Water supply lines are central building blocks of the technical infrastructure in buildings, industrial facilities, and public spaces. They ensure the supply of drinking, utility, and process water, run visibly or concealed in slabs, walls, shafts, foundations, and in the ground, and are often embedded in concrete or masonry. During construction, rehabilitation, concrete demolition, and selective deconstruction, water supply lines must be reliably located, protected, exposed, separated, or replaced. Controlled, low-vibration methods and precise tools have proven effective for these tasks—such as concrete pulverizers for gentle removal of concrete or hydraulic splitters for creating defined cracks in the structure. This protects the line itself from damage, prevents leaks, and maintains supply reliability.
Definition: What is meant by water supply line
A water supply line is a closed pipe system for the safe conveyance, distribution, and discharge of water. This includes drinking water lines at the house connection and in building services, supply lines in the municipal network, feeder lines in industrial and tunnel facilities, as well as pressure and suction lines for special applications. Water supply lines consist of pipe sections, connectors (socket, flange, press fitting), valves (shut-off, backflow prevention, pressure reduction), and measuring devices. They are designed according to medium, temperature, pressure rating, and installation situation. In construction and deconstruction contexts, a water supply line is not only a supply element but also a component to be protected that lies in concrete, masonry, rock, or soil and therefore requires special methods during gutting, cutting, and removal.
Design, materials, and sizing of water supply lines
Water supply lines differ by material, nominal diameter, and pressure rating. In existing buildings, copper, stainless steel, and multilayer composite dominate; in the ground and on long routes, ductile cast iron, steel, and HDPE are most common. Rehabilitation and deconstruction planning take into account material properties as well as the line’s age, corrosion state, encrustations, joining technology, and coatings/wrappings.
Typical materials and their relevance in deconstruction
- Steel and ductile cast iron: high strength, spark-generating cutting, often corrosion-protected; when exposing, controlled removal of the surrounding concrete with concrete pulverizers and crack-guided release with hydraulic splitters is advantageous.
- Copper and stainless steel: dimensionally stable; line-adjacent work requires low vibration; pinpoint removal minimizes dents and kinks.
- HDPE and uPVC: sensitive to sharp-edged fracture zones; large-area, gentle exposure reduces notch effects.
Dimensions, pressure ratings, and valves
Nominal diameters typically range from small house connections to large transport lines. Pressure ratings and operating pressures determine the isolation and draining strategy before interventions. Valves, transitions, and supports (pipe clamps, bearings) are preferred points for leaks and must be mechanically relieved during concrete removal.
Water supply lines in concrete and masonry: detection, exposure, protection
Safe work on lines embedded in components begins with detection. Non-contact measurement methods and probing are combined with experience and construction records. Exposure then follows through the step-by-step removal of concrete or masonry.
Low-vibration exposure
Low-vibration methods are essential to protect the water supply line. Concrete pulverizers enable locally metered forces and avoid uncontrolled impact energy. Hydraulic splitters create defined cracks along a line of boreholes so that concrete blocks can be released from the structure with low internal stress. This keeps the pipe wall, sockets, and seals largely unaffected.
Hydraulic power packs and attachments
Hydraulically operated tools are supplied by hydraulic power units. In combination with hydraulic shears, Multi Cutters, and steel shears, reinforcement, clamps, and steel pipes can be cut in a controlled manner after exposure, without compressing or twisting the water supply line.
Selective deconstruction in existing structures: strip-out and cutting around water supply lines
During strip-out and cutting in existing buildings, cold and hot water supply lines often run in shafts, under screeds, or in load-bearing elements. The goal is to keep lines functional or to take them out of service in a controlled manner.
Work steps focused on line safety
- Isolate, depressurize, drain, and, if necessary, flush the affected sections.
- Remove line-adjacent components step by step; concrete pulverizers limit spalling and avoid impact loads.
- Separate reinforcement and embedded parts with hydraulic shears or steel shears to minimize lever forces on the water supply line.
- Finish openings with hydraulic splitters if additional relief cuts or predetermined breaking lines are required.
