Steel walls are key structural elements in industrial plants, infrastructure, tank and vessel construction, in tunnel and special foundation engineering, as well as in deconstruction. In Darda GmbH’s fields of application, professionals encounter steel walls as vessel shells, sheet pile walls, protective and partition walls, or as linings. Especially in concrete demolition and special demolition, gutting works and cutting, as well as in rock breakout and tunnel construction, methods for low-spark separation, controlled segmenting, and safe handling of steel plates play a crucial role. When steel is bonded to concrete or rock, concrete pulverizers or hydraulic rock and concrete splitters are often additionally used to release composite zones cleanly.
Definition: What is meant by steel wall
A steel wall is understood to be a planar wall component made of steel, usually fabricated from sheets or plates, acting as a shell, partition, protective, or supporting element. Typical forms are straight or curved sheet walls with stiffeners, welded vessel walls, sheet pile walls in hydraulic and geotechnical works, or temporary enclosures. Depending on the task, steel walls carry bending, membrane, and shear forces, resist pressure and vacuum loads, secure voids, or separate media. Connections are created by welding, bolting, riveting, or clamping; supports occur on frames, ribs, sections, or directly via wall thicknesses and beads.
Steel wall in construction and deconstruction: fields of application
Steel walls are found as tank and silo walls, as cladding of machine halls, as fire protection and splash protection walls, as sheet pile walls in excavation pits, and as steel liners in tunnel construction. In deconstruction, they are cut, segmented, and removed, often under confined, sensitive, or emission-critical conditions. For separating steel walls, hydraulic steel shears for plates, multi cutters, or combination shears are used; for tank- or vessel-specific tasks, a tank cutter TC120 is suitable for low-spark opening of shell surfaces. If steel walls are grouted with concrete (e.g., steel–concrete composite, base plates, anchor heads), concrete pulverizer can locally remove concrete, while rock wedge splitter and concrete splitter create controlled crack paths to release connections without heavy vibrations.
Structure, materials, and typical thicknesses
Steel walls often consist of carbon steel sheets (e.g., structural steels of normal or higher strength), less commonly of stainless steels for corrosive media. Wall thicknesses range from thin cassette elements to massive plates for pressure vessels or sheet pile profiles. Stiffeners using beads, angle or T-sections reduce the risk of buckling and increase plate load-carrying capacity. Coatings, duplex systems, or metallic overlays protect against corrosion; internal linings reduce abrasion or chemical attack. Weld seams, nozzles, and manholes represent structural specifics that require particular attention during separation and segmenting.
Separation and deconstruction techniques on steel walls
Controlled separation of steel walls aims for low-spark, low-vibration, and precise cuts. In deconstruction, openings are created, panel fields are cut out, and assemblies are divided into manageable segments. Cold-cutting hydraulic shears and cutting tools are particularly suitable; they minimize heat, reduce sparks, and protect adjacent components.
Cold cutting with hydraulic cutting tools
Hydraulically operated steel shears, combination shears, and multi cutters enable low-noise and low-vibration cuts through plates, beams, and sections. On tanks and silos, tank cutters are often used section by section along marked cutting lines to create openings for emptying, ventilation, and safe segmenting.
Cleanly releasing composite constructions
Where a steel wall meets concrete (e.g., at fixings, foundation connections, or steel–concrete composite shells), the combination of steel cutting and concrete breaking proves effective: concrete pulverizer create space at nodes, expose anchors, and allow separation of steel–concrete connections. rock wedge splitter and concrete splitter can apply pressure cracks in a targeted manner to release composite joints without overloading the steel wall.
Segmenting and load control
Steel panels are cut so that self-weight and residual load-bearing capacity remain controllable. During cut-outs, auxiliary suspensions or intermediate shoring relieve the cutting zone. Cutting sequences prevent unwanted buckling or twisting.
