WHAT IS HYDRO DEMOLITION?

Hydrodemolition is a concrete removal technology that employs high-pressure water to remove damaged concrete, as well as asphalt and grout. This method creates a great bonding surface for repair and new coating applications.

Conjet’s concrete hydrodemolition robots use a high-pressure water jet, which travels over the concrete surface at a constant speed, taking advantage of the concrete’s permeability to create an overpressure that breaks it apart. The automation of the hydrodemolition robots allow operators to easily execute both selective and non-selective removals.

HOW DOES HYDRODEMOLITION WORK?

Conjet robots remove concrete by moving a high-pressure water jet over the surface in a predetermined pattern at a predetermined speed until the desired depth is reached. This is repeated over the entire surface in order to guarantee the same quality depth over the entire structure.

HYDRODEMOLITION ROBOTS

DRY DEMOLITION ROBOTS VS. WET DEMOLITION ROBOTS

Demolition is hard, time-consuming, and potentially hazardous work, even more so when there’s a need for removing concrete elements within an existing structure. It’s a strenuous process where a light touch is needed to guarantee that only the damaged concrete is removed and all surrounding material remains intact.

To work around these constraints, most demolition companies have taken to using either dry or wet demolition robots. Demolition robots not only accelerate the demolition process and increase efficiency to save both time and money, they also increase the safety for the workers. Robotic demolition equipment allows operators to stay at a safe distance, operating the robot remotely, to safely avoid contaminants, debris, and crushing concrete.

ADVANTAGES OF USING HYDRODEMOLITION FOR CONCRETE SURFACE PREPARATION

The renovation and replacement of concrete structures such as bridges, substructures, and roadways are of vital importance to ensure safety. However, most concrete repairs fail due to poor concrete surface preparation.
It is critical that all unsound concrete is removed, leaving a sound, clean, and roughened surface to improve the quality and performance of the newly applied coating. To optimize coating adhesion and ensure a high-quality concrete surface repair, the concrete surface needs to be completely clean. Here’s why using hydro demolition for concrete surface preparation is superior to conventional methods such as chemical cleaning, acid etching, or mechanical preparation.

To summarize, hydro demolition:

  • Does not cause any micro-cracks in the structure, ensuring a long-lasting repair of high quality
  • Creates no vibrations, and noise and dust are dramatically reduced
  • Allows for both selective and non-selective removal
  • Keeps the rebars clean and intact
  • Prepares a rough surface ideal for bonding between old and new concrete
  • Improves the efficiency as hydro demolition is more than 25x faster than mechanical jackhammering.
Feature Image Source: Image by Fritz Jorgensen on iStock