Concrete and Grout Cutting

For many years removing concrete and grout from 4” or 6” sewer pipes has always been incredibly difficult, especially if it’s 50NM, which has leaked in from house footings or piles.

Usually the first method to remove concrete is by using a high-pressure directional water cutter (12,500psi) with standard rear-facing jets, which are generally used for cleaning normal sewer debris. This gives forward thrust to propel the jet and hose forward to the sewer obstruction in the assumption the jet will sit on top of the concrete and cut through it.

As the concrete obstruction get thicker this stops working and the jet gets closer to the sidewalls of the pipe work. Eventually, the sewer cleansing contractor and client find themselves in a difficult situation and discover there is no more pipe work left, only the immovable concrete. This method also fails if the concrete is over 80%.

The second approach, undertaken by more experienced concrete cutting engineers is to attach a forward facing jet/pencil nozzle on to rods and attempt to cut the concrete out. However, this method is also floored as the forward facing jet creates so much thrust it forces the jet out of the sewer and away from the obstruction.

Due to the size of the pipe work in question, until recently it has been practically impossible to fit any precision concrete cutters into these small (4” and 6”) diameter pipes that are able to cut with any accuracy. This is because the high-pressure water also creates thrust from the forward facing nozzle, which always wants to push the concrete cutters away from the obstruction.

Using innovative, no-dig technology, Wilkinson Environmental, the Midlands based sewer cleaning specialists, have successfully developed a directional water cutter that counter reacts the force of the forward facing jet and is capable of working up to 40,000psi. This cutter will remove the hardest of concretes and grouts. Our ‘tried and tested’ directional water cutter has already successfully dealt with a large hole in an existing pipe, as well as fractures and displaced plastic pipe work without damaging the sidewalls of the pipe work.

So, to avoid expensive and disruptive open-cut replacements of sewer pipe work, call Wilkinson Environmental direct for advice on all directional water cutting jobs for a no obligation quote on all our innovative no-dig services.