Challenge
Bluegrass diamond wire saws were ideally suited to the job because of the minimal vibration emitted, therefore avoided the potential hazard of vibrating debris into the draft tubes. We set up the saws to cut the concrete piers surrounding the discharge pipes. The saws cut 40’ hexagons from the 1,000-square yard riser blocks and used 20 cases of expansive grout per hexagon. Two l-beams were inserted to support the 2,000 ton sections as the cutting proceeded so that the diamond wire would not be crushed when the concrete released. When the pier cuts were 3/4 through, expansive grout was loaded into the predrilled holes.
While diamond wire saws finished the cuts, the expansive grout was cracking the foundation into ½ yard cubes. Finally, our robotic hammers went to work further breaking the concrete blocks for removal. Technicians clad in personal protective equipment continued working as slurry accumulated to depths of 8-12”, completing the job on time, under budget, with a satisfied customer.