Standard
Track updates
AS 2601:2025
[Current]The demolition of structures
AS 2601:2025 specifies requirements and recommendations for the demolition of the loadbearing parts of a building
Published: 06/06/2025
Pages: 64
Table of contents
Cited references
Content history
Table of contents
Header
About this publication
Preface
1 Scope and general
1.1 Scope
1.2 Normative references
1.3 Terms and definitions
1.4 New designs and innovations
2 Site investigation
2.1 General
2.2 Desktop study
2.3 Site inspection
2.4 Reporting
3 Demolition risks and hazards
3.1 General
3.2 Work health and safety
3.2.1 General safety of work areas
3.2.2 Essential services
3.2.3 Emergency contacts
3.2.4 Temporary electrical installations
3.2.5 Lighting
3.2.6 Access and egress
3.2.7 Fire protection
3.2.8 Mobile plant and equipment
3.2.9 Falling materials
3.2.10 Dust control
3.2.11 Noise control
3.2.12 Hazardous substances or materials
3.2.12.1 General
3.2.12.2 Hazardous substances management plan
3.2.12.3 Handling and storage of flammable gases and liquids
3.2.13 Cutting and hot works
3.2.14 Working in confined spaces
3.2.15 Isolated and remote worksites
3.3 Public health and safety
3.3.1 General safety of public spaces
3.3.2 Fencing, hoardings and signage
3.3.2.1 General
3.3.2.2 Security fencing and exclusion zones
3.3.2.3 Hoardings
3.3.2.4 Signage and warning notices
3.3.2.5 Demolition exclusion zones
3.3.3 Perimeter scaffolding
3.3.4 Overhead protection structures
3.3.5 Traffic management
3.4 Environmental protection
3.4.1 Sewers, drains and watercourses
3.4.2 Flora
3.4.3 Native fauna
3.4.4 Vermin
4 Demolition work plan
4.1 General
4.2 Content
4.2.1 General
4.2.2 Site establishment
4.2.2.1 Essential services
4.2.2.2 Temporary works
4.2.2.3 Exclusion zone
4.2.2.4 Hazardous substances
4.2.3 Pre-demolition activities
4.2.4 Methods of demolition
4.2.5 Change management processes and timelines
4.2.5.1 General
4.2.5.2 Minor changes
4.2.5.3 Major changes
4.2.5.4 Emergency changes
5 Site establishment and pre-demolition activities
5.1 Onsite supervision
5.2 Site establishment
5.2.1 General
5.2.2 Securing the site
5.2.3 Site inductions
5.2.4 Amenities and first aid
5.2.4.1 General
5.2.4.2 Amenities
5.2.4.3 First aid
5.2.5 Personal protective clothing, equipment and devices
5.3 Pre-demolition activities
5.3.1 Service scanning
5.3.2 Removal of hazardous materials and substances
5.3.2.1 General
5.3.2.2 Removal of asbestos
5.3.2.3 Removal of liquid and gaseous waste
5.3.2.4 Dust hazard
5.4 In situ materials and unexpected finds
5.4.1 General
5.4.2 Hazardous materials and substances
5.4.3 Soil and ground contamination
6 Demolition methods
6.1 General principles
6.1.1 General
6.1.2 Stability of the structure
6.1.3 Loading on floors and slabs
6.1.4 Loading against walls
6.1.5 Protection of openings
6.1.6 Glass
6.1.7 Weather
6.1.8 Access and egress routes
6.1.9 Use of lifts during demolition
6.2 Sequence of demolition
6.2.1 General
6.2.2 Removal of demolished materials from structure
6.2.3 Cutting and lowering of large members
6.2.4 Management of waste material from site
6.2.5 Making the site safe
6.3 Manual demolition
6.4 Mechanical demolition
6.4.1 Mobile powered plant and equipment
6.4.2 Load shifting equipment
6.4.3 Crane and demolition ball
6.5 Induced-collapse demolition
6.5.1 General
6.5.2 Pulling with ropes or chains
6.5.2.1 General
6.5.2.2 Ropes and chains
6.5.2.3 Pulling mechanism
6.5.3 Direct pushing or pulling
6.6 Explosives
6.7 Burning
7 Demolition of special structures
7.1 General
7.2 Pre-tensioned and post-tensioned concrete structures
7.2.1 General
7.2.2 Demolition of prestressed structures
7.2.2.1 General
7.2.2.2 Identifying prestressed members
7.2.2.2.1 General
7.2.2.2.2 Spans
7.2.2.2.3 Slenderness
7.2.2.2.4 Soffit unevenness
7.2.2.3 Hazards
7.2.2.4 Demolition techniques
7.2.2.4.1 Pre-tensioned and grouted post-tensioned members
7.2.2.4.2 Ungrouted post-tensioned members
7.3 Damaged or ruinous buildings or structures
7.4 Lift shafts
7.4.1 General
7.4.2 Demolition procedures for lifts
7.5 Basements, cellars, vaults, domes and arched roofs
7.5.1 General
7.5.2 Prevention of flotation in basements
7.5.3 Domed vaulted, or arched roofs
7.6 Masonry and brick arches
7.7 Chimneys and spires
7.7.1 General
7.7.2 Masonry chimneys
7.7.2.1 Manual demolition
7.7.2.2 Mechanical demolition
7.7.2.3 Induced collapse
7.7.3 Steel chimneys
7.7.3.1 Manual demolition
7.7.3.2 Mechanical demolition
7.7.3.3 Induced collapse
7.7.4 Concrete chimneys (in situ and precast)
7.7.4.1 Manual demolition
7.7.4.2 Mechanical demolition
7.7.4.3 Induced collapse
7.8 Precast concrete panels
7.8.1 Reinforced precast panel walls
7.8.2 Reinforced concrete tilt-up panels
7.9 Façade retention
7.10 Storage tanks and pipelines
7.11 Maritime structures
7.12 Hazardous facilities
Appendix A
A.1 Site investigations
A.1.1 Legal
A.1.2 Structural
A.1.3 Services
A.1.4 Site
A.2 Demolition work plan
A.3 Site establishment
A.3.1 Preliminaries
A.3.2 Daily checks
A.3.2.1 Before starting
A.3.2.2 Before leaving
Appendix B
B.1 General
B.2 Contract documents
B.2.1 General
B.2.2 General Conditions of Contract
B.2.3 Special conditions
B.2.4 Plans
B.2.5 Specification
B.3 Contract administration
B.4 Other matters
Appendix C
C.1 Background
C.1.1 Historical
C.1.2 Prestressed concrete
C.1.3 Methods of prestressing
Appendix D
D.1 Introduction
D.2 Columns and walls
D.3 Roof and floor systems
D.3.1 General
D.3.2 Flat roofs
D.3.3 Steel-framed floor systems
D.3.3.1 General
D.3.3.2 Procedure
D.3.3.3 Composite steel-and-concrete floors
D.3.4 Concrete-framed floor systems
D.3.4.1 General
D.3.4.2 Slabs supported only by beams or walls
D.3.4.3 Slab panels supported by beams and columns
D.3.4.4 Slabs without beams, supported by columns (flat slabs)
D.3.4.5 Ribbed slabs
D.3.5 Beams in beam-and-slab construction
D.3.5.1 Single span beams supported on walls
D.3.5.2 Multiple span beams supported on walls
D.3.5.3 Beams framing into columns
D.3.5.4 Storage tanks and pipelines
Bibliography
Cited references in this standard