Breaking Out Driveways, Paths and Slabs

Why concrete comes out

Most concrete removal in Perth falls into three groups. Concrete that has failed — deep cracking, concrete cancer from carbonation and salt, movement or an uneven surface that has become a trip hazard. Concrete being replaced with something better — exposed aggregate, honed or coloured concrete, paving or landscaping. And concrete being cleared as part of a larger demolition or subdivision.

The work covers driveways, crossovers, paths, patios, pool surrounds, garage and shed slabs, house slabs, footings, retaining bases and old machinery pads.

Concrete cancer in a coastal city

Perth's position on the coast makes concrete deterioration a live issue, particularly within a few kilometres of the ocean. Salt-laden air carries chloride into porous concrete, chloride reaches the reinforcing steel, the steel rusts, and rust expands to several times the volume of the original metal. That pressure spalls the concrete off from the inside.

The tell-tale signs are rust staining, hollow-sounding patches, cracking that follows the line of the bar, and lumps of concrete lifting away with steel visible underneath. Once it is established it does not stop, and patching a badly affected slab is generally throwing money at it. That is a real consideration on older concrete in Scarborough, Fremantle and Rockingham.

Elsewhere, poor original mix design, shrinkage during curing, and the slow settlement of poorly compacted sand under the slab account for most of the cracking we are asked to remove.

How the work runs

A saw cut along the line where the concrete is staying, so the break stops where you want it to rather than where it feels like it. Then break-out with an excavator-mounted hydraulic hammer, or a hand-held breaker in tight areas. Steel is cut and separated as it goes. Rubble is loaded and carted to a recycler.

After removal, the base course under the slab is either graded out or removed too, depending on what is going in next. Turf and garden need the base out; new concrete usually wants it left and re-compacted.

Verge and crossover work has an extra layer. Crossovers are council-controlled, the verge is council land, and removing or replacing a crossover generally needs the council's approval and inspection. Most Perth councils also hold a bond against verge and kerb damage during demolition work.

Sand underneath makes the finish easier

The deep sand of the Swan Coastal Plain works in your favour once the concrete is gone. Sand grades easily, drains freely, and compacts predictably in layers, so bringing a stripped area back to a usable level is straightforward. Where limestone sits close to the surface in the coastal suburbs, or clay takes over towards Armadale, the levelling is less forgiving and it belongs in the quote.

Booked with the rest of the job

Concrete rarely comes out on its own. It is usually part of a house demolition, a pool removal with its surrounding paving, a garage or shed demolition with the slab included, or a site clear ahead of a build. Combining them means one mobilisation and one set of truck movements.

Ranges for concrete alongside the other demolition lines are in the cost guide. Call (08) 9516 0951 with the area in square metres, the rough thickness and how a truck would get to it.