Project Details
Rock breaking of bedrock inside a basement – located in Victoria, BC – completed December 2018
Scope of the Project
- Remove bedrock in foundation without the use of permits, training, or hiring a company/individual to break the rock and remove the material
- Home owner completed entire project on his own using GeoBreak Expanding Grout
A home owner in Victoria planned on removing the rock in his foundation to create a media room in the home. The rock that needed to be broken was very hard bedrock. A majority of the rock that was intended to be broken and removed was competent rock with few joints, slips and seams, or weak zones where using a jackhammer before GeoBreak Expanding Grout is ineffective with hard rock conditions. The area of embedded rock that needed to be removed was roughly 18’ x 14’ x 2’ on average for the required drilling depths.
Which GeoBreak Products Were Recommended
GeoBreak Expanding Grout (NexPand Pro) Type II was recommended based on ambient temperature of the basement and the rock temperature.
Expected Outcome
The expected outcome of using GeoBreak Expanding Grout was to heave and crack the rock to allow for hand removal using a steel bar while using a jackhammer to break the fractured rock more efficiently once it was heaved and broken.
Actual Outcome
GeoBreak Expanding Grout broke the rock creating fractures and cracks while heaving apart the rock where the home owner could hand remove the rock using steel rebar and use a jackhammer to break the broken rock into smaller size pieces for hand removal and much more manageable pieces to handle.
Final Thoughts From The Project Contractors
Using GeoBreak Expanding Grout proved to be the preferred alternative for someone who likes to roll up their sleeves and do the work themselves without having hired help. It is not a dangerous good which allows the expanding grout to be picked up in your own vehicle if you choose. The non-explosive benefit also meant you do not need permits for rock breaking. The rock was very hard where using a Hilti to drill holes would not be effective without melting your steels. Renting an air compressor and handheld rock drill made drilling the holes much quicker and easier. After the holes were drilled, GeoBreak Expanding Grout was poured and broke the rock. After one day there was cracking and after 2 days you could remove the rock and it was broken enough to remove the material. Using GeoBreak’s Expanding Grout was a less labour intensive approach where once the expanding grout is mixed and poured, you leave it and let the magic happen. If a jackhammer was attempted to use on the rock without it being cracked, presplit and broken with GeoBreak’s Expanding Grout, you would still be sitting there putting in added hours with wear and tear on the equipment with the increased likelihood of breaking the equipment whether it is rented or your own.
