NOTE This standard governs the complete demolition and removal of entire above-grade structures, including their foundation systems, on redevelopment and clearance sites. (1.1)

NOTE Structure demolition delivers a cleared, graded pad as the start condition for a new use. It applies across commercial, industrial, institutional, and civil redevelopment, including site assembly for new construction and the removal of structures rendered obsolete, unsafe, or condemned. The work spans the engineering survey, utility disconnection, protection of adjacent property and the public, the physical takedown of the structure, debris management and diversion, foundation removal, and restoration of the site to a demolition-complete grade. (1.2)

NOTE The work of this section includes the following. (1.3)

NOTE Asbestos-containing materials, lead-based paint, PCBs, mercury, and other regulated materials must be removed under Hazardous Material AbatementHazardous Material AbatementResolves to the current edition.sync/hazardous-material-abatement and cleared before any structural disturbance occurs. The abatement-before-demolition sequence is mandated by OSHA and the EPA asbestos NESHAP and is a non-negotiable precondition for the work of this section. (1.5)

NOTE Selective or partial demolition of a structure that is being retained is excluded. (1.6)

NOTE Clearing of vegetation, trees, and surface obstructions where no structure stands is excluded and is governed by Site ClearingSite ClearingResolves to the current edition.sync/site-clearing. (1.8)

NOTE Erosion and sediment control, and the earthwork, grading, and backfill that follow demolition, are excluded. (1.9)

NOTE Erosion and sediment control measures during and after demolition are governed by Erosion And Sediment ControlErosion and Sediment ControlResolves to the current edition.sync/erosion-and-sediment-control. Earthwork, structural fill, and final grading that prepare the pad for new construction are governed by EarthworkEarthworkResolves to the current edition.sync/earthwork. This section ends at a rough-graded, demolition-complete condition. (1.10)

NOTE The owner's exposure on a demolition project is concentrated in the takedown sequence and the protection of adjacent property. A contractor without a record of comparable work is the single largest source of progressive-collapse and third-party-damage risk, which is why qualification is a gating QA requirement rather than a preference. (4.2)

NOTE The competent-person survey is the federal floor, but multistory and long-span structures fail in ways that require a structural engineer's analysis of progressive collapse and lateral stability during partial demolition. Defaulting to an engineer-sealed survey for these cases closes the most common gap between a code-minimum survey and the analysis the work actually demands. (4.5)

NOTE Vibration and settlement claims from neighboring owners are routine on demolition projects, and a claim made without a baseline record is impossible to defend or refute. A photographic and descriptive record of existing cracks, settlement, and finishes, accepted by the Owner before work starts, protects both the Owner and the Contractor from unsubstantiated claims. (4.8)

NOTE OSHA 29 CFR 1926.850(a) requires a written survey by a competent person of the condition of the structure, the possibility of unplanned collapse, and the condition of adjacent structures before demolition begins. This is a binding federal requirement with no exception for fast-track work; the survey is a contract deliverable, not an internal contractor step. (5.2)

NOTE OSHA 29 CFR 1926.850(b) requires that services be located and shut off, capped, or controlled outside the building line before work starts. Live services inside the demolition footprint are a fatal-incident and fire hazard, so the disconnection is a precondition to mobilization, not a task performed alongside takedown. (6.2)

NOTE A spec that says only "disconnect all utilities" creates a responsibility gap: many serving utilities require their own crews and lead time, and a missed coordination step stalls the entire takedown. Naming the disconnecting party for each service, and the lead time it requires, eliminates the most common schedule failure on demolition projects. (6.4)

NOTE Mechanical demolition with a high-reach excavator is the default method for structures within the reach of available demolition attachments. (7.3)

NOTE A long-reach demolition excavator fitted with interchangeable attachments — hydraulic concrete crusher or pulverizer, steel shear, universal processor, or hydraulic breaker — is the workhorse method for structures up to roughly 20–35 m (65–115 ft). It offers controlled, progressive takedown with continuous dust suppression at the attachment and is the lowest-risk choice where the structure is within reach. (7.4)

