Breaking up Septic Tank Lids (Concrete)

[Clarence Martinn]

Had 2 new risers and lids installed today. The Green plastic ones. The old round concrete lids were getting getting in pretty rough shape. So, I figured it was time to replace them , and make access a bit easier when it comes time to pump the Septic Tank out. The Septic tank guy just left the lids on the side of the Shed for me to get rid of. I figured on just breaking them up and tossing them down the Ravine in the Backyard. It's a good 20 + feet drop straight down. It could use the fill !!:D

Anyhow, what is the best way to bust these two Concrete Septic Tank lids up , so they are easier to move ? Just want to toss the pieces over the fence.

Thanks,


Clarence

[Ken Kortge]

Rent a jack hammer

[Clarence Martinn]

Round 24 inch concrete lids

[Mark Bolton]

I would say take a skil saw for wood and use a masonry blade then miter the cuts and reinforce them with concrete biscuits, remove all the parts using a fein shop vac and a large suction cup with a chain fall or some sort of block and tackle.

All of these techniques are of course to keep this post on topic with a woodworking forum

[Martin Wasner]

Lift one edge with a slid loader and drop it over another piece of concrete.

I watch an excavator do this when replacing a driveway on a job I was working on. I thought it was genius and simple.

[Jim Andrew]

Put on your safety glasses, then pick up your sledge hammer and go to work.

[Jim Becker]

Put on your safety glasses, then pick up your sledge hammer and go to work.

Yea, this is what I'd do after putting a rock under it to provide a break-point.

[Stephen Tashiro]

Anyhow, what is the best way to bust these two Concrete Septic Tank lids up , so they are easier to move ?


I don't know about "best", but an amusing way to break up concrete is to drill holes in it and use a bentonite clay product. (For example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msV1xnW3Gbc ). Of course, you need a heavy duty drill - something like an SDS hammer drill.

[John K Jordan]

Lift one edge with a slid loader and drop it over another piece of concrete.

I watch an excavator do this when replacing a driveway on a job I was working on. I thought it was genius and simple.

That's what I wood try, with the bobcat. Everyone has one handy, right? I watched a guy in a huge excavator do this with gigantic rocks once. He must have lifted them 30' in the air and dropped them on other rocks. Good clean fun.

I have also split concrete (that wasn't reinforced with rebar) by drilling a series of holes first with a big hammer drill, then using a chisel in the same drill to split along the holes. If the lid was full of rebar it might be a bigger job. Might be easier to take down a section of fence and roll the rounds into the ravine.

JKJ

[Ryan Mooney]

I don't know about "best", but an amusing way to break up concrete is to drill holes in it and use a bentonite clay product. (For example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msV1xnW3Gbc ). Of course, you need a heavy duty drill - something like an SDS hammer drill.

If its cold out you can do the same trick with just water and letting it freeze in the holes. The clay trick is certainly less weather dependent :)

[Jerome Stanek]

Round lids roll down hills why do you need to break

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

you must know somebody with a back hoe or front end loader, even a farmer. A case of beer and $100 for gas is a heck of a lot less work and far cheaper than renting a jack hammer. I once lifted a tool shed back onto it's foundation (after being knocked off by a drunk in a truck.) I did it without power machinery. A few inches at a time with a 12 ft 6x6 and a big rock for a fulcrum. Took me about 30 minutes. Depending on what reinforcing , if any, just an old digging bar can do some damage. An air chisel and an aircompressor may work, a hammer drill, You don't need a pad where you can park the car and crawl underneath for oil changes etc? Level the lid in the yard and put a park bench on it. You are only limited by your imagination.

[Matt Meiser]

No way you can handle this with anything short of a mining shovel, loader and dump truck.

[Dan Hunkele]

I keep seeing visions of Fred Flintstone. I would want to get them to the ravine in one piece. The bigger the piece the better the reaction when rolled over the edge.

[Larry Foster]

Harbor Freight Rotary Hammer.
Those things are awesome.
(Cheaper than a backhoe)
:)

[John K Jordan]

...drill holes in it and use a bentonite clay product....

Well, I've never heard of that!! Makes sense, though - the stuff swells up nicely. BTW, it's available at farm stores - I bought some at the local farmers co-op to fix a pond leak.

About the SDS drill/rotary hammer - I bought a Bosch about 25 years ago and don't know what I'd do without it. Drilling a 1" holes in concrete is nothing. Switch it to the chisel mode and carve out concrete like it is wood. Remodeling a basement bathroom I drilled the edges then chiseled out a channel big enough to run a shower drain maybe 4' in length. The hardest thing about the job was getting these old bones back up off the floor when done. :)

As for the concrete rounds in this thread, I started thinking - they could be very handy around the farm as is.

JKJ

[John Lanciani]

Seriously, it took longer to read this thread than its going to take to break the hatch covers up folks. He's just talking about the covers, not the whole tank. two minutes each with a 10lb sledge is all he needs, no heavy equipment required.

[Ryan Mooney]

Seriously, it took longer to read this thread than its going to take to break the hatch covers up folks. He's just talking about the covers, not the whole tank. two minutes each with a 10lb sledge is all he needs, no heavy equipment required.

Yeah but what's the fun in that? :D :cool:


I'm reminded of a friend who had a rather large pile of concrete from an old mobile home foundation. He had tried a number of things with minimal effectiveness... until I bought him a "house warming present" of a 12lb sledge. Within about 3 hours between the two of us we had it all broken up into moveable pieces. When I saw him the next day he said he had to get help putting his shirt on because he couldn't lift his arms over his head. So double win, everyone got a little exercise as well ;)

[John K Jordan]

Seriously, it took longer to read this thread than its going to take to break the hatch covers up folks. He's just talking about the covers, not the whole tank. two minutes each with a 10lb sledge is all he needs, no heavy equipment required.

Yes, but Ryan's thought was the same as mine!

However, I didn't see where the thickness is mentioned - does such a cover weigh 30 lbs or 130? Is it laced with reinforcement? I have zero experience with these.

Either way, another option might be for two people to just pick it up and heave it over the fence. Based on tossing hay bales I'm sure I could heave 50 lbs just by myself (unless the fence was real high!)

Ok, on three. One, two...

JKJ

[Ed Labadie]

I would start with a .44 magnum at 25 yards.

:D

Ed

[Clarence Martinn]

Well , got the job done...

6 shots on each lid, and they broke into easy to handle pieces. Tossed them all over the fence and down the hill they went !!

That Sledge Hammer worked great !!! Less than 10 minutes , and it was all done !!

[Jim Becker]

Sometimes the simplest, "stone age" tool is the best bet... :)

[Rick Potter]

I guess I am a bit slow on answering this one.

I was going to suggest putting them on CL for free. It has worked for me for anything I put on there....except for dirt, someone wanted it, but expected me to load it for them.

[Mike Null]

You might have a cement mixer truck drive over them.: eek:

When I was a kid my dad ordered a load of concrete for a garage floor. The truck backed over the septic tank and you can guess the rest.