How deep does a wall saw cut?
Roughly half the difference between the blade and flange diameters. A Ø 800 mm blade cuts about 330 mm deep, Ø 1600 mm about 730 mm; thicker elements are cut from both sides or with wire.
Knowledge · Concrete cutting
Concrete and reinforced concrete cutting.Wall saw, floor saw, wire – when to use which.
Concrete and reinforced concrete are cut with three methods: a wall saw (walls and slabs, a precise edge), a floor saw (slabs, floors, expansion joints) and diamond wire (massive elements of any cross-section). Output depends on matching the blade to the aggregate and rebar, and on cutting wet.
The key points in 30 seconds
- Cutting depth ≈ (blade Ø − flange Ø) / 2 – a Ø 800 mm blade cuts about 330 mm deep.
- Reinforced concrete is cut wet – water cools the segments on contact with steel and limits silica dust.
- Diamond wire has no depth limit – it cuts through foundations, abutments and columns in one go.
- On reinforcing bars reduce the feed pressure – impact breaks segments faster than abrasion wears them. More: how to avoid losing segments.
Wall saw or diamond wire?
A wall saw gives a precise edge in walls and slabs. Diamond wire cuts massive elements of any cross-section and thickness – foundations, abutments, columns.
How do you cut densely reinforced concrete?
With a blade with impact-resistant grit and increased concentration, wet, with reduced feed pressure on contact with the bar and a constant speed. Work out the peripheral speed for your blade in the calculator in the reinforced concrete cutting guide.
Can reinforced concrete be cut dry?
Only briefly and with blades designed for dry cutting, with dust extraction. Wet cutting is recommended for reinforced concrete. How this works on a hand-held cut-off saw: cut-off saw blade – dry or wet.
How do you cut green concrete?
Green concrete (up to about 28 days) is very abrasive – it needs a blade with a hard bond and core protection against undercutting – like an asphalt blade.
Articles in “Concrete cutting”
- Coming soon
Wall saw cutting depth – table for 600–1600 mm blades
How deep your blade will cut and when to cut from both sides.
- New
Cutting reinforced concrete: how to avoid losing segments on rebar
Feed pressure, speed, cooling and grit selection.
- Coming soon
Cutting concrete with diamond wire – when it pays off
Cross-section, wire length and comparison with a wall saw.
- Coming soon
Vibration-free controlled demolition – methods and tools
Wall saw, wire and core drill in refurbishment work.
- Coming soon
Expansion joints in floors – when and with what to cut
Floor saw, depth and timing of the cut.
Online tools and related pages
Related categories
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