Demolition Glossary

A naturally occurring mineral fiber used as a building material until the 1990s, hazardous to health when fibers are released.

The professional removal or containment of asbestos-containing materials by certified companies in accordance with TRGS 519.

A method for anchoring excavation walls and slopes using grouted anchors or soil nails.

A reinforced concrete foundation pile constructed in the ground to transfer loads to deeper, load-bearing soil layers.

A fired clay masonry unit widely found in older buildings, recyclable when sorted by type.

A petroleum-based binder found in roofing membranes and waterproofing. May contain PAH and require separate disposal.

Berlin's state building law governing requirements for construction, demolition, and renovation projects.

An official register of all known contaminated sites and suspected contaminated areas, maintained in Berlin by the Senate Department for the Environment.

Mineral waste generated during demolition, renovation, or new construction, such as concrete, brick, tiles, and masonry.

An approved area for placing waste containers on the construction site or in public road space.

A technical measurement after hazardous material remediation confirming that no health-threatening fiber concentrations remain.

Soil contaminated with pollutants such as heavy metals, mineral oil, or other chemicals, requiring special disposal.

Germany's central waste legislation governing the waste hierarchy (prevention, recovery, disposal), essential for demolition companies.

Mechanical compression of soil or fill material to increase load-bearing capacity and density.

A specialized excavator attachment for cutting and crushing reinforced concrete structures.

A tracked excavator that is the standard machine for demolition and earthwork due to its stability and digging power.

A mechanical conveyor system for continuously moving bulk material and demolition debris over short to medium distances.

A machine for crushing concrete, rock, and rubble into defined grain sizes for recycling.

A precision drilling machine with a diamond core bit for creating circular openings in concrete and masonry.

A building material of cement, water, and aggregate that forms the largest share of demolition waste and is highly recyclable.

A soft PVC flooring that in older buildings often has asbestos-containing backing boards as underlayment.

The planned dismantling or controlled tearing down of a structure, covering all work from gutting to complete removal.

A written notification to the building authority about planned demolition work, required in Berlin for demolition projects that do not need a full permit.

An official permit required before demolishing certain buildings, applied for through the responsible district office in Berlin.

German standard for assessing the effects of vibrations on structures and people, critical for demolition and deep construction work in built-up areas.

The systematic and controlled dismantling of a structure, often aiming for maximum material recovery.

A detailed plan defining the approach, sequence, and safety measures for a deconstruction or demolition project.

A hydraulic excavator attachment used for crushing concrete and steel structures.

A handheld electric or pneumatic tool for breaking up concrete, screed, and masonry during gutting work.

A cutting tool with diamond-tipped blade or wire for precise cutting of concrete and reinforced concrete.

A plasterboard panel of gypsum with cardboard facing, requiring separate disposal as gypsum waste during gutting.

Controlled demolition of a structure using explosives, rarely used in Berlin and requiring special authorization.

The professional disassembly of building components and systems in reverse order of installation for reuse or recycling.

Collective term for all materials generated during demolition that are sorted, recycled, or disposed of by type.

An artificially created depression in the ground for constructing foundations or basements, requiring securing through shoring or sloping.

All work involving loosening, moving, placing, and compacting earth, including excavation pits and terrain shaping.

Soil material generated during digging and excavation work. Disposal depends on contamination level and classification.

The total volume of a building calculated from its external dimensions, used as a basis for calculating demolition costs.

A brand name for fiber cement products that frequently contained asbestos until 1993. Asbestos-containing Eternit requires specialist remediation.

The electronic system for tracking hazardous waste from generation to disposal in Germany.

A binding offer with a fixed total price for a defined demolition or deconstruction project, with no additional charges.

A chemical substance found in engineered wood, adhesives, and insulation that can pose health risks during gutting.

Legal protection for existing buildings built under older regulations, exempting them from current building codes as long as their use remains unchanged.

Removing all non-structural elements from a building, including interior walls, floor coverings, installations, and fixtures.

Technical measures to lower or divert groundwater during deep construction and earthwork to ensure a dry excavation pit.

All work to remove non-structural components and fittings from a building before demolition or renovation.

Temporarily lowering the groundwater table using wells to enable dry excavation pits.

Injecting binding agent suspensions into the ground to consolidate or seal it.

Legal protection for culturally significant buildings, regulated in Berlin by the Heritage Protection Act, relevant for demolition and renovation projects.

German ordinance protecting workers and the environment when handling hazardous substances, central to hazardous material remediation in demolition.

An expert investigation of a building for hazardous substances such as asbestos, PCB, PAH, and MMMF before demolition or renovation.

The professional removal or containment of hazardous materials from buildings, including asbestos, PCB, PAH, and MMMF.

Dangerous waste requiring special handling and disposal due to its properties, such as asbestos, PCB, or contaminated soil.

An excavator attachment that breaks concrete, rock, and masonry through rapid impact blows.

A Berlin regulation prohibiting the demolition or conversion of residential space without authorization.

A systematic inventory of all hazardous substances in a building as the basis for remediation and disposal planning.

Measures to protect people and the environment from harmful effects such as noise, dust, and vibrations during demolition work.

