Faculty of Engineering

FacultyTechnology
of Engineering Technology
Semester 1, Session 2018/2019
Semester 1, Session 2016/ 2017

GROUP 5
BALLING MACHINE

Abdul Hadi Izaan bin Ibrahim1, Adriana Farniza binti Pozi@Fauzi2, Muhammad Nazmi Aiman
bin Zulkaply3, Noor Fateen Nabiella Azemi4, Nur Kameelya binti Kamaluddin5

1
Department of Civil Engineering Technology, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit
Raja, Johor, Malaysia
2
Department of Civil Engineering Technology, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit
Raja, Johor, Malaysia
3
Department of Civil Engineering Technology, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit
Raja, Johor, Malaysia
4
Department of Civil Engineering Technology, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit
Raja, Johor, Malaysia
5
Department of Civil Engineering Technology, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit
Raja, Johor, Malaysia

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Demolition is the process of destroying down or dismantling or collapsing down of large

buildings after its useful life period. The process of demolition is carried out with the help of some
equipment or other methods with legal procedure followed by the consent of the local authority.
We know that every structure is designed for a specific life period generally 100 years. The
existence of the structure after the service life period is over is very dangerous to its occupants and
surrounding buildings. The purpose of demolition is to prevent the accidental collapse of any part
of the building and to ensure safety of workers, public and neighboring properties. Prior to carrying
out any building demolition, detailed building appraisal by means of surveys and appropriate
assessments shall be required which shall include a building survey and a structure survey.
Increased concern for environmental protection has led governments to introduce legislation to
encourage the use of construction demolished waste after recycling it.
In case of buildings have greater heights of 5 story and above, normal excavators and
bulldozers are not sufficient. In such cases crane with wrecking balls are used to perform the
demolition activity. The wrecking balls are steel balls hanging from a steel rope which is attached
to the crane. This method is more effective only for high rise masonry structures because of the
uncontrolled backward movement of steel ball after the impact on the wall surface. Now this
method not commonly used because of this uncontrolled behavior of wrecking balls.

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 Faculty of Engineering
FacultyTechnology
of Engineering Technology
Semester 1, Session 2018/2019
Semester 1, Session 2016/ 2017

2.0 THEORY

Demolition works as construction works (Construction Law) are a specific type of

construction project in which particularly in the execution phase, many difficult technical
situations occur, uncertainties, which constitute a source of risk. For those reasons and also because
of the specific legal requirements - especially concerning historical buildings, the work associated
with the preparation of demolition works require a lot due diligence and knowledge of the rules,
as well as proper design and planning of demolition. (A. SOBOTKA, A. RADZIEJOWSKA, & J.
CZAJA, 2015)

At the beginning of the demolition of a building the life and welfare of citizens is affected.
Statistics indicate that, by demolition operations, the adjacent buildings or surrounding buildings
are destroyed and these events are sometimes associated with loss of life, and this issue should be
discussed with a more professional look. Considering the above, demolition operations should be
done as quite professional, and with scientific perspective and reviewing the situation, the most
appropriate method for demolition of building must be selected, more importantly, the safety issue
of demolition operations is very important (Foruzesh, 2016). With proper planning and
implementation of the demolition operations in a variety of ways for a variety of steel structures
and their parts, we obtain the following objectives:
1. Minimum damage to persons and property
2. Protection of the health and safety of the workplace forces
3. Reducing environmental pollutions

Articles of the protection regulations of the construction sites:

Article 198: demolition should start from the top class and terminates to the lowest floor of the
building, except in specific cases, demolition is done at one time and using explosives in the
foundation, and as remote complying with all the relevant safety precautions and regulations and
obtaining the necessary permits, or is done by dragging with the cable and overturn, or through
tapping by weight fluctuations.

Article 202: the demolition of parts of the building which leads to sudden demolition and loss of
other parts of the building should be avoided.

Article 192: before demolition begins, all parts of the building which must be destroyed should
be inspected closely and if there is danger and loss, precautionary measures must be taken such as
the installation of piles, shield and retaining temporary.

3.0 BALLING MACHINE

The choice of demolition technique will depend on the nature of the building or structure,
type of construction, materials used, its height and free area after demolition. Risks to the public,
operatives involved in the demolition process and adjacent structures and buildings should be
considered.

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 Faculty of Engineering
FacultyTechnology
of Engineering Technology
Semester 1, Session 2018/2019
Semester 1, Session 2016/ 2017

Demolition techniques may be categorized as:-

 Piecemeal demolition, using hand-held tools
 Mechanical method by
o Hydraulic crusher with Long Boom arm
o Wrecking Ball
o Pusher Arm
o Wire Rope Pulling
 Explosion
The wrecking ball application consists of a crane equipped with a steel ball. The destruction of
the building is by the impact energy of the steel ball suspended from the crawler crane. The
wrecking ball operates outside the building. This method is suitable for dilapidated buildings, silos
and other industrial facilities. However, the operation requires substantial clear space. The
application also demands high level skill operators and well-maintained equipment

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
To demolish roofs and other horizontal spans. It demands a great deal of skill from the crane
operator.

The wrecking balls are still used when The height of a building that can be
demolition may not be possible due to local demolished is limited by crane size and
environmental issues or asbestos/lead building working room; however, buildings as high as
content. 20 stories have been demolished.

