Rock Excavation
Sandstone and shale, broken with the right attachment
Rock excavation using hammers, rippers and the attachment the ground actually calls for. Sandstone across the coastal side of Sydney, shale across the Cumberland Plain, and a weathered profile above both that often rips where the rock beneath it will not. The strongest geographic association we have is the Northern Beaches.
Carried out under demolition licence AD214737
Before anything starts
Six things have to be settled first, and not all of them are ours
Most jobs that run late run late on this list rather than on the work itself. Each line says who owns it.
- 01
Geotechnical report
Who You, through a consultant
Rock level and strength. This is the single piece of information that turns a rate into a price on a rock job.
- 02
Extent and levels
Who You, through your surveyor or engineer
How much rock is actually in the design volume, as opposed to how much is on the block.
- 03
Neighbour notification and dilapidation
Who You
Hammering is felt next door. A dilapidation report before, and a conversation before that, protects both sides.
- 04
Approved working hours
Who You or your certifier
Hammer work is usually the noisiest thing that will happen on the site, and hours are commonly a condition.
- 05
Access for the machine that can do it
Who Both of us
A hammer needs a machine with the weight to hold it. On a tight block that may not be the machine that fits.
- 06
Spoil destination
Who Max
Clean excavated sandstone is a useful material rather than a waste, where it can be kept clean.
Scope
What the quote does and does not cover
Stated side by side so there is nothing to discover later. Anything in the right hand column can be added, it is simply priced separately.
Included as standard
| Item | What that means |
|---|---|
| Rock excavation | Hammer, ripper or bucket as the ground requires |
| Method reassessment | As the ground changes with depth |
| Breaking down to size | So the material can be loaded and carted |
| Trim to level | Rock faces and bases trimmed to the design |
| Cartage | Carted as it is generated |
| Dust and noise control | Suppression and working within approved hours |
Quoted separately
| Item | Why it is separate |
|---|---|
| Rock as a fixed figure | Priced by the cubic metre at a rate agreed before we start |
| Blasting | Not a method we use |
| Rock sawing or line drilling | Specialist work by others |
| Retention and anchoring | Engineered and installed by others |
| Geotechnical investigation | Consultant work, before the quote |
| Out of hours work | Where approval restricts hammer use to particular times |
The detail
What decides whether rock rips or has to be hammered
- What the rock is. Hawkesbury Sandstone is strong and generally needs a hammer once you are past the weathered crust. Shale often rips, because the bedding does part of the work.
- How weathered it is. The top of a rock profile is usually far softer than the rock beneath, and a dig can start easily and then stop.
- Which direction the bedding runs. A ripper working with the bedding is efficient. Working across it is not.
- The machine weight. A hammer needs a carrier heavy enough to hold it down. The machine that fits the block may not be the machine that breaks the rock.
- How close the neighbours are. Hammer work transmits. On a tight block the method is often chosen around the adjoining structure rather than around the rock.
- Whether the rock is wanted. Clean sandstone has value. Mixing it with soil and debris turns a useful material into a disposal cost.
What we need to quote it
- The address
- So we can look at access and what is around it
- Photographs
- One from the street and one of the work itself
- Any reports you hold
- Hazardous materials, structural, survey or levels
- Your dates
- What has to be finished by when, and what is waiting on it
We attend the site before quoting anything substantial.
The Northern Beaches is where this comes up most
Hawkesbury Sandstone over the Narrabeen Group, on blocks that are frequently steep and tight. There is a page specifically for that combination.
Before you book
What people ask about this one
How do you price rock nobody has measured?
Do you blast?
How loud is it, and for how long?
Can rock be ripped instead of hammered?
What happens to the rock?
Get a quote
Send the levels and any geotechnical report
Levels, a photograph of the frontage and a geotechnical report if one exists. The report is what narrows a rock range into something useful.
- Rock priced by the cubic metre at a rate agreed before we start
- Hammers, rippers and the attachment the ground calls for
- No blasting
Special demolition offer
Get your free demolition quote
Demolition and removal services from $15,999*. Tell us about your project and we'll help you understand the costs.
*Starting price applies to eligible demolition and removal projects only. Final pricing depends on structure size, materials, site access, location, waste disposal requirements, hazardous materials and any necessary approvals. A final quote will be provided following project assessment.