June 2019 by Concrete Openings Archive

JUNE 2019

CSDA Contractor Slices Through 2,000 Tons of Concrete at Texas Port Diamond Wire Sawing Tackles Wind, Waves and Weather

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President’s Page

MATTHEW FINNIGAN CSDA President

t is truly an honor to lead CSDA as your new President. I am both grateful for and humbled by the opportunity, and I look forward to serving the association over the course of the next two years. I’m excited by what the future holds for our association and the industry, and believe our prospects are bright as we continue to serve our customers in a safe, professional and productive manner. As I look ahead, I envision a clear path forward for CSDA. With the dedication and passion of those who serve on our Board and committees, coupled with the commitment and support of our manufacturers, there is much to celebrate. As our recently-held convention came to a close in St. Petersburg, I spoke of four areas of focus for CSDA in the coming days. They are member engagement, Company Certification, continuing attention to issues related to silica and the new OSHA regulations and CSDA’s efforts to promote business development for all members. These will be items that the Board and committees endeavor to work on this year, and we welcome your needs, thoughts and input concerning these issues. I’ve always lived by a philosophy of “you only get out of something what you put into it.” That said, I invite you to “put into” CSDA; in essence, that you do something to ensure you gain the true value of your membership in CSDA. Back in 1961, John F. Kennedy spoke these words near the end of his inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” If we modify this slightly by changing the word country to CSDA, I invite you to think about the positive effects each of us could have on our own operations, on CSDA, and by extension, our industry.

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CSDA provides a great deal to its members, whether it is our terrific training programs, using CSDA’s standards, specifications, best practices or our safety documents within your organization or attending one of our quarterly meetings and/or our stimulating and productive annual convention and tech fair. I encourage you to become involved and look forward to seeing you at one of the following events coming up yet this year: Fall Board and Committee Meetings Columbus, OH September 5–6 Sawing and Drilling 101 Classes Portland, OR October 14–18 GPR Certification Clearwater, FL November 8–9 Sawing and Drilling 201 / Operator Certification Clearwater, FL November 11–15 Winter Board and Committee Meetings New Orleans, LA December 4–5

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CSDA OFFICERS

CONCRETE CASES

President, Matthew Finnigan National Concrete Cutting Inc. matthewf@nationalconcretecuttinginc.com Vice President, Mike Orzechowski DITEQ Corporation mikeo@diteq.com

CSDA Contractor Slices Through 2,000 Tons of Concrete at Texas Port

Secretary/Treasurer, Kellie Vazquez Holes, Incorporated kellie@holesinc.com Past President, Jack Sondergard Central Concrete Cutting, Inc. jacksondergard@sprynet.com

Executive Director, Patrick Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association pat@csda.org CSDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Terms expiring 2020) Peter Bigwood Brokk, Inc. peter@brokkinc.com

Diamond Wire Sawing Tackles Wind, Waves and Weather

Scott Brown ICS, Blount Inc. scott.brown@blount.com Bill Fisher National Research Company bfisher@nationalresearchcompany.com Rick Glidewell Hilti, Inc. rick.glidewell@hilti.com Bennett Jones Advanced Concrete Sawing, Inc. bennett@acsawing.com

Clean Cuts Needed to Repair 97 Miles of Aqueduct 84 Concrete Cutting and Demo Crew Members Join Forces to Repair California Aqueduct

Tim Terrell Husqvarna Construction Products tim.terrell@husqvarnagroup.com CSDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Terms expiring 2021) Ty Conner Austin Enterprise tconner@austin-enterprise.com Dan Dennison Diamond Tools Technology ddennison@diamondtoolstechnology.com Mark DeSchepper Echo GPR Services mark@echogpr.com

Crumbling Bridge Safely Removed with the Help of Diamond Saws

Jami Harmon GSSI harmonj@geophysical.com Bruce Ferrell PROSOCO bruce.ferrell@prosoco.com Greg Lipscomb Diamond Products glipscomb@diamondproducts.com

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Bridge Spanned 13 Active Railroad Tracks in Wyoming Residential Neighborhood

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CONCRETE OPENINGS MAGAZINE Official Magazine of the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association Volume 28, Number 2 ISSN: 1093-6483 Concrete Openings magazine is published by O’Brien International, Inc., four times each calendar year in March, June, September and December. Editorial contributions are welcomed and advertisements are encouraged. Please contact the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association 646 2nd Ave S St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Tel: 727-577-5004 Fax: 727-577-5012

C O N T E N T S 16

CSDA Shines in the Sunshine City

Renovation Resources

The Business of Business

Core Health

Safety Counts

Tech Talk

Industry Bits

WWW.CSDA.ORG Magazines, newspapers and private individuals are welcome to reproduce, in whole or part, articles published herein provided that acknowledgements are made in the following manner: “Reprinted courtesy of the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association, Concrete Openings magazine, Issue Date.” No alterations should be made in the text of any article. PUBLISHER O’Brien International EDITOR Erin O’Brien CONCRETE CASE CONTRIBUTORS Bryan Anthony Eric Blackburn Stella Pudewell Jim Zappavigna EDITORIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE Tim Beckman Pat Stepanski Doug Walker The information and recommendations in this magazine are provided for use by fully qualified, professional personnel. The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association and the publisher disclaim any responsibility as to their use by readers and shall not be liable for damages arising out of the use of the foregoing information. All bylined articles published in this magazine represent solely the individual opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Largest Mainland Show in 10 Years

Controlling Concrete Dust

Construction Second Most Targeted Industry for Email Fraud Attacks

The Dangers of Energy Drinks

Employer Achilles’ Heel—Supervisor Failure to Enforce OSHA Compliance

GPR Talk: But Wait, There’s More!

48 Certification 50 Membership 52 Calendar 56 Director’s Dialogue

18 Cover: Operators prepare rigging through wire saw runs at the Port of Corpus Christi.

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Concrete Cases

CSDA Contractor Slices Through

2,000 Tons of Concrete at Texas Port

Diamond Wire Sawing Tackles Wind, Waves and Weather The Port of Corpus Christi is the fourth-largest port in the United States.

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he Port of Corpus Christi is the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number one exporter of crude oil and port officials plan to further that dominance by utilizing an additional 250 acres of land on nearby Harbor Island. This new project will allow larger oil tankers to dock by increasing the depth of the shipping channel. Harbor Island is located along the northeast perimeter of Corpus Christi Bay and within the city limits of Aransas Pass and Port Aransas in Texas. Work has already begun to deepen the channel from a maximum depth of 40 feet to depths of up to 54 feet, making it the first port in Texas with a channel deeper than 50 feet. This project is being managed in part by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and will cost over $325 million.

Hilti WS15 Wire Saws were set up on barges to make the wire cuts through concrete and steel.

As part of this work, a new desalination facility will be constructed to provide non-potable water to the industrial sector, as well as a crude oil export facility. Existing structures on Harbor Island first needed to be demolished, including three loading docks, seven concrete mooring structures over water and on land, as well as several concrete and metal buildings, concrete light poles and concrete W WW. C O N C RE TE OPE N IN GS.COM

foundations. Additionally, miscellaneous concrete and debris strewn across the bottom of the channelâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;remnants of damage caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. General Contractor Derrick Construction was tasked with this project and turned to CSDA member Holes Incorporated to handle the demolition, rigging and hauling away of massive amounts of concrete and metal. Holes won the job by offering turn-key demolition services. Competing bids did C O N C R ET E O P EN I N G S | 7

Concrete Cases

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Wire saw operators had to be conscious of several complicating factors, including large waves, strong tides, fog and high winds.

not offer full services, nor did they have the reputation of successfully completing difficult projects like this one. With 47 years of experience, Derrick Construction knew that the Holes operators could be trusted to get this job done right.

Work on the demolition of the existing structures began in January 2019, one week after the general contractor arrived onsite. The first step was to break and haul out a large stockpile of concrete believed to be old tank foundationsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;about 500

Rigged sections of concrete weighing up to 80,000 pounds were lifted out by crane.