Safety, stability, and work preparation
Before separating, load paths, stress states, and potential residual pressures must be checked. Steel walls in vessels must be emptied, degassed, and ventilated; for sheet pile walls, earth pressure must be considered. Temporary shoring, catch devices, and reliable anchorage points must be planned. Safety equipment, shielding against flying fragments, and orderly hose routing from hydraulic power packs increase safety.
Workflow in practice
- Survey: Record material, thickness, coatings, stiffeners, and connections.
- Check stability: Assess loads, supports, and possible deformations; plan shoring.
- Define separation strategy: Cutting sequence, segment sizes, suspensions, and haulage logistics.
- Release composite joints: Remove concrete portions with concrete pulverizer, apply splitting forces in a measured way.
- Perform cold cutting: Use hydraulic shears and tank cutters with low spark generation.
- Secure and remove segments: Dress edges, mitigate sharp-edged areas.
Corrosion and fire protection: influence on work on steel walls
Coatings, galvanization, or fire and chemical protection systems can lead to smoke or particulates during separation. Mechanical methods with low heat generation reduce emissions. Potential hazardous substances must be identified in advance, and suitable extraction and filtration provided. For fire-relevant components, temporary substitute measures must be planned when load-bearing or fire stop functions are removed.
Steel wall in tunnel and special foundation engineering
In tunnel construction, steel walls appear as linings, liners, or portal reinforcements. During refurbishments, openings are created, service penetrations added, or damaged sections replaced. In excavation pits and trenches, sheet pile walls made of steel take up lateral earth and water pressure. In deconstruction work on such steel walls, the interaction with surrounding soil and groundwater must be considered. For accompanying measures in rock, such as exposing anchors or removing concrete edges, rock wedge splitter and concrete splitter as well as concrete pulverizer help to keep vibrations low.
Measurement methods and condition assessment
Typical damage patterns on steel walls are corrosion loss, pitting, cracks at weld seams, dents due to instability, or plastic deformations after overload. Wall thickness measurements, visual inspections, magnetic particle or dye penetrant testing, and geometric checks support the assessment. The condition assessment determines where cutting is permitted and which shoring is required.
Hydraulic power packs and tool selection
Hydraulic power packs provide the flow rate and pressure for shears, pulverizers, and splitters. The choice of tools depends on wall thickness, steel grade, and section geometry. Blade and jaw designs must be selected so that cutting edges are guided stably and the cut line is accessible. Hose lengths, couplings, and pressure stages are coordinated to ensure safe and ergonomic operation on site.
Special steel walls: tanks, silos, and pressure vessels
For tanks and silos, residual media, coatings, and internals (agitators, baffle plates, risers) must be considered. Before separation, inerted or ventilated conditions must be established, ignition sources minimized, and grounding measures provided. Tank cutters enable cold guided opening cuts; large-format panels are divided into transportable pieces. At foundations, the steel wall is often connected to concrete: concrete pulverizer create the necessary free cuts so that the steel sheet can be released without tensile tears.
Measures to reduce emissions during deconstruction
Cutting steel with hydraulic equipment reduces sparks, heat, and noise. Additional measures such as localized wetting, mobile shielding, and low-dust concrete processing improve the working environment. Indoors, air changes, filters, and clear material routes must be planned to safely run gutting works and cutting in parallel.
Design and load-bearing aspects at a glance
Depending on their support, steel walls act as plates, membranes, or shells. Critical are local buckling, stress concentrations at openings and weld seams, as well as notch effects during cutting. For work on load-bearing steel walls, it must always be checked whether temporary substitute systems are required. The applicable rules of steel and metal construction, as well as explosion protection, occupational safety, and fire protection, must be considered; binding case-by-case evaluations are the responsibility of the planners and contractors.
Classification compared to related types
Steel walls differ from reinforced concrete walls in material and fracture behavior as well as separation techniques. Compared to sheet pile walls as profile shoring, vessel or cassette walls exhibit different stiffening patterns and connection details. In deconstruction, these differences imply an adapted sequence of steel cutting and concrete release, often using a combination of shears, concrete pulverizer and rock wedge splitter and concrete splitter to separate structures in a controlled and material-appropriate manner.