Hydraulic Excavators

Hydraulic excavators, such as EL-300s, 225s or 215s, resemble a combination bulldozer/backhoe and operate on tracks. They are easier to use and provide greater control during demolition than the bulldozers described above. However, since they too raze buildings by ramming and tearing, like bulldozers, their use in congested areas is limited.

Nearby buildings must be protected from the falling debris; plywood may be applied over the windows and rubber tires may be used to cushion and prevent damage to walls of adjacent structures.

On rare occasions, hydraulic excavators may be used to topple one-or two-story buildings by means of an undermining process. The strategy is to undermine the building while controlling the manner and direction in which it falls.

The demolition project manager (who in many jurisdictions must be licensed by the city or state) must determine where undermining is necessary so that a building falls in the desired manner and direction.

The walls are typically undermined at a building's base, but this is not always the case as building designs may dictate otherwise. Safety and cleanup considerations are also taken into account in determining the methods to be used.

Courtesy of The EPA