Wire Sawing
Wire sawing is best used for removal of thick sections of concrete or steel. The diamond wire sawing process uses a multi-strand wire-cable with embedded industrial diamonds and uses a series of pulleys to guide the wire through the concrete. Wire sawing equipment can cut in any orientation and in any location. Because the wire sawing cable can be of virtually any length, cutting depth and width are unlimited. Since no structure or cross-section is too large to cut, wire sawing is used where other cutting methods are impractical. Wire sawing is ideal for removing large sections of heavily reinforced concrete such as bridge piers and columns, abutment walls, press bases, building/footing separation, and cutting concrete and steel in areas where work space is restricted. Diamond's wire sawing systems can even be used to cut precise circular openings through walls and floors ranging in diameter from 2 feet to 11 feet.
Please see the related case studies on wire sawing and the Project Portfolio section of our site which illustrate many of the capabilities and uses for wire sawing. Please click here if you have a special wire sawing project or desire specific information on wire sawing.
Wire Sawing, Nuclear Generating Facility
Client
Nuclear Generating Facility—Electric Power Company, North America
Project
One of the largest electric power companies in the United States, needed to gain access to two existing 36 inch pipes, buried under nine feet of solid concrete, in order to attach 90 degree fittings in one of their nuclear plants. They also needed to provide clearance so a worker could fit between the two 36 inch pipes to install the fittings.
Process
Due to the massive amount of concrete to be sawed and removed— over 16.8 tons, Diamond used a combination of core drilling and wire sawing which allowed the concrete to be cut into pieces, and provided a method for easier removal of the concrete. In addition, the plan allowed for strict adherence to OSHA, NSD, and CSDA Health and Safety codes.
Outcomes
“This was a major concrete removal project that had to be accomplished in a short period of time.” said the Senior Project Manager in charge of the project. “The pipes were almost inaccessible—buried deep under very hard concrete. The detailed plan and the process that Diamond developed and followed provided us with the results we needed. From planning, to technical and implementation —they did an exceptional job in the completion of this project.”
To download a PDF of this case study click here .