Where to Use Crackamite?

Applications of Crackamite

Industry Sectors

  • Demolition Contractors
  • Road Construction
  • Tunnelling Work
  • Blasting Contractors
  • Do-it-yourself Enthusiasts
  • Stone and rock Quarries
  • Marble, Granite, Limestone Mines
  • Agriculturalists and Farmers
  • Civil Engineering
  • Foundation Engineering
  • Mining Companies

Application Areas

  • Quarrying of marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, etc.
  • Stone cutting and splitting for sizing
  • Stone, boulders and rock removal
  • Levelling rock substrate for road works
  • Excavating trenches for pipe-laying
  • Underground excavations in rocky strata
  • Demolition of concrete or reinforced concrete objects
  • Demolition of foundations
  • Demolition of tiled and refractory structures
  • Demolition of breakwaters or jetties
  • Demolition of concrete concrete poles, towers, walls, etc.

Crackamite provides the most technically suitable and cost-effective solution in:

  • Restricted demolition of stone and concrete structures where nearby structures must be protected from vibration generated by explosions
  • Pre-splitting of stone formations, to create isolated blocks that can then be more easily demolished and removed
  • Cutting blocks of marble, stone and granite more economically than that of the traditional wire saw method
  • Excavations and demolition of stone or concrete structures where the use of explosives would be expensive due to long operating times, special transport, storage, handling precautions and the need to comply with public safety regulations.

Special Benefits of Crackamite for Mining Industry

  • Production can be significantly increased using Crackamite for mining operations, as there are no safety problems associated with blasting
  • The dimensions of the block can be easily controlled with Crackamite as its extremely targeted and there is no waste to deal with.
  • Mining operations can be conducted in a working environment unhampered by flying debris or dust. No post blasting cleaning up is required.
  • Efforts are concentrated on exploiting the ore or precious stone-bearing reef - a factor that is most important in marginal situations.
  • Crackamite is ideal for the mining of emeralds and other precious and semi-precious stones, as it does not destroy or break the brittle material, it only cracks the surrounding stones.
  • Shelf life of Crackamite is long depending on the storage conditions, i.e. humidity, ambient temperature etc. thus obviating problems associated with out-of-date material, as may be the case with explosives and detonator fuse.
  • Hoisting operations can be minimized when using Crackamite, significantly reducing electricity and maintenance costs.
  • Mines employing only Crackamite do not need to evacuate personnel from the quarry before blasting. Labour can therefore be more productively and cost-effectively employed, thus safeguarding jobs and time.
  • No machines / equipments are damaged because of the blasting and resultant flying debris.
  • Crackamite saves industries costs by providing all-round saving, particularly in the areas of labour, winching, electricity maintenance and cleaning.
  • Mine safety is promoted because there is no danger of underground fire caused by explosives or igniter cord. There is no post-blast caused by misfires. Mine safety is further enhanced since the disturbance of the surrounding rock is minimal as there is no concussion or vibration and there are no blasting accidents.
  • Heavily dangerous areas are mineable utilizing Crackamite due to its inherent capabilities.

Special Benefits of Crackamite for Demolition Work

  • Eliminates noise, flying debris and vibration caused by blasting or heavy mechanical equipment and machines
  • Increases the productivity of mechanical demolition equipment since it does the major breaking up work
  • Cracking and splitting can be extremely controlled and targeted including sequential breaking
  • Minimizes risk in high exposure situations such as rock or concrete excavation adjacent to rail lines, fibre optic cables, pipelines, etc.
  • Works well in underwater area in difficult conditions for demolition work
  • Saves time in shutdown conditions where work has to be stopped for certain periods
  • Eases the removal where impact force is limited by specifications
  • Makes removal in confined spaces easier
  • Accelerates removal time once fracturing occurs
  • Requires no licensing or storage security
Comparison of Crackamite with other demolition methods
Type of
Demolition Agent
Demolition/
Breaking Power
Conditions created at the work site Protection needed
at job site*
Economy*
Noise Ground Vibration Dust/ Gas Flying particles Safety
Explosives (Dynamite) Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High Very Low Very High Very High
Explosives (Concrete Cracker) High High High Very High High Low Very High High
Rock breaker Low High Low Low Very Low High Low Low
Hydraulic Splitter High Low Low Almost Nil Almost Nil High Low Very Low
Crackamite High Nil Nil Almost Nil Nil Very High Almost Nil High