Concrete @ your Fingertips

Hydrodemolition of concrete.

Hydrodemolition provides an efficient method of cutting and removing concrete. It offers many advantages over conventional methods including:
• It removes the problem of vibration injuries to the operator.
• It minimises damage to the remaining structure caused by vibration, e.g. micro cracking.
• The steel reinforcement can be left undamaged.
• The water will remove corrosion from the steel work and will wash unwanted salts (such as chlorides) from the work area.
• The method provides a good key for concrete repairs as loose concrete and dust is washed away from the work area.

Hydrodemolition is very flexible with hand-held operators where access is restricted and robotic use where access is good and bulk removal is regulated. Typically the pumps operate between 700 bar and 3000 bar, with a high flow rate flushing away the slurry. Due to environmental concerns, the collection and disposal of run-off slurry needs to be taken into consideration. It is important to wash the area to remove any slurry prior to placing any repair materials.

For further information see Hydrodemolition of concrete surfaces and reinforced concrete, by Andreas Momber, published by Elsevier, 2005.