Wrecking ball in action demolishing a concrete building

I'm not an expert by any means, but it is my understanding that the use of wrecking balls is declining, gradually being replaced by excavators and high-reach excavators. However, here's a case of a wrecking ball being used to demolish a concrete building.
My original plan was to have this channel be solely about the demolition of the hotel, and this is not demolition of the hotel, that's over with, so this channel is pretty much "completed". But this demolition is across the street, to make way for the associated "Medical Office Building", so it is related. Plus it is demolition, so it is sort of related in that respect. Call this a "bonus" video, I guess…
I recorded this back on September 17, 2015, but never had time to do anything with it until now.
This video is not endorsing or recommending, nor was it endorsed by, any business, product, or organization. The appearance of, or mention of, any person, business, product or organization in it
is not necessarily an endorsement or recommendation of or by that person, business, product or organization. This recording is of views and scenes visible to the public.

[@daughters4life55]

Legend has it he still there trying to wreck the building with the tiny ball

[@JBiggsNewJersey]

3:00 My upstairs neighbors walking around at 1 in the morning

[@chev500l8]

A building in the city in 2005 the ball went through 2 floors and the cable broke, it was found 2 days later in the basement partially buried in concrete and dirt.

[@robert3302]

Whatever they construct on that site will not be as sturdy as what they destroyed.

[@fasteddy546]

Probably not, only designed to last 30 years

[@mikes7639]

The tires cushion the boom of the crane from the wires slapping .

[@Mutts12268]

I understand why high reach and excavator attachments are now the norm but i love to see the ball in action, Takes me right back to my childhood in the 70s😊

[@robinhinson606]

It’s like watching a paint brush dry

[@davoupnya3202]

The person on dust control deserves a big raise !!!

[@stefanferk1047]

and a good water saving :)

[@randybrown8236]

@@stefanferk1047 He looks like he is standing right under the boom. I would not feel safe standing so close to the work

[@DonaldKing23]

That guy pretty precise , I would have to imagine He been doing this a long time.

[@kelvinjolley3874]

Very satisfying to watch.

[@knightlife98]

They spray the water to keep the dust down, yeah? They probably get a fine, or have to pay cleaning bills from all the surrounding buildings, if they don't?

[@lasnow805]

what i don't understand is why he does not drop the ball from a taller height, get more bang for your buck.

[@g.r.4853]

Is there a pattern to drop or swing that ball to make the structure come down quicker?

[@vincetorrez2339]

Yes,But this operator obviously doesn't know it.Lol😅

[@hairybeefman]

My God! These ball machines still exist??? So old!!

[@korvuxvh4649]

A wrecking ball is still the most efficient way to demolish a concrete and steel structure.

[@lordieshepherd]

Wrecking ball. A bit 1980's isn't it?

[@Dalinochka]

My three-year-old enjoyed this video very much

[@waverly2468]

Awesome. The last time I saw them use the "headache ball" was in 1986 in Pasadena, CA. to take down a 3-story department store.

[@KendalSmithy]

Why doesn't he swing the ball rather than just dropping it? The girder structure at the end would have been weakened much faster if he'd swung the ball sideways at it to remove the concrete.

[@katrinadimaporo1445]

1:41 Wrecking ball: me Building: school

[@waxedtaters]

it gets worse enjoy school while you can

[@0573975952]

the demolition with a wrecking ball can still be the most efficient way to tear buildings down. the problem is that you no longer have a school of efficient operators.. threfore he much easier use of high reach escavators

[@HotelDemolition]

+0573975952 I'm not an expert by any means, but when I was watching, the excavator portions sure seemed to go a lot faster.

[@templetonblake]

+Hotel Demolition skilled operators with a wrecking ball combined with the right circumstances are still efficient. the big impact of the ball or other falling weight separates concrete from steel much better than any other method. the concrete is broken up from the inside through passing its eigenfrequency. every impact method works with that, but a big and fast weight is best in it.