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cubic yards of material. Next, the concrete mooring structures needed to be removed. Two were located on land and five over water, making removal challenging. The two mooring structures on land measured 20-feet by 17-feet and 6-feet thick sitting on 28 driven wooden pilings, while the five over water measured from 17-feet by 25-feet and 6-feet thick to 14-feet by 10-feet and 4-feet thick, all sitting on driven steel 3-foot by 16-inch I-beams. Derrick Construction needed the cut pieces to be at or below 80,000 pounds for the bargemounted crane to be able to lift them safely. All mooring structures were heavily reinforced with I-beam, pipe, multiple mats of rebar and old river rock, which makes an exceptionally hard concrete. The mooring structures over the water presented an additional challenge. The Holes team had determined along with the general contractor that wire sawing was the best method for cutting and removal, but the wire sawing would need to be done from a barge on the water. The rapid currents and fluctuating tides, along with constant wakes from large ships passing made the job even more difficult. Additionally, high winds in the area from passing weather systems of up to 25-32 mph made the barge unstable and sawing almost impossible. Another complication was that the existing concrete on which the wire saw pulleys were mounted was brittle and deteriorating, and setting anchors was extremely difficult. This deterioration also eliminated the possibility of using torches for cutting the I-beams, as the structural integrity of the piers was questionable. Running the wire saw under the beams to complete the cuts was the safest, quickest and most efficient method to free the mooring structures for removal. The Holes team was able to set the pulleys and wire as needed and get started. Hilti WS15 wire saws were used with wire of varying lengths from DDM Concut, Husqvarna and Hilti. The moorings were sliced like a loaf of bread, leaving the I-beams below in place until all abovewater cutting was completed. Once the wire sawing above the water level was done, operators began drilling two-inch

Deteriorating steel and concrete sections of the old moorings were lifted out by crane and transferred to land, where the concrete was crushed and metal was separated out for recycling.

diameter holes 24-inches deep in each “slice of bread” for rigging. Each “slice” was then individually rigged to the crane and the cuts could be made underwater through the three foot by 16-inch I-beams to free the structure from the pile. The underwater wire routing was handled by divers employed by the general contractor. One by one, the sections were cut free, lifted out by crane and loaded on to a barge to be transported to land. Also needing demolition and removal were three loading docks. The docks

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were built between 1912 and 2000 and extended over the water on 60- to 85-foot long I-beams that were driven into the clay on the bottom of the channel. Some of the older docks were built on driven wooden pilings. All three docks and related structures needed to be completely removed. Other structures needing removal were large metal buildings, concrete and metal foundations and concrete light poles. All of the landbased structures were demolished by the general contractor, with wire sawing

assistance from Holes where needed, while Holes was responsible for the concrete breaking and separating materials to be sent for recycling and reuse. Holes operators were able to pull double duty on this job – while the wire saw crew was busy at work on the over and underwater cutting on the mooring structures and piers, the heavy equipment team was breaking and removing the cut concrete on land. After being transported to land, the concrete was unloaded and a 400 Komatsu with a 3,000 pound

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“I’ve never seen guys make such light work of concrete before,” said Roy “Moose” Johnson, owner of Derrick Construction. “The Holes crew used their equipment like an extension of their arms. It was a pleasure working with such professional folks that know their job so well. We look forward to working with Holes again on future projects.” Bryan Anthony, Regional Manager for Holes South Texas echoed the general contractor’s satisfaction with the job. “I was very satisfied with the outcome of this job. The job was completed safely, on time and on budget. Our wire saw team did an outstanding job and we look forward to future projects with Derrick Construction.” He continued, “The others that competed for this project did not offer all the services we do. Derrick was looking for a turnkey concrete demolition company who could cut, rig, break and haul away. They knew this would be a difficult job, but we had several meetings with them prior to being awarded the work. They were impressed with our team’s knowledge and experience. We can cut it!” The Harbor Island demolition project is projected to be completed in June 2019. Once again, the combination of a CSDA contractor’s experience and reputation along with the reliability, safety and versatility of diamond tools ensured project success and another happy customer.

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT: WWW.CONCRETEOPENINGS.COM

Holes operator Bryan Cheek stands by one of the sections cut out by wire saw.

wrecking ball was used to break up the concrete and load it into 18-wheeler dump trucks. The broken concrete was sent to a local concrete crusher where the rebar and I-beams were separated out, and the metal was sent to a recycling facility. The crushed concrete was then reused as base material for the area. In the end, 2,000 tons of concrete were removed by the Holes team and 1,790 tons of steel were removed and recycled. The Holes wire sawing team successfully completed over 2,200 square feet of wire sawing. This was accomplished despite several challenges thrown at the team by both the concrete and Mother Nature. Debris, rebar and other structural steel wreaked havoc on the wire used and required many different types and lengths of wire on this job. The team also had to contend with high winds, high waves, strong currents and thick fog on most mornings. Winds above 20 mph or heavy fog would require a delay in starting work for the day, but the team was able to stay on schedule. Each morning, each team member would complete a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and had the ability to stop work if conditions became unsafe. The JHAs, along with daily safety talks using CSDA Toolbox Safety Tips (TSTs) and special life jackets that allowed for better operator movement while setting anchors, securing pulleys or just moving around in general contributed to the successful, safe completion of this job. All other standard PPE was worn by operators at all times.

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COMPANY PROFILE The Holes Companies are service companies specializing in concrete slab sawing, core drilling, wall sawing, wire sawing, pile cutting, concrete breaking, lifting, demolition, GPR scanning, load and haul and anchor bolt installation. The Holes Companies primarily work for commercial and industrial contractors, state highway departments and municipalities. Holes Incorporated, Holes Golden Triangle, LLC, Holes South Texas, LLC and Holes Technology, LP have built a solid track record through 47 years of experience, reliability and reputation. They have 52 employees and 28 operators and have been CSDA members since 1976.

RESOURCES General Contractor Derrick Construction Rockport, TX CSDA Cutting Contractor Holes Incorporated Bryan Anthony Phone: 832-529-8329 Email: bryan@holesinc.com Methods Used Wire Sawing, Core Drilling

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Concrete Cases

Clean Cuts Needed to Repair 97 Miles of Aqueduct 84 Concrete Cutting and Demo Crew Members Join Forces to Repair California Aqueduct

he Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA) is one of the largest aqueducts in the United States and supplies drinking water to millions of residents in Southern California. Constructed over six years from 1933 to 1939, it was the largest public works project in Southern California during the Great Depression. The aqueduct carries water west from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu on the California-Arizona border across the Mojave and Colorado Deserts to the east side of the Santa Ana Mountains. The CRA runs for 242 miles and is composed of two reservoirs, five pumping stations, 62 miles of canals, 92 miles of tunnels and 84 miles of buried conduits and siphons.

Over time, the concrete canals and reservoirs deteriorate, with concrete spalling and cracking. Rebar is exposed and rusts with exposure to air and water, which then leeches into the water supply. The damaged concrete also compromises the structural integrity of the canal liner, and therefore the supply of safe drinking water. It was determined that the canal needed to be repaired, no small feat considering the sections in need of repair spanned a total of 97 miles and would require the complete shutdown of the canal, a clean removal of the damaged concrete and a successful pour-back. Due to the massive scope of this project, an experienced professional with the expertise and manpower to get this job done on time would be needed. CSDA member Penhall Company and their team of over 1,500 concrete professionals were called to action to cleanly remove

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the canal and reservoir liners in a short timeframe. This wasn’t the first time Penhall has tackled this challenging job—a similar project was undertaken 15 years ago on the CRA. “The sun and concrete are not best friends,” stated Keegan Clemens of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and with much of the canal exposed to the hot desert sun on a daily basis, the elements won. In 2003, Penhall anticipated set-up and tear-down time to take three weeks, however, operators had only seven days to complete the work on 97 miles of the aqueduct while drained. It was a challenge accepted and successfully accomplished. Further complicating this project was the location – project headquarters was the Iron Mountain Pumping Station, over 60 miles away from any kind of

civilization. All personnel, equipment, generators, supplies, fuel and other resources had to be brought in and stored in the desert. Penhall carefully planned over the two-month period leading up to the project to ensure all logistics were in place. Furthermore, a team of 84 Penhall employees from 15 West Coast Branch offices were needed to be brought in to ensure project

The Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA) runs for 242 miles across the desert landscape of Southern California.

success and an on-time completion. Crews worked 12-hour shifts each for seven days straight, with shifts occurring back to back, and were driven in and out of the jobsite before and after each shift. Once all equipment and supplies were in place, the Penhall crews could get started on breaking down and removing the reservoir liner. The canal was drained of water for seven days so

crews could complete the work. The project commenced on March 6, 2019 with the first wall and hand saw cuts made. The liner was cut into sections, first with two vertical cuts then followed by a horizontal cut. Longer cuts were made using wall saws, while the smaller cuts were made with hand saws. All cuts were of varying length, so crews had to approach each section individually.

