As we get further into 2022, you’ll find that despite the current pandemic situation, the construction and demolition industry is still thriving and gaining revenue every day. Despite this, there’s one crucial part about demolition that people don’t often consider when hiring a demolition company, and it’s a crucial point that they miss when they attempt to take on demolition projects by themselves.

Implosion Demolition accounts for less than 1% of all demolition projects

You may have seen in the movies when they destroy a big building with an implosion, which is a controlled demolition method where explosives are set on the structure support points to make it collapse into itself. There are plenty of videos online where you can see this, and it’s quite satisfying to watch. But did you know that despite all these cool videos, only 1% of demolition projects are done with the implosion method?

A large percentage of demolition projects are done on commercial buildings, and these buildings often have neighboring structures surrounding them. This means that there is a danger present for the neighboring structures if the implosion method were to go wrong in any way possible. This danger is present even with larger demolition projects but when they’re done on extreme height structures, it’s less dangerous than machine demolition.

Keep in mind that dust is found all over a site during a demolition job, so this can endanger anything surrounding it not only with physical risks but through health risks.

With these larger structures, a layer-by-layer demolition through machinery would make a demolition project dangerous due to falling debris being possibly swung onto the neighboring structures from a high height, and this can cause major damage that can put civilians in danger. Implosion demolition is done on larger buildings with fewer surrounding structures since the dangers to surroundings are reduced, and it allows for a quick demolition.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control estimates that more than 34% of all waste disposed of in the state in 2017 was C&D debris.

C&D debris comprises a significant waste stream. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 600 million tons of C&D debris was generated nationwide in 2018 more than twice the total amount of municipal solid waste created. Given that amount, some states and municipalities have implemented mandatory recovery requirements for C&D debris. 

In South Carolina, more than 3.6 million tons of C&D debris was disposed of in fiscal year 2020 (July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020) accounting for more than 38 percent of the total solid waste thrown away in the state.

Most C&D debris, however, can be diverted from disposal and converted into productive uses. The environmental and economic benefits include:

•    Reducing waste;

•    Avoiding extraction of raw material;

•    Conserving resources;

•    Saving landfill space;

•    Helping create local jobs;

•    Supporting local markets and businesses;

•    Earning revenue from the sale of salvaged material; and

•    Saving money.

It pays to recycle, literally. It’s projected that 28,000 US jobs will be a direct result of the C&D Recycling Industry.

The Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) promotes and defends the environmentally sound recycling of the more than 583 million tons of recoverable construction and demolition (C&D) materials that are generated in the United States annually. These materials include aggregates such as concrete, asphalt, asphalt shingles, gypsum wallboard, wood and metals.

Construction companies almost always order flat rate open tops with minimum tonnage built into the price. Unless you go over this minimum amount, you are effectively paying for air, as you’re being charged the full price of the open top while not taking advantage of its full capacity. In addition, many companies never receive tonnage reports that detail information on how much waste is actually being disposed. The customer should be able to know how much each load weighs and be able to catalog this information for each job. This is the standard that we should demand from the industry.

Consumers are focusing on environmental issues and sustainability now more than ever. Improving C&D recycling measurement in the construction and demolition vertical, and beyond, is not only a cost-win for your company, allowing you to be confident in your diversion numbers, it is the right thing to do.

Demolition only accounts for a small percentage of a new building’s costs

If you’re building a new structure or making way for one, you’re going to be spending money and that’s a fact that we don’t need to tell you. But one thing that people don’t often consider is that demolition doesn’t cost that much money. Demolition services cost next to nothing when compared to overall construction costs, and make sure to keep this in mind when employing a demolition company.

When you’re planning out a construction project, you’re guaranteed to have the money on hand to pay for the new structure. Now if you’re needing to demolish an existing structure to make way for the new one, it’s an additional cost. Don’t worry too much however because despite being an extra expense, it’s nothing compared to your future expenses and can easily help reduce those future costs if you spend the right amount from the demolition phase. Spend money, to make money.

Like we’ve said beforehand, demolition companies often reuse and recycle materials from a demolition job. If you’re looking to spend your money right, then spend your money on a method of demolition known as “Selective Demolition”.

Selective demolition is the method used with the idea of “reduce, reuse, and recycle”. All building materials are taken down slowly from within, and all that can be recovered is done in the best condition possible. It’s costly, it takes time, but it saves you money in the future. Using selective demolition is what leads to demolition services only account for a small percentage of a new building’s costs. Reuse the materials or recycle them for money, and you will realize that the extra money spent on the demolition services will benefit your wallet in the future new building’s costs.

You may want to take this in account whenever you are in need of a demolition contractor, make sure your project becomes successful with Environmental Construction Group by your side.

We are ECG, we are safety first.

This field definitely needs some expert hands and skill. So, have you decided on what type of project you need? Make sure you research on this for a while before coming up with a decision.

We pride ourselves in providing Demolition, Abatement and Environmental Services you can depend on. (Concrete cutting, coring, green demolition, disinfection and sterilization cleaning services, asbestos abatement and more)

Contact us to get started on your next project, Call us: 562-438-7999.