Many demolition companies offer excavation along with their demolition services or vice versa. Knowing the difference between the two isn’t common. Many people confuse them with each other and don’t understand how many different elements there are within each service. Knowing the difference between the two can help you understand which service is best for your needs, so here’s the difference between demolition and excavation.
Demolition
What is Demolition? Demolition is the act of tearing down a structure and/or building either completely or partially using controlled methods. This can mean going into a structure and stripping it down internally for a full remodel, an external demolition where they demolish the exterior to remodel, or a full demolition where they tear down everything. Within each of these, there are different methods and types used that vary based on the job and the structure. Each of these processes involves the same steps normally and takes adequate planning. It’s not a simple procedure where a team comes in and demolishes a site.
A demolition project on a building would require surveying the site first to understand everything about the building. Where it’s located, what the structure’s frame is like, any surrounding buildings. Then an inspection for any hazardous materials is done, followed by removal of the materials. This step must be done since there are many hazardous materials within residential structures. An example is asbestos. Asbestos was used as a building material for years and can be found in older structures, so finding it in a structure that is to be demolished means either preparing safety measures to work in this hazardous environment or removal of the materials with proper disposal methods, which a professional demolition company would know how to do.
Then preparation for the project comes. Removing the hazardous materials is important of course, but it’s only a small step within the plan. Once the site has been cleared of hazardous materials or safety measures have been put in place to work in such an environment, preparing a plan is key. A demolition company can’t just come in and provide their demolition services without knowing exactly how they’re going to execute the demolition. Professional companies like RKS Services Group Inc understand this and are professional because of this. Safety is a large concern during a demolition job, and RKS doesn’t cut any corners when preparing the safety of a site for demolition.
They must plan the entire process from beginning to end. Surveying the structure is part of this plan but since it’s not the actual act of demolishing the structure, it’s done beforehand. Once a plan has been set in place that includes the beginning to the end of the demolition (including the cleanup process), all the safety measures that are required are put into place. This means having all the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) ready, removal of all hazardous materials, structure cleared for demolition, permits, and licenses all approved and acquired, and any surrounding public is made sure to be safe from any debris or dust from the demolition site.
This is a simple basic layout of how a demolition job is handled by a professional demolition company. Companies like this professional demolition company in Windsor do all these steps, without missing a beat. Following this outline is what guarantees the safety of everyone who may be surrounding the site, the workers on the site, and guarantees an efficient demolition job. Demolition jobs are often quick and it’s because of all the planning that comes with it. Knowing exactly what is going to be done and when allows for efficiency.
Excavation
The word excavation isn’t heard very often as it’s normally thought of when thinking about archaeology. The definition of the word is a controlled exploration of buried remains. This can mean finding old archaeological sites and wonders, things we see in museums. That’s why it’s often related to that field, but excavation is used in many different fields such as construction and mining. Many different companies offer demolition and excavation for that reason, yet many people don’t know how they relate to one another.
What does excavation mean in construction? Excavating in construction means moving materials that are earthy such as dirt, rocks, mud, etc. Tunneling through these materials, removing them entirely, creating space for new construction sites through digging these up all fall under excavation. It’s more common in construction than most would imagine. The sites where buildings are built aren’t there by accident, they’re excavated out for construction. It’s a very dangerous job, however, since there are many different factors to consider.
An excavation process begins the same as a demolition job, surveying the land. An excavating team needs to understand exactly what they’re going into before they can begin. Where it differs from demolition is the type of danger. Demolition has the danger of debris falling onto workers and the surrounding public, but measures can be put in place to keep this from happening. Surveying a demolition site beforehand allows for this and gives a full scope of what a team is going into. Excavation isn’t like this, as excavating land can mean going into a job without fully knowing what lies underneath.
The danger of an excavation collapse is quite high. RKS Services Group Inc offers excavation services while fully understanding this risk and taking safety measures to prevent said risks. They’re large and should only be done by professionals because of the dangerous conditions the sites bring. Debris falling onto a worker while digging can mean death. It’s a dangerous job where being buried under debris is very much a risk. A few things that are automatically done within an excavation job are avoiding other structures. Planning is key here. Digging away from any surrounding structures is always done to avoid something like this since an accidental dig into another structure’s support can cause a collapse. Knowing where the surrounding structures are is important to keep them, workers, and the structure safe. Checking the site every day before and after to make sure everything is stable must be done as well. Any signs of instability mean danger, which the goal is to avoid. Preventing any collapses through these two key points, and setting up support beams on the site is important. No professional excavation team will ever “assume” that they can stand on a site and support, they’ll always set up a support system.
Knowing the difference between demolition and excavation can save you the trouble of accidentally hiring a demolition company for the wrong services. Knowing the danger of both these jobs shows the amount of work and professionalism that comes with each. Next time you require demolition or excavation for your land, now you know the difference and can contact the correct demolition company or excavation company for your needs.
