An interior wall breakthrough creates a new opening in an existing wall—for doors, passages, or room-connecting openings. In existing buildings, controlled deconstruction is crucial to protect adjacent areas, installations, and the load-bearing structure. Tools such as concrete pulverizers as well as rock and concrete splitters, powered by suitable compact hydraulic power units, enable low-vibration and precise work. In practice, the interior wall breakthrough is a recurring topic in building gutting and cutting as well as in concrete demolition and special deconstruction, application fields addressed by Darda GmbH.
Definition: What is meant by an interior wall breakthrough
An interior wall breakthrough is the creation of an opening in a wall within a building. The goal is to modify the floor plan, retrofit escape routes, or adapt to new uses. Depending on wall type (masonry, reinforced concrete, autoclaved aerated concrete, drywall) and wall function (load-bearing or non-load-bearing), different methods are used: sawing, drilling, controlled splitting, or crushing. Ideally, the interior wall breakthrough is carried out low-vibration, with little dust generation and minimal impact on adjacent components. For load-bearing walls, shoring, structural analyses, and careful load redistribution must be considered.
Planning, structural analysis, and permitting for an interior wall breakthrough
Planning starts with surveying the existing structure: construction drawings, material analysis, and clarifying whether the wall is load-bearing. For load-bearing interior walls, temporary shoring and, if necessary, steel beam or lintel solutions must be planned. Structural assessments are usually prepared by qualified professionals. Furthermore, boundary conditions such as vibration control, dust and noise limits, working hours, fire protection, and disposal must be clarified. Permitting questions depend on the scope of the measure, the building, and regional requirements and should be coordinated early with designers and, if required, authorities. For execution, a work and safety plan is prepared, including airlocks, enclosures, and logistical routes for materials and equipment.
Wall types and their particularities
Reinforced concrete walls
Reinforced concrete combines the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile strength of reinforcement. In an interior wall breakthrough, rebar density, concrete cover, and possible prestressing influence the methods. Concrete pulverizers can bite off segments in a targeted manner, keeping the reinforcement controlled and allowing it to be subsequently cut with steel shears or multi cutters. Rock and concrete splitters act expansively in core drill holes and loosen concrete virtually without vibration, protecting sensitive adjacent structures.
Masonry (clay brick, calcium silicate, autoclaved aerated concrete)
Masonry is heterogeneous and fractures in a brittle manner. Here, splitting methods prove effective, transferring loads into small, controllable fracture segments. Concrete pulverizers are suitable for high bulk density or composite masonry to remove material in a targeted manner without widespread vibration. Cut edges are then skimmed or framed with lintels.
Lightweight and drywall constructions
Openings can be created in drywall with less equipment; however, services and fire protection layers must still be considered. The focus here is on low-dust cuts, clean edges, and restoring sound insulation layers.
Methods for the interior wall breakthrough
Sawing and drilling
Wall saws and wire saws deliver precise cut edges and are suitable where exact opening geometry is required. Core drill holes serve as starting points, penetrations, or as preparation for splitting methods. Water-cooled cuts reduce dust but require consistent water management.
Controlled splitting
Rock and concrete splitters use hydraulically expanding wedges or rock splitting cylinders. After pre-drilled holes, the resulting tensile stress separates the concrete in a targeted manner. Advantages include low-vibration work, low noise emissions, and the protection of adjacent components. This method is ideal for interiors, sensitive areas, and special operations with limited vibration tolerance.
Crushing with concrete pulverizers
Concrete pulverizers crush concrete progressively. They are suitable for selective removal along a cut line, for opening recesses, and for “biting out” wall segments. The reinforcement remains accessible and can then be efficiently cut. In combination with hydraulic power packs, compact, handheld units are possible for tight interior spaces.
Separating reinforcement and embedded parts
Steel shears and multi cutters separate reinforcement, profiles, mounting rails, or embedded items. Combination shears unite gripping and cutting and are helpful when wall segments must be guided or selectively released.
