found that heavy demo work, as Milt has pointed out, is best farmed out. You can do more creative things with your time than bust out concrete. The grunts that do that work earn every penny IMHO, and they are cheap compared to your time.

Also, when you replace it make sure they put enough cement in the concrete (flame me!)

[TimT]

My neighbor had some of his sidewalks done last year, probably 250 sf.

The method the contractor used to remove the old walk was pretty shrewd..

They used sledge hammers, and a bobcat with forks instead of a bucket.

Using the sledge hammers they broke out enough of a flag, to allow the forks on the bobcat to get under the slab.

Then the operator of the bobcat just lifted on the slab and it broke almost every time at the control joint.. the slabs were then loaded into a roll off container.Almost all of the work was done with the bobcat on the remaining sidewalk.. Very little damage to the lawn/landscaping was done by the bobcat..

Here in NY they are getting around $7/sf for sidewalk replacements... depending on total area that will be replaced...Given the cost of renting a machine and roll off container... its probably more economical to have a contractor do the work..

[sammyg2]

Dude, BTDT and regretted it.
Busting up concrete with cement in it (O) (that's my sign for anal) is a beotch unless it's only a little bit. If it's more that a third yard or so, it's too much IMO.

Last time I did it I decided never again, I'll pay someone with a bob-cat and some helpers to do it. It just wasn't worth it. If I were broke I might do it but as long as I have money I'll never break up concrete (with cement in it) again.

Did anyone mention that concrete has cement in it yet?

[Danimal16]

Hey Sammy, did that concrete have cement in it???

I admit it is (O).

[Pazuzu]

Hi-lift jack, shovel, and some time.

Bust a hole big enough for the jack to get in there (few inches square).
Dig down into the aggregate enough so the jack can get under the slab.
Jack jack jack. The slab will crack, and you and 1 or 2 other guys can grab the chunk and move it.

Concrete gets messy when it starts to breaking into smaller and smaller pieces, you want to avoid that. Cement is always messy

[911Rob]

Originally Posted by milt

If there is any tractor access, a loader can pick up as much as 4' x 4' pieces. That's a lot faster than picking up rubble. Unless access is real tight, I always hire this phase out. It's cheaper in the long run. Trust me on this, I've filled my share of dumpsters and it was always labor intensive and expensive.

Milt knows what he's talking about.

If you can get a skidsteer in then you can get a small excavator in too. Find someone with a small excavator with the thumb on the bucket. Sawcut the areas you need to and have the excavator break it into pieces and carry/load to a dump truck. Off it goes. You may want to have something readily available to cut rebar with as it sometimes causes grief?

I wouldn't do it any other way and I've done it every way, fwiw.

[911Rob]

This is the machine that you want... but with a thumb bucket:


and this is what the thumb bucket looks like:



Note: you'll likely want the "Rubber" treads like shown.
Have the operator prep your base for the next pour too.
this machine with a gravel truck to haul away the rubble will save you lots of work.

If the budget is really low, you can rent a 80pound electric jack hammer and have at 'er.
You'll need something to cut the rebar; a skilsaw with metal cutting blade works.
But this is all muscle and low budget only

[jyl]

Doesn't sound like any reason for you to do this yourself except liability concerns. How realistic are those really? Call your homeowners' insurance agent to verify coverage, then write the check for someone else to do this stuff.

[URY914]

We all know if your going to do the job right you need the right tools. And doing work like this means you need production out of your tools. If you want this done in one day and done right get the right tools.

May I suggest a Cat D10 with a ripper to break up the concrete and a track hoe with a claw to load it.

Don't forget, SAFETY FIRST- wear eye protection, gloves and a hard hat.