DecommissioningDeconstruction and Cutting Specialists
Cold Cutting (Non‑Heat Solutions)
Cold cutting works where the permit system says flame cannot
The strongest argument for cold cutting is not the technology, it is the permit regime. UHP abrasive water jet cutting works in explosive atmospheres and on tanks with residual product without hot work permits and without gas-freeing every compartment first. On a producing facility, avoiding that shutdown is often worth more than the cut itself.
Why engineers specify it
- No flame, no sparks, no ignition source at the cut.
- Material stays below 65 degrees, so no heat affected zone and no post-cut heat treatment. Material certification survives the cut, which matters for petrochemical and marine work.
- Cuts steel plate cleanly to around 100 mm while holding precision, and thicker sections with the right head and abrasive.
- The spent stream is water and inert garnet, which simplifies the waste path.
Where it earns its keep
- Live plant tie-ins and shutdown cuts inside hydrocarbon facilities.
- Pipelines and vessels with residual product.
- Tank farms, terminals and refineries where the permit to work rules out thermal methods.
- Any cut where a heat affected zone would fail the weld procedure that follows.
Every cold cutting spread we run is Class B water jetting under AS/NZS 4233, crewed by operators trained and assessed to the national competency, with exclusion zones and dual shutoffs as standard.
DeconCut acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isander people as Traditional Custodians of the country on which we live and work. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders past, present and future, and honour their connection to the land and ongoing contribution to society.