I need to remove a bit of my patio that is 10 feet by 10 feet and to a depth of 2 feet.

Using the wonders of the internet I now know this is 213 cubic feet which is approximately 8 cubic yards or more than one skips worth.

It should also weight approximately 16 tons.

Given a rented Kanga and a wheel barrow to do the 20 metre trip to and from the nearest place they can drop a skip, how long is it likely to take me?

I know this is a bit vague but I need to work out how long I want the first skip for before they collect it and bring the second one. The concrete is mainly the footings for the patio which is raised above ground at the moment so unlikely to be solid (I pray) but with a fair bit of rubbish filling it.

I am thinking that if they drop it Friday afternoon they can pick it up Saturday and drop off the second one. The second one can be collected at any point the next week.

Is 8 tonnes of concrete breaking and loading in 24 hours optimistic?

Get it broken up before Friday so it’s ready to load in the skip, mates round, some wine, some cheese and the job’ll be done in no time.

+1 ^^^ stella parties rule for this sort of thing 😉

How many others to help or is it solo??

You might be overly optomistic—really depends on how thick it is and the quality/condition of the concrete. I broke up a patio that was about 10 x 12, 8 inches thick using a sledge hammer and it took me all of one day and most of another. It had wire reinforcement embedded, so that added to the task. If you could rent a jackhammer it would sure make it a whole lot faster and easier. Bottom line—it is backbreaking work no matter how you do it.

I do this sort of stuff for a living and can help. For a start the measurements that you have given equal to about 8 square yds not 8 cubic yds. Also i can fill a large skip in a day using a Kango and barrow unless it is reinforced with steel and then it is a different ball game.

How come 10*10*2 adds up to 213 cubic feet rather than 200?

And as above – get some mates round. You’re using a drill, yeah? If you think you’ll do it swinging hammers you’ll just end up hurting yourself.

Had to do something similar a few years ago. Saw a guy with a jcb working down the road and just asked Him how much for cash to cone a break up our concrete drive. Took him 30 min for what would have taken NE many days. Don’t underestimate 16 tons! I had to barrow and spread that much gravel for the new drive.

THIN concrete is a piece of cake to break up. Anything more than about 12″ thick is a nightmare as it doesn’t just break up normally. It took me and the mrs most of a weekend to break up 3 2ft cubed bits of concrete small enough to get into the back of the car (about 2 estate car loads full).

If you bring in a hydraulic breaker of some nature you might find it’s a day or two’s work, it’s the breaky bit that’s a pain, not the move to skip.

In metric the measurements are roughly 3m x 3m x .6m and thats the numbers nedded to work out volume so the OP is correct and it works out to be about 5.4m3. The area is about 9m2 x 600mm depth.

As said get some of the prep work done beforehand, lift the existing flags if there are any or smash up the existing concrete. Digging out rubble rather than earth is a real PITA and is hard and slow work, so be prepared.

Best to check with the skip company as to whats the last collection/drop as they might only work till lunch

I do this sort of stuff for a living and can help. For a start the measurements that you have given equal to about 8 square yds not 8 cubic yds.

I take it you don’t normally do the costing / quantity surveying?

10 x 10 x 2 = 200 cu. ft. (OP says 213 cu. ft. so presumably he’s using slightly more accurate figures).

There are 27 cu ft, per cu yd (3ft x 3ft x 3ft) so 7.9 cu yds – as the OP suggested!

Could you get a mini digger with a breaker in there? You can get a small machine that fits through a 700mm door way. I would get one of those and a few helpers with barrows. Diggers can be had for £40 a day on self drive. F’k hand digging that lot. That’s the reason hydraulics were invented.

Digging out soil and stone for my patio was taking me 2 days to fill a 10 yard skip. Hand barrowing 20 metres, that’s the digging and barrowing.

I reckon you will find it will be much more in terms of volume-in-the-skip. Maybe 3 times as much.

(edit) If I was to do it again I would PAY SOMEBODY!

Whatever the vol as it sits is usually 2-3 times that when dug out. 2′ is a lot of earth to move, what’s going in a swimming pool ?
How thick is the actual concrete ?
Have an angle grinder ready in case of steel.
Either way get some Radox in cos it will be back breaking.

Is the concrete really 2 feet thick- hells bells- that is a serious patio. I’d get a man and a machine, or at least hire a machine myself. Good luck!

If it is not actually 2 feet thick- go Valleydaddy’s route. Beer, blokes, picks, shovels and powertools, hydraulic machines too. What could possibly go wrong?

Pics will be needed in due course.

Can you get a grab lorry in? Will be better value for that little lot (it will be a massive volume when broken up.) Just pile it up at the front by the road and no need to lift it all into a skip.

This way you can take you time and phone the grab lorry when you are ready.

Our back garden slopes gently away from the house and is about 40 square feet. it is at ground level by the house but 6 feet above the lower garden at the far end. After the patio there is a 20 foot lower garden with the lawn and pretty flower beds.

The height of the patio and the viewing angle from the house obscure the lower garden. The result is that from the house we are looking at a 40 foot square concrete patio. I managed to barrow 12 tonnes of top soil to lay half of that to lawn which is growing nicely.

The wife has decided that she still can’t see the lower garden and I should take a 10 foot square (just over 10 feet which is why the cubic amount was a bit out) out of the corner and drop it 3 feet so we can see down to the lower garden.

This will give us half the upper garden as lawn, 1/4 as patio for BBQs etc and 1/4 dropped to a lower level giving a nice seating area looking at the flowerbeds and lower lawn while also allowing the lower garden to be seen from the kitchen window.

I hope that answers the questions about the hows and whys of what we are doing.

Can’t get a mini digger because of the garage and the steps up to the patio. Can get a Kanga or similar and fully intend to.

I am liking the idea of a ‘Bring a Barrow party’

I have taken the top layer off. Not really started digging down much and have got this lot.

I was thinking I might get away with a couple of trips to the tip in the truck (behind) but I guess not. The patio hardly looks touched yet!

Idiot. 🙄

Just wait until the weekend after next, then I’ll come down and you can get a few others over, few beers, few hours- bosh. Done.

WCA + Kango = [Not suitable for a family forum]

Just doing a bit of prep work for you.

PS Kanga is a digging tool, not an animal

can you get a grab lorry to park where the truck is? I can’t see what the surface but it might not be suitable I suppose. The bucket can then just swing over that balustrade and scoop it all into the truck. Cheaper than 2 skips and zero further effort on your part.

Are these guys on standby?

3-4 weeks ago I moved an 8 ton combination of horse manure/mushroom compost from the drive through to the raised beds I’ve built in the back garden, and 2 tons of clay back the other way.

I got the lions share done on the saturday and the last 2 tons or so done on the sunday – but I was in bits and that’s with very easy to shift stuff (ok, the clay was a pain but still diggable unlike concrete).

I don’t envy you that job…. although I presume the missus id helping lots as it’s her idea?

Grab truck won’t fit unfortunately.

Wife is doing the motivational watching. Apparently this is a vital part of the task.

A Brokk breaker is what you need. Remote control and quite small. Should be just the job. Or if money no object hire a 5 tonne excavator and operator and book a contract lift over the house to get it and the skips in. Sit back and drink champagne while the machines and operators do the work.