Concrete wire sawing is a versatile and effective concrete sawing tool used for particularly challenging projects where traditional saws won’t work. When cutting through concrete structures, cross-sections, and other complex objects, manual saws are often unable to do the job effectively—when those situations arise, wire saws can get the job done. Once set up, wire saws can easily saw through any concrete, stone, or metal structure.
A concrete wire saw consists of a thin steel wire with diamond segments embedded that cut through hard materials via abrasion. The wire is threaded through a system of pulleys that are aligned in the direction of the cut. Once the wire is securely wrapped around the object, the pulley pulls the wire across the concrete and begins cutting. Water is fed across the system to keep the wire lubricated and the system from overheating from extreme friction.
When Is Wire Sawing Necessary?
If you have a difficult construction project that involves cutting through steel-encased concrete, concrete-encased steel supports, concrete retaining walls, or reinforced rebar, wire saws can saw through them safely and with ease. Due to its diamond cutting edge, wire saws are ideal for segmenting or removing large chunks of reinforced concrete when other saws can’t cut through the strong material. Wire saws can also be configured to tackle unique structures such as steel nuclear reactors or metal engine blocks.
The Benefits of Wire Saws
There are several reasons why conventional diamond saw blades won’t work for a concrete cutting project: the concrete structure may be too large, the shape may be too irregular to safely work around, the location may be too inaccessible, or the structure may be too heavily reinforced for blades to cut through. Wire saws are easily able to navigate all of those problems. The benefits of using wire saws for concrete construction projects also include:
- Cleaner construction areas. Since water needs to flow across the wire saw to keep concrete dust from building up and damaging the equipment, this process produces much less airborne dust than traditional saws. Not only does less dust make the construction area easier to clean up, but it also keeps workers from inhaling concrete particulates.
- Deeper concrete cuts. Traditional cut-off machines, diamond chainsaws, and circular saws have a limited reach. Wire saws offer an almost unlimited depth range for concrete cutting.
- Precision cutting. Since the wire is more narrow and flexible than ring saws, concrete cuts will be more precise using wires. And since the wire is guided through pre-cut drill holes, the final cuts will always be the right size and in the right location.
- Easy access. Wire saws don’t require as much space to operate as ring saws do. And since they aren’t manually operated, it’s an ideal option for construction jobs that have hard-to-reach places and are in challenging environments like underwater.
- Quiet. Wire saws cause minimal vibrations and are much quieter than other construction equipment. This low noise output makes it the preferred cutting option for residential projects and night operations.
- Quick cutting. Since wire sawing doesn’t require manual operators, the machine can cut at a consistent speed without breaks. This keeps construction projects running on schedule.
- Increased safety. Because wire saws are remote control operated, it minimizes the risk of an accident and keeps everyone near the construction site safe.