A modern demo project inevitably includes scrap metal demolition. Washington DC to Washington State, nearly every contemporary edifice contains hundreds of tons of scrap metal, in the form of rebar, roofing, beams, girders, and structures such as water tanks. Metals such as steel offer a lucrative resale value, since they often maintain their strength even upon being melted down for reuse. Every demolition asset recovery plan should include information on scrap metal demolition, since this is often one of the most valuable assets in a defunct building.
Methods of Scrap Metal Demolition
Scrap metal demolition contractors tend to follow certain steps when salvaging scrap metal. First, an asset recovery plan will be created, outlining the salvageable assets contained in a building, and how much the current market can expect to value such materials.
Other asset recovery tends to occur before scrap metal deconstruction can begin. Fixtures, machines, and finishing materials will be “soft stripped” before a building’s structural elements can be taken down. Scrap metal often functions as the building’s skeleton, so its dismantling comes later in the demolition process.
Once the scrap metal demolition begins, large metal structures must be cut down in size, to facilitate transportation and processing. Companies specializing in scrap metal demolition, Arizona to Maine, maintain excavator attachments such as shears to cut up and tear down scrap metal.
Second, steel materials must be separated from mixed refuse piles. Magnetic attachments make it easier for demolition contractors to sort scrap metal fragments. From a cost recovery perspective, it’s important for materials to be neatly sorted into different types. Copper, steel and other metals could be isolated in one pile, for instance. Even one or two fragments of gypsum or other non-metal materials can wreck an entire load of salvageable metals, so savvy demolition contractors understand the importance of maintaining neatly sorted piles.
Elder Demolitions provides thorough, cost-effective demolition services in West Coast states. We have the specialized equipment to facilitate on-site asset recovery. Our concrete crusher can turn those unsightly chunks of rock into foundation material. And our scrap metal finesse is unmatched; we recently harvested 35,000 tons of structural steel from the demolition of a single aluminum plant. Elder Demolition has the asset recovery experience and expertise that effective scrap metal demolition demands.
[Photo by The Consumerist via CC License]