Diamond Wire Saw Cuts 200 Piles in Wharf Demolition

Cutting through piles made from concrete and steel and spending a long time under water isn’t a job for the faint hearted. So what kind of ‘rough diamond’ would be up to such a tough job?  

In a recent demolition project in Australia, the star performer was a diamond wire saw manufactured by Mirage Machines, an Acteon company, which was chosen by OPEC Systems to assist in the demolition of wharf structures located at Northshore Hamilton, Brisbane.

Three full time dive crews were deployed, utilizing a range of underwater cutting tools and techniques that included using the Mirage MDWS1638 diamond wire saw for cutting 200 steel and concrete piles, some of which exceeded a meter in diameter. The project lasted for four months and the diamond wire saw was in continuous use every day.

Basil Tyson, Research and Development at OPEC Systems, said, “We certainly put the saw through its paces. It was in the water for pretty much the whole duration of the project and aside from usual maintenance and new parts requirements we had no issues with it. The saw successfully fulfilled its purpose.”

The hydraulically powered MDWS1638 is one of several different sized machines in the Mirage lineup, each designed for quick cutting through dissimilar materials and resisting compressive forces. The products have been used for numerous projects across the world, with typical cutting applications including pipelines, risers, chains, wellheads, flowlines, offshore platform removal, piles, plus single and multi-string casings.