Core Drilling
Core drilling techniques are used when precise, circular cuts are needed. Holes of any diameter up to 48 inches can be drilled to make openings for plumbing, electrical, material testing, manhole taps, and HVAC installations. Core drilling is also commonly used to create holes for routing cables or placing anchoring bolts, as well as thick concrete demolition. Other times they are used to install load-carrying devices such as dowel bars.
Concrete core drill bits can range in diameter from 1/2 inch to 48 inches, with larger sizes available for special projects.
Wall Sawing
Wall sawing employs a circular blade on a track-mounted machine. The track is attached to horizontal walls or steep inclines that will not permit the use of flat saws. Wall saws make clean, precise cuts in reinforced concrete and masonry construction without the structural damage normally associated with jackhammering. Wall sawing is typically specified to cut precise openings in new construction or in structures being remodeled, such as doors, vents, and window openings.
Wall sawing can be performed in several dimensions, commonly up to 24 inches deep, in any material. Cutting can be performed from both sides of a wall, giving a total depth of 48 inches.
Road Sawing
Road sawing is the most commonly used diamond cutting method. It is typically used to cut horizontal flat surfaces such as floors, bridge decks, and pavement. Also called slab saws, flat saws feature a diamond blade that is mounted on a walk-behind machine requiring only one operator. Cutting up to 30 inches in depth, flat saws are typically used to provide expansion joints, remove damaged pavement sections, clean and prepare random cracks for repair, and remove concrete sections for demolition purposes.
Wire Sawing
Wire sawing is the safest, quickest, and most efficient method of modifying or dismantling mass reinforced concrete structures. A wire saw is a saw that uses a metal wire or cable for cutting. With minimal air pollution and noise during operation, this saw is environmentally friendly. The flexibility of wire saws, regarding their functionality, makes them ideal for small or limited access areas. Along with the ability to cut through not only concrete but reinforced rebar and solid steel, there’s no depth limit to how deep wire saws can cut into any material.
Scanning
This method is a quick, safe, and effective way to locate buried obstructions such as rebar, post-tension cables, PVC pipes, and conduits in concrete prior to cutting or coring. Ground Penetrating Radar is faster and safer than radiography, and only single-sided access is needed.
GPR is the latest application of subsurface radar to non-destructively inspect concrete structures.