If you have a major renovation project in a large and partially occupied building, then you will need to proceed carefully and with due deference to other people in the area. This may make it particularly difficult if you need to remove a large section of concrete (such as a reinforced floor) without causing too much noise, dust or vibration. However, you may be able to take advantage of a selective demolition technique, using a particular type of grout that is designed for the job. How does this work?

Job Containment

With a demolition job like this, you need to be very careful to ensure that you do not cause any damage to surrounding areas and, as previously mentioned, must cause as little disruption as possible. After all, before the concrete can be removed it will need to be broken up and this is where a lot of the noise, vibration and dust would typically materialise.

Initial Drilling

In this case, however, you can drill a line of holes across the floor in question using equipment that is far less intrusive than the average jackhammer. These holes will only need to be a few centimetres deep, but once they have been introduced, they should be cleaned out carefully using compressed air, before the special mixture is added in place.

Expansive Grout

Several manufacturers make what is known as an "expansive" grout material that, when exposed and mixed carefully, will create a considerable amount of expansive force within each one of those holes. This may take a few hours depending on the temperature and humidity, but once the force builds up, it will automatically crack the surrounding concrete and make it is considerably easier to remove.

Better All Round

This type of approach will certainly result in less damage than a jackhammer, which can cause concrete in adjacent areas to crack and can certainly cause a significant amount of vibration and noise. It's important to be careful when introducing the grout, however, and to keep everyone away from the area once it has been installed. In particularly hot conditions, there is a danger that the grout could blow back out of the holes before it has set properly.

Scheduling the Work

Talk with your concrete demolition contractors and see if they can work with expansive grout. This will make the job a lot easier for you and help to keep all those tenants and neighbours happy at the same time.

For more information, reach out to demolition services.