CM Labs' new excavator-based demolition training simulation prepares operators for real-world demolition challenges

CM Labs Simulations has created a new product set that supports real-world demolition operations in a simulated environment. The curriculum for tracked excavator-based hydraulic hammer, shear jaw, and grapple attachments give organizations an integrated approach to demolition training in the Intellia Workforce Training System. 

The importance of demolition training

Demolition work sits at the intersection of high risk, high cost, and limited training opportunities. The training for this work is expensive, hard on equipment, and typically deployed only on live projects, leaving little room for structured practice. As a result, many operators first learn demolition techniques under production pressure, with safety, precision, and material behaviour all converging at once.

Real-world demolition challenges

In the field, demolition training is hard to stage. Hydraulic hammer work carries inherent safety risks, with high-impact forces, flying debris, and little margin for error, making it difficult to train operators outside of live demolition projects. At the same time, opportunities to safely practice cutting steel structural elements with a shear jaw are limited. As a result, many operators learn how to handle demolition attachments without working on real materials, and their first exposure to concrete breaking or steel cutting often happens under pressure on a live job site.

The updated demolition exercises are designed to close that gap. Operators learn to attach and detach demolition tools using a live quick coupler and apply controlled force to both concrete slabs and steel structural elements. The training covers concrete breaking with a hydraulic hammer and controlled steel cutting with a shear jaw, reflecting the range of tasks operators perform during real demolition operations.

This new demolition training capability builds directly on the recently announced expansion of the Tracked Excavator curriculum, which also includes advanced trenching scenarios and realistic soil behavior. Together, these updates reflect a broader shift toward training for the work operators are actually being asked to perform, not just the machines they are certified to run.

Advanced trenching scenarios with realistic soil behavior

For excavation safety, the enhanced curriculum introduces trench box installation and operation within trenching scenarios that feature dynamically unstable soil behavior. A newly added soil type behaves like loose, real-world ground conditions, increasing the likelihood of trench instability when excavations are left unprotected.

By combining trench box procedures with realistic soil response, organizations can train OSHA-aligned trench safety practices for excavations at depths of five feet (1.5 meters) and beyond. These scenarios represent some of the most challenging trenching conditions operators are likely to encounter, bringing training closer to real-world complexity than traditional methods allow.

AI-guided instruction to extend instructor capacity

The Tracked Excavator curriculum also includes AI Assistant support, providing both written and spoken guidance during select training scenarios. In certain exercises, the AI Assistant can briefly demonstrate correct maneuvers before returning control to the operator, helping reduce routine instructor intervention and allowing trainers to focus on higher-value coaching and assessment.

Showcased at CONEXPO-CON/ AGG 2026

CM Labs will showcase the enhanced Tracked Excavator simulation curriculum alongside new features in the Intellia Training System at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026, taking place March 3-7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, in booth #N11839. Attendees can experience live demonstrations and participate in a skills-based excavator challenge using the Intellia Workforce Training System to compare performance in real time.

In addition to the live demonstrations in the CM Labs booth, Gary James, construction subject matter expert at CM Labs, will present on trench box safety, sharing practical insights into how simulation-based training can help organizations strengthen excavation practices and support compliance on real-world job sites, on Tuesday, March 3, from 2:30-3:15 OM (PT).

"Demolition is exactly the kind of work organizations struggle using traditional training methods," said Lisa Barbieri, vice president of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at CM Labs. "By moving those first critical experiences into simulation, we help customers build confidence and competence before anyone is exposed to job site risk or costly mistakes." 

"Every strike and cut matters in demolition, and material response is never identical," said Alan Limoges, manager of Product Growth and Partnerships at CM Labs. "Our demolition training models concrete fracture and steel cutting based on applied force and contact angle, not scripted outcomes. That realism allows operators to practice the true nuances of demolition work and develop muscle memory that transfers to the job site."