Cut a hole in a 500 mm vault.

[Team H]

Hi, maybe a bit of a strange question.

Contact a drilling company that cuts out parts in a "grid pattern".
Before cutting, some companies usually anchor each part with lifting lugs.
Depending on the weight resting on the intended opening "it might" be good to determine how the reinforcement is done.
Regardless of whether it's a bank vault or a former shelter, some reinforcement in metalwork may be needed.

Regards

 

[Bengt Numelin]

I think that if you have the keys to the vault, keep it as a room to place expensive tools, folders with important papers, photo albums, more valuable family heirlooms, and furniture for which you don't have space elsewhere in the house. It can also be rented out, in whole or in part, to businesses or friends. With the money you earn and save by not making these holes, you can instead expand your house. If the vault can be locked from both sides, it can be useful as a safe room during an assault or burglary or to temporarily lock up the criminals who enter your house.

 

[ehlmatlab]

Can you cut from both sides of the wall?
If so, rent a Hilti DD-110 or DD-150. Drill out the four corners.
Then cut between the holes with a power saw. Depending on the machine and dimensions, you'll need to go from both sides.
Find a blade that can handle both concrete and steel or cut the reinforcement with an angle grinder when it's exposed.
Shouldn't take more than a day for two people.
Don't forget the wall mount for the core drill.

A thought!
How do you make the bottom cut at the floor with a power saw? Or do you leave a threshold of 15-20cm? 😅
It's very common to find longitudinal reinforcement when cutting door openings. In a vault, the reinforcement is likely to be quite thick. Have you tried cutting longitudinal reinforcement with a handheld concrete saw? 😅

You have to be very persistent to cut this door opening with a heavy, weak, and exhaust-smoking power saw, especially indoors if I understood TS correctly. Add water and concrete slurry running down over the operator, especially at the top cut. 🙄😅

A large power saw weighs about 15kg and has an output of about 6kw compared to a larger wall saw that's mounted and has an output of about 20kw.

I've never seen a handheld power saw that cuts up to 25cm deep, which requires a blade of about 600 mm for that. 😅
Then, it's probably not enough just to make a concrete block of the door opening; it likely needs to be divided into more parts. That becomes a lot of hand sawing...

I'm not saying it can't be done with a power saw, but it's hardly a good choice if there are other options. 😉

 

[richardtenggren]

A thought!
How do you make the bottom cut at the floor with a power cutter? Or do you leave a threshold of 15-20cm? 😅
Then it's very common to find longitudinal reinforcement when cutting door openings. In a vault, the reinforcement is likely quite thick. Have you tried cutting longitudinal reinforcement with a handheld concrete saw? 😅

You must be very determined to cut this door opening with a heavy, flimsy, and exhaust-fuming power cutter, especially indoors if I understood the OP correctly. Add water and concrete slurry running down over the operator, especially at the top cut. 🙄😅

A large power cutter weighs about 15kg and has an output of about 6kw compared to a larger wall saw that is mounted and has an output of about 20kw.

Also, I've never seen a handheld power cutter that cuts up to 25cm deep, requires a blade of about 600 mm for that. 😅
Then it probably isn't enough just to make a concrete block of the door opening, it likely needs to be divided into more parts. It becomes a lot of hand sawing...

I'm not saying it's not doable with a power cutter, but hardly a good choice if there are other possibilities. 😉

There are saws where the blade is on a flange, so it can saw smooth.



Here you can see that I have sawed flush with the stud.

 

[roli]

It was a thin bjälklag.

 

[ehlmatlab]

There are saws where the blade is mounted on a carrier, so it can saw smoothly.

[image]

Here you can see that I have sawed along the beam.
[image]

But that's not a cut-off saw in my world. A cut-off saw has a combustion engine, smokes, and smells like exhaust fumes. The electric saw in the picture probably works well for cutting a thin floor frame, but for tackling a doorway in a 500mm thick vault, it probably won't work well at all.

 

[richardtenggren]

It was a thin beam layer.

Yes, but it interacts with the trä, which is about 190x60 and partially cast in. If I understand it correctly, it comes from Färila Cementvaror or something like that.

 

[richardtenggren]

But that's not a motor saw in my world. A motor saw has an internal combustion engine, smokes, and smells of exhaust fumes.
The electric saw in the picture probably works fine for cutting a thin floor joist, but for tackling a doorway in a 500mm thick vault, it probably won't work well.

Absolutely, but I think there are bigger tools, this one is used by the company I borrowed it from to cut along floors when they make openings for gates and doors in industries.

You can cut with a wire too, right?

 

[roli]

Yes, but it collaborates with the trä, which is about 190x60 and partially embedded. If I understood correctly, it comes from Färila Cementvaror or something like that.

Ahh, some type of prefab joist then. That explains the design. I thought there were wooden beams on the concrete, but then it's a collaborating joist, which makes it possible for the thickness to be so thin.

 

[richardtenggren]

Ahh, some type of prefab flooring then. That explains the design. I thought there were wooden beams on the concrete but then it's a composite slab which allows the thickness to be so thin.

Exactly. It's wood and concrete working together, the concrete layer is about 5-6 cm. So nothing compared to TS 500 mm concrete

 

[AndersbcD]

Hi,

perhaps a slightly strange question.

But need to make a hole in an old bank vault from the 80s. The wall is 500 mm thick with 3 rows of 12 mm reinforcement.

The holes should be 2100x 1200. Looking at renting a wall saw with a 1200mm blade, estimating 5-7 days of work if we are 2 men. The volume is 1.26 cbm and the weight is about 3.1 tons per hole. Could move it with an excavator once we have cut it but of course easier to cut down into smaller pieces. Have no experience with this before but does anyone have any ideas?

Or maybe another way to make the holes but they should look fairly nice, of course, you can clean up after if jagged.

Apologies, don't have å ä and ö on the computer.

PS, something with dynamite or blasting doesn't work as it's inside an existing building..

Have done something similar many years ago, you're on the right track. A wall saw that cuts into manageable pieces is probably right, but I think you've overestimated the work time. Call a hole drilling company and they'll sort it out.

 

[Bsnickarn]

If you have access to a 32amp outlet, I would recommend using a wall saw for cutting. It uses significantly less water than a wire saw, which you probably want to avoid inside a property.

If you don't have access to a 32amp outlet or a saw that runs on 32, forget about the idea of cutting then, as the saw will be too weak for that size and take forever. Instead, consider drilling.

This is assuming you can cut from both sides; otherwise, it's pointless as the blade shape causes you to lose so much surface to cut through.

If you haven't done this type of work before, I would recommend hiring a cutting company, but if you're really stubborn, rent a core drilling machine. Make sure to rent a robust core drilling machine that has side support against the foot and not just a stand arm, as it will save you a lot of time.

 

[Martinsa]

Hello,

perhaps a somewhat strange question.

But need to make a hole in an old bank vault from the 80s. The wall is 500 mm thick with 3 rows of 12 mm reinforcement.

The holes should be 2100x1200. Looking at renting a wall saw with a 1200mm blade, estimating 5-7 days of work if we are 2 men.
The volume is 1.26 cbm and the weight is about 3.1 tons per hole. Could move it with an excavator once we've cut it, but definitely easier to cut down into smaller pieces.
I have no previous experience with this, but does anyone have any ideas?

or perhaps another way to make the holes, but they should look quite nice, of course, it can be refined afterwards.

Sorry, I don't have ä, å, or ö on my computer.

PS, something with dynamite or blasting doesn't work as it's inside an existing building...

My old workplace had a location in an old bank premises, complete with a large vault... the boss once tried to drill with a Hilti rotary hammer. I think the drill is still there...

The wall, besides steel plates and reinforcement, was also equipped with angled iron so you couldn't drill or saw...

He got a quote and the company thought it was easier to tear down the whole building than to open up for a door and chose not to take the job...

So yes, bring in a company to investigate if it's even possible to get through.

 

[Farstatjej90]

It was a thin floor structure.

Byggahus... Never change!

 

[Workingclasshero]

Hello
I have drilled a hole in a thick concrete wall full of stones.
I have also cut off wire-reinforced concrete beams, both times I hired the local drilling company. They drilled hole after hole and the wall section was removed by an excavator. TS wall probably needs to be divided into smaller pieces that can be moved with machine feet.
Good luck.

/W