Case Studies
Method-led delivery, proven on site.
Selected projects across refractory, listed-building, infrastructure and specialist civils — where the method was the difference between a workable programme and a stalled one.
Each case study below describes a scheme where the brief demanded more than a generic demolition approach: confined access, structurally sensitive surroundings, COMAH-regulated or live operations, Grade-listed building constraints, or programmes tight enough that the wrong method would have lost the client weeks. The projects span GNAT UK's full discipline range — Robotic Demolition with the Brokk and Husqvarna fleet, Hydrodemolition with Aquajet equipment, Diamond Wire Cutting and Concrete Sawing, and Abrasive Cold Cutting in volatile environments. Sectors covered include COMAH-regulated industrial sites, water infrastructure (including current AMP8 delivery), highways and bridge structures, refractory and process- industry vessels, listed buildings, and offshore decommissioning.
Use this as the technical record. If your scheme has any of the same constraints, the methods that worked on these projects will tell you what a workable approach looks like — and which approaches to rule out.

Project · 1 October 2025
Precision Cold-Cutting & BROKK Debricking within the Complex Geometry of a Large Refractory Vessel
A highly complex project: precision abrasive cold-cutting on a massive industrial vessel, followed by a full robotic debricking of its interior.
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Project · 2 December 2024
Turbine Hall Decommissioning — Bulk Concrete Cutting with HILTI Wire Sawing
Decommissioning of a Turbine Hall is proceeding smoothly, thanks to GnatUK's skilled HILTI concrete wire-sawing team — bulk concrete sections cut, craned out and removed in sequence.
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Project · 1 July 2024
De-bricking a Contaminated Chromium Kiln with Brokk Robotics
Seven Brokk robots stripped 200 tonnes of contaminated brick lining from six rotating kilns at an Elementis chromium plant over six months.
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Project · 26 April 2024
Twin Brokk 800s with Atlas Copco Peckers Tackle Reinforced Foundations
A pair of GnatUK Brokk 800s with Atlas Copco hydraulic peckers cutting through heavily reinforced concrete foundations.
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Project · 8 November 2023
Railway Arch Refurbishment for a Safer Pedestrian Walkway
Brokk robots and Hilti track saws cleared a sealed Beeching-era railway arch to open a new pedestrian walkway, finishing three days early.
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Project · 2 August 2023
Top-Down Deconstruction of the Shropshire Flax Mill Silo
Husqvarna DXR140 robots on mast climbers deconstructed a 21m, 500-tonne reinforced silo from the inside out at the Grade I listed Ditherington flax mill.
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Project · 31 July 2023
Twin Brokk 800 Robots Tackle Heavy Basement Foundations
A diesel and a 3-phase electric Brokk 800 were craned into a basement to peck out heavily reinforced concrete foundations in record time.
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Project · 20 July 2023
Top-Down Robotic Demolition of a 19-Storey Leeds Tower
Husqvarna and Brokk robots deconstructed a 19-storey Leeds city centre tower from the top down, working alongside Bobcats to clear concrete and rebar.
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Project · 12 June 2023
Cold Cutting and Brokk 800 Clear 2000m³ of Solidified Oil Sludge
Abrasive cold-cutting opened a safe access route into a volatile oil tank so a Brokk 800 Diesel could remove over 2000m³ of solidified sludge.
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Project · 1 January 2023
Concrete Screed Removal on a 40-Degree Archimedes Screw Trough
A Husqvarna DXR140 robot with hydraulic pecker safely deconstructed concrete screed inside an Archimedes screw trough on a 40-degree incline.
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Project · 31 December 2022
Tunnel Benching Deconstruction in a 1.5m Sewer with Brokk 60
A compact Brokk 60 broke out tunnel benching inside a 1.5m diameter sewer for Active Tunnelling Ltd, eliminating the HAV risk of hand-held breakers.
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Project · 30 December 2022
Hydrodemolition and Diamond Wire Sawing for Car Factory Floor Refurbishment
Aquajet hydrodemolition robots and Hilti wire saws worked in tandem to isolate and refurbish concrete plinths in a North East car factory.
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Project · 28 October 2022
Hydroblasting Precision Rebates into a Factory Floor
Diamond floor sawing and an Aquajet hydrodemolition robot cut 2500m of clean 100mm x 50mm rebates after percussive breakers had failed.
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Project · 27 April 2022
Diamond Wire Sawing Live Sewer Flume Pipes in Glasgow
Hilti WS15 wire saws cold-cut three sections of live 1.6m steel sewage flume in central Glasgow, each isolation completed in just over an hour.
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Project · 27 March 2022
Robotic Hydroblasting for City Bridge Deck Renovation
Robotic hydrodemolition at up to 36000 psi removed 150mm of damaged concrete from a busy arterial city bridge deck with minimum downtime.
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Project · 23 March 2022
Diamond Sawing a 2.6m × 2.6m × 575mm Reinforced Concrete Slab in One Shift
GNAT UK's HILTI diamond sawing team isolated and removed a 2600 × 2600 × 575mm reinforced concrete slab in a single shift.
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Project · 28 February 2022
Brokk 330 with Steel Shears Removes Factory Roof Pipework
A Brokk 330 fitted with Atlas Copco steel shears selectively removed a tangle of steel pipework from a factory roof — extended reach eliminated the need for scaffolding towers.
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Project · 25 February 2022
Leeds Factory Floor Refurbishment: HILTI Track Saws and Robotic Demolition
HILTI track saws cut cleanly through selective areas of factory concrete floors before Husqvarna and Brokk robots pecked out the bulk concrete for rebar/concrete renewal.
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Project · 6 December 2021
Aquajet Hydrodemolition Robot Deconstructs a Motorway Bridge Parapet
An Aquajet hydrodemolition robot deconstructing a motorway bridge parapet prior to refurbishment.
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Project · 1 December 2021
Conjet Hydrodemolition on a North Sea Coastal Jetty
A Conjet hydrodemolition robot stripped degraded concrete from a working North Sea jetty deck while preserving steel substructures and the marine environment.
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Project · 18 May 2021
Brokk 330 'Fillie' on the Farnworth Tunnel TBM Re-Bore
Gnat's adapted Brokk 330 ‘Fillie’ worked 24/7 inside Britain's largest active TBM, helping remove 30,000 tonnes of material from the Farnworth Tunnel.
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Project · 10 May 2021
Diamond-Cutting a Bank of England Vault in a Grade I Listed Building
Track sawing and stitch drilling deconstructed a heavily reinforced Bank of England holding vault inside a 16th-century Grade I listed London building.
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Project · 9 April 2021
York Rougier Street Walkway Removal by Diamond Sawing
Diamond track sawing and stitch drilling removed three reinforced concrete walkways above York's Rougier Street, finishing 20 weeks ahead of schedule.
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A scheme that needs solving early?
Tell us what you're dealing with — restricted access, live operations or sensitive structure. We'll define the right method and machine.
