Soft Strip Demolition Guide: What is it?

Soft strip demolition is a popular demolition method, which is ideally suited to projects where a higher level of care and precision are needed. 

This process involves carefully removing all non-structural elements inside a building, while still preserving the main structural frame of the building. The end result is that the site is cleared, while keeping the ‘shell’ of the building intact. 

In this guide, Concrete Drilling Services’ expert team have outlined what soft strip demolition involves, why it may be selected as the demolition approach for a project, and common methods for soft strip demolition. 

Soft Strip vs. Hard Demolition

Soft strip demolition – also commonly referred to as ‘soft stripping’ or ‘strip-out’ – is a process that involves taking out internal walls, ceilings, floor finishes, fixtures, fittings and mechanical and electrical systems. Rather than tearing the whole building down, these elements are removed, and the shell of the building is left behind. 

To get a better sense of why soft strip may be chosen as a demolition method, we can compare it to ‘hard demolition’. 

In hard demolition, the building’s structural elements (e.g. concrete beams, columns, floors or facades) are destroyed using heavy machinery (commonly with excavators, wrecking balls or crushers). 

In comparison, soft strip preserves the core structure of the building, with minimal risk of damaging critical parts of the building (such as load-bearing elements). The process is completed either by hand or using light tools. As a result, this approach is much more precise, careful and controlled. 

It’s commonly used if a building is being refurbished, renovated or repurposed, for example. It is also widely used in conversion projects, particularly for historic buildings (where the original character of the building is being preserved). 

In some cases, soft strip demolition may also be used as a pre-demolition task. This allows for all the building’s fixtures (plus any M&E systems or hazardous materials) to be safely removed before hard demolition starts. 

The benefits of soft strip demolition

The main advantages of soft strip demolition include:

• Preserving the building’s frame – Soft strip demolition can take place while keeping the main frame of the building completely intact. 
• Cost-effectiveness – Compared to dismantling a full building, as less elements need to be removed. 
• Eco-conscious – As the entire structure isn’t being demolished. Furthermore, it means that some materials (e.g. metal, timber, glass and wiring) can be recycled or repurposed.
• High safety standards – As materials are removed in a very controlled way, this is a very safe demolition process, with minimal associated risks for workers. 
• Supporting renovation project planning – With soft strip demolition, project managers are left with a clean, empty shell. This means they can easily assess the building’s structure and identify any potential issues, before a renovation or conversion project starts.

Soft strip demolition methods

Usually, soft strip demolition requires a staged, incremental approach. 

An example process for soft strip could include: 

• Initial assessment and site survey – To identify what non-structural items will be removed (and to spot any hazardous materials or potential risks) 
• Selective dismantling – Starting by removing internal partitions, ceilings, floor finishes, doors, frames, lighting, M&E services and fixtures
• Disconnecting utilities – Including power, water and gas. 
• Recycling and waste management – Separating and removing (either disposing of or recycling) the removed materials.
• Concrete cutting / sawing – While not required for all projects, many soft strip demolition projects use concrete cutting techniques. These approaches can be used to precisely remove concrete floors, slabs or beams, for example. Specialist techniques can include slab sawing, wall sawing, core drilling and wire sawing. 
• Site cleaning and inspection – Then to complete the process, the site is cleaned and inspected, before being handed over to the project planners for the next steps in the process. 

At Concrete Drilling Services, our skilled team of concrete experts are commonly enlisted to support soft strip demolition. When CDS Ltd have got involved, it is usually either to use the diamond floor saw, track saw & wire saw methodology’s forming demolition/separation cuts prior to any soft or hard strip being undertaken.

To find out more about our services, or to enlist our team to support your upcoming soft strip demolition project, don’t hesitate to get in touch.