[@psilodump4059]

Excavtor consumes a lot more energy also. Every time the arm moves in any direction it consumes large amounts of fuel. When you use a wrecking ball you get a lot of movement for free.

[@bettyprice6316]

Lovely action, that ball must be heavy.

[@justbe4481]

This operator makes it like easy he is good

[@dariuszleszczynski5443]

Obok stoi cat 345 a ci się kulką bawią...porażka na całej linii!

[@cowswirl]

Are there much larger wrecking balls?

[@verlagdashofer5000]

This is why wrecking balls are rarely used today.. It's time consuming and not as effective as an excavator with hydraulic sccisors.

[@billybob1773]

Excavators are cheaper and safer for the contractor to use, end of story, faster no

[@TumbleTrashOfficial]

You wanna know what even faster than those machines, explosives.

[@TumbleTrashOfficial]

@Thomas Munn I know, I meant it as a joke

[@TumbleTrashOfficial]

@Thomas Munn kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKWzZZZ6md5radE

[@TheGreekPianist]

Miley Cyrus was riding it earlier

[@sovietonion72]

Thats all we think of now

[@rondierice4922]

Bruce Springsteen brought me here !

[@tiffanycobbs158]

I came in like a wrecking ball lol 😂😂😂

[@maxdickinson4206]

nice video i think the ball and chain is the best way to knock it done going down piece by piece

[@martinfox6164]

Ps, A dragline on the ball is much better for aiming the Ball as well as pulling things over- and if u have a truck tyre between the hoist rope and ball, it stops the "jerk" on recoil when the ball is dropped, less rope wear and ease on the crane wear.

[@Dwaine-ej7nm]

At that rate I bet they are still there

[@operator_since_birth7799]

I married a wrecking ball

[@tiffanycobbs158]

Lol that was hilarious 😆😆😆

[@bettyprice6316]

Do you think they would let me have a go?

[@jameslindley8318]

Good Crane Drive !! Knows what hes doing , Quicker and more efficient than High Reach/Munchers and Crane will still be going when high reach is dead

[@TungstenCarbideTempe]

Ok can you guess: which job requires a set of three steel balls?

[@MrDriftspirit]

lol, and do they have the same size!? :-)

[@xboxinmyveins3821]

They're spraying water to reduce dust?

[@luckeyee5139]

Indeed they are. You'll also find hose attachment on alot of gas/petrol/diesel cutters for that reason.

[@cccc-ru9ex]

Wreaking ball is so inefficient, they should use a grabber, hydrolic jaws, it breaks up the concrete and cuts the reinforcement steel

[@imchris5000]

yeah buy a multi million dollar high reach machine and shear or just spend 40k on an old dragline and go to work most of the time they buy the crane just for the job if you notice the fresh from auction paint

[@edoardozampetti4601]

there are industrial buildings that are very tall and the hydraulic booms do not reach them while a crawler-mounted lattice crane can have a longer boom

[@arthureverett8220]

What do they do with all that busted concrete block? Do they grind it up to make new concrete or does it get dumped in a landfill?

[@VREDFOX]

newest game from the creators of angry birds - angry balls!

[@ezio9595]

can i ask why do they spray water? to weaken the concrete?

[@HotelDemolition]

To keep down the dust.

[@jefflibby6680]

Certain dust can flame up if a source is near, water keeps the dust down.

[@kennygersin5406]

No, it cuts down on the dust

[@7th_Heaven]

asbesdos and fly ash are not good for lungs but they are useful and safe for concrete. water and mist mitigates inhalation... a problem that Turkey has been getting wrecked by for the last few months. (yes cleanup for the earthquake is still going on)

[@arthureverett8220]

A clamshell attachment may have made the steel members be easier and quicker to remove

[@peon9282]

The most effective machine is still a longfront excavator with quick coupler (Oilquick, Steelwrist, Likufix, Variolock etc) and a nice set of attachments, such as concrete crusher, steel shear, sorting grab and hydraulic hammer. You can‘t cut steel beams with a clamshell either.

