For a demolition crew, the compressor is sized on the total of the concrete breakers working together, plus a 25 % margin. Two breakers at 1,200 l/min need about 3,000 l/min (around 106 CFM): two M 220 mobile compressors at 2.0 m³/min each, or one S 220 PM at 3.6 m³/min as a fixed unit. From three heavy breakers upwards, you need a compressor of more than 30 kW, on quotation or on hire.
The case of a single 25 kg breaker is covered in our article compressor for a pneumatic jackhammer. Here, we are talking about a crew working together, on a demolition site, in a quarry or on a concrete batching plant. The other uses of air on these sites are covered on our page compressor for concrete batching plants, quarries and demolition.
How much air does a concrete breaker use?
Consumption increases with weight and impact energy. These values are a rough guide, to be checked against the data sheet of your tools at their working pressure, often around 6 bar:
| Tool | Indicative consumption |
|---|---|
| Chipping hammer, light scabbling hammer | ≈ 300 to 500 l/min |
| 15 to 20 kg jackhammer | ≈ 1,000 to 1,300 l/min |
| 25 to 30 kg concrete breaker | ≈ 1,400 to 1,800 l/min |
Manufacturers sometimes give the figure in l/s or CFM. Our flow and pressure converter switches from one unit to the other: 25 l/s is 1,500 l/min.
Check also at which pressure the figure is given. A tool rated at 6 bar and supplied at a lower pressure at the end of a long hose will use less air but also strike less hard; the figure on the data sheet is the one to size on.
Should every breaker be counted at 100 %?
A breaker that is striking uses air without a break. A receiver does not help: it empties in a few seconds. With two breakers, count both at 100 %: they often strike together for minutes on end.
From three breakers upwards, the operators' pauses spread out: one clears rubble, another repositions, the third changes the point. Some contractors then apply a simultaneous-use rate of around 80 %. Only do so if you have observed it on your own sites. If in doubt, stay at 100 %: a breaker short of air strikes more weakly, and everyone loses time.
The step-by-step calculation for a demolition crew
Example: three 25 kg concrete breakers at 1,500 l/min and one chipping hammer at 400 l/min.
- The breakers: 3 × 1,500 = 4,500 l/min.
- Observed simultaneous use of 80 %: 4,500 × 0.8 = 3,600 l/min.
- The chipping hammer, which works intermittently, counted at half: 200 l/min. Total: 3,800 l/min.
- 25 % safety margin for tool wear and hose losses: 3,800 × 1.25 = 4,750 l/min.
- 20 % expansion margin, if a fourth breaker joins the crew: 4,750 × 1.2 = 5,700 l/min, or about 5.7 m³/min.
These are the margins our configurator applies. Without the expansion margin, 4.75 m³/min is already needed: more than two M 220 units together.
Which compressor for how many breakers?
| Crew | Requirement (25 % margin) | Recommended solution |
|---|---|---|
| 1 breaker of 25 kg | ≈ 1,900 to 2,000 l/min | 1 × M 220, 2.0 m³/min at 12.5 bar |
| 2 breakers of 20 kg (1,200 l/min) | ≈ 3,000 l/min | 2 × M 220, or 1 × S 220 PM as a fixed unit |
| 2 breakers of 25 kg (1,600 l/min) | ≈ 4,000 l/min | 2 × M 220 at the limit, better a compressor above 30 kW |
| 3 to 4 heavy breakers | ≈ 4,750 to 6,000 l/min | compressors from 30 to 132 kW, on quotation or on hire |
| Chipping and scabbling only | ≈ 500 to 1,000 l/min | M 75, 1.0 m³/min at 10 bar |
Two M 220 units or one S 220 PM? The two M 220 units move on wheels, with their twin receivers totalling 180 L, and share the site between them: if one breaker moves to another area, a compressor follows it. The S 220 PM, with a permanent magnet motor, delivers 3.6 m³/min at 8 bar: it suits a fixed site, such as a quarry or a precast works, where blocks or units are regularly reworked. It is installed in an enclosed room, away from the dust, and supplies a network. For reworking precast units, see also grinders and chipping hammers on a 22 kW compressor.
A job lasting a few weeks. Screw compressor hire covers 5.5 to 132 kW, maintenance included and with no long-term commitment. It is often the right answer for a one-off demolition job.
Pitfalls for a demolition crew
- The site's 380 V supply. Our compressors are electric, on 380 V three-phase. Two 22 kW machines need a site distribution board that can handle them, starting current included. Have the supply checked by an electrician: see our article on the screw compressor on 380 V three-phase.
- Hoses joined end to end. Each breaker should have its own hose, running from a manifold, in the size recommended by the tool manufacturer. Extensions coupled one after another cause pressure to drop: the breaker goes soft and the operator ends up forcing it.
- Lubrication. Concrete breakers need oil. Fit a line lubricator near each tool, or follow the method in the manual. Without oil, the internal parts wear quickly.
- Icing. Air expands in the breaker and cools sharply. With humid air, the exhaust ices up in winter and the breaker slows down. Drain the receivers every day and fit a filter at the outlet. See water in compressed air and our article dry air in winter on a concrete batching plant.
- Dust. Place the compressor well away from the demolition face, with the air intake upwind. Check the air filter often.
A word on hose length: on a large demolition site, it is tempting to park the compressors in one corner and run 50 metres of hose to each breaker. It is usually better to move the compressor closer and keep hoses short. Each metre of hose costs pressure at the tool, and pressure at the tool is what the operator feels.
And for set concrete in the mixer?
On a batching plant, a hammer is also used to break out concrete that has set in the mixer, a hopper or a chute. A chipping hammer or light breaker is used for this, at around 300 to 500 l/min. The plant compressor, sized for the valves and filters, is not always enough: a K 75 delivering 1.1 m³/min can run a chipping hammer, but not a 25 kg breaker on top of production. For this occasional work, an M 75 or a hire unit does the job.
Plan this work for when the plant is stopped, after the last batch. The chipping hammer then has the whole compressor to itself, and the silo filters and gates are not starved of air while it runs.
Send us the list of your breakers and the number of operators with a quote request, or use the configurator: we will check the air flow and the electrical supply with you.
For your trade: Compressor for concrete batching plants, quarries and demolition.