Once the liner was fully cut through, the Penhall demolition team used excavators to remove the damaged concrete section so it could be hauled offsite by the general contractor. Next, the canal liner needed to be removed. The same pattern of wall saw cuts were used to break down the canal liner in 117 locations over 97 miles. Then, 15 head walls were removed using hand

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saws along the same 97 mile stretch of canal. Once all the cuts were made, the Penhall demo crews removed the cut concrete and it was hauled offsite. The work was completed with the use of equipment and diamond blades from Diamond Products, K2 Diamond, Hilti, ICS/Pentruder and Husqvarna. Two 2-man crews worked at one time during each 12-hour shift, with crews hopscotching each other when needed. Also at work were two Penhall concrete removal crews to lift out the cut sections. The team ran eight wall saws during the day and eight at night to complete all 117 cutting locations over 97 miles. Besides the hot, dry desert heat during the day and cold temperatures at night, there were several other factors that made this project physically challenging for the Penhall team. Operators were required to wear body harnesses due to the slope of the canal. Two 2-man Penhall crews worked on a concrete slope using vertical and horizontal wall and hand saw cuts to remove the canal liner.

The sloped working surface challenged their bodies and legs with constant movement and balance required to stay in position. Days and nights were long, and operators were exhausted after seven consecutive days of 12-plus hour shifts. Finally, the team had to contend with dangerous desert residents, including poisonous scorpions and rattlesnakes. The safety of not only the wall and hand saw operators but all Penhall team members on this job was overseen by the safety team of Tim McElroy, who monitored log hours, and Jason Sellers who kept an eye on the operators in the field to ensure breaks were given when needed and all employees followed standard PPE guidelines and safety protocols. Wall and hand sawing with diamond tools was the only choice to make this project a success. The precise and clean cuts required to leave a clean surface for the pourback could only be accomplished by using diamond tools. Any other Operators had to be rigged with harnesses while working on the sloped canal wall.

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Penhall wall saw operator Ted Post monitors a horizontal cut.

method would have compromised the integrity of the canal substructure and jeopardized the drinking water supply to millions of Southern California residents and businesses. In all, 20,000 cubic feet of concrete was removed from 97 miles of the CRA. The project was completed on time and within budget, due largely in part to the success of pulling together 84 Penhall “Red and Gray” team members, who worked around the clock to ensure project success and safety. “I was extremely satisfied with the outcome of this project,” said Brandon Salazar, Penhall Project Manager. “Penhall Company completed a very demanding project on time, within budget and most importantly, injury free,” he continued. Penhall was selected for this massive project due to their experience, manpower and resources. No other single cutting contractor could have brought together this many operators and team members to make this job a success. “I believe Penhall Company was selected for a project of this magnitude because of the sheer manpower that we can provide. Secondly, for the knowledge, experience

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84 Penhall “Red and Gray” crew members from 15 branch locations across the West Coast teamed up to successfully complete this challenging job.

and skill set that Penhall brings to the project. Lastly, Penhall’s reputation in the concrete cutting and demolition industry,” stated Salazar. Water through the CRA is once again flowing cleanly and millions of Southern

California residents and businesses can be assured that their drinking water is safe, thanks to the clean cuts of diamond tools and the teamwork and manpower of an outstanding CSDA contractor. REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT: WWW.CONCRETEOPENINGS.COM

COMPANY PROFILE Penhall Company is headquartered in Irving, Texas. They were proudly established in 1957 and have grown significantly from a single flat saw to 40+ branches across the United States and Canada, and over 16,000 customers served by a staff of over 1,500 professionals. Penhall continues its growth in leading the nation with their full spectrum of diversified services. They are the largest and most trusted provider of concrete services in North America, offering concrete cutting, coring, demolition, grinding and grooving. Penhall Technologies is a division of Penhall Company specializing in GPR scanning, digital x-ray imaging, utility locating and fiber reinforced polymer. With a national footprint, they bring together teams from throughout the company to get the job done. Penhall Company has been a CSDA member since 1999.

RESOURCES Owner Metropolitan Water District of Southern California CSDA Cutting Contractor Penhall Company Stella Pudewell Phone: 707-363-9822 Email: spudewell@penhall.com Methods Used Wall Sawing, Hand Sawing

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Convention Wrap-Up:

or the second time in five years, CSDA professionals from around the world converged in St. Petersburg, Florida for the association’s annual Convention & Tech Fair, setting records for the second consecutive year. The association’s flagship event, held March 13-15 at the historic Renaissance Vinoy Resort in vibrant downtown St. Petersburg, was attended by a record-breaking number of attendees. It was the largest group to come together for a CSDA Convention outside of the always-popular Hawaii in 10 years! Attendance was up 15% over the last mainland U.S. Convention, the 2016 event in Palm Desert, California. Among the attendees were 19 new members and firsttime attendees, as well as members from the U.K., Germany and Canada. Many attendees commented on the importance of taking part in these face-to-face meetings. “Great time with some very important people in the field. Cannot stress enough the importance of these meetings for contractors and manufacturers alike! We all benefit from these gatherings,” said Bruno Silla, vice-chair of the GPR Imaging Committee. The Convention agenda included business and technical sessions, as well as presentations covering a wide range of topics. Among these were managing workers’ compensation claims, expanding your company’s digital

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marketing footprint, post-incident drug testing, the benefits of hiring military veterans and selling your company to specifiers. Two roundtables covered best practices for hiring and managing millennials and trends in the GPR industry. Aside from the business sessions, some excellent networking opportunities and social events were available for attendees. The CSDA Tech Fair was again part of the convention agenda. Twentyfive industry-leading manufacturers and affiliates exhibited at the event, drawing a great crowd and allowing exhibitors to show off their new products and technologies. Attendees took the opportunity to talk

one-on-one with vendors in an intimate setting that often cannot be achieved at large trade shows. “The opportunity to gather with other industry professionals that share similar values and challenges at the CSDA Convention is always beneficial to the attendees, and the large attendance at this years’ convention in St. Petersburg is a testimony to the value people get from the programs, speakers and roundtables that take place during the meeting. As changes and additional regulations come about for our industry, the information exchanged among colleagues as a part of the convention becomes even more important to being able to move forward in serving our customers in a safe and professional manner,” said Matthew Finnigan, CSDA President. Convention guests were treated to two offsite networking and social events, allowing them to see all that St. Petersburg has to offer. A new addition to the convention agenda this year was “Havana Nights”, an evening social and networking reception held at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, the oldest shuffleboard club in the country. Attendees were treated to the sounds of salsa music, a live show and Cuban cigars, and teamed up for a friendly game of shuffleboard, all while sipping on mojitos, Cuba Libres and other Havana-inspired drinks. The party continued well after sunset, and guests raved about the opportunity to get out and enjoy the warm Florida weather. The convention closed out with the Manufacturers’ Night at the Dalí Museum, back by popular request. The same event was held at the museum in 2015 and has proven to be one of the attendees’ favorite venues. This year’s event was paired with the presentation of the outgoing Officer and Board of Directors Awards, as well as honoring Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Rick Norland. Rick is a 40+ year industry veteran who is recognized as one of the most influential and revered people in the industry. He has also served as CSDA President, a multi-term Board member and currently serves as CSDA’s Lead Instructor. New President Matthew Finnigan honored Norland with a moving speech and presented his award.

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During the Manufacturers’ Night, guests were able to take a docent-led tour of the Dalí Museum galleries, highlighting not only the works of Spanish-American surrealist Salvador Dalí, but also of another famous surrealist artist, René Magritte. The evening continued with dinner under the stars in the museums famed gardens. It was the perfect way to close out a week of education, networking and innovation. Next year, the CSDA Convention & Tech Fair heads west to Carlsbad, California at the Omni La Costa Resort & Golf Club, March 10-14, 2020. This beautiful resort is family-friendly, boasts a championship golf course, a variety of activities and stunning views. A very competitive rate was secured, and registration will open in the fall. More details on this and other events from CSDA, can be found at csda.org or by calling the CSDA office at 727-577-5004.

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Renovation Resources CSDA offers its members and anyone in the construction and concrete renovation industry an extensive collection of Best Practices, Standards, Specifications, Tolerances, Whitepapers and OSHA Alliance Best Practices. Over 50 documents are currently available at www.csda.org/resourceguide covering a range of topics from sawing & drilling, polishing, GPR imaging, safety, equipment maintenance, OSHA regulations, robotic demolition, jobsite resources, green construction, the advantages of diamond tools and more. New documents are released on a regular basis. For more information, please contact the CSDA office at 727-577-5004 or info@csda.org.