.
Figure 1.1: Example of a balling machine
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 Faculty of Engineering
FacultyTechnology
of Engineering Technology
Semester 1, Session 2018/2019
Semester 1, Session 2016/ 2017

3.1 Application Criteria

The recommended criteria for the use of wrecking ball are presented in the following:
 Recommended techniques for the wrecking ball operations include:
o Vertical Drop - free falling of the wrecking ball onto the structure;
o Swing in line - swinging of the ball in-line with the jib.
 A second dragline will normally connect to the ball horizontally to control the ball motion.
The ball shall be swung into the building. The ball shall strike at the top of the member so
as to avoid the member from falling outside the building.
 Slewing the jib is not recommended. The motion of the ball by slewing the jib is difficult
to control. It demands expert knowledge of the machine and structure as well as operating
skills to safely perform the task. Slewing can potentially induce a tremendous amount of
stress on the jib, as such, its use shall be avoided;
 The jib or boom shall be operated with not less than 3 m above the portion of the structure
being demolished;
 Clear space for operation between the crane and the structure being demolished shall be
50% of the height of structure, the clear distance between the site boundary and the building
to be demolished shall not be less than 50% of the building height plus an additional 6 m
for the crane to maneuver, this criteria shall apply to all sides of the building to be
demolished by wrecking ball;
 The demolition ball shall be connected with swivel type anti-spin device to prevent twisting
and tangling of the wire during operation;
 The wire and boom of the machine used for balling shall have a rated capacity, at the
working radius, of at least 5 times the weight of the ball;
 The strength of the wire shall be at least twice the tensile strength of the nominal steel
reinforcement of the floor slab and beams. The high strength wire allows the pull out of
the wrecking ball from potential traps;
 To ensure that the crane is in good condition, the wire connecting to the ball, the boom
components and connecting pins shall be inspected twice daily;
 A sufficient length of the wire shall be provided to allow the ball to drop to the lowest
working level plus an addition of 10% of the wire length and no less than 3 drums. For
swing in-line method, there shall be sufficient length of the dragline wire to allow the ball
to fall in the event that the ball is entangled with the falling debris;
 The operation shall not be performed adjacent to overhead power lines;
 The site shall be entirely fenced off to forbid public access. A 24-hour security guard shall
be assigned to the site to enforce the access restriction; depending on the relative location
between the fence and the building, and fence shall be designed to withstand accidental
impact by the wrecking ball;
 During the use of the demolition ball, except for the crane operator and the spot person, all
other workers shall be kept away from the demolition ball’s working radius. No body shall
stay inside the building;
 To minimize the dust impact on the surrounding area, the structure to be demolished shall
be pre-soaked with water before demolition. Water spraying shall continue on the structure
during demolition;
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 Faculty of Engineering
FacultyTechnology
of Engineering Technology
Semester 1, Session 2018/2019
Semester 1, Session 2016/ 2017

 Since the safety and success of the project depend highly on the operator and site personnel,
the operator must have proven experience and skill for operating the wrecking ball to the
satisfaction of the approval authority; and
 A spot person shall be on site during the operation to assist the operator and to ensure site
safety. The spot person shall have extensive knowledge and experience in the use of
wrecking ball. The qualification and experience of the spot person shall be equivalent to
those of the wrecking ball operator.

3.2 Problems in Demolition of Buildings

The problems which may arise while carrying out the building demolition are accidents due to
persons falling from high, unprotected workplaces and through openings. Accidents also can
happened due to persons being struck by falling objects. Next, the building collapsing suddenly
and unexpectedly may cause death of the workers. The insecure materials in or on the structure
could be such a problems too, thus preventive measures cam be implied such as catchfan and catch
platform. Exposure to dust, chemicals, and noise influence the occupational health. Demolition of
buildings involves various demolition activities which cause influence on the environment which
ultimately give rise to pollution.

3.3 Safety Precaution

Because the wrecking ball is connected to the crane via a chain, care must be taken when
operating it to control the direction of its swing. Missing the target can often lead to the crane being
overturned by the force of the ball’s swing. In some cases, the operator may even accidentally
cause the ball to strike the control cabin of the crane, leading to severe injury or death. For these
reasons, the area must be cleared before demolition operations begin and all crane operators must
be fully trained in how to use a wrecking ball.

4.0 CONCLUSION

It is concluded that before carrying out any demolition works, building survey must be done
carefully, so that it may not cause any severe damage to the environment, public and adjacent
properties around the building which is to be demolished. Any type of building to be demolished,
its method depends upon various factors such as site condition, type of structures, age of building,
height of building and economy and most important its location with presence of its surrounding
with its structural stability. Controlled demolition of building is necessary to ensure safety of both
the workers and the surroundings so as to cause least amount of injuries and accidents. The
procedure of demolishment should be carried out with the aim of minimizing the risks of causing
damage to persons and properties of the public, endangering the health and safety of site personnel
and damaging the environment.

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 Faculty of Engineering
FacultyTechnology
of Engineering Technology
Semester 1, Session 2018/2019
Semester 1, Session 2016/ 2017

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Alhamdulillah, we praised to Allah S.W.T. for giving us opportunity to complete this group
assignment. We would like to thanks our lecturer, Sr Abd Sukor Bin Sarif for his time and
contributon in helping us completing this task. By doing this assignment, we gained lots of
knowledge and found exciting new facts about demolition works in Malaysia and other countries.
We also want to thanks Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia for allowing us using facilities and
utilities such as internet, library and classes for us to search for information and completing this
task. Lastly, we would like to thank our classmates and friends for guiding us throughout the
process of completing this assignment.

REFERENCES

A. SOBOTKA, A. RADZIEJOWSKA, & J. CZAJA. (2015). TASKS AND PROBLEMS IN

THE BUILDINGS DEMOLITION WORKS: A CASE STUDY. Archives of Civil
Engineering.
Foruzesh, H. (2016). Study of the causes of deterioration and new methods of demolition of
concrete and metal structures. International Academic Journal of Science and
Engineering, 11-22.