Enhancing Performance of Soundless Chemical Demolition Agents

Abstract

Soundless chemical demolition agents (SCDAs) have been used in a variety of circumstances where other more conventional means of demolition were not feasible. When compared with conventional explosives, SCDAs are not yet economically competitive. Research was conducted on SCDAs to examine the possibility of adding an inert material (sand) to the SCDA in order to extend the material. Results show that although the expansive pressure generated by the SCDA is reduced by adding sand, reduction is not commensurate with the amount of sand added. Research was also conducted in order to determine if the workability of the SCDA slurry could be improved by adding a superplasticizer. These tests were conducted at water contents below levels where conventional mixtures were too stiff to effectively deposit them in a borehole. Results show that a superplasticizer can effectively improve SCDA workability and that the resultant expansive pressure is greater than that which is possible without the superplasticizer.