diff --git a/jbmc/src/java_bytecode/java_pointer_casts.cpp b/jbmc/src/java_bytecode/java_pointer_casts.cpp
index 68992ca76fd..7dce1a3b524 100644
--- a/jbmc/src/java_bytecode/java_pointer_casts.cpp
+++ b/jbmc/src/java_bytecode/java_pointer_casts.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Author: Daniel Kroening, kroening@kroening.com
 
 #include "java_pointer_casts.h"
 
+#include <util/expr_util.h>
 #include <util/namespace.h>
 #include <util/pointer_expr.h>
 #include <util/std_expr.h>
@@ -64,21 +65,6 @@ bool find_superclass_with_type(
   }
 }
 
-
-/// \par parameters: input expression
-/// \return recursively search target of typecast
-static const exprt &look_through_casts(const exprt &in)
-{
-  if(in.id()==ID_typecast)
-  {
-    assert(in.type().id()==ID_pointer);
-    return look_through_casts(to_typecast_expr(in).op());
-  }
-  else
-    return in;
-}
-
-
 /// \par parameters: raw pointer
 /// target type
 /// namespace
@@ -88,7 +74,7 @@ exprt make_clean_pointer_cast(
   const pointer_typet &target_type,
   const namespacet &ns)
 {
-  const exprt &ptr=look_through_casts(rawptr);
+  const exprt &ptr = skip_typecast(rawptr);
 
   PRECONDITION(ptr.type().id()==ID_pointer);
 
diff --git a/src/analyses/variable-sensitivity/interval_abstract_value.cpp b/src/analyses/variable-sensitivity/interval_abstract_value.cpp
index c293ac2eca1..7ad4eb52908 100644
--- a/src/analyses/variable-sensitivity/interval_abstract_value.cpp
+++ b/src/analyses/variable-sensitivity/interval_abstract_value.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include <util/arith_tools.h>
 #include <util/bitvector_types.h>
+#include <util/expr_util.h>
 #include <util/invariant.h>
 #include <util/make_unique.h>
 #include <util/simplify_expr.h>
@@ -74,15 +75,6 @@ static index_range_implementation_ptrt make_interval_index_range(
   return util_make_unique<interval_index_ranget>(interval, n);
 }
 
-static inline exprt look_through_casts(exprt e)
-{
-  while(e.id() == ID_typecast)
-  {
-    e = to_typecast_expr(e).op();
-  }
-  return e;
-}
-
 static inline bool
 bvint_value_is_max(const typet &type, const mp_integer &value)
 {
@@ -153,15 +145,16 @@ interval_from_x_gt_value(const exprt &value)
     return constant_interval_exprt::bottom(value.type());
 }
 
-static inline bool represents_interval(exprt e)
+static inline bool represents_interval(const exprt &expr)
 {
-  e = look_through_casts(e);
+  const exprt &e = skip_typecast(expr);
   return (e.id() == ID_constant_interval || e.id() == ID_constant);
 }
 
-static inline constant_interval_exprt make_interval_expr(exprt e)
+static inline constant_interval_exprt make_interval_expr(const exprt &expr)
 {
-  e = look_through_casts(e);
+  const exprt &e = skip_typecast(expr);
+
   if(e.id() == ID_constant_interval)
   {
     return to_constant_interval_expr(e);