Evaluation of three state-of-the-art water-jet systems for cutting/removing concrete

This report documents a demonstration project to evaluate the capability of three waterjet systems for cutting or removing concrete or both. The Corps of Engineers is interested in the potential of this technology for such applications as rapid cutting of bomb-damaged selection of airfield pavement and removing of deteriorated sections of concrete structures at Civil Works projects. Because water-jet systems are capable of transmitting, without mechanical constraint, all of the available horsepower of their power sources into the concrete cutting/removing operation, they may prove to be an extremely efficient means of conducting such operations. The low-pressure water jets were able to cut a 6-in. slot in the concrete for a distance of 1-1/2 ft. in a period of 24 minutes (a rate of 6.4 ft. per hour). The relatively high-pressure water jet cut at rates of 9.6 ft. per hour for shallow cuts (less than 5 in.) and 3 ft. per hour for deeper cuts (greater than 5 in.). In addition, one of the low-pressure systems was used to remove some surface concrete. The results of this evaluation indicate that, although these water-jet systems did not demonstrate a capability for efficiently cutting concrete airfield pavements, the technology has potential. The low-pressure system demonstrated a capability for removing surface concrete efficiently.