North American Nuclear Facility Case Study

The Client

Electric Power Company, North America
Nuclear Generating Station

 

The Project

One of the largest electric power companies in the United States, supplying and delivering energy to approximately 4 million U.S. customers 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.

 

The Plan

Beyond the planning for reaching the pipes, Diamond also planned to provide clearance so a worker could fit between the two 36-inch pipes to install the fittings. Due to the massive amount of concrete to be sawed and removed— over 16.8 tons, Diamond did not only drilled and wire sawed, but also provided a method for easier removal. In addition, the plan allowed for strict adherence to OSHA, NSD, and CSDA Health and Safety codes.

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The Process

Diamond used a combination of core drilling and wire sawing to complete the project. By wire sawing the concrete between the vertical pipe and exterior walls, it allowed for the concrete to be cut into pieces measuring roughly 2 ft. x 2 ft. x 2 ft. The pieces were then lifted and removed by an electric hoist. This process left 3.5 feet of concrete adjacent to and below the pipes. This was removed through a process of stitch drilling and wire sawing.

 

The Outcome

“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.” According to the Senior Project Manager, Diamond’s ability to
quickly respond and meet the needs of the electric power company where extraordinary. “We were very
impressed with Diamond’s planning, technical, and implementation capabilities—they did an
exceptional job in the completion of this project.”