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Old Communications Tower Tear Down

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10K views 30 replies 23 participants last post by  Fishindude  
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#1 ·
Hi All,

I have potentially landed myself the most profitable job to date, so long as I do not go too far with overhead.

The job is tearing down an old communications tower and its base, removing any waste and scrapping the metal. The tower is 100' tall. According to the land owner/customer, it used to be a testing facility for primates back in the 70's, and has since been shut down.

I was hoping to go on here to clarify whether I am going about this project in the most cost effective and efficient way for the customer and myself.

I plan to take down the metal parts of the tower using a high reach excavator (somewhere between 80-100') and a shear/grabber attachment. I am thinking a 36" hydraulic bucket with the proper thumb would be ideal to remove the base area materials to drop into dumpster. I will use what ever the proper breaker attachment is for breaking the foundation slab.

The machine and all attachments will need to be round trip delivered.

I will use a dumpster for the waste, but wondering how large it should be (or multiple if necessary). The materials are mainly siding and wood with some metal, which is about 30'x20'x20'.

I am scrapping the metal, but I am only working with my base cab Toyota Tacoma, which is 4'x6' bed and my 4'x8' open trailer. If worst comes to worst, I do not mind going back and forth with full loads to the scrap yard. However, I believe I should push a larger dump truck rental as an option to get the scrapping done in a much shorter time. Just not sure customer would approve, as it is not a necessary cost of the job.

The job is in Harvard, MA, which I live 15 minutes from. The closest rental place I found so far which rents out specialty heavy demo equipment is all the way in Florida, NY (New Millenium Rentals, Inc). I should be hearing back from them about prices tomorrow or some time this week, so will give feedback once I have a response.

Ideally, I will get the customer to get his tree contractor to rid of the necessary trees and brush in front of the tower. I hope he understands this is a drawn out process in order to do it right.

I have attached a photo of the tower from the back side. I will see to it that I capture a better photo soon.

Please send any advice about the job or critique if I can be more effective/efficient with my plan. Also, if anyone has leads on other, closer and affordable rental facilities who speciliaze in heavy demolition equipment and high reach excavators and attachments that can deliver, please send the info my way.



Thank you and I look forward to the suggestions

Patrick Sullivan
(978) 549-0853
 

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#2 ·
i think you are in way over your head.

you had better find out how big the footings are for that.

may need to be blasted.

towers i have seen dismantled are done by using a jlg/genie skytrack stick and brought down slowly in a very controlled sequence.

your idea of munching with an excavator sounds extremely unsafe. how are you going to control loose/broken pieces that will come crashing down.

get an estimate on that excavator yet??...$$$$..if they will rent it to you.

hauling the metal in a little truck & trailer.... what is your time worth??

may want to see about dump trucks to transfer waste instead of dumpsters.
 
B
#3 ·
Your plan sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

Recently a local company that specializes in tower work lost an employee when a tower collapsed after they removed a bolt they were approved to remove. Trying to knock that one over with an excavator [emoji15] , is this going to be profitable because of the life insurance payout?

If you do manage to get it in the ground without killing your self I would call the metal recycling company and have them drop off and pick up the bins, you should still get a check at the end
 
D
#5 ·
take em down same way they went up...get a tower company to come in with a gin pole.

not meaning to pop your balloon, but your plan of attack with falling pieces...will kill or hurt somebody, or beat up/ding the rentals. you are aware most rental companies you're responsible for any repairs over normal wear and tear.

sheet metal and paint for excavators is like paying to get a mercedes fixed.
 
M
#25 ·
dayexco said:
take em down same way they went up...get a tower company to come in with a gin pole.
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Click to expand...
Gin poles are becoming a thing of the past in my market. Most companies that own vertical real estate (crown castle, american tower and sba) frown upon their use. You can jump through some hoops to do it but everyone prefers you use a crane now.. Ive got about 35 tower employees and i think only 2 have ever worked with one.

