spaller

Noun

spaller (plural spallers)

1. A tool used to remove concrete.
   • Concrete floors and walls can be mechanically decontaminated by removing the contaminated surface layer (1 to 2 inches) using surface grinders, spallers, or pneumatic drills.1982, Shippingport Atomic Power Station, Decommissioning
   • The concrete spaller system contains a hydraulic power supply system and the spaller device. The spaller device, as shown in Figure 19, basically consists of a hydraulic cylinder, a push rod, and a bit.1982, Roy L. Campbell, A Review of Methods for Concrete Removal, page 49
2. A person who breaks down stone into smaller pieces.
   • In 1919, the weekly margin above the living wage for the "all others" item was 6s., though the spallers then received 9s. a week margin and the millhands only 3s.1942, South Australian Industrial Reports, volume 16, page 369
   • After them came men called spallers, who broke the rock down into smaller lumps, generally about three inches across, with sledgehammers.1997, Leigh Edmonds, The Vital Link: A History of Main Roads Western Australia: 1926-1996