Traditional cutting methods for decommissioning operations are not effective for viscoelas-tic materials such as the bitumen used in subcritical tanks, coatings and joints. Ultrasonic cutting, as currently used in the plastics and food industries, guaranties a clean cut with no substantial fouling of the tool for these materials. This technology has not yet been adapted to the needs of the nuclear industry. The feasibility of ultrasonic cutting for bitumen has therefore been investigated by defining the operating range with respect to the constraints of a nuclear environment. A prototype has been developed to evaluate the process with tel-eoperation in a non-radioactive but otherwise representative environment.