Controlling Concrete Dust (CSDA-WP-001)

he cutting, coring, grinding and polishing of dry concrete can generate lots of fine concrete dust. The control, collection, handling and disposal of concrete dust is environmentally sensitive with potentially very costly implications. Concrete dust contains silica and Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) which are hazardous and regulated by OSHA. The purpose of this document is to clarify many aspects of dry concrete dust control that is presented in an abbreviated form in many documents pertaining to dry concrete dust for a better understanding of those other documents. NEED FOR DRY CUTTING, CORING, GRINDING AND POLISHING Frequently the answer to dust control is to use water, but sometimes water is not the preferred method based on other factors and considerations. For example, water (either directly soaked or indirectly splashed or sprayed) can stain certain surfaces, cause damage to materials, and/or get into other areas causing immediate physical or aesthetic damage (including mold). Slurry can be slippery and create slip hazards on jobsites. Water can freeze in cold temperatures. Some coatings, sealers and fillers need clean dry surfaces for an acceptable bond. Water used on some jobs can delay the application of an adhesive, coating or joint-fill material until the surface has completely dried. This can add additional steps to the process to protect surfaces from outside contamination while drying. Concrete should be allowed adequate time to dry and areas that have a film or pool of dried slurry should be cleaned to allow for the appropriate bond from the adhesive, coating or fill material. On some jobsites near live electrical service, electrical safety hazards should be of concern. SILICA AND HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH RCS Silica is one of the most common materials on the planet. Generally referred to as quartz or sand, silica can be found in many construction

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materials (in varying degrees of concentration) including concrete, asphalt, stone, bricks, blocks and mortar. When these materials are cut, cored or ground, some of the airborne dust may contain RCS. The terms “RCS” and “silica dust” are sometimes used incorrectly. “Silica dust” is airborne and contains silica particles (both crystalline and amorphous structures) of varying sizes. “RCS” refers to a very specific subset of silica dust, based on only crystalline structure particles and of a specific size to be considered respirable. Essentially, these are microscopic dust particles. Health hazards associated with RCS exposure can cause silicosis, lung cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and tuberculosis infections. OSHA HIERARCHY (A SERIES OF STEPS)

FINE DUST VACUUMS

The first step in elimination is to remove the hazard. One method to remove the hazard of dry concrete dust is to use water for dust control (reference CSDA BP001 Slurry Rev1). The second step is engineered controls (a physical change to the workplace). The use of shrouds, shields and dust skirts will channel the dust generated into the inlet port of a vacuum using the kinetic energy of the tool to drive the dust. The use of positive or negative room pressure to contain the dust in a room. The use of zip walls or physical barriers to contain dust in a room. Ventilation to increase the air exchange in the area to dilute exposure levels. Using remote controls (wireless or tethered) to relocate the operator away from direct exposure to RCS. Third, administrative or work practice controls (something the employer or worker does). Control access to the worksite. Control RCS exposure of operators by limiting their time performing dust-generating tasks. Good housekeeping practices. Finally, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Including dust masks and respirators. The rating of the respirators is Assigned Protection Factor (APF), and the threshold RCS exposure is APF x PEL.

Fine dust vacuums used in CSDA-type work are designed to handle a large volume of fine concrete dust. The anatomy of a fine dust vacuum includes the pickup point (wand or shroud), hose, dust debris collection bin/bag/ barrel (tank), filter(s) and motor(s). It is important to understand the fundamental components to select the appropriate fine dust vacuum system for the jobsite requirements. Vacuums have two distinct and unique performance metrics; the air flow whlich is typically identified in cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) and the suction power (typically measured in inches of water). These two metrics are not measured at the same time. The vacuum typically operates somewhere between these two metrics. The air flow measurement in the industry is a theoretical value of the air flow in a motor without any restrictions. This is important to understand because the actual flow rate can change with time as dust restricts the flow in the hoses. As a hose bends to follow the path of the machine generating the dust, the bend changes the resistance in flow, leaks at the cuffs and dust settles on the filters. All these factors change the actual air flow measurements. Even the instrumentation to measure the air flow rate is a resistance in the flow. Therefore,

the air flow rating on the vacuum is without any restrictions, meaning that attaching a hose or shroud to the vacuum can alter the actual measurement. As dust is carried in the airstream it causes additional restrictions that lower the actual airflow, therefore, the vacuum in CSDA jobsites will rarely operate at an unrestricted full CFM rating. The suction power rating on a vacuum is a more realistic match to actual performance data. The suction rating is lifting a column of water with full restriction and no air flowing. This is frequently identified as water lift or inches of water lifted. When the vacuum is operating with no air flow (full restriction), no airborne dust will be captured. Therefore, a vacuum in CSDA jobsites will rarely operate at full suction. Concrete grinding, cutting and coring can produce a lot of dust which is capable of blinding filters. When this dust coats the outer surface of the filters, it momentarily restricts air flow. Vacuum motors are rated as either “thru motors” that use the airstream of the vacuum to cool the vacuum motor, or “bypass motors” that have an external fan to cool the vacuum motor when the airstream is restricted. Typical shop vacuums or general-purpose debris vacuums have thru motors and typical wet vacuums and fine dust vacuums use bypass motors to keep them running cooler, as the airstream is restricted. The most important component of fine dust vacuums is its filter(s). Visible concrete dust is not respirable and does not pose the same hazards that OSHA regulates in respirable crystalline silica dust. Many shop vacuums and general purpose vacuums do not filter submicron concrete dust particles and only capture visible dust. Unfortunately, this doubles the hazard because the exhaust out of these types of vacuums will contain microscopic dust that is respirable and because the visible dust is removed from the air, the operator may feel safe from exposure hazards and not use a respirator or breathing protection appropriate for that dust hazard. Fine dust vacuums usually have multistages in the overall filtration. This is pretty typical because the bulk volume of dust consists of large size particles (10 to 100 microns), so it is common to filter out those large particles first before filtering out the finer submicron particles. Many times the first course filter is a cyclonic or mechanical filter. The dust particles in the airstream flowing through the hose are moving at a high velocity to keep the dust in suspension in the airstream. As the particles

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enter the cyclonic separator (frequently called a pre-separator) the dust particle velocity is drastically decreased and the dust particles fall out of suspension and settle in the collection drum. The mechanical filter is similar except it is a physical barrier at the end of the hose the particles strike forcing a change of direction as they enter a larger volume chamber and the velocity of the particle is lost as it drops out of suspension. The mechanical filter is also sometimes referred to as a pre-separator because it interrupts the dust in the airstream and, like the cyclonic filter, the velocity of the airstream is greatly reduced causing particles to fall out of suspension and drop. The primary filtration of a fine dust vacuum is typically a sieve style filter with small openings in the sieve to capture the fine dust particles. In the CSDA industry, the large volume of fine dust generated with cutting, coring and grinding operations can blind small filters to the point of total air restriction. As the filter area is decreased from the blinding, the velocity of the air moving through the smaller available area is increased and can cause the higher velocity particles to penetrate the filter media deeper and cause permanent damage. Larger filter areas are ideal to lower the air/ particle velocity to minimize the penetration into the filter media and the increased area keeps the filter from blinding and minimizing the air flow at the tool. To keep the fine dust vacuum filters from blinding during operation, there are many techniques that vacuum manufacturers employ including the use of filter cleaning mechanisms, increased filter surface area and/or using pre-separators. The bag house style filters employ many hanging pleats of filters. As dust cakes on the filter media, the outer layer of dust combined with the large filter area causes a low air/ particle velocity. This minimizes the particle depth of penetration which in return also minimizes the damage to the filter and the weight of the dust releases it as the vacuum is suspended. In other words, when the vacuum is momentarily shut off, the filters practically clean themselves. Most bag house style vacuums are also equipped with a mechanical shaker to shake loose the dust from the pleats. However, the effectiveness of the shaker is increased if the vacuum is suspended because as the dust is shaken free of the filter, the vacuum can quickly suck it back to the filter. Otherwise, if the vacuum is off (momentarily), the particle will drop and settle in the collection tank.