NOTE Wrecking-ball demolition may be used for masonry and concrete structures where precision is secondary and adequate crane swing radius and debris clearance exist. (7.5)

NOTE A crane-suspended steel ball, swung or dropped, is effective on heavy masonry and unreinforced concrete but offers poor control over debris throw and structural response. It is unsuitable in tight urban sites or near sensitive adjacent structures. (7.6)

NOTE Controlled explosive demolition (implosion) may be used only as a permitted alternate method, subject to the additional submittals and notifications of this section. (7.7)

NOTE Implosion suits large urban high-rises, chimneys, and cooling towers that cannot be reached mechanically, but it is highly regulated and requires permits, a licensed blaster, a sealed blast plan, pre-weakening of structural members, blast-mat protection, and public notification. Specs that treat implosion as just another contractor option without these requirements generate extensive RFIs and may require permit modifications. (7.8)

NOTE Standard excavators working on removable structural decking platforms remove the structure floor by floor from the top down. This is the method of choice on dense urban sites where debris throw and crane swing into adjacent properties are unacceptable. It transfers progressive floor-loading risk to the lower structure and demands floor-by-floor load analysis. (7.10)

NOTE Progressive floor loading during top-down demolition can exceed the design capacity of the floors below, causing uncontrolled collapse. Requiring an engineered accumulation limit per floor — rather than leaving accumulation to operator judgment — directly addresses the most common cause of demolition collapse incidents. (7.13)

NOTE "Demolish the building" is routinely bid as above-grade only, leaving grade beams, slabs, footings, and piles in place. Because the foundation removal scope is driven entirely by the future use of the site, it must be stated explicitly — the depth of removal, whether grade beams and piles are included, and how resulting cavities are to be filled. (8.2)

NOTE Where the site will receive new construction, the default is removal to 24 in (600 mm) below finish subgrade or to undisturbed subgrade, whichever is deeper. Where the site will remain open or unbuilt, a shallower break-down or leave-in-place with cavity fill may be acceptable. The selected condition governs the backfill and grading that follow under EarthworkEarthworkResolves to the current edition.sync/earthwork. (8.4)

NOTE Vibration damage and the claims it generates are a leading demolition liability. A defined PPV limit, monitored continuously at the nearest sensitive receptor, gives both an objective compliance threshold and a defensible record. The default limit of 0.5 in/s (12.7 mm/s) PPV reflects USBM RI 8507 guidance for occupied and sensitive structures; tighter limits apply to fragile or historic neighbors. (10.2)

NOTE Construction and demolition debris is the largest material stream a demolition project produces, and diversion targets are increasingly tied to LEED credits and state mandates. The plan governs on-site processing, the recycling target, and the off-site venues; concrete and metal routinely divert above 90%, so an aggregate target in the 50–75% range is readily achievable. (11.2)

NOTE Salvage conflicts arise when an owner lists items to retain without a firm cutoff date and the contractor proceeds and damages or removes them. Stating each salvage item, the responsible party, and a removal deadline with a defined consequence for missed deadlines prevents the dispute before it starts. (11.5)

NOTE On-site crushing of concrete rubble into RCA for sub-base fill avoids both disposal cost and import cost, but reuse requires that the product meet a defined gradation and abrasion limit. Gradation per ASTM C33 No. 57 or No. 67 and abrasion testing per ASTM C131 or C535 confirm the RCA is suitable before it is placed; the final fill use is governed by EarthworkEarthworkResolves to the current edition.sync/earthwork and the geotechnical recommendations. (11.7)

NOTE Implosion is the most heavily regulated demolition method and concentrates risk into a single irreversible event. The blast plan, the pre-weakening of structural members, the charge layout, and the initiation sequence shall all be the work of a licensed blaster, and no explosive material shall be brought to the site before the permits and submittals of this section are approved. (12.2)

NOTE This section ends at a clean, rough-graded pad. Final structural fill, compaction to design density, and finish grading are governed by EarthworkEarthworkResolves to the current edition.sync/earthwork, and erosion and sediment control measures are maintained under Erosion And Sediment ControlErosion and Sediment ControlResolves to the current edition.sync/erosion-and-sediment-control until the site is stabilized. (14.2)