Smokestack dismantling device is in use all over the world

Michael Barnsteiner developed a machine for his company, MB Schornstein- und Betonabbruch in Memmingerberg, called the Drive Breaker, which allows spiral-formed dismantling of industrial smokestacks. With this solution, it's possible to work on smokestacks with diameters from 4 to 20 m. Depending on the diameter and wall thickness, it should be possible to dismantle between 5 and 10 m per day. Thanks to cylinder-type rollers, the special-purpose dismantling equipment can move on cross beam supports, rotating around the upper edge of the smokestack wall. The DriveBreaker is operated via remote control in order to ensure the highest level of safety for the service personnel. The machine is driven by either an electric or a diesel motor. A Darda CC 700 demolition tongs is used as dismantling tool; as an alternative an Atlas Copco SB 552 breaker can also be used. Smokestacks have already been dismantled all over the world with the new dismantling technology, for example at the Komsomolsk steel plant in Russia (180 m). Two reinforced concrete smokestacks higher than 160 m also had to be dismantled in Norway - the first time the machine was ever used - and in Lower Saxony.

Bauma 2010

Open-air exhibition area F6, booth N609/2

The first time the Drive Breaker was used, it had to master a 164 m high reinforced concrete smokestack in Sarpsborg, Norway. There were three steel exhaust gas pipes in the smokestack, which were thermally separated in small pieces and dropped into the respective duct on the inside. The time needed to dismantle the steel pipes was three work weeks.
So that dismantled material did not remain lying on the reinforced concrete intermediate platforms in the smokestack when dismantling the stack, the intermediate ceilings were dismantled (within a week) using a small remote controlled device that was dropped down into the smokestack before dismantling the stack.After dismantling the intermediate ceilings, the individual parts of the Drive Breaker were lifted to the smokestack opening and assembled there.
After a functional test, the reinforced concrete stack was able to be dismantled from 164 m down to 25 m. When doing this, the Drive Breaker was controlled in such a way that all dismantled material could be dropped inward into the smokestack.
Because the technology was celebrating its premiere at the smokestack in Norway, the amount completed per day varied between 4 and 7 m. The time needed to dismantle the reinforced concrete stack was five work weeks.

Stack dismantling in Lower Saxony

In the Lower Saxony city of Mehrum, the Drive Breaker had the job of dismantling a 160 m reinforced concrete smokestack on the property of a local power station. In detail, the smokestack was made up of three outlet channels near the smokestack opening, steel pipes in the smokestack (14 mm thick pipes) and the reinforced concrete stack (up to 25 m). A mast climbing platform was developed so that the MB technology could be installed on the smokestack opening. For this, parts of the outlet channels had to be sawed off.

The steel pipes in the smokestack were lowered into the smokestack piece by piece (12 m pieces) using a cross beam winch system inside the smokestack. The time needed to dismantle the steel pipes was scheduled for one work week. Then the Drive Breaker was installed on the smokestack opening.

The upper 10 m of the smokestack with the output channels near the smokestack opening was precisely dismantled with the Drive Breaker using dismantling chisels. The time needed to do this was two work weeks. After the very complex "top construction" was dismantled, the Drive Breaker could begin with the spiral-formed dismantling of the stack from 150 m down to 25 m. Here, between 5 and 10 m could be dismantled per day depending on the varying wall thicknesses. At the top of the smokestack, the wall thickness was 0.4 m; from 60 m onwards, it was 0.6 m. The time needed to dismantle the stack down to 25 m was four work weeks.

www.bauMAGAZIN.eu 04/10

MB SCHORNSTEIN- UND BETONABBRUCH