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  Chris Auld March 15, 2011 at 7:24pm

  I reckon a days work with 2 people would do it as long as your using a reasonaby strong breaker and you can just chuck it straight into a skip.
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  Peak surfacing ltd. March 15, 2011 at 7:27pm

  David i would imagine you need a big skip 16T or even a 20t skip.timescale is probably right,you dont really know how easy it will be till you start
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  David Cox March 15, 2011 at 7:47pm

  I know this is one of those "one eye covered" jobs for estimating time.

  Yea, I was fearing I would need a large skip - alot of hassle, It will keep me fit.

  Im going to go for the 3 people 1 day approach, so budget for 2 days to cover.

  This should be fun at least, in the backbreaking, I need to go home and rest a pint way.
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  Bespoke Lawncare March 15, 2011 at 8:31pm

  Hire a mini digger with pecker, remember to look out for the utility services, work out even cheaper to bring in a man with a JCB add pecker he could break it then load it into the skip, no need for extra two labourers, job done in no time and done properly.
  
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  Mick Gammage March 15, 2011 at 8:34pm

  I beg to differ there Paul as a spade steel on new concrete will bounce off the surface as its too hard, its OK on tarmac but not on concrete and especially new concrete.........but this will also depend on the depth of the concrete :)

   

  We use a 1" chisel on the end of a JCB Hydraulic Beaver Breaker Pack or better still a single tool air compressor and heavy duty breaker and make a series of holes to break the concrete into bite size pieces so you can lift them away from the edge your breaking out

   

  On jobs like this we use a 1.5 mini digger with a grading bucket and a 1 ton high lift dumper to tip directly into the skip or if the drive is short in length track backwards and forwards with the mini digger and have the first skip on the end of the driveway and the second skip on the road to then be able to remove the last bit of driveway

   

  if there is lots of space to turn 360 degrees then I would use a 3 ton mini digger as the grading bucket is larger so you can remove more concrete quicker and you have the additional power of the larger machine

   

  Either way its a 1 day job for 2 men with the above plant as having the correct machinery make the job so much easier than using one extra person to handball chunks of concrete into a skip but still leaving the leveling and tidying up by hand too
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  Andy Westacott March 15, 2011 at 9:43pm

  Just a quick thought, I have a grab lorry fella that is very skilled at lifting the last bits of waste without ripping up what lies beneath. Could you forgo need for skips and just break it up, pile it up and get it grabbed off? Might save some hassle.
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  Chris Auld March 15, 2011 at 9:48pm

  Gary you must be incredibly strong and fit and have a back made of iron if you are willing to break up a 80m2 driveway using a sledge. Im probably only half your age and i wouldnt even attempt that.

   

  Gary @ Acer Paving & Landscaping said:

  One obvious question, ( to me anyway ), is what do you expect to leave ? - The tarmac underneath ?

  Using a breaker or excavator, ( or any method for that matter ) will almost certainly leave the tarmac in a right old mess. I would think it will be a total eyesore.

  If the tarmac was old and poor you'll probably get lumps of it cominng away with the concrete.

  Secondly, IF this guy has put mesh in the concrete your life is about to get one hell of a lot harder !

  Thirdly, IF the concrete is 100mm thick this will fill about 2 x 6yd skips at least. The smaller the lumps, the less space it takes but usually a skip filled with concrete is full of voids. Whatever, it's a two skip minimum.

  Lastly, we always use an excavator to dig up concrete drives and break the concrete with a large sledge hammer. This is far, far faster than a breaker and I haven't hired a breaker in about 10 years.

  If anyone cares to argue this point my ears are shut, a breakers simply not in the same league.

  That said, if you're trying to get the concrete off and leave the tarmac:

  a. Good luck !

  b. I'd probably try a breaker on a small area and see what results you get.

  Damage aside, with a machine we would tackle this, ( as long as there's no mesh ) with one man and a machine and very likely have it done by mid-day on day one.

  If you do end up using a breaker I would guesstimate it taking 3 men 1 day, ( but it could be more ), depends how well it's stuck and how carefull you have to be.

  Seems like so many jobs mentioned on LJN illicit the response, "walk away" and this one certainly falls into that category and then some !
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  Brian www.mibservices.co.uk March 15, 2011 at 9:59pm

  80m2 is not too large area, pneumatic drill and a sledge hammer, 2 men x 1 day and 1 x 12 yard skip will do it no probs, dont use a pecker, to much damage to tarmac. Chances are the tarmac wont have been bonded treated before the crete was poured so it should come away no probs and leave the original drive "relatively complete".
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  Simon Smith March 15, 2011 at 10:59pm

  I agree about it being hard work although if the concrete is 4 inches thick I have found a 14lb sledge falling from the top of my 6'5 frame to be far more effective than a breaker. I have broken up many slabs using the same method as Gary.
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  Chris Auld March 16, 2011 at 8:15am

  I dont see the point of exhaustying yourself and wrecking your back when you can let a machine do all the work for a £40 hire. Maybe im just being lazy.