Project Details
Granite rock breaking using GeoBreak Expanding Grout next to house– located West Vancouver, BC – completed May 2019
Scope of the Project
- Use non-explosive alternative (GeoBreak Expanding Grout) to break rock next to home
- The rock that required removal was less than 8’ to house making traditional blasting pose a risk
The home owner was planning to add a deck next to their home where an existing rock face was that required removal for the deck installation. West Vancouver’s geology often presents harder rock conditions where rock breaking using a machine poses a challenge when only a smaller machine is accessible to the job site. Smaller machines with small peaker attachments do not have the strength capabilities to move component rock becoming inefficient. Whereas a 20T machine may have better luck removing rock. However, it often becomes a judgement call for contractors to attempt to break rock by mechanical efforts before resorting to other methods. For this project, GeoBreak’s Expanding Grout was used to break the rock to aid the use of a handheld jackhammer and allow hand removal with steel bars. Expanding Grout consistently produces predictable results while eliminating the risk related to flyrock and vibrations from traditional blasting when in close proximity to structures.
Which GeoBreak Products Were Recommended
GeoBreak Expanding Grout Type II was recommended to break the granite on the home owner’s property.
Expected Outcome
The expected outcome of using GeoBreak Expanding Grout was to fracture and weaken the rock to provide aid for the use of a handheld jackhammer reducing stress on the bit.
Actual Outcome
GeoBreak Expanding Grout heaved apart the rock where a jackhammer broke to smaller pieces. A steel bar was used to pry open the rock in areas near the last few rows of drill holes where there was less relief.
Final Thoughts From The Project Contractors
We collected information at a trade show related to GeoBreak Expanding Grout given the services we provide are throughout the lower mainland, West Vancouver to Squamish we often come across rock. With this project being very close to a home that required rock removal we thought we would give GeoBreak’s Expanding Grout a try. A few boxes was all that was required for this project. Drilling near the end of the week and allowing for the Expanding Grout to do its thing over the weekend for us to check on the broken rock on Monday. There is a bit of a learning curve granted that all rock is different. Moving forward we know have experience with GeoBreak’s Expanding Grout which adds another tool in our tool box for various rock removal projects.
