America's infrastructure is aging. Nearly every day there is news story on a transportation or utility system that has been kept in operation dangerously beyond its allotted time of public service. Aging tunnels, bridges, power plants, water systems, railways, airports, ports, electric, gas and oil distribution systems are all part of America's economic and public infrastructure that need replacing or upgrading now or in the near future. One of the delays in replacing worn out or sub-standard public infrastructure is the cost. Replacing an existing structure or public utility system often times costs much more than what it took to build originally even with more than generous adjustments for inflation and today's cost of doing business. One of the main reasons is that not only does the new structure need to be replaced but the old one needs to be removed and disposed of properly. Besides cost, another factor that affects upgrades to aging public infrastructures is whether there is sufficient know-how and the proper technology available to effectively complete the upgrade project within time and budget. Rome was not built in a day just because of cost, but also because the building technology and public systems that needed to be developed had to evolve over time in order to make Rome the center of Western Civilization. Fortunately, progress is being made in construction technologies that has helped speed up and reduce the cost of infrastructure replacement. One such area is confined space demolition. Many of the structures and systems that need replacing are also ones that cannot be easily accessed for efficient and effective removal and replacement. Tunnels with limited access, bridges over roadways, underground utilities, and structures located in densely populated or critical business centers are just a few examples of infrastructures that can't be just blown up and hauled away before they are replaced. That's where the need for confined space demolition becomes so important in the process of rebuilding aging infrastructure. Modern day equipment manufacturers have come up with some innovative solutions to the demolition and removal of structures with limited space and access. Equipment used in confined space demolition must be small, powerful, easy to operate, and versatile. To quote Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer, they must be able to "float like a butterfly but sting like a bee". Easy to get in and move around but also powerful enough to demolish anything in its way. Robotic remote controlled demolition equipment is the solution to confined space deconstruction. Equipment such as the Brokk line of 50, 90, 160 and Brokk 180 are remote controlled which insure worker safely, but also contain powerful hydraulic fumeless systems that can break, crush, shear, drill, and rip through concrete, rock, or metal with surgical precision. Most confined space demolition equipment also comes with a variety of attachments which makes them very versatile in tight spaces where it is not easy to move equipment in and out of the construction area. Breakers, crushers, drills, buckets, grapples, shears, scabblers, and sorters are some of the attachments used depending on the demolition job. For example, a crusher is a tool that can break concrete structures, while a shear can handle the cutting of pipes, steel beams and wire. Once material is cut, crushed or dismantled, buckets and grabbers are used to separate, sort and segregate the debris so they can be selectively removed or recycled.
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