Elder Demolition uses state-of-the-art technologies to ensure the safety and timeliness of Portland metro area demolition projects. These technologies include specialty processing equipment—such as shears, hammers, crushers and other high-end machinery—that process scrap materials efficiently and enhance asset recovery. As a result, fewer man-hours are needed for your project, thereby reducing overall demolition costs.

A Look at Our Portland Demolition Specialty Processing Equipment

Hammers and Breakers

Hammers and breakers are excavator attachments. They’re superb at breaking apart hard materials like refractory brick, asphalt and concrete as they apply up to 20,000-foot-pounds of force. Demolition crews use them for the precise, selective removal of building materials. Not only is the use of hammers and breakers safer than unpredictable tools like wrecking balls and explosives, they also allow Portland demolition contractors to isolate materials for reuse and recycling.

Shears

When you need to cut through tough objects like steel columns, our shears will do the job. Shears are also excavator attachment and apply up to 15,000 tons of force. They cut large pieces of scrap metal into smaller, more manageable sizes. Their use can cut a project’s time by 30 percent or more. Thanks to multiple heavy-duty jaw attachments, our powerful shears slices through beams as thick as ¾-inch and prepare the metal for recycling.

Concrete Crusher

With a global sand shortage, crushing and recycling concrete will help reduce dependence on virgin aggregates. A concrete crusher may attach to the end of an excavator or serve as stand-alone machinery, depending on the application.

Crushers that attach to an excavator smash concrete with 800 tons of force. The equipment allows crews to reach up or into buildings to remove select components safely. This is particularly beneficial in tight urban settings as it minimizes the danger to workers and those in the project’s community.

There are three types of stand-alone concrete crushing equipment:

• Jaw crushers: Jaw crushers use pressure to break up concrete and work similarly to nutcrackers. They have two tapered jaws powered by a flywheel that only let small pieces of concrete to pass through the opening.
• Impact crushers: Impact crushers use impact force to break concrete. One type of impact crusher throws concrete against a hard surface with a force and velocity that causes the material to fracture along internal fissures. Another type has hammers along the edge of a rotor that break up concrete.
• Cone crushers: Cone crushers have a conical shape and two internal layers. When Oregon demolition crews feed concrete into it, the layers within the machine crush it. Smaller pieces fall out the tip of the cone.

Magnets

Magnets are essential to steel processing and asset recovery. Elder Demolition uses strong electromagnets to pick up scrap metal from Oregon demolition sites that clients can sell to offset project costs. Our specialty equipment includes two Deep Field Scrap Handling Magnets that are 48 inches deep. One magnet has a copper coil, which is ideal for heavier pieces of metal and hot metal applications. The other magnet has an aluminum coil, which is almost as strong as copper. The magnetic properties of the equipment turn off and on with an electric current.

Powerful magnets that Oregon demolition contractors use fall into two categories:

• Lifting magnets: Lifting magnets range in size, from a few inches to several feet. They’re great at quickly and safely lifting small pieces of scrap metal, like nails. You generally find lifting magnets on the end of a chain suspended by a crane, which allows for asset recovery in areas that are too dangerous for workers to enter.
• Scrap magnets: Scrap magnets are large lifting magnets designed to lift large, heavy objects, including vehicles. They have a deep magnetic field and have a coil that doesn’t unwind. When they have a watertight design, demolition crews can use them to gather scrap metal when it rains. Some are even designed to for use in tight areas.

Without electromagnets, crews would have to separate, sort and load scrap metal by hand, which would extend project timelines and drive up costs.

Benefits of Specialty Processing Equipment

• Safety: Elder’s processing equipment is safer, more predictable and simpler to control than explosives and wrecking balls. The attachments and equipment are great for tearing down areas of a building that would otherwise be too dangerous for our workers to enter, such as the tops of buildings or unsecure areas.
• Expedience: Specialty equipment slashes project times as they make tearing down buildings and processing materials faster and simpler.
• Cost savings: Because specialty equipment helps complete projects and process materials quickly, your bottom line will thank you. The materials recovered from Oregon demolition sites using the equipment also help drive down costs. You may use crushed concrete, for instance, for backfill, landscaping, foundations, pipe bedding and more. When it comes to scrap metal, it pays to have Elder on your side. We’re a steel-processing and demolition firm with experts who will connect you with scrap metal buyers and guide you through the entire process.
• Help the environment: Without specialty processing equipment, the materials removed from demolition sites would sit in landfills indefinitely and drive up project costs. Because a great percentage of the materials on demolition sites are reusable or recyclable, your project may earn LEED points and other environmental certifications when you take advantage of our asset recovery services.

Contact Elder today and discover how we’ll put our specialty processing equipment to work for you.