Wire cutting at Amager Power Station

A machine foundation consisting of three large concrete blocks at Amager Power Station, a combined heat and power plant, had to be cut up and removed in 2007.

In connection with major rebuilding work at Amager Power Station in 2007, MT Højgaard was commissioned to remove parts of a large machine foundation. Amager Power Station is a coal and oil fired combined heat and power plant located on Amager in Copenhagen.

325 tons of concrete cut up and removed

The 40 x 60 x 4 metre machine foundation was filled with channels for wires and installations. The task was to remove the three concrete blocks that the machines had been standing on. The concrete blocks were 1.25 metres high with a base area of 20 square metres.

Since new foundations for the machines needed to be cast, we couldn't break up the blocks. Instead we had to cut them out - in total 325 tons had to be cut up and removed.

30 metre long wire

The challenge of the task was to cut such large sections in one procedure. We had to think creatively and set up the machine so that it could manage cut surfaces of 25-30 square metres. The solution was to put a 30 metre wire on the saw, instead of the usual 6-11 metre wire.

Completely level surface

First the blocks were cut free and removed, after which the surface was trimmed level, so that it was ready for casting new foundations. Although the task was executed under time pressure, it was completed half a day ahead of schedule.