Generally, demolition projects can be broadly classified into two categories i.e., low-level demolitions which involve demolition of houses and other small buildings and high-level demolitions which involves pushing down of multi-story buildings, big dams, and other bigger tasks. Different types of construction machines are used to carry out the two types of projects.

Let’s take a look at the list of construction machines that are put to use in the demolition tasks…

1. Excavators: These are the most commonly used construction equipment for demolition tasks. Typically, excavators are steady, powerful and extremely work-efficient machines. Excavators consist of a boom, dipper or stick, bucket, and cab on a rotating platform known as the house. This house sits on the top of an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. Excavators are usually employed together with loaders and bulldozers.

2. Backhoe Loaders: They are generally used for small demolition purposes. They have a front bucket that allows them to work as a wheel loader and an excavator-style digging mechanism at the back.

3. Skid Steer Loaders: Considered to be one of the most versatile, compact, rigid and powerful equipment and best choice for smaller sites, they are used to perform demolition tasks easily. The front bucket of the machine can be replaced with various types of attachments like a hydraulic breaker, pallet booms, auger, mower, snow blower, etc., to execute different jobs. Unlike other machines, these do not have steering mechanisms for wheels which are mechanically aligned with the side body of the equipment.

4. Wheel Loaders: They are like tractors and are used to move a pile of material from the ground and load it onto a dump truck or into an open pit. They are also known as front loaders or bucket loaders. They consist of a front-mounted square wide bucket joined to the end of two arms used to scoop up materials from the ground without spreading it out.

5. Crawler loaders: Not only this equipment can move heavy dirt piles and materials but they can be very helpful in the demolition field of the construction industry too. They can be extensively used to push down the heavy structures. Further, with the metal tracks, a crawler loader can track up onto the piles and clear out narrower areas easily.

6. Bulldozers: Referred to as only dozers sometimes, bulldozers are one of the most heavy-duty and powerful equipment and largely employed for shifting huge amounts of dirt piles, cut roads and other demolition tasks. They are incredibly strong equipment and easily identified by the huge blade at the front which is controlled with the use of hydraulic pistons and rippers at the back. The machine comes in variants with tires and tracks. They are also commonly employed for demolition tasks.

7. Cranes: Generally, for high-level demolition projects, cranes are used. A heavy-weight wrecking ball is attached to a cable that is swung by a crane onto the side of the big buildings to push it down. In fact, it is the only single machine which as a single piece is capable of providing three-dimensional movement of the weight. It is generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains and sheaves that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. Cranes can be broadly classified as stationary or derrick cranes, mobile cranes, overhead or gantry cranes, traveler cranes, and tower cranes.

In a nutshell

So, depending on the need of the demolition project, above mentioned are few machines that can be successfully employed for demolition tasks. Other than the above, there are few other machines as well which are used for demolition tasks like articulated trucks, multi-terrain loaders etc. So, decide on your requirements and choose the equipment wisely.