Insights
Method, equipment and technique notes.
Practical writing for the people who specify, procure and deliver specialist demolition. Method explanations, equipment notes and the kind of detail that doesn't fit on a service page.
The insights below are the working notes behind GNAT UK's delivery — comparisons between methods (hand lancing vs. robotic hydrodemolition, wire sawing vs. mechanical breaking), equipment selection across the Brokk and Husqvarna ranges, environmental controls for COMAH and ATEX-zoned sites, and the structural reasoning behind top-down deconstruction. Each piece is written by a member of the GNAT UK team who delivers this work on site, not by a marketing department reading specs.
Use them as briefing material — when you're shaping a method statement, defending a method choice in a design review, or trying to work out whether a given technique is worth pursuing for your scheme.
Method · 11 July 2025
Hydrodemolition — A Case for Hand Lancing
Robotics first, always. But in confined or irregular spaces where robotic access isn't viable, controlled hand lancing keeps the work moving — with the same commitment to safety and efficiency.
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Method · 30 April 2025
Smarter Demolition: How Robotic Methods Cut Waste, Cost and Disruption
Robotic demolition isn't just high-tech — it's a smarter way to build, break and move forward. Targeted precision, more material recovery, low-emission, less disruption.
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Method · 19 October 2023
Robotic Pile Deconstruction with the Brokk 60
Brokk 60 robots are craned into foundation pits to peck away surplus concrete from piles, leaving rebar exposed and ready for new steel.
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Method · 23 June 2023
Large-Scale Facade Retention with Top-Down Deconstruction
Facade retention paired with top-down robotic deconstruction preserves architectural heritage while enabling fast, low-disruption interior rebuilds.
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Method · 16 February 2023
Abrasive Cold Cutting for Volatile Pressure Vessels
High-pressure hydro-abrasive cutting on track-based manipulators safely deconstructs volatile chemical vessels with no spark or heat risk.
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Method · 30 December 2022
High-Reach Confined Space Demolition with Husqvarna DXR140
A Husqvarna DXR140 fitted with a high-reach boom and hydraulic pecker broke out tall basement ceilings and concrete beams in a restricted-access factory.
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Method · 30 December 2022
ERGO Hydrodemolition for Biomass Boiler Refractory Removal
The Aquajet ERGO system mounts to standard scaffolding to remotely strip refractory inside biomass boilers and kilns four times faster than hand lancing.
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Method · 21 August 2022
NALTA Remote Hydrodemolition System for Smaller-Scale Jobs
The NALTA system replaces hand lances with a remote-controlled oscillating lance, working flat or curved surfaces down to a 400mm radius.
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Method · 7 March 2022
UK Highway Renovation: One-Stop Specialist Demolition for Civils Maintenance
Robotic demolition, diamond sawing, cold cutting and hydrodemolition delivered as one-stop solutions for highway maintenance — roads, bridges, parapets and slipways.
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Method · 5 March 2022
Stitch Drilling Reinforced Concrete Foundations in a Confined Area
Hilti stitch drilling cuts reinforced concrete foundations into manageable blocks, lifted out on an A-Frame for removal — confined-space, low-vibration.
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Method · 5 March 2022
Brokk 800 with Atlas Copco Steel Shears: Girder & Trunking Removal
Brokk 800s with Atlas Copco steel shear attachments cutting through chunky girders, metal trunking and conduit on factory decommissioning.
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Method · 28 February 2022
Bulk Hydrodemolition on Coastal and River Dockyards & Jetties
Aquajet and Conjet robots with boom extensions accurately remove defective concrete from jetty decks, sides and undersides — even in changing North East coast weather.
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Got a brief that doesn't fit a category?
If your scheme has unusual constraints — access, structure, environment — that's exactly the work we're set up for.