Some bag filters that use a puffy bag material also greatly slow the air/particle velocity by capturing the dust at many points through the bag material while permitting the air flow paths throughout the cross section of the bag. Particles can penetrate the media and permanently damage the filter, so the filter bag should be replaced after each use. Bag filters provide a cleaner disposal method when the dust collection bin needs to be emptied, but this adds cost to the use of the vacuum because bag replacement is required. Bag filters usually use a mechanical filter on the inlet to the bag to prevent the air/particle velocity from tearing the bag material. Many fine dust vacuums use pleated filter cartridges to have an ideal ratio of filter surface area to the size of the filter space packaged in the vacuum. The cartridges are also very easy to replace and the cartridges can be equipped with a filter cleaning mechanism (either automatic or manual). Some of the filter cleaning mechanisms use a reverse air blast to suspend the vacuum momentarily, blast air pressure in the reverse direction to the normal flow and blow out the dust particles on the filter. This can be done automatically on a timer or manually as needed. A magnahelic gauge can be used to measure the pressure differential across the filter, and some vacuums use an indicator light. The advantage of the magnahelic gauge is that over time the gauge can give the operator the condition of the filter, so they know when it needs to be replaced. The reverse air blast pressure can damage and compromise filters. To minimize filter damage from these blast overpressures, many of the cartridge filters have a cage surrounding the media to protect the filter integrity. Some other filter-cleaning mechanisms include mechanical shakers, strike plates and/or vibrators. All of these can be done manually or automatically. Most fine dust vacuums are rated as HEPA, or near HEPA filtration levels. The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is a rating, according to NIOSH/OSHA, for a vacuum capable of filtering out 99.97 percent of the 0.3 micron sized particles of the air that passes through it. Some jobsites require a fine dust vacuum that is only near HEPA filtration levels and typically specified as HEPA-99-percent filtration. It might not filter to the 99.97 percent level of the 0.3 micron sized particles but it will capture the 0.3 micron particles, just a little less efficiently. On some jobsites, this might be good enough. As additional filtration is added, it creates more resistance to air flow and can increase the motor power requirements. It

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Renovation Resources

continued

can also decrease the air flow at the pickup point. Either way it could change the size or complexity of the vacuum. Some jobsites require a “HEPA certified” vacuum which is a vacuum that satisfies certain standards of efficiency that were originally set by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). These include the HEPA filter rating of 99.97 percent of 0.3-micron particles, minimal resistance to the air flow (around 300 pascals pressure drop across the filter at the vacuum flow rating), and finally, assuring that all air goes through the filter (unable to leak around it). After the complete filtration system has been tested and deemed certified, the HEPA rating for that vacuum can be given. Unlike typical sieve filters, the certified HEPA filters use a combination of diffusion, interception, inertial impaction and electrostatic attraction as the mechanisms to trap particles. Some vacuums use a HEPA filter rating as defined by the European Union in the European Norm EN-1822:2009 that designates a HEPA class rating (like H14, etc.), but this is still not yet fully harmonized to be equivalent to the US HEPA standards. The dust debris collection bin/bag/barrel (collection tank) can be an important aspect of the CSDA contractor’s administration controls. The size of the collection tank is directly proportional to the weight of the debris. It is also important to have a procedure in place for secondary dust exposure from transferring or emptying the dust bin when the dust is disturbed. Some contractors put the dust bin in a large bag to minimize the dust exposure to the confines of the bag when the bin is emptied. The hoses are an integral part of the vacuum system as a means to connect the tool generating the dust to the vacuum filters and collection tank. Damage to the hoses can greatly compromise the overall performance of the system. If the hose is kinked or crushed it will increase resistance to air flow. Longer hose runs can also increase resistance to air flow. Smaller diameter hoses increase the air speed to keep the particles in suspension but larger diameter hoses have lower resistance. Holes in the hoses will bypass the air flow available at the collection point at the tool. If the vacuum hoses are extremely long, the dust can accumulate outside of the airstream and settle in the hose. The settled dust can make the hose heavier to move and increase resistance to air flow. To fully clear the hose, simply walk the hose to the vacuum

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pushing the dust along the way until it gets to the vacuum inlet. The high air/particle speeds of dry concrete dust in the vacuum hoses can sometimes build up static electricity. Some vacuums use antistatic hoses or a small sash chain that hangs from the vacuum to help dissipate the static charge. Vacuum hoses are crush-proof because the vacuum is pulling a negative pressure on the hose. Hoses designed for pumping are designed to withstand high internal positive pressure and would collapse if used on a vacuum with high negative pressure. Many CSDA contractors use Y-Splitters to use a single vacuum with multiple tools. An example would be using two small chipping hammers with one large high CFM vacuum. One consideration is to have a very short run between the vacuum and the Y-Splitter or increase the diameter of the hose from the Y-Splitter to the vacuum to minimize restriction to air flow. The Y-Splitter can also be used to increase the CFM of the inlet to the tool by using

The energy in the particle of the dust generated by the cutting, coring or grinding is a function of mass and velocity. If a baseball is thrown from the pitcher to the catcher, the wind has little impact on changing the ball’s flight path, unless the wind speeds approach that of a hurricane or tornado. If a ping pong ball is thrown the same way (same speed and distance), even a slight breeze can alter its direction. The shrouds and dust skirts used on CSDA equipment are designed to use the kinetic energy of the particle to assist the dust collection of the vacuum by directing the particles to the vacuum inlet. On down-cut concrete saws, the slot generated by the blade is an escape path for the dust to bypass the collection pickup point of the vacuum unless the collection point is further back on the slot to capture all the lighter weight dust particles (respirable dust consists of light small particles, usually between 0.01 and 5 microns). For up-cut saws, the blade generating the dust can throw the dust into a vacuum port if it is properly directed to the vacuum inlet port. Like the baseball ball analogy, the vacuum may capture the airborne respirable dust (minimizing the RCS hazard), but still leave the larger heavy dust particles on the ground. The large concrete dust particles do not pose the same hazards as the smaller respirable particles. The CFM requirements of a grinder are directly proportional to the diameter of the dust skirt and the gap between the skirt and the slab surface. It is also affected by the velocity of the particles (high speed grinders, a rotary grinder vs a planetary grinder, etc.) and how well the particles are directed to the vacuum inlet port. JOBSITE CLEANUP

two smaller vacuums in parallel. The same consideration applies to the hose diameter between the tool and the Y-Splitter. A larger hose diameter and the use of a shorter hose minimizes resistance. Finally the last part of the vacuum system is the cleaning wand attachment or the pickup point (the location where the tool being used is generating the dust). A restriction at the pickup point will increase the air speed and create a suction to draw in concrete dust particles. An example to visualize this is to remove the dust skirt from a grinder to create a large cloud of dust. Using the same vacuum, replace the skirt with a minimal gap to the slab surface and the high air speed will actually clean the slab surface and the visible cloud of dust might totally disappear.

Airborne concrete dust can float considerable distances before settling, and it can be disturbed time after time making it airborne again and again. It is important to practice good housekeeping methods to ensure vacuums continue capturing the dust to prevent this from happening. Wet concrete slurry will eventually dry out and can turn into dry airborne dust. Even mist that encapsulates concrete dust particles to control RCS exposure will eventually dry out and release the dust into the air. Dust can be generated by any trade on a same jobsite and potentially impact nearby trades as well. It is important to segregate high exposure areas to protect workers who are unknowingly being subjected to higher dust exposure.

When cleaning slab surfaces for the application of a coating, some contractors use a squeegee with a dry fine dust vacuum instead of a brush with a dry fine dust vacuum, because the brush permits air flow between the bristles and a tight seal from the squeegee to the slab surface can maximize the air speed in that minimal gap and drastically increase the suction on the slab surface at the pickup point. With the squeegee properly used, it can clean the slab surface more efficiently, creating a better bond with the coatings. For setting anchors, it is important to clean out the hole before the anchor is installed. Many of the anchor manufacturers in the past have suggested using a puff of air to clean out the hole. With the new OSHA silica standard, the use of a HEPA vacuum to clean out those holes will be a new requirement. In the past, broom sweeping was common on many CSDA jobsites. Under the new OSHA silica standard, vacuums will be used more for general cleanup. TESTING, MEASUREMENTS AND MONITORING If OSHA or the owner/prime contractor performs a test, the CSDA contractor should consider independently performing the same test. Sometimes a single test can yield wrong results and without another comparison test it might be difficult to defend against the test. Table-1 on the OSHA silica standard will help minimize extra testing, measurements and monitoring. Many CSDA tasks and methods that fit best with factors in the job specific requirements might not be on Table-1. Either way, the CSDA contractors will need to perform testing or use objective data from the testing performed by others. It is important to fully understand the testing being performed to be certain it is an appropriate comparison from one job to another.

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This document has been developed or is provided by the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association, Inc. It is intended as a guideline, sample specification, or recommended practice for use by fully qualified, trained, professional personnel who are otherwise competent to evaluate the significance of its use within the context of specific concrete sawing and drilling projects. No express or implied warranty is made with respect to the foregoing including without limitation any

implied warranty of fitness or applicability for a particular purpose.Â The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association, Inc. and all contributors of this document shall not be liable for damages of any kind arising out of the use of this document, and, further specifically disclaims any and all responsibility and liability for the accuracy and application of the information contained in this document to the fullest extent permitted by law.Â In accepting this document, user agrees to accept sole responsibility for its application.