Step-by-step process in practice
- Investigation and exposure: utility detection (power, water, data), mark opening edges, cordon off the site.
- Shoring and decoupling: ensure load transfer for load-bearing walls, protect adjacent components.
- Preparation: dust and splash water protection, negative pressure/extraction, install protective covers and temporary partitions.
- Pre-works: core drill holes at the corners, create relief cuts, or make saw cuts.
- Main works: split with rock and concrete splitters or selectively crush with concrete pulverizers; cut rebar with steel shears or multi cutters.
- Segmented removal: keep piece weights small, remove material safely.
- Finishing works: trim edges, apply corrosion protection to exposed reinforcement, install lintels/beams, close surfaces.
- Cleaning and documentation: clean the site, record measurement and test values, maintain disposal documentation.
Indoor emissions: dust, noise, vibration
For the interior wall breakthrough, low-dust and low-vibration methods have priority. Splitting technology and concrete pulverizers significantly reduce building vibrations compared to percussive methods. Dust is minimized through extraction, water mist, and maintaining negative pressure; any cooling water must be collected in a controlled manner. Noise can be reduced by cutting and splitting methods as well as by decoupling measures.
Tool and equipment selection
- Concrete pulverizers (see Crushers): for selective removal, opening reinforced concrete walls, controlled extraction of segments.
- Rock and concrete splitters: for low-vibration deconstruction, especially in sensitive areas and with massive wall sections.
- Hydraulic power packs: supply pulverizers and splitters with the necessary power; selection based on pressure/flow rate and operating environment.
- Multi cutters, steel shears, combination shears: for reinforcement, profiles, and embedded parts when the opening requires cutting rebar.
Detecting and cutting reinforcement
Rebar detection prevents unwanted cuts into load-bearing steel. After crushing with concrete pulverizers, the exposed reinforcement is cleanly cut with steel shears or multi cutters. For structurally relevant interventions, cutting is carried out according to the design to keep load redistribution under control.
Opening quality and aftertreatment
Tolerances and edges
Precise geometry is achieved by saw cuts or template guidance during crushing. Follow-up work includes equalizing the edges and producing clean reveals.
Corrosion and fire protection
Exposed reinforcement must be protected against corrosion; fire protection claddings and penetrations are restored according to the design.
Areas of application and typical use cases
Interior wall breakthroughs frequently occur in building gutting and cutting, such as for floor plan adjustments, door and window openings, or combining rooms. In concrete demolition and special deconstruction, openings are used to organize material flow, optimize intermediate transport, or enable partial removals. For special operations in sensitive environments (e.g., laboratories, hospitals), rock and concrete splitters and concrete pulverizers are particularly suitable due to low vibration and controlled segmentation.
Occupational safety and organization
- Plan for personal protective equipment, extraction technology, protective coverings, and safe load handling.
- Regularly inspect equipment and hydraulic hose lines; avoid leaks.
- Keep escape routes clear, consider fire protection measures, and ensure electrical safety.
- Organize material separation (concrete, masonry, steel) for disposal or recycling.
Avoiding common sources of error
- Unclear load-bearing systems: clarify structural analysis before execution, size the shoring.
- Unsuitable methods: in interior spaces, prefer splitting or cutting methods.
- Inadequate emission control: systematically capture dust and water, monitor vibrations.
- Overly large segments: cut/split weights small to minimize damage and risk.
- Imprecise edges: combine sawing and concrete pulverizer to ensure dimensional accuracy and surface quality.
Checklist for selecting equipment and methods
- Determine wall type and thickness; check reinforcement ratio and embedded items.
- Define emission requirements: dust, noise, vibration.
- Select methods: splitting with rock and concrete splitters, crushing with concrete pulverizers, supplemented by sawing/drilling.
- Choose hydraulic power packs based on power demand and accessibility.
- Plan auxiliary tools (multi cutters, steel shears, combination shears) for reinforcement and embedded items.