[@IAmRedherrings]

Wrecking balls are scary lol along with anchors. I always feel like they're gonna come loose and fall off unexpectedly

[@peteacher52]

10:58 A tip of the cap to the designers, builders and the quality of steel in that building, that resisted such a major pounding before succumbing to the ball. In India or Bangladesh, the same building would have been down after five taps of the ball.

[@outofhere7623]

That’s a small wrecking ball, I want a big one

[@Android_Warrior]

Tell me Mr. Wrecking ball operator : are you having fun breaking stuff up? 😁 😁 😁

[@JMVvideosByDjMarty]

I guess he have^^

[@kelliskinner1929]

Seems like shears and other hydraulic equipment would be faster. Wrecking ball is obsolete and too time consuming

[@MichellesYoutubeAccount]

Was there ever a time where wrecking balls were shaped like an actual ball and not boxing gloves

[@breakcoregivesmewo0od611]

yes but the tear-drop shape is to move trough rebar more easely

[@parteibonza]

yes like in bugs bunny cartoons

[@6___________99_____________64]

Is the water used to control dust levels ?

[@HotelDemolition]

That's correct.

[@hugo795431]

Yes

[@scrap2cash712]

Why!!?

[@sandystedman8638]

At what point in demo does cable on crane get replaced?

[@martinfox6164]

I live in the UK Manchester, its impossible to get a job on the Demolition as a operator using the ball, Its not allowed here anymore.If someone in the states offered me a job in the demolition industry , id be over there in America in a flash. Im open to suggestions or help with a job.martin fox

[@ToroDelSushi]

This isn't anything like Miley Cyrus music video. 😂

[@TumbleTrashOfficial]

Getting over it with bennet foddy, crane addition.

[@christopherrodmell1694]

That wrecking ball didn’t seem very effective it took quite a bit to break some bits including that steel beam they should’ve used the biggest and heaviest wrecking ball available, one that would just crumble the roof or walls instantly

[@peon9282]

A wrecking ball is quite ineffective for anything but brick buildings. Concrete with a bit of reinforcement works too, but massive concrete takes way too long and steel has to be flame cut or cut with a steel shear.

[@rondierice4922]

Bruce Springsteen brought me here 😎

[@ferencdykstra5381]

Why are they spraying water?

[@HotelDemolition]

To keep the dust down, and prevent it from traveling all over the neighborhood.

[@michaelrhodes6730]

Why were they spraying water? To prevent sparking metal to cause a fire?

[@HotelDemolition]

They spray water to keep the dust down and prevent dust (including hazardous dust) from spreading throughout the neighborhood.

[@multiManchoo]

Painfully slow. Like waking up in the morning with a dead arm, nothing happening 😴

[@kpadmirer]

I-beams, the REAL rebar!

[@audiotron1003]

This method seems inefficient compared to the excavator with the jaw attachments

[@chrisb.4715]

Geo Thomas but most of the time you can

[@stevelinwood8362]

Luv watching this stuff!!!

[@rodelurena1470]

Lot of water wasted

[@Darmix]

That’s too collect dust and potentially hazardous particles from becoming air born

[@nocturnal6311]

@@Darmix can’t find any damn cool videos of wrecking ball clips, it’s all lame ass weak wrecking balls, any tips?

[@David-mi1tz]

Ah, so this was the D SCO FURN U OUTLET, blue building. I strolled down thanks to Street View, went for a look see and went back in time too, all the way back to May 2008.

[@HotelDemolition]

+David B Or, as we sometimes called it, the Disco Furnace.

[@vadims8742]

Starting from 12:40 it is extremely stupid. Kicking at horizontal face would break it faster. And the most efficient would be if they use their heads as a wrecking ball!

[@turbowhistle]

Payd per hours !

[@dotdankory]

That won't work because their heads are hollow

[@giannalynnwreckingco.7110]

It's a steel girder, operator is breaking the concrete off it which is easier than doing with a machine on the ground. Separate your material for processing. Simple as that son.