Materials for thermal or acoustic insulation in buildings that must be tested for hazardous substances and properly disposed of during demolition.

An ordinance on the safe use of work equipment and installations requiring monitoring on construction sites.

Berlin's State Office for Occupational Safety, Health Protection, and Technical Safety, responsible for overseeing hazardous material remediation.

A hydraulic excavator with an extended boom for mechanical demolition of tall buildings, typically reaching up to 30 meters.

A heavy metal found in older buildings in pipes, paints, and flashings that must be disposed of as hazardous waste during demolition.

A natural flooring made from linseed oil and jute. Older versions may have asbestos-containing backing or adhesive.

Technical guidelines of the state waste working group for the classification and disposal of mineral waste.

A licensed waste disposal facility for non-recyclable waste, classified into landfill categories 0 through IV.

Demolition work performed manually with light equipment, used in confined spaces or on heritage-protected buildings.

Industrially manufactured fiber materials such as glass wool, rock wool, and slag wool, used as insulation and requiring special disposal measures.

The planned deployment of construction machinery such as excavators, wheel loaders, and crushers for demolition and earthwork.

Mixed construction and demolition waste containing various materials that have not been separated by type.

A compact excavator up to about 10 tonnes, ideal for confined spaces and indoor work.

Mechanical or chemical treatment of demolition material to produce reusable secondary building materials.

Systematic investigation of construction sites for World War II munitions remnants, mandatory for many building projects in Berlin.

Carcinogenic pollutants commonly found in older buildings in tar adhesives, roofing felt, and parquet adhesives.

Toxic and carcinogenic chemicals used until the 1980s in joint sealants, ceiling panels, and capacitors.

The deconstruction of specific building sections while preserving and continuing to use the remaining structure.

A hydraulic attachment that crushes concrete into smaller pieces and exposes reinforcement steel for material separation.

A demolition method in which structural elements are pulled down using cables or excavators.

Driving sheet piles or piles into the ground using hydraulic or vibratory hammers.

Vibration-free installation of sheet piles using hydraulic pressure, ideal for sensitive environments.

The processing and reuse of demolition materials such as concrete, brick, and metal as secondary raw materials.

Steel reinforcement embedded in concrete to increase tensile strength, separated during demolition and recycled as scrap metal.

The percentage of demolition waste that is materially or energetically recovered rather than landfilled.

Preparing a plot for new construction by removing all obstacles such as building remnants, vegetation, and contamination.

All measures for preparing and equipping a construction site, including fencing, access roads, container placement, and utility connections.

Classification of soil types by their excavability and properties according to DIN 18300, determining the effort and cost of earthwork.

A demolition method in which building materials are separated by type for maximum recycling and recovery value.

Deep construction methods for special foundations and excavation pits, including bored piles, sheet piling, underpinning, and groundwater management.

A wall of interlocking steel profiles used to secure excavation pits and as a water barrier.

A structural analysis confirming the load-bearing capacity and stability of a building or component during and after demolition work.

Temporary support structures to secure excavation pits and trenches against collapse, such as sheet piling, soldier pile walls, or bracing.

An excavator attachment for gripping, sorting, and relocating demolition materials.

A plant that separates bulk material and demolition debris by grain size using different screen decks.

A specialized vehicle that removes soil and bulk material by suction, especially suitable for exposing underground utilities.

A leveling layer on subfloors that must be removed during gutting and is disposed of differently depending on the binder.

A load-bearing steel beam in building structures, professionally separated during demolition and recycled as scrap steel.

Removing contaminated or non-load-bearing soil and replacing it with suitable material.

Securing excavation pit walls using sheet piles, soldier pile walls, or other shoring systems.

Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances governing the handling of asbestos during demolition, remediation, and maintenance work.

Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances governing the handling of old man-made mineral fibers during demolition and remediation.

Tar-containing roofing felt from older buildings that must be disposed of as PAH-contaminated hazardous waste.

A demolition method in which a building is dismantled floor by floor from top to bottom.

A Berlin ordinance regulating the felling and damaging of protected trees on construction sites.

A licensed storage site where demolition material is temporarily stored before recycling or disposal.

The installation, renewal, or relocation of utility lines such as water, gas, electricity, and telecommunications.

Retroactive reinforcement or deepening of neighboring building foundations to ensure their stability during deep construction work.

Technical monitoring of vibrations during demolition or deep construction work to protect neighboring buildings.

A legally required certificate proving proper waste disposal, particularly for hazardous waste from demolition work.

German ordinance regulating the documentation of hazardous waste disposal through disposal certificates and consignment notes.

Classification of waste and soil material by pollutant content, determining the permissible recovery or disposal method.

A mobile construction vehicle with a front bucket for loading, transporting, and moving bulk and demolition material.

Chemical substances for protecting wood against pests and fungi. Older preservatives may contain highly toxic substances such as PCP and lindane.

A demolition method using a wrecking ball suspended from a crane, now rarely used.

An ordinance governing safety and health requirements at workplaces, including demolition sites.

The German implementation of the European Waste Catalogue with six-digit codes for all waste types.

A six-digit code per the Waste Catalogue Ordinance that uniquely identifies each waste type and determines the disposal route.