Electric jack hammer?

[autobodyman]

I rented a jack hammer years ago, can't remember what I paid per day but I found this one: jack hammer
I've got 60 feet of 5 foot wide 3½" thick concrete sidewalk to remove that is up against my house and driveway and I didn't want to have to get it all broke up in a day or two.

Or do you think this One would work well enough?

I really probably won't have much use for either of these after this project is over and my luck in selling used tools around here is pretty much non-existent.

Which one do you think would be the way to go?

Thanks ~Mike

[dicklaxt]

Its a given,,,,,, the cheaper one if it will do the job ,you don't have a need for it later,and its wife size to boot. ;D

dick

[fredbelknap]

Mike my advise would be to rent an aircompressor and jack hammer and get it done. OR break it up with a sledge hammer. Maybe pry up a section and break. Bob cat would probably do the job and also cart it away.

[Jim Brown]

I think Fred nailed it. In my experience the problem with jackhammers is that the ones that have sufficient mass to get the job done are too heavy to wield. Though I was about 21 the last time I worked with one, and my own mass has increased substantially since then. I vote bobcat.

[Knotty_Pine]

With a heavy sledge (16lb), once you get it started breaking, you'll move a lot quicker than you expect. Essentially, aim to shear off the edges in 6 inch pieces and you shouldn't have much trouble. Lotsa folks start out trying to bust the center of a slab, too much work. It's weaker near the edge, and you can find the sweet spot between 'easy to bust' and 'brings off big chunks'. Luckily concrete is pretty fragile stuff once you start whacking it with a hammer. A bobcat is more simple, but the sledge is cheaper by far. Just don't get too hot doing it.

EDIT; I've also used a splitting maul for it too. It's not the ideal solution, but you can use the sledge side for battering, and the wedge side for making a crack where you can't get one started otherwise. Unfortunately, it's not too good for the maul, but they're not as expensive as plutonium.

[brburns]

Bobcat.

[imahic]

The trouble with the bobcat is you still have to bust the concrete up into smaller chunks in order to dispose of it. There is a limit to how much those thing will carry. I used one to remove a sidewalk that ran completely around my old house. TJ is correct that a sledge hammer works fine also. I would use the bobcat to pry the slab up and then hit it with the hammer. That broke it up in small enough pieces that I could move them with the bobcat. I also used an electric jackhammer to bust up the porch on that house as well. Best I remember it worked pretty well but I do remember it was pretty heavy to operate and I was 30 yrs younger also.

[brburns]

I think they make and rent jackhammer bobcat attachments.

[art3427]

Busted up a set of poured in place concrete steps once. Used the sledge hammer approach. I beat on those steps until exhausted to no effect. Stopped for a glass of tea and to rethink the situation. After the tea I picked up the hammer and in about 8-10 blows the steps were mere rubble.

Morale: When swinging a big hammer be sure and drink plenty of iced tea.

art

[autobodyman]

These are the steps I need to redo, the concrete portion. Years ago I ripped out the upper concrete steps and built these redwood ones, I left the bottom step 3½" to high to allow for the future 3½" "cap" of concrete on the lower steps.

They've been here since we bought the place in 1981. I'd just make wood ones like the ones above but the "brick faced" portion of the house we did years ago is on top of that old clay tile type so I can't really anchor to it. My plan on the steps is just to build forms and pour a 3½" "cover" of cement over these, but before I can do that I need to remove and replace at least 2 sections of the sidewalk below it (I know I should remove the steps and start a new but I don't want to damage my brick facing)

I would like to rip out and replace all 60 feet of sidewalk, though the wife tells me at the moment this project is financially challenged. So I may have to just do the steps and the two sidewalk sections for now.


I don't think the bobcat option will work, as you can see in the picture above the sidewalk is right up against my house and the asphalt driveway is right up against it as well (can't afford to replace the driveway now either, dang lack of funding anyway ) and I don't want to break off my "brick facing".


I'm not sure I'm in good enough shape to do the sledge hammer thing, but I may try that for the first two sidewalk sections and see how I fair.

I figure for the whole project I need around 5.5 to 6 yards of cement but I'm kind of thinking for the steps I may pour those one step at a time setting rebar in each to lock to the next (work from the bottom up). That way I can mix my own cement in a wheel barrow for those and wouldn't have to rush to much. I've got a wand concrete vibrator and a magnesium bull float I bought years ago when we poured the floors for the woodshop.

I've got a bunch of windows (8) my mother had installed that she wants me to make, stain and install inside trim on for her. She's been after pretty hard lately to get started on those so I guess this project will have to wait at least until I get that done.

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions.

~Mike

[rrich]

I had to take out a section of sidewalk. Mine was 3" thick maybe 4". I used a big digging / crow / pry bar to lift up the sidewalk. Just enough to get air under the concrete. Then I barely dropped a 10# sledge on the section and it broke apart. The really interesting thing was that the sidewalk would break at the expansion joints as it was being raised.

BTW - I rented one of those electric jack hammers for another job at another time. Absolutely useless.

[dicklaxt]

Rule of thumb on concrete 4 inches thick is 80 square feet coverage per yard of concrete.
dick

[woodmannie]

Those rotary hammers are not designed for that type of work. We call them boogie pickers, cause they are great for small jobs. And awesome for drilling. I have a Makita SDS like the one you posted, and figure it would die on a job like that.
The electric jack hammers work ok. once you get a hole started, they will go to town. Just don't put in too wide of a chiesel. I also wouldn't use a pointed one. That will punch holes, you want to chunk it out.
I use a 12# sledge. Old fasioned, but effective.
Just a thought. If you don't think ya got the gumpsion to do it, why not hire a teen to do it. Pay him (or her, don't want to be sexist) a few bucks to do it. Good workout for footballers, wrestlers, etc. And what teen doesn't want some extra dough. Still cheaper that renting/buying somethin ya may never use again.

Tom

[deathwish]

Have you considered taking out the loose stuff, patching what you have to, then sealing it, and decking over the existing steps by framing some sleepers and capping the whole lot with redwood like above?

Then you only have to worry about the sidewalk.

EDIT IN:

Having already allotted for the extra 3-1/2" drop, you have room for sleepers and decking on that landing. If you extend out a bit beyond the landing, you can build a stringer down to the ground level that will be free standing rather than resting on the crumbling concrete.