Concrete core drilling in Ballarat and Melbourne
Concrete Core Cutting
Diamond drilling cuts clean and accurately straight through reinforced concrete, masonry and asphalt, without shaking the structure around it.
Every diamond drill we run feeds water through the driving shaft, so dust is suppressed at the source and the barrel stays cool. Core holes can be achieved anywhere from 10 mm to 1000 mm in diameter using diamond drilling techniques.
Rigs can be anchored, vacuum mounted or propped, which means we can core through a floor, up through a soffit, or horizontally through a wall in a plant room with barely any room to stand.
What core drilling is used for
- Mechanical and electrical services
- Telephone and data cabling
- Heating and pipework penetrations
- Air conditioning and ventilation
- Handrail, balustrade and post footings
- Smaller openings where sawing isn't practical
- Test cores and sampling for engineers
Why builders use coring instead of breaking out
A core is a controlled hole. The edges are round and true, nothing spalls off the far face, and the surrounding concrete keeps its strength because there's no percussive hammering going into it. On a live site that matters, because it means neighbouring tenants, sensitive equipment and finished surfaces aren't affected.
Cores also cut straight through reinforcement. Rebar doesn't stop a diamond barrel the way it stops a rotary hammer.
Scan first, drill second
Before we core into a suspended slab or a post-tensioned deck, we scan. It takes very little time compared with the cost of hitting a PT strand or a live conduit. See our concrete scanning and GPR service for how that works.
Frequently asked questions
What size core holes can you drill?
Anywhere from 10 mm to 1000 mm in diameter. Most service penetrations sit between 50 mm and 300 mm, but we hold barrels well beyond that for larger openings.
Will core drilling cut through reinforcement?
Yes. A diamond barrel cuts straight through rebar, which is where it beats a rotary hammer. What we do want to avoid is post-tension strands, so on suspended and PT slabs we scan first.
How much mess does core drilling make?
Very little airborne dust, because water is fed through the driving shaft and suppresses it at the cutting face. The by-product is slurry, which we contain and remove rather than letting it run.
Can you core drill indoors or in an occupied building?
Yes. Electric rigs with slurry rings and vacuum extraction let us work inside offices, hospitals and tenanted buildings with minimal disruption and no fumes.
Working somewhere awkward? Send a photo and a rough measurement. We'll tell you which method suits, what access we need and what it'll cost, usually the same day.
Related concrete cutting services
Concrete Core Cutting is available throughout Ballarat, Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Melton, Melbourne and right across Western Victoria. Request a quote or call 0432 089 194.
Let's cut through it.
Send through your drawings or a photo of the job and we'll come back with a fixed price and a date.