Concrete demolition and special deconstruction: minimizing risks
In concrete demolition and deconstruction near active or decommissioned lines, control and cleanliness are paramount. Vibrations, falling components, and sharp-edged fracture surfaces can damage pipes, valves, and sealing joints.
Controlled load management
By purposefully placing splitting cylinders and incrementally removing with concrete pulverizers, load redistribution in components can be controlled. This reduces restraint stresses that could endanger pipe penetrations or support zones.
Water management and hygiene
Escaping water must be controlled and routed away. For lines related to drinking water, contamination, backflow, and open pipe ends must be avoided. Work on potentially in-use water supply lines should include a temporary supply and a clear separation between utility water and construction water.
Rock excavation and tunnel construction: lines in geotechnical environments
In adits, shafts, and tunnels, water supply lines serve construction sites, dewatering, and operations. Rock excavation and tunnel construction require crack-guided methods to protect embedded components, suspended pipes, or lines integrated into linings.
Crack steering instead of impact energy
Hydraulic splitters create predictable fracture planes in shotcrete, masonry linings, or rock. The water supply line can be exposed in a low-stress zone. Subsequently, Multi Cutters ensure clean cutting of brackets or protective pipes.
Typical damage patterns and diagnostics
- Corrosion and pitting on metallic water supply lines, favored by stray currents or moisture fluctuations.
- Encrustations and cross-sectional constrictions with pressure losses.
- Settlement-induced buckling and shear damage in buried pipes, especially at transitions.
- Reinforcement-adjacent crack zones at penetrations when concrete removal is uncontrolled.
Prevention through working method
Low-vibration, controlled methods—precise removal with concrete pulverizers, crack-guided release using hydraulic splitters—significantly reduce the risk of secondary damage.
Planning, coordination, and documentation
Before interventions on water supply lines, existing conditions, line detection, coordination with the network operator, and the definition of protection and shut-off concepts come first. During execution, responsibilities, shut-off times, emergency measures, and communication paths must be clearly regulated. After the intervention, line condition, new routes, supports, and penetrations are documented; changes to the pipe network are to be recorded in the as-built plan.
Testing and commissioning
After work on water supply lines, leak-tightness and strength must be demonstrated according to the recognized rules of technology. Flushing, venting, and hygienically sound recommissioning must be carefully planned. Specifications for test pressures, hold times, and water quality are based on standards and project requirements and must always be coordinated for the specific project.
Tools and methods at a glance
- Concrete pulverizers: pinpoint, low-vibration removal of concrete near lines; suitable for exposure and damage prevention.
- Hydraulic splitters: defined crack formation for gentle removal, creating predetermined breaking lines and relief cuts.
- Hydraulic power packs: energy supply for pulverizers, shears, and splitting cylinders in stationary or mobile use.
- Hydraulic shears and steel shears: cutting reinforcement, clamps, steel pipes, and profiles after exposure.
- Multi Cutters: universal cutting of various materials during strip-out and cutting operations.
Rehabilitation and renewal of water supply lines
If continued use of a line is not economical or technically sensible, renewal and rehabilitation come into consideration. Depending on the location, the line is left in place, exposed and removed, or transferred to a new routing concept.
Work sequence for renewals
- Ensure temporary supply; implement the shut-off and draining concept.
- Expose the line and supports: controlled removal with concrete pulverizers, supplemented by splitting technology for crack-guided deconstruction.
- Cut and remove the old line with suitable shears and cutters.
- Install the new line, fix it, and protect penetrations; then perform testing, flushing, and documentation.
Safety, environmental, and health protection
Work on water supply lines requires protective measures against uncontrolled water discharge, slip and electrical hazards, contamination, and noise. Personal protective equipment, securing the construction site, orderly water routing, and low-dust, low-aerosol work must be ensured. For lines related to drinking water, hygiene has top priority; the requirements of the competent authorities and the recognized rules of technology must be observed. Legal requirements may vary by country and project and must be definitively clarified on site.