How can I demolish this bunch of stuck together slabs for removal with basic tools?

[David_DIY_idiot]

Disclaimer: I'm useless

I've managed to get the area that needs lifted loose as a big solid block (About 7 different sized slabs that are all still attached at the joints). The spade is able to lift the whole thing up so it's definitely loose from the ground.

Problem is two fold:
- it seems to be at least 2 layers of old patio stuck on top of each other with concrete/mortar between each layer so it's a bit of a beast
- I've majorly disrupted the neighbours the last couple of weeks so I don't want to push my luck with big noisy, messy tools like a rented jackhammer/breaker/stihl saw

Is there a way to break it up into a few liftable pieces for removal without annoying the street?

I've got bolster chisels and a sledgehammer but not been brave enough to start smashing it.

Should I lift it up enough to get some wood under the middle of it and bash it with the sledge? Or should I attack it with a thousand masonry bit holes? Is there a clever hand tool I'm not aware of that will help?

This shows how thick it is. God know what it's made up of.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I've got bolster chisels and a sledgehammer but not been brave enough to start smashing it.

Why not? Just do it.

 

[David_DIY_idiot]

Why not? Just do it.

It could be the obvious answer, but I'm just looking at the thickness of it and wondering if it'll work. It's probably 20cm of slab and concrete sandwich, so wondering if I can weaken it a bit before I go swinging. Angle grinder or some unusual drill bit i haven't thought of? Probably overthinking it!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Well you'll never know unless you try ....

 

[JohnD]

If you get a pick under the edge, you can lift it and it will crack.

 

[mikeey84]

Just hit it with the sledge.

You will lose faith that you are doing anything but scratching it, then all of a sudden it will start to crack

 

[Deluks]

As above. Give it the Peter Gabriel treatment.
A giant piece of concrete of just lots of little pieces stuck together.

 

[conny]

Raise it off the ground with a pickaxe/shovel and wedge a piece of old concrete/brick underneath.
With your sledgehammer, swing it down with full force on a piece of the concrete that is NOT ABOVE the wedge. Take it small pieces at a time. The vibrations may also send shockwaves through the rest of the block, causing it to weaken as you work on it.
The important thing is to raise it off the base it is laying on. This will give it room to fracture and break off. Take frequent breaks to rest your muscles, otherwise your efforts will diminish if you are aching. Set yourself small goals, such as breaking away a section 6" wide across that piece under the shovel. (Do NOT use the shovel as the wedge as it may spring up and hit you! Use a separate block underneath the piece you are working on).

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

You could wreck your body with a sledgehammer. Or just get one of these...

Titan TTB811DRH 16.4kg Hex Shank Electric Breaker 230V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Adjustable auxiliary handle for increased comfort and enhanced control. Supplied with a pointed chisel, flat chisel and a carry case. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Personally I find the jarring from hammering concrete pretty terrible on my joints.

Just nibble it into hand-sized chunks from a corner inwards. Easy and ready for disposal, crushing or re-use.

 

[David_DIY_idiot]

Raise it off the ground with a pickaxe/shovel and wedge a piece of old concrete/brick underneath.
With your sledgehammer, swing it down with full force on a piece of the concrete that is NOT ABOVE the wedge. Take it small pieces at a time. The vibrations may also send shockwaves through the rest of the block, causing it to weaken as you work on it.
The important thing is to raise it off the base it is laying on. This will give it room to fracture and break off. Take frequent breaks to rest your muscles, otherwise your efforts will diminish if you are aching. Set yourself small goals, such as breaking away a section 6" wide across that piece under the shovel. (Do NOT use the shovel as the wedge as it may spring up and hit you! Use a separate block underneath the piece you are working on).

Absolutely top advice, thank you.

I attacked it today and it went very smoothly. Using a crow bar with an old slab for leverage, I lifted it just enough to get a small wedge under one corner (that was the hardest part!). Then as I went on breaking it, I managed to get larger wedges further under it. Every piece overhanging the wedge broke apart with just a few full force swings from the sledgehammer.

 

[David_DIY_idiot]

You could wreck your body with a sledgehammer. Or just get one of these...

Titan TTB811DRH 16.4kg Hex Shank Electric Breaker 230V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Adjustable auxiliary handle for increased comfort and enhanced control. Supplied with a pointed chisel, flat chisel and a carry case. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Personally I find the jarring from hammering concrete pretty terrible on my joints.

Just nibble it into hand-sized chunks from a corner inwards. Easy and ready for disposal, crushing or re-use.

Probably a good idea, but it was a smallish job and I'm a big guy, so swinging the sledge off-and-on for under an hour didn't feel too bad. Let's see if I'm saying the same thing tomorrow morning

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Well done, job done then.

Perhaps I have a rubbish hammer or I'm a wimp, but I get really weird aches in my arms after hammering something hard.

I think my hammer somehow "rings". Very strange but very unpleasant.