Demolition Work

Demolition is a type of construction work that involves partial or of full dismantling of a structure to prepare the site for initial construction phase.  Demolition can range in complexity and scope from cosmetic interior demo of a property to prepare for a simple renovation, to high risk knock down of a building or part of it that is related to the physical integrity of the structure. Most demolition work consists of removing everything that is not shown to be on the finalized construction plans. Despite the simplicity of the scope of this work, structural demolition in the confines of densely populated areas with occupied buildings, underground infrastructure and utilities can be a challenging task that requires precise calculations and an experienced team of professionals.  

It is recommended for new ground-up construction that the party (subcontractor) in charge of the demolition phase to be also responsible for the primary site layout. Because this initial stage of layout is concerned with establishing and physically creating the building grid lines and soil elevation levels for subsequent use by all subcontractors, therefore it’s recommended for this work to be completed by one party. Getting this initial phase of construction right is essential to successful start of the project. It is customary for the architectural plans to show that the line of demolition should match the building footprint; however the scope usually extends well beyond the confines of the building footprint. The demo contractor is often held liable for multiple tasks that lie beyond the footprint of the building, it is therefore important for the Developer or General Contract in charge of the project to outline the scope of work that should be completed by the Demolition contractor and the way the site should be prepared for subsequent construction work. 

The Following tasks should be considered by the general contractor to be included in the demolition scope of work: 

Account for hardscape in the way of shoring pipes 

Account for hardscape in the way of the dewatering wells 

Account for hardscape in the way of the tower crane or material hoist pad. 

For renovation projects the demolition phase layout may be even more complicated than complete dismantling of a structure. The work must be completed with higher precision and care not to damage parts of the structure that need to remain intact.  The architectural plans may be elaborate, and the general contractor must make sure the subcontractor knows where to begin and end the dismantling operations. It is recommended that while performing interior demolition of partitions the subcontractor should be very precise and strictly adhere to the layout of plan and gridlines. The drywall in particular should be properly cut at the ends and destroying extra foot or more of the wall should be avoided. Negligence on the part of demolition contract will result in additional work for other contractors. If the drywall is not properly dismantled, subsequently the drywall contract will have to come back, trim and repair the improperly done work on the part of demo sub.