How Long Does Commercial Demolition Take? A Quick Guide
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Written by: Alpine Demolition
What goes up must come down. And when it comes to taking down commercial buildings, there's demolition for that. But contrary to what you may initially think, demolition consists of a lot more than just triggering explosives to implode a building or swinging a wrecking ball into the side of a skyscraper.
In the case of an implosion, there are many weeks - perhaps even many months or years - of planning and pre-work before the explosives are triggered (and that doesn't even account for the necessary cleanup time). Conventional demolitions that tear a building apart piece by piece can also span a significant time.
But just how long does demolition take? It really depends - and it depends on several various factors.
We'll get to the bottom of things in our latest post to help you better understand the key factors that influence demolition time and everything else you need to know. Read on to learn more or contact Alpine Demolition today.
Factors that Influence Demolition Time
There are a multitude of factors that influence the time it takes to demolish a property. Here's an overview of them:
Size of the Structure
One of the biggest factors that influences demolition time is the size of the structure that has to come down. The larger and more complex the structure, the longer it's going to take to demolish it. There's also the type of demolition that is selected for the site. Selective demolition tends to be a more tedious process, which involves carefully and strategically bringing down the building. Mechanical demolition uses cranes and excavators to smash into the building. Implosion is demolition with the use of explosives. While it can bring a building down quickly, there are typically weeks or months of planning before the actual implosion date.
Hazardous Material
A key aspect of demolition planning is assessing whether hazardous substances or materials are present and need to be properly remediated. For example, older buildings may contain asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos was a popular material used in many building products up through the 1970s. When undisturbed, the asbestos mineral is harmless. But when disturbed - as is often the case during demolition - asbestos dust can circulate in the air and embed into lung tissue, which can lead to significant long-term health effects. Asbestos is just one example of a hazardous material that may be discovered and need to be handled before demolition, which can slow the process. Lead abatement is another.
Permit Acquisition
Any time you're demolishing a property, you're going to need to pull permits. And when you need to pull permits, you're at the mercy of your local municipality to get the job done. Depending on the season, staffing, and how busy things are in your city, receiving permits could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to even a few months. The larger the project, the more complicated the permitting process tends to be. That's because larger, complex projects tend to require plan approval before a permit is issued.
Utility Disconnection
Aside from working with local municipalities to get permits, demolition contractors also need to work with local utility companies to make sure gas, electricity, water, and anything else is successfully disconnected before demolition begins. Again, based on how busy the utility companies are will likely dictate how soon they're able to disconnect utilities. Even then, contractors may still need to have any disconnections professionally inspected before they can proceed with demolition.
Condition of the Site
What's the condition of the site? How easy is it to disconnect utilities? Is the site structurally sound? The overall condition of the site plays a significant role in how quickly demolition can be done.
Salvaging Parts
Demolition isn't just about taking down a property and moving everything to a landfill. In many situations, parts, artifacts, or even historical architecture are asked to be saved - whether it's to preserve history or to be sold. For example, copper or certain metals could fetch some money on the scrap market. If a building has historical significance, aspects of its architecture (i.e., bricks) can be salvaged to preserve some history. What parts or materials are salvaged is something that's often decided upon well before demolition commences and any pieces are removed accordingly.
Demolition Planning
Many people don't realize how much planning and preparation is required before demolition can commence. But it shouldn't surprise anyone how valuable proper planning can be to the overall success of the project. Planning isn't something that should be rushed - it should be meticulous. Good planning can take several weeks or several months.
Post-Demolition Clean-up
Demolition occurs after all the permitting, abatement, planning, and parts salvaging has happened. But the job isn't over after the property is taken down. After the building hits the ground, there's clean up that must occur to ready the site for redevelopment.
In many cases, trucks are brought in to haul waste and debris to landfills. However, many materials are also able to be recycled. At Alpine Demolition, we specialize in concrete crushing services, where the end product is often used as a backfill for roads, driveways, and other infrastructure. This can help reduce disposal costs for clients and help upcycle one of the most common building products. Contact Alpine Demolition today to learn more about our concrete crushing recycling service.
Contact Alpine Demolition Today
For more information on the various factors that influence demolition time, contact Alpine Demolition today. We have more than 60 years of commercial demolition experience and have completed more than 2,000 projects throughout this time. Our industry-leading 95 percent customer satisfaction rate speaks for itself. Contact us today to learn more and inquire about your next commercial demolition project (and how long you can expect it to take).
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