C O N C RET E O P EN I N G S | 2 1

The Business of Business

Construction Second Most Targeted Industry for Email Fraud Attacks

ccording to a new study, contractors, manufacturers, affiliates and distributors in the concrete renovation industry are one of the most targeted audiences for cyber-attacks. CSDA is often contacted by concerned members stating they received an email that appears to come from CSDA or one of its Officers and seems suspicious. This is a common problem in our industry and the following article will explain why and what concrete renovation professionals can do to keep their personal and company information safe from cyber-attacks. According to this new study, conducted by Sophos, 70% of internet users use the same password for almost all web service log-ins. It therefore comes as no surprise that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;phishingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is such a popular and effective tool for cyber-criminals against their victims, allowing them to assume control of all accounts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether it be social media or online banking. Phishing is a type of cyber-crime that involves deceiving the user into thinking they are communicating with a legitimate company, in order to steal confidential information and passwords. By their nature, phishing and malware attacks work by impersonating someone the recipient knows and trusts. To explore the subject further, Reboot Digital Marketing Agency analyzed the latest findings in the report Protecting the People: A quarterly analysis of highly targeted cyber attacks by ProofPoint to gain a better understanding of who is most at risk of cyberattacks globally.

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Predictably, those considered lower level employees, such as customer service representatives, were subject to 67% of highly targeted attacks, with those in marketing, public relations and human resources accounting for nearly 20% of all phishing and malware attacks. However, given that upper management accounts for a smaller proportion of businesses, it suggests that those in C-level positions, directors and department managers may be targeted disproportionately more often.

Contributors were found to represent 40% of the most targeted employees within an organization. Thereafter management (27%), upper management (27%), and executive employees make up 6% of the most highly targeted emails. Interestingly, when considering which industries are targeted the most by email fraud, pharmaceutical drug manufacturers came out on top with 71 highly targeted attacks per company over a period of three months, on average. Closely followed by construction with 61 attacks per company

and real estate, with an average of 54 attacks per organization. As a result, Reboot Digital Marketing Agency has gathered five top tips for avoiding malware and phishing scams when at work: Know what to look for: Pay close attention to attachments, advertisements and pop-up alerts, ensuring you only open what you trust. Train employees to spot malicious emails and websites by knowing what to look out for. Avoid unsolicited links and attachments: Most commonly, you should know the sender of an email and trust the source it is coming from. If unsure, go with the assumption that it is best to avoid opening emails from an unknown source/sender altogether. Although a lot of companies employ malware scanning features, you shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be solely reliant on this. Turn off email HTML: Adding HTML can sometimes automatically run malware scripts within an email once it has been opened. For this reason, you may choose to disable it, lowering the risk of an attack. Scan external drives: Many USB and external hard-drives can hold malware and spread across the workplace onto other computers. To be extra vigilant, it is recommended that you scan all external devices with anti-virus software each time you connect an external portal to a computer. Regularly change your password: Though this may seem obvious, it is easy to forget to regularly update your passwords or be reluctant to do so in fear of forgetting them. However, for security purposes it is good practice to change your passwords every 90 days. In conclusion, company owners, managers and all employees need to be vigilant in protecting sensitive company information online from scammers and phishers. Common sense and a little education go a long way in keeping your information safe and secure.

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IACDS President’s Insight

JULIE WHITE IACDS President

re we competitors or are we collaborators? That’s the question that we as an industry must continue to ask ourselves and, overwhelmingly, I believe the answer has to be the latter – we should we looking to work together rather than against each other. Of course, we will always be striving to make our own business as successful as we can, but I am clear that collaboration is the only way that the industry will thrive. Globally, concrete drilling, sawing and demolition are facing similar issues. In Italy, the Diamond Drilling & Sawing and the Demolition trade associations are seeking to come together to ensure they stay relevant and strong enough for their members. Sweden has already taken the leap to join forces with the demo association, and I hear other countries may be about to follow suit. I covered the issue of collaboration very briefly in a column nearly three years ago and I am revisiting it now because I think it is time again to remind ourselves of its importance. My concern for the industry is the shortage of firms worldwide which are looking to grow, take on new staff, develop new skills and grow our industry. With so many companies opting to stay as microbusinesses, I am worried that there is little or no succession being planned, and once the owner-manager retires, there will be no business or no skillset left. Most of the people I meet at world meetings would be ‘concrete to the core’ and they are so busy working in their business and doing the day-to-day bit they love, they give themselves no time to develop the company and, therefore, there is no future mapped out.

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Can we work together to create a brighter future for all of us and ensure that our industry’s future is protected? It’s an ambition of mine to see this come to fruition and to make sure we work as one to recognize where our shortfalls are as a global industry and, together, start to put them right. I’ve never pretended to be someone who has all the right answers, but I am convinced these are the right questions to be asking ourselves and we should all be looking beyond our lifespans with our businesses and peering ahead to think about what our industry is going to look like. I believe one of our shortcomings is our industry’s inability to shout about its success stories or to sell our ‘sexy’ industry to people – especially the young – as a career choice. To that end, I was delighted to see that we had record numbers of entries (and countries) for the IACDS Diamond Awards in 2019, which is a great example of how we can showcase the best of what we do and learn from one another’s best practice. It is a great marketing opportunity to meet with fellow companies from across the world and share ideas, best practice to see how we can collaborate rather than compete. I was also impressed by two of the winners of the Concrete Openings Awards at the World of Concrete in January 2019. They joined together on a hydroelectric dam project, which takes me back to my point about competitor versus collaborator. Are they very smart companies who join together to get the best out of technology and their people to provide the best level of service to their customer? That’s a topic to be discussed the next time I see you at the CSDA Convention in California in March 2020 or the IACDS meeting next spring in Italy!

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Core Health Industry Bits continued

The Dangers of Energy Drinks (reprinted from March 2013)

By Erin O’Brien

person can rarely turn on the TV, listen to the radio or flip through a magazine these days without seeing an advertisement for an energy drink. Some of the more recognizable brands include Monster, Rockstar, 5-Hour Energy and Red Bull. These drinks are often marketed towards teenagers and college students, but are often used by adults in order to get an extra “jolt” of energy needed to get through the workday. Concrete cutting, scanning, polishing and demolition operators are no exception. Operators often work long hours, and may start a shift early in the morning or work late into the night. Because these drinks offer a quick shot of energy, many operators will be tempted to forgo their usual coffee and grab an energy drink for a long day of work. The problem lies with what the energy drink contains. The obvious ingredient is caffeine, offering that boost of energy. However, other ingredients are also present, including taurine, guarana (both stimulants) and B vitamins. The boost of energy you receive when consuming an energy drink comes from this combination of stimulants. A typical cup of coffee brewed at home or at work contains about 100mg of caffeine. A cup of Starbucks coffee has about 165mg of caffeine. According to Consumer Reports, safe limits of caffeine are up to 400mg per day for healthy adults, 200mg a day for pregnant women and up to 45-85mg per day for children, depending on weight. So if you consume more than 4 regular cups of coffee per day, you are at or over your limit. A recent test by Consumer Reports found that: • 5-Hour Energy contains 215mg of caffeine per serving • 5-Hour Energy Extra Strength contains 242mg of caffeine per serving • Monster Energy contains 92mg of caffeine per serving (2 servings per drink) • Rockstar Energy contains 80mg of caffeine per serving (2 servings per drink)

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•

Rockstar Energy Shot contains 229mg of caffeine per serving • Red Bull Energy Drink contains 80mg of caffeine per serving High doses of caffeine and other stimulants can result in restlessness, nervousness, insomnia and tremors. High doses can also trigger seizures and heart arrhythmias (unstable heart rhythms). All of these symptoms have been reported in cases of patient hospitalization following the consumption of an energy drink. Unfortunately, some of these hospitalizations have lead to permanent disability or even death. From 2007 to 2011, it is estimated that the number of emergency room visits involving energy drinks increased from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of those cases involved teens and young adults. Concerns over energy drinks have intensified following reports in the fall of 2012 of 18 deaths possibly tied to the drinks – including a 14-year old Maryland girl who died after drinking two large cans of Monster Energy drinks. Concern is high enough that two senators are calling for

the Food and Drug Administration to investigate safety concerns about energy drinks and their ingredients. Although energy drinks represent only a small part of the carbonated beverage market, about 3.3 percent of sales volume, the growth of energy drink sales is quickly casting a shadow over the declining sales of soda. In 2011, sales volume for energy drinks rose by almost 17 percent, with the top three companies – Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar- showing double-digit gains. However, as sales rise, so do reports of adverse events suffered by people who use the products. Some of these events include: • Death due to heart attack or suicide linked to 5-Hour Energy • A miscarriage linked to 5-Hour Energy • Convulsions, life-threatening fear, deafness and hemorrhage linked to 5-Hour Energy • Deaths due to heart attack or loss of consciousness linked to Monster Energy • Hospitalization due to irregular heartbeat, severe diarrhea, migraine, psychotic disorder, heart attack and/or vomiting linked to Monster Energy