Me personally, Id send a few guys out to prep for 1 day (remove coax, loosen flange bolts and anchor bolts)and then tear it down safely and pack it into dumpsters in a 10 hr day with a boom truck. Leave 1 man on site to bust foundations 3' below grade and a set of torches to cut the anchor bolts.

If you have a clear drop zone, it can be taken down safely with no crane, no large excavator, etc. Just a couple guys with a rope and some rigging experience. Knowing that, i still bid this type of work for a crane.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
V
#7 ·
On a job like this... making sure it doesn't cost the owner too much, should be your last priority. Safety is your first. Efficiency is your second.

Are you a large construction salvage outfit? You don't even have any heavy equipment. A 4x8 trailer is something you might consider using to take a large roofing job to the dump, not a job if this size.

Do you have cutting torches and related metal working gear? These things aren't made to just pull apart with an excavator. They are made to withstand earthquakes and hurricane force winds. I see you munching a part out and then it pivots on the remaining part and you have a 2 ton piece of steel falling 100 feet and impaling you through the cab.

I've talked to guys who have pulled down 40 foot HAM towers and it was a biggish deal. This is in a whole different ballgame.

Then again, it's only 100 feet tall. What could go wrong?

With all that said, I applaud your ambition. However, in this case ambition could get you or someone else killed.



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#16 ·
Wanted to sign on and make a couple of easy jokes about this bat sh!t crazy plan, but it occurs to me that someone could be easily killed so I'll skip 'em for now.

The potential energy (dig into your high school physics book for a refresher on that one) contained in that tower is nearly incalculable. And you're gonna just start pulling the pins that hold it all back..... Bad call.

And you were planning to haul all of this with a Tacoma and a trailer the size of a piece of drywall?



www.phdmaintenance.com


www.contractorsupply.com
 
#30 ·
OP if you're still out there listening, here are my thoughts. Most of the guys have already mentioned them; nevertheless (and not in any particular order):

1) If the local powers that be will let you pull it over and you have ample real estate (Figure minimum 1.5X the height of the structure minimum clearance) and you have previous EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN DEMO, do it.

2) Bringing in a high reach is not a crazy idea but you may want think about putting a shear on there instead of a bucket and thumb. Then have another machine with a bucket and thumb for cleanup. Mind you, you'll need a third trackhoe (read 30ton) to break up the pile caps. Hope you have an operator with experience with that machine. Coming from Florida seems like a ways. Surely you can find someone closer.

BTW, if it's a really old tower and painted, better have it checked out for lead paint, and if it's there, put in money to get your guys certified.

3) Water tank/tower companies can and may give you a price to send their guys out to cut it up with a torch. Plan on a big crane if you have to sit far from it, a 125' boom lift, and bunch of toyota trucks:vs_lol:, ahem, dumpsters for hauling. Local scrap yards may drop of and swap dumpsters along the way. You can always find a 100yarder which you'll only need a 20T excavator to be able to load. The good thing about this, is that the other company will have to absorb a majority of the risk. BTW, figure at least 4' thick pile caps if you don't have any as-builts. If the guys cutting it up want the scrap, add the value to your price. Otherwise, you take the scrap. Those guys are good btw. There's always prep work involved for them, but actual cutting down the structure may only take a day.
 
F
#31 ·
Agree with others, plan sounds crazy.

I've done some stuff like this. I would get a crane and a tall man lift, hook up the crane and cut it off in 10' or 20' sections, depending upon weight. You'll need skilled ironworkers in that man-lift and a skilled operator on the crane. Most scrap yards will provide you dumpsters, buy the scrap off of you and charge only for the hauling.

Excavate around the concrete base with an excavator, then bust it up with an excavator and hydraulic breaker, torch the rebar as you go. You'll need dump trucks and will likely have to pay someplace to take the concrete rubble too, as well as backfill the hole with something. The concrete demo will likely be the tougher part of the job.
 
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