Diamond core drilling rig anchored to a concrete slab on a UAE site

Method 01

Core cutting services in Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Al Ain

Diamond core drilling from Ø25 to Ø600 mm through reinforced concrete, post-tensioned slabs, block and masonry. Every core is scanned and set out before the barrel turns.

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CapabilityLimits

Diameter rangeØ 25–600 mm

Maximum depth1200 mmBeyond this using barrel extensions

OrientationAny angleFloor, wall, soffit, inclined

SubstrateRC / PT / blockIncluding heavy reinforcement

Set-out tolerance± 3 mm

Water controlWet or dryVacuum extraction on occupied floors

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What it is

When to specify core cutting

Core cutting, also called core drilling or diamond drilling, produces a clean cylindrical hole through concrete using a rotating barrel set with diamond segments. Water feeds through the barrel to cool the segments and flush the cuttings, which is why the method produces almost no dust and almost no vibration compared with percussive drilling.

Specify core cutting whenever you need a precise round penetration and the surrounding structure has to stay intact. Because the barrel cuts rather than hammers, it passes through reinforcement without spalling the surrounding concrete, without cracking finishes on the far face, and without transmitting shock into adjoining structure. On an occupied floor plate in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, that difference decides whether the tenant below notices the work at all.

The alternative methods have their place. If the opening is rectangular, wall or floor sawing is the right call. If the section is too thick for any blade, wire sawing takes over. Core cutting is the method for round penetrations, and it is also how a rectangular saw cut gets started, since corner cores give the blade somewhere to enter and exit cleanly.

Core cutting Diamond core drilling rig anchored to a concrete slab on a UAE site

Applications

What we use it for

MEP penetrations

Cores for chilled water, drainage, fire fighting, electrical conduit and ductwork through slabs, walls and beams.

Anchor and dowel holes

Precise holes for chemical anchors, starter bars and dowels where post-fixed connections must meet a pull-out specification.

Structural sampling

Core samples extracted for compressive strength testing, carbonation depth and chloride analysis, taken to lab requirements.

Handrail and balustrade fixings

Repeat cores at set centres for post fixings on balconies, stairs and terraces, drilled to consistent depth and plumb.

Stitch drilling for openings

Overlapping cores forming openings where saw access is blocked, and corner cores to start and finish saw cuts cleanly.

AC and ventilation cores

Through-wall cores for split unit pipework and extract, drilled with a fall to outside and sealed on completion.

Sequence

How the job runs

STEP 01

Set out and scan

Positions marked from your drawing, then scanned. Any core landing on rebar or a live service is flagged before setup.

STEP 02

Rig and isolate

Rig anchored or vacuum fixed, slurry ring fitted, area barriered. Below-slab side protected against core drop.

STEP 03

Drill and extract

Core drilled at controlled feed. The slug is removed intact and kept if you need it for testing.

STEP 04

Clean and hand back

Slurry vacuumed, edges made good, cores capped or sleeved if required. Photographic record issued.

Site control

Dust, slurry and waste control

Wet core drilling generates slurry, and slurry reaching a finished floor, a lift lobby or a drainage gully costs more to fix than the drilling cost to do. This is the part most contractors under-price and most clients only think about afterwards.

We fit a slurry ring to the barrel and run a wet vacuum on every core, bund the work area, and collect slurry into containers rather than letting it run. Slurry is removed from site and disposed of properly. On dry cores in occupied spaces we run class M extraction at the barrel.

On live buildings we also protect the underside. A 200 mm slug dropping through a soffit onto a ceiling grid is the most common avoidable incident in this trade, and it is prevented by catching the core rather than by hoping.

Concrete cutting equipment prepared for a UAE site

Core drilling rig drilling downward through a suspended concrete floor slab

Concrete Slab Core Cutting

Downward coring through suspended and ground floor slabs.

Ø25–600 mm→

Horizontal core being drilled through a reinforced concrete wall

Concrete Wall Core Cutting

Horizontal through-wall cores for AC, extract and services.

Ø25–600 mm→

Operator running a ground penetrating radar unit across a concrete slab

Concrete Scanning

GPR survey and marked-up plan before any blade goes in.

To 600 mm→

Questions

Core cutting questions

How much does core cutting cost per hole in the UAE?

Core drilling is priced per hole by diameter and depth, with a one-off mobilisation charge per visit. A small conduit core in a 200 mm slab sits at the bottom of the range, while a Ø300 mm core through a heavily reinforced 600 mm section costs several times more because it takes longer and consumes barrel life. Mobilisation is why batching matters: twenty cores in one visit costs far less per hole than four visits of five.

Will drilling through rebar weaken the structure?

It can, which is exactly why scanning comes first. Cutting a main reinforcing bar or a post-tension cable in a structural element is serious and in some cases requires the structural engineer to assess and approve remedial work. We scan the core position, and if reinforcement is in the way we either shift the core within the tolerance the drawing allows or come back to you before proceeding.

Can you core drill without water?

Yes. Dry coring with dust extraction is used where water cannot be introduced, such as over live electrical equipment, in finished tenanted spaces, or on timber and gypsum substrates below. Dry drilling is slower and harder on barrels so it costs more per hole, but it avoids the containment work that wet drilling on a finished floor would require.

What is the largest core you can drill?

Standard capability runs to Ø600 mm. Beyond that the practical approach is stitch drilling, where overlapping cores are drilled around the perimeter of the required opening and the centre section removed as one piece. For anything larger or rectangular, wall sawing or wire sawing is faster and cheaper than an oversized barrel.

Do you work in occupied buildings?

Regularly, and most of it runs at night or over weekends. Core drilling suits occupied premises because it is quiet and produces very little vibration compared with breaking. We handle the permit to work with building management, isolate the area, protect finishes on both faces of the slab, and contain slurry so nothing reaches adjoining spaces.