•

Disability from irregular heartbeat or stroke linked to Rockstar Energy • Hospitalization due to psychotic disorder, increased heart rate or loss of consciousness linked to Rockstar Energy These adverse events were filed by patients, families or doctors and simply warn that the products may have harmed someone – but they do not prove that the product caused harm. Often, energy drinks are a contributing factor in an adverse event, where other factors including physical activity, heat, nutrition and age may also play a role. I can speak from personal experience on this topic. About 10 years ago, I was working as an athletic trainer for a high school in Florida. I was covering pre-season afternoon football practice during August, when highs rose into the 90s and the heat index was over 100 degrees. One of the JV football players collapsed at the end of practice during conditioning drills. I immediately recognized the signs of heat stroke and called 911. (For more information on heat stroke and other heatrelated illnesses, please refer to Preventing Heat Illness in the June 2010 issue of Concrete Openings.) The athlete was transported to the hospital, where we found out his core temperature had reached 106 degrees – a nearly lethal temperature. Gradually, his core temperature lowered and thankfully he suffered no long-term damage to his body, thanks to the efforts of the hospital staff and my actions on the football field. However, he was in the hospital for three days and was not able to return to the football team that season. I later discovered that this athlete had not eaten lunch that day, and before practice had consumed a bag of Skittles and a Monster energy drink. The lack of “real” food and dehydration, combined with the added sugar from the candy, caffeine and other stimulants from the energy drink and the extreme heat conditions during football practice most likely combined to cause him to have a heat stroke and ultimately, endangered his life. While the energy drink was not the sole cause of this adverse event, it was most defiantly a contributing factor. Concrete sawing, scanning, polishing and demolition operators can be subjected to similar conditions while working outside or in a confined environment. Heat, sun, dehydration, poor diet and the consumption of energy drinks can combine to create a deadly situation. It is important to recognize the dangers of energy drinks and consume them responsibly, if at all.

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While cases of adverse events have been reported primarily in teenagers and young adults, anyone is at risk, especially when contributing factors are involved. Erin O’Brien, MS, ATC is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Marketing Coordinator for O’Brien International, the association management company that manages the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

O’Brien received her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Ohio University and her Master of Science degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida. She is a regular contributor to Concrete Openings magazine. She can be reached at erin@csda.org or 727-577-5002.

C O N C RET E O P EN I N G S | 2 7

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Safety Counts

Employer Achilles’ Heel—Supervisor Failure to Enforce OSHA Compliance By Mark A. Lies, II and Adam Young

ne of the oldest stories known to man involves that of Achilles, the legendary Greek warrior who was a leader at the Fall of Troy. According to the Iliad, his mother was a goddess who wanted him to be immortal. She immersed him in the River Styx, which had magical powers, to create immortality, but unfortunately did not immerse his heel by which she held him. Achilles’ heel was his fatal weakness and he was killed in the battle of Troy when he was shot in the heel with a poisoned arrow. The analogy to an employer’s Achilles’ heel is the failure of supervisors to enforce OSHA compliance, which can lead to employer civil and criminal liability. SUPERVISORY DEMOGRAPHICS Currently, the American workplace is undergoing a seismic demographic change as the so-called “Baby Boomer” generation retires and is replaced by members of the upcoming generations: • Baby Boomer (1946 - 1960) • Generation X (1961 - 1982) • Millennial Generation (1983-2001) This transition is particularly critical in the area of occupational safety and health compliance, more specifically, the legal duty of the supervisor to enforce OSHA compliance. Unless the new breed of supervisors, from Generation X to Millennials, are aware of their duty to enforce compliance and, more importantly, how to impose and document compliance through discipline, this legal duty will not be performed, and the employer and supervisor can be subject to civil and criminal liability under OSHA. LEGAL STATUS OF SUPERVISOR In the workplace, the supervisor occupies a critical role. Since the employer is typically a corporation, it must act through its employees. Those employees who are designated as supervisors (typically employees who have the authority to hire, fire, enforce discipline or enter into contractual relationships) are

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considered under the law to be “agents” of the employers with authority to create legal liability against the employer for their actions, including their negligent or intentional acts which may constitute violations of the OSHA Act or regulations. Unfortunately, many supervisors do not realize that they occupy this status or the extent to which their actions (either their affirmative actions or their failure to take actions when necessary) can create legal liability. More importantly, many supervisors are totally unaware of their own exposure to personal liability (for monetary judgments against them and their financial assets) or worse, personal criminal liability. DUTY TO TRAIN SUPERVISOR Obviously, if the workplace is not being directed by skilled supervisors, chaos is a likely outcome. Thus, just as it is necessary to train the supervisor to supervise the production at the workplace, it is necessary to provide training regarding the operation of several laws which will be intimately involved with the supervisor’s day to day interaction with employees, including: • • • •

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) Whistleblower Laws State Civil and Criminal Laws Relating to Workplace Safety and Health Employee Workers’ Compensation Rights

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH LAW From the outset, the supervisors must be made aware of their role as the primary enforcer of the employer’s safety and health policies, through walkarounds to identify hazards and violations and the imposition of written or verbal (with documentation) discipline on employees who have violated the policies. Obviously, in order to perform this function, the supervisor must have also received prior in-depth training to be capable of identifying workplace hazards and the OSHA regulations or employer policies which are applicable. It is crucial that the employer document this training in order to establish that it has a competent supervisor fulfilling this role. Supervisors need to be aware that their actions can result in the employer receiving civil citations, with monetary penalties, as follows: Prior Maximum

Jan. 1, 2018

Other Than Serious

$7,000

$12,934

Serious

$7,000 $12,934

Willful

$70,000 $129,336

Repeat

$70,000 $129,336

Failure to Abatement $7,000 per day

$12,934 per day

In addition, supervisor misconduct can result in criminal liability for the employer and the supervisor. For example, in the case

of a fatality, there is potential for six months’ imprisonment and a penalty of $500,000 against the employer and $250,000 against the supervisor. There are additional criminal liabilities for felonies for: • obstructing justice by interfering with OSHA enforcement • false certifications of OSHA compliance programs • lying during an OSHA inspection, which can carry imprisonment up to five years plus a monetary penalty LANGUAGE AND LITERACY BARRIERS The training obligation imposed on the supervisor is further complicated by the fact that the supervisor may not have the ability to communicate with his/her employees because of a language or cultural barrier. If these barriers are not bridged, the supervisor cannot train his subordinates as to the required safety or health matters (e.g., hazard communication, LOTO, fall protection, etc.) nor can he/she effectively communicate disciplinary action either verbally or in writing. It is strongly recommended that bilingual face-to-face training and written materials be utilized to meet this obligation. (see sidebar about CSDA Safety Handbook) HAZARD ANALYSIS In addition, supervisors must be clearly made aware that their failure to identify hazards and to enforce the safety and health policies can lead to the issuance of civil citations by OSHA with, in some cases, significant monetary penalties against the employer. More importantly, the supervisor’s training must include potential employer and supervisor criminal liability under federal law for fatalities due to the supervisor’s action in causing violations of regulations because of conduct which is intentional or indifferent in nature. Under state law, there may be additional criminal liability facing a supervisor which far exceeds those under federal law. OSHA INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITY Another area of concern is the supervisor’s role in responding to an OSHA inspection. The supervisor is most likely totally unaware of the rights of the employees, the employer and OSHA during an investigation and how to assert the rights of employees and the employer. Moreover, they must be aware of criminal liability for obstructing the inspections and the duty to provide truthful responses to the agency.

