Darda Hydraulic Splitters
for Demolition of Concrete and Rock
Check out our Hot Buys category for a great deal on Darda Splitter #5 and #8 !
Controlled Demolition for Infrastructure work
Many contractors find they can reduce costs, save time and make demolition work profitable using the hydraulic splitter method. Hydraulic splitting means controlled demolition. As the direction of breaks can be determined, concrete can be cut in sections as large as your equipment can handle. A hydraulic splitter eliminates both shocks and vibrations associated with large impact tools.
Engineered for heavy duty work, a hydraulic splitter will outperform even large mounted impact machines.
Paving breakers and large mounted impact rams are limited to breaking rock or concrete in small pieces. Noisy impact demolition requires more energy, time and is usually more expensive. Using a Darda Rock Hydraulic Splitter, pieces of concrete as large as your equipment can handle are broken in seconds for removal. Working with this method can increase production and reduce costs. The method is quiet and direction of breaks can be controlled. Years of research and the use of a hydraulic splitter on hundreds of job sites has proved this new method continues to prove to be one of the most practical tools for demolition of concrete and rock. With little effort, the operator can control the demolition as the job requires with a very powerful tool at his command. The applications for the hydraulic splitter are many, such as bridge decks, abutments, retaining walls, concrete walls, floor slabs, foundations, wall openings, reinforced concrete, rock and brick walls, locks, dams, culverts, road barriers and underwater demolition of concrete and rock.
How the Darda Rock Hydraulic Splitter Works
The hydraulic Darda rock splitter is powered by a 10,000 P.S.I. pump. The cylinder contains a control valve and a piston that moves a plug between two feathers. The plug and feather end is placed into a drilled hole. The plug moves down between the two feathers forcing them against the wall of the hole. When the tension increases beyond the tensile strength of the material, a split will occur. The entire operation of the cylinder is controlled by a single lever on top of the tool. The plug can be advanced and retracted with this lever. An automatic built-in valve reduces pressure after break.
Some Demolition Applications Include:- Bridge Decks
- Bridge Abutments
- Retaining Walls
- Concrete Walls
- Floor Slabs
- Reinforced Concrete
- Foundations
- Wall Openings
- Brick and Rock Walls
- Culverts
- Locks
- Dams
- Road Barriers
- Underwater Demolition
- Sidewalks
- Curbs
- Most Types of Rock
- Machine Blocks
- Breaks Reinforced Concrete
- Breaks All Types of Rock
- No Shock or Vibrations
- Over 700,000 lbs. of Breaking Force
- Controls Direction of Break
- Safe
- One Man Operation
- More Production Than Paving Breakers
Splitting Force More Powerful Than Large or Small Impact Breakers
| Impact Breaking | Hydraulic Splitting |
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| Paving breakers and large mounted impact rams are limited to breaking rock or concrete in small pieces. Noisy impact demolition requires more energy, time and is usually more expensive. | Pieces, as large as your equipment can handle, are broken in seconds for removal. The larger pieces can increase production and reduce costs. The method is quiet and direction of breaks can be controlled. |
Controlled Demolition for Infrastructure Work
Many contractors find they can reduce costs, save time and make demolition work profitable using the hydraulic splitting method. Hydraulic splitting means controlled demolition. As the direction of breaks can be determined, concrete can be cut in sections as large as your equipment can handle. Hydraulic splitting eliminates both shocks and vibrations associated with large impact tools. Engineered for heavy duty work, hydraulic splitters will out perform even large mounted impact machines. It can break large pieces of concrete or rock many times faster than paving breakers. Years of research and the use of hydraulic splitting on hundreds of job sites has proved this new method to be one of the most practical tools for demolition of concrete and rock. With a hydraulic splitter, the operator now has a very powerful tool at his command. With little effort, he can control the demolition as the job requires. The applications for the splitter are many, such as bridge decks, abutments, retaining walls, concrete walls, floor slabs, foundations, wall openings, reinforced concrete, rock and brick walls, locks, dams, culverts, road barriers and underwater demolition of concrete and rock.
How Splitter Works The hydraulic splitter is powered by a 10,000 P.S.I. pump. The cylinder contains a control valve and a piston that moves the plug between the two feathers forcing them against the wall of the hole. When the tension increases beyond the tensile strength of the material, a split will occur. The entire operation of the cylinder is controlled by a single lever on top of the tool. The plug can be advanced and retracted with this lever. An automatic built-in valve reduces pressure after break. *Two or more hydraulic splitters can be operated at one time increasing the breaking. Example, two cylinders produce 1,400,000 lbs. of breaking force. Up to four splitters can be operated with one pump. | ![]() |
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| A hydraulic splitter was used to remove ends of overpass supports to form a keyway. The concrete was separated wide enough to cut reinforcing rods using enlarging feathers. | A workman carries splitter used to cut 14 ft. tunnel through base of dam for new penstock. | Trench rock and boulders below grade can be broken with one or more hydraulic splitters. Hydraulic splitting eliminates dangers associated with blasting. These hydraulic splitters will also operate underwater without any modifications. |
| Elco Pump Specifications | |||
| Model | Electric 03 | Air 02 | Gasoline 01 |
| Weight | 74 lbs. | 70 lbs. | 78 lbs. |
| Height | 24" | 19-1/4" | 21-1/4" |
| Width | 18" | 18" | 18" |
| Depth | 12-1/2" | 12-1/2" | 12-1/2" |
| Oil Capacity | 5 Gal. | 5 Gal. | 5 Gal. |
| Motor | 3450 RPM, 115 Volts at 20 Amps & 220 Volts at 10 Amps. | Air Motor requires 50-80 cfm at 100 P.S.I. | 3.75 h.p. B & S Gas Engine |
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Accessories
- Enlarging Feathers to Extend Cracks
- Lubricant Packed in 1/2 and 1 Pint Cans to Lubricate Plug and Feathers
- Flow Bar to Run Extra Splitters Off One Pump
- Pressure Gauge to Check Pump Output and All Components

















