Drilling and blasting is the controlled use of explosives and other methods such as gas pressure blasting pyrotechnics, to break rock for excavation. It is practiced most often in mining, quarrying and civil engineering such as dam, mines, tunnel or road construction. The result of rock blasting is often known as a rock cut.
For smaller buildings like homes and offices, an excavator is often used to dismantle the structure. However, buildings over 60 feet tall, as well as those made of masonry, concrete, and steel, will require a more heavy duty machine like a high reach excavator. High reach demolition is considered a cleaner, safer way to dismantle structures, as it causes less flying debris, dust, noise, and risk to the operator. Reduced noise pollution from high reach demolition helps protect the safety of surrounding communities.
The building itself is demolished mainly from the attachments affixed to the excavator. The most common are shears, crushers, and hydraulic hammers. The tool-equipped arm pulls down and breaks the structure from the top down. Special ground crews then use hammers, sledgehammers, and crushers to reduce the pieces to rubble.
The right boom size will depend on the building. High-rise buildings like a hotel often have lighter steel at the top, so a taller boom height should be prioritized over a heavy tool. An industrial building, on the other hand, will require a heavy tool to remove thicker materials and thus a boom that can handle more weight instead of height.