[@paulthomasunderwood]

His coach told him to keep his eye on the ball.🎉🎉

[@Android_Warrior]

What are the purpose of the tires on the crane, to absorb the vibrations?

[@kreigdernier9553]

Android Man i bet its a wear gurd for that bottom cable when the boom is lowered

[@weberjack5483]

Abote the noese from the Roppe

[@Wulle126]

I wonder what is the weight of the wrecking ball? It must be at least 5 tons!?

[@WAAL66]

maybe you can read this....en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrecking_ball

[@Tweeder899]

How much does the wrecking ball weigh? I feel like they should get a bigger one

[@Demoguy87]

Lol That's like a 7000 lb ball get real dude

[@arthureverett8220]

The weight of the wrecking ball is determined by the impact strength of the boom cable and the design of the boom on the crane. Too heavy of a wrecking ball would snap the the pins holding the boom together or snap the boom cable. There have been incidents where they lost the wrecking ball and they would have to fish it out of the basement. The weight of the ball determines the lean angle of the boom

[@zadeh79]

1000 to 12000lbs

[@FloatingCroc]

Seems incredibly inefficient compared to a high reach 360 with jaws

[@9trees]

From what I've seen here the ball is 4 or 5 times faster.

[@pass673]

This just seems inefficient but I can’t think of any other way to do it that eould be faster.

[@vadims8742]

I guess those morons also do not know. Search at KZbin for: demolition excavator

[@peon9282]

Longfront+The right tools (Crusher, Steel Shear, Sorting Grab, Hammer etc.) The problem is, these tools only make sense if you can change them quickly, so that you always do the right thing with the right tool. So a full hydraulic quick coupler is essential to work properly. And those couplers aren‘t very common in the US. That‘s why they often improvise and use ineffective methods.

[@2011persol]

its approx the size of witchking's flail from LOTR, (without the spikes)....

[@iiFoogie]

These people should use the demo ball and hit the pillars. Pulling and dropping won’t do much. If you hit the face of the wall, it would break and crumble.

[@carlosdelapena366]

They want to break as much as they can with the ball before it’s on the ground in huge pieces.

[@iiFoogie]

@@carlosdelapena366 They can always hit it many different ways for it to break. But they weren't doing much.

[@ccaaproduction105]

Thanks

[@douglasfolckemer7963]

In what city?

[@HotelDemolition]

+Douglas Folckemer San Francisco

[@memoufuk]

Neden TakTak kullanmıyorlar?

[@irvinwittmeier5208]

It seems like it would make more sense to aim for the uprights

[@mattdavis4701]

Irvin Wittmeier i dont think they wanna destroy it all at once. Just into little pieces and the water to keep the dust down

[@knightlife98]

Irvin, they don't shoot for the uprights, because they don't want the building/walls falling uncontrollably. If it were not in a city, they would definitely go for uprights, and what not, as long as it is safe to do so.

[@小顾-o6d]

13：46 it's Metal yeah

[@rondobson1828]

Holy shit. What a long, tedious process. Much quicker in cartoons.

[@7th_Heaven]

the bigger the demo ball the higher the liability. the smaller the demo ball the smaller the crane and the less jerk-back for the operator. this wrecking ball is not the smallest made but it is small. A large crane has hesvier ballast weight and is more costly to transport and operate. One needs to take into consideration power lines above and underground neighboring buildings and along the route there and back from the job. Plan for worst case scenarios and do things so those scenarios do not happen. Safety is best and if they are paying by the job and the company can do it with less and with materials they already own then sweet. No need go into debt over it. It is more profit in the job. With a skilled operator who understands well physics and with a competent crew much can be achieved. hazard mitigation and life safety over speed. My qualifications: Limited. But I have operated a crane in my life.

