Demoing Concrete with Chipping Hammer

[mobiledynamics]

Just thinking outloud....

Contractor a few houses down is redoing drainwork....
He's scored a 6" wide run to for the intended pvc pipe with a cutoff saw already...
Anyhow he's got this laborer ~chipping away~ at the concrete with a chipping hammer.
....yes, a chipping hammer....

Which got me thinking. If you take a breaker hammer and it breaks the concrete out due to the higher force, vs a chipping hammer and the constant Prolonged vibration induced as you stand there all day while the concrete is being broken in small little rocks. Is the prolonged constant vibration in the old concrete bad for adjacent areas down the line along where the control joints are ? Expand my Wiki

 

[mobiledynamics]

I'm feel'in for this helper. Dude must be in 50's. Looks like he's going to have a heart attack any minute now, breaking up concrete rocks. He's sitting on the chipping hammer as he's chipping away....as that's all the juice it's got breaking 'crete.

 

[The Cobbler]

I don't think it will affect the concrete, but it's for sure undersized for the job

 

[lilredex]

Sounds like Andy Dufresne all over again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shawshank_Redemption

 

[mobiledynamics]

never seen the movie. Dude finally made it. Took him almost a full working day.....when in theory the right breaker should have been a hr tops. Without right tool.....me wonders what effects it has on the body long term when you're doing a task that took 7+ hrs in which the right tool should have been 45 minutes or less

 

[SolarColumbia]

We can only hope that it builds moral character.

 

[techieman33]

Either the laborer is being punished for something, or the contractor figured out it was cheaper to hire some guy for a day than rent or buy the proper tool for one job.

 

[ratdoggy]

never seen the movie. Dude finally made it. Took him almost a full working day.....when in theory the right breaker should have been a hr tops. Without right tool.....me wonders what effects it has on the body long term when you're doing a task that took 7+ hrs in which the right tool should have been 45 minutes or less

You have to see the movie. It's one of the greats

 

[Retroman]

if it is a 4" slab a quickie saw with a 14" blade can cut all the way thru and then you can just lift it up with a bar and smack it with a hammer and pull out pieces.

What effect on the body? Been in the concrete cutting industry for 35 years. 27 of those were my brother and I running our business. We were a small outfit we each had a helper and would team up on larger jobs. Cut and tore out miles of plumbing and electrical trenches and of course there were footings that had to be breached as well. The trick is to cut it all the way thru and then cut it into 2' pieces and it pops right out. Concrete with wire mesh is the worst to tear out if not cut into pieces. My knees and ankles are shot upper body is still in decent shape and of course had to have 2 hernias repaired along the way. So yes it takes a toll but a day or two on a chipping gun would have no effect.