Slab Core Drilling for MEP

The holes

The MEP drawing called for round openings through the slab: smaller holes for cables and larger ones for pipes and ducts. Each hole was set out on the mark and drilled with a diamond core barrel.

The core came out in one piece. The edge of the hole stayed round, which is what the sleeve and fire stopping need.

The job was a Dubai slab for an MEP contractor. The method was diamond core drilling at the diameters on the drawing. The outcome was round holes for pipes and cables, with the cores removed and the bay left intact.

Before the barrel started

A slab core can hit rebar, a post-tension cable, or a live service. Where the drawing did not rule that out, the slab was scanned first and the hole was moved if the scan said so.

• Diameter and position from the MEP drawing
• Scan where cables or pipes were possible
• Water and slurry contained on the deck
• Cores removed so they could not fall through