Case study: dismantling of five damaged houses in Hostomel (17,700 m²) January - March 2023

Location: Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine
Project timeline: January–March 2023
Scope: demolition of five buildings totaling 17 700 m²; sorting and processing of construction waste

1. Background and Objectives

In the center of Hostomel stood five residential buildings damaged by combat operations that required fast and safe demolition. The client needed not only to clear the site for subsequent reconstruction but also to optimize costs for waste disposal and for obtaining secondary building materials.

Main project objectives:

• Carry out a staged demolition of the buildings using specialized equipment;
• Perform separate collection and sorting of waste;
• Ensure environmentally safe disposal of asbestos;
• Obtain ready-to-use fractions of building materials for reuse;
• Minimize overall logistics and disposal expenses.

2. Resources and Equipment Used

• Excavators (Volvo EC300D, LiuGong 922E) — for the staged demolition and loading of debris;
• Jaw and vibrating crushers — for crushing and sorting material fractions;
• Team of operators and sorters — 16 specialists for manual separation of metal and wood;
• Certified asbestos hauler — for safe disposal of hazardous waste.

3. Implementation Stages

1. Preparatory works
   — site marking, fencing, and arrangement of technical access roads;
2. Demolition of utility connections
   — shutdown and removal of water, sewer, electricity, and gas lines, plus dismantling of pipes and cables;
3. Roof demolition
   — dismantling of roof structures and removal of roofing materials for sorting;
4. Wall and floor slab demolition
   — staged destruction of inter‑floor slabs and exterior walls with an excavator;
5. Foundation demolition
   — breaking up of slab foundations and dismantling of reinforced concrete remains;
6. Metal scrap cutting
   — mechanized cutting of rebar and steel beams into transport‑sized pieces;
7. Sorting of construction debris
   — separation of brick, concrete, wood, plastic, and other materials;
8. Asbestos disposal
   — bagging of asbestos sheets into special containers and transfer to a certified disposal facility;
9. Crushing and removal
   — loading sorted fractions into crushers, producing finished gravel and sand‑gravel mixes, and transporting them to storage or directly to customers.

4. Project Results

• Full cycle of works: from utility disconnection to a clean site — 2.5 months of demolition;
• Sorting and processing: 100 % of construction waste was sorted;
• Asbestos: ~10 % of total mass safely disposed of;
• Finished fractions: 90 % of crushed materials delivered for reuse;
• Cycle completion: 2.5 months including crushing and removal.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

1. Cost optimization for disposal: separate collection reduces mixed‑waste hauling fees and allows fractions to be sold at better rates.
2. Expense reduction: crushed gravel and sand‑gravel mixes are ready for reuse in temporary roadbeds and other applications, offsetting part of the demolition costs.
3. Efficient stage planning: a phased approach enables rapid redeployment of equipment between tasks and minimizes downtime.
4. Safe handling of hazardous waste: proper asbestos management reduces penalty risks and ensures compliance with health standards.

LLC “BK Demontazhnik” provides professional house demolition services of any complexity and structure — a full turnkey solution from site preparation to waste removal. We operate with our own specialized equipment and experienced operators. Available 24/7.