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WORKERS’ COMPENSATION Under most state laws, an employer cannot take retaliatory action against an employee for exercising rights under the workers’ compensation act, including being injured or filing a claim. Such action can result in a civil action seeking damages for retaliation. Similarly, under the OSHA Act, if an employee reports a work-related injury or illness to the employer and the employee is subjected to adverse action, the employee can seek a remedy against the employer and supervisor under Section 11(c) of the Act. WHISTLEBLOWER LAWS Finally, supervisors may have no awareness of whistleblower laws which protect employees against adverse employment action (termination, demotion, etc.) when they complain to the employer about workplace hazards which would constitute protected activity. Again, the supervisor must be made aware that any such complaints made to the supervisor must not be used as a basis for negative action against the employee, despite the supervisor’s belief that such complaints may be factually incorrect or are being made to embarrass, or worse, to cause the supervisor to be subject to negative job action by the employer. Under the OSHA Act, Section 11(c), a supervisor who retaliates against an employee for engaging in “protected activity” can face personal civil liability in a Federal court action. GENERATIONAL ATTITUDES TOWARD DISCIPLINE Because of widely varying generational attitudes toward discipline of any sort in our society, the employer faces a significant task in assuring that supervisors understand the concept within the workplace and how to effectuate disciplinary action in a professional manner. For example, supervisors from Generation X and Millennials may simply not comprehend the concept of discipline since they have not experienced it at home (e.g., both parents have careers and are not present to observe behavior and impose discipline) or in school (because of the significant restraints imposed on educators regarding student discipline) or through the media (which frequently illustrates inappropriate conduct or violation of societal rules as the norm). With these challenges, an employer cannot assume (1) that the new cadre

of supervisors are formally trained and/or culturally attuned to confront employees who violate safety and health procedures (2) equipped to communicate to the employee violator that certain conduct is impermissible in a positive, supportive manner, (3) aware of how to document the discipline that has been imposed and, finally, (4) the obligation to follow up to ensure that corrective action has been taken, and if not, to evaluate whether further discipline or termination is appropriate. In order to accomplish this educational process, the employer must conduct training for supervisors on the means and methods to utilize to enforce discipline in a positive, professional manner. Thereafter, supervisors need to be observed to evaluate whether they are in fact implementing the necessary disciplinary procedures (which may be required under a labor agreement or employee handbook), and if not, to coach the supervisor to develop these skills. CONCLUSION As the regulatory environment in the workplace becomes more aggressive, it is more important than ever that supervisors, particularly Generation X and Millennials, understand their role in enforcement of safety and health procedures and the liabilities they can create for themselves or their employer if they fail to perform this duty. Careful attention to career development of these supervisors as to the means and methods of positive employee relations, including constructive discipline, will allow these supervisors to accomplish these tasks.

Mark A. Lies, II, is a partner with the law firm of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He specializes in occupational safety and health and related employment and civil litigation. He can be reached at 312-460-5877 or mlies@seyfarth.com.

Adam R. Young is an associate attorney in the Workplace Safety and Environmental Group in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He focuses his practice in the areas of occupational safety and health, employment law and associated commercial litigation. He was a speaker at the 2019 CSDA Convention & Tech Fair presenting “Drugs and Drug Testing in the Workplace.” Mr. Young can be contacted at ayoung@seyfarth.com or 312-460-5538.

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Concrete Cases

Crumbling Bridge Safely Removed with the Help of Diamond Saws Bridge Spanned 13 Active Railroad Tracks in Wyoming Residential Neighborhood

The Clark Street Bridge in Laramie, Wyoming spanned 13 Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

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As infrastructure all over the United States continues to age and deteriorate, literally crumbling away, general contractors are increasingly seeing the value and advantages of using diamond tools to help restore or safely demolish these structures without damaging surrounding structures and keeping those around the area safe.

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he Clark Street Bridge in Laramie, Wyoming was being removed due to a revised roadway alignment that would shift the bridge half a mile away. The existing bridge was crumbling and there were concerns that in taking it down, debris could fall onto the active Union Pacific railroad tracks, so it was vital that all precautions be taken to control the demolition. General Contractor S&S Builders had many options for taking the bridge down: explosive demolition, jackhammering/breaking in place or fully dropping the bridge, but since the 13 railroad tracks running under the bridge needed to remain in operation throughout the project, none of those methods were considered viable. Additionally, the bridge was located near a residential area, so the noise, vibration and risk of flying debris eliminated any kind of uncontrolled demolition as an option. It was determined that concrete cutting to assist in the selective structural demolition of the bridge was the best option. S&S Builders contracted CSDA member Diamond Drilling & Sawing Company (DDSC) of Denver, Colorado to demolish the Clark Street Bridge using concrete sawing and pulverization methods. One of the most important aspects of this job was ensuring open and effective communication between the demolition contractor and the railroad representative, as cutting and other demolition tasks had to be coordinated with the railroad to ensure no trains passing underneath the bridge on any of the 13 operating tracks were in danger of being struck by falling debris. Because of the level of existing deterioration, another concern was debris spontaneously falling from the bridge as demolition progressed, endangering not only the demolition contractor, but also any other construction personnel in the area and trains passing underneath the bridge. The contractor removed any crumbling concrete when possible prior to the demolition to prevent slips, trips, falls and flying loose debris, especially from the sidewalk that ran the length of the bridge. Any questionable areas were taped off to prevent personnel and equipment from entering the area of risk if the concrete could not be removed safely without compromising the integrity of the bridge.

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Concrete Cases

continued

Husqvarna slab saws with up to 36” blades were used to cut the bridge deck into 14-foot by 6-foot sections.

Diamond Drilling & Sawing Company is celebrating 60 years of providing the highest level of concrete sawing, coring and demolition services using diamond tools, and 30 years under current ownership. DDSC was founded in 1959 by John Bayens. He was the founder and inventor, building all his equipment (high cycle and hydraulic) for the first 30 years of operations. In 1989, Henk Dykhouse purchased the company after 10 years working at DDSC. Under Henk’s leadership, the business grew from 7 employees and 4 trucks to 45 employees and more than 25 trucks. As Henk slowly began easing into retirement over the past five years, he brought on Matt Wiersma as President & CEO. In these last five years under Matt’s leadership, DDSC has continued to grow by adding a new Airport, Bridge & Road Division, which consists of road rehab (crack sealing, control joint, saw and seal), bridge demolition, airport/highway panel replacement and deep sawing. This newer Airport, Bridge & Road Division has been added to DDSC’s already large service division, which cuts concrete and performs demolition all throughout Colorado and the front range. DDSC has expanded into many of the lower 48 states by obtaining projects as a Prime or Subcontractor for many DOTs throughout the country. Today, DDSC has 65 employees and over 50 trucks.

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Once a demolition plan with the railroad was approved, DDSC commenced work on July 1, 2018. This engineered demolition plan was required for bridge removal to maximize safety and mitigate noise, dust and debris, as well as prevent damage to the surrounding properties. Demolition began with cutting the bridge deck into sections using Husqvarna 7000 and 9900 Diesel Slab Saws and up to 36” blades to get through the bridge deck. The bridge itself measured 1,660 feet long by 36 feet wide, and the deck was cut into 14-foot by 6-foot sections for removal. Removal was handled by excavators and moved into a stockpile area for processing. After the bridge deck sections were removed, DDSC then used flame torches to cut the steel girders and a crane was brought in to remove the steel. The steel cutting created a fire hazard around the operational railroad tracks, so a railroad-specific fire suppression plan was implemented. This

DDSC’s Airport, Bridge & Road Division, consisting of Jim Zappavigna, Eric Blackburn and Gerald Johnson, has 87 years of combined estimating, management and supervision experience and has completed over 500 bridge demolition projects throughout the United States. Specializing in complete and partial bridge demolition (deck removal, widenings and complete removal), their projects have included a range of various types of bridges, steel and concrete arches, steel trusses, steel and concrete substructures and steel and concrete superstructures. They have tackled bridges constructed over basic grade separations, spanning 1,000-foot water ways and over 15 sets of railroad tracks. The Airport, Bridge & Road Division has also completed several “time limit” bridge removals, requiring complete removal during total shutdowns of roadways or railroads tracks. These projects involve nonstop work in windows ranging from four to 24 hours and also include the simultaneous removal of two complete bridges located two miles apart in the same 9-hour shutdown. The team is involved in their projects start to finish, including estimating, managing and supervising, as well as the design and construction of the engineered demolition plan submittals. This specific team has personally estimated and managed the successful completion of demolishing over 500 bridges throughout the United States over the last 30 years.

Cut sections were lifted out by crane.

plan consisted of charged water hoses and backpack pump can systems used on any area that was exposed to the flame torches prior to cutting. Proper PPE for the cutting was provided to operators, as was fall protection while working from manlifts to rig the beams for hoisting by crane. After the steel girders were cut and removed, DDSC was tasked with pulverizing the 14 piers and abutments, then processing the concrete and removing rebar. The pulverized concrete was hauled off to a processing center for recycling. In all, DDSC made 3,000 linear feet of saw cuts and removed 2,700 cubic yards of concrete, 600 tons of structural steel and 200 tons of reinforcing steel over a two month period. The job was completed on time and without incident or injury. Paramount to the success of this job was DDSCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effective communication with the Union Pacific Railroad officials to coordinate the demolition schedule with the train schedule, as well as their coordination with the crane operator, Winslow Crane Service of Denver. Winslow supported the Excavators were used to assist in the demolition.

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Concrete Cases

continued

The bridge was demolished