[@7th_Heaven]

15:30 to 16:35 was painful. The inner me is looking at that structural steel is valuable probably 3-5 grand that one front span new. boom lift plasma cutter use crane to stabilize and bring it down... these guys just wanted to finish the job. Don't hold it against them. also that wrecking ball is bigger than I thought

[@stefaninosole]

good good operator

[@charlesdobbs4570]

Why did I find this interesting?

[@mickmangles8000]

coz it is ...

[@nathancarson4394]

What do the tires on the crane for

[@PetzMsbt]

Protecting the boom´s surface from getting damaged by the swinging steel rope. Also very efficient when a specialist like Werner Luff from germany works with a 8 ton ball cause he need no second help rope but know how to swing it fast and permanetly: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iafNl36njZuXqM0

[@PetzMsbt]

@rats arsed , the 8 ton ball is used in the video that i had linked in the last posting; not in that shown here cause the crawler crane he use here allows only a 3 ton concrete ball.

[@brianbelton3605]

Where's Billy Ray?

[@edoardozampetti4601]

i love wrecking ball

[@wolfyboy]

why do they spray WATER on the ball and building? o.O??

[@HotelDemolition]

+wolfy boy To keep the dust down.

[@wolfyboy]

+Hotel Demolition oh, ok. so there won't be a MASSIVE dust cloud?

[@inbecilist]

to keep the balls cool.

[@HotelDemolition]

+inbecilist lol

[@wolfyboy]

+inbecilist XD lol to keep the balls cool and wet? XD

[@michaelmeyer9665]

Not alot of rebar in this one

[@lucianohellmeistermendes3116]

Que saudade do Fiori!

[@sandystedman8638]

Rivet busters in background

[@vadims8742]

Qualitatively done building! Good protected against morons.

[@franzstadelmann]

bei 2:08...der streichelt ja mit der Abrissbirne den Beton. Hat er Angst dass seine Birne kapputt geht?? Da gehört etwas meeehr "Schmakes" dahinter. Der Ausleger ist ja lang genug. Aber eben...Stunden bringen das Geld ,nicht das Tempo!

[@spark893]

Ball to small and crane operator needs to swing it harder

[@jamesorsby7553]

How is that ball too small, when I watched it tearing the building down?

[@spark893]

@@jamesorsby7553 ,must have been watching it for a while

[@jamesorsby7553]

@@spark893Yep...I watched it all the way through, and that so called "small ball" did exactly what it was designed to do...tear a building down. I'm sure that they never changed it, and I'm also sure that the building is gone by now.

[@SunnySinclair1979]

It's natural for us to love destruction.

[@seankirby2580]

Surprisingly slow and wasteful. Why not use modern hydraulic grabs? Museum technology, still in use.

[@spaghetti9845]

does not look efficient at all... seems like it can't be good for the crane either.

[@Obamaistoast2012]

Been done this way for 100 years, works just fine for taller buildings.

[@kevindomenechaliaga8085]

why do they throw water over the area?

[@TONYJUD57]

It keeps the dust to a minimum.

[@kevindomenechaliaga8085]

Now i get it xD

[@stephenriley5502]

to keep the dust down

[@robertferguson5562]

Also, don't want to breath in that toxic dust, give cancer later.

[@norms3913]

I guess Miley Cyrus came in like a wrecking ball 😅

[@collinjamieson371]

Slow very slow

[@daleearnhardt7166]

im not so sure, jack hammer wouldn't be that effective.

[@dirtfarmer7472]

It’s slow work

[@6043-x2y]

love it :)

[@cv507]

´our kültja is zedd öf De$trückschönn - söme german la visiting tv gvy?

[@BjornTheMan]

HELLL YEAAAAAAAAAAHHH

[@johnsilver4737]

Играется он с этой бабой , что-ли ?

[@SGTASMR]

that would be the so fun to do

[@joshuazwick3498]

What de water for

[@HotelDemolition]

To keep the dust from spreading too much around the surrounding neighborhood.

[@pinchpeak5203]

With all that damn noise I think the dust is the least of the neighbours concern.