Cutting concrete wall. How would you make the cuts?

[roland53]

I'm going to make a doorway in a concrete wall (275 mm thick).
I've calculated that the whole piece weighs about 1200 kg (2,400 kg/m3) - Heavy stuff.
Therefore, I thought of dividing it into 4 parts each weighing 300 kg.

Easy to injure yourself or the cutting machine!! :|

How would you make the cuts to avoid the risk of the cuts closing up and to do it as safely as possible?

Option 1 - Thought of starting with the bottom horizontal cut
- Then the 3 vertical ones (no. 2, 3 & 4)
- Then the horizontal cut no. 5
- and finally the horizontal cut no. 6

Wedges are applied in suitable places to prevent the piece from moving and the machine from jamming. Suggestions?

Option 2 - Start with the horizontal cut no. 1
- continue with the horizontal cuts no. 2 and 3
- and finally the vertical cuts no. 4, 5 & 6

Same here, wedges in suitable places. Suggestions?



I will use a Husqvarna K3000 cut n break which makes 25 mm wide cuts.

 

[Thomas_Blekinge]

I don't think wedges are a good idea. When the blocks come loose up top, they compress the wedges a bit, and the gap becomes narrower than the blade, which then gets stuck. With a round blade, you won't get into the corners properly.
Can you handle 300 kg blocks?
Otherwise, the idea is good to take cut 1 first and then work your way up so that the pieces fall down when you've cut at the top. Can you angle the cut surface in the direction the block should fall? Then it might slide off by itself in that direction.

 

[roland53]

I don't think wedges are a good idea. When the blocks come loose up there, they compress the wedges a little and the gap becomes narrower than the blade, which then gets stuck. With a round blade, you don't get into the corners properly.

Now I'm not quite following?
My idea to take the top cut last was precisely because when the block comes loose, it falls slightly downward. (alt 1)
Then the gap widens... or am I thinking wrong??

Yes, you can get into the corners with this machine. At least if you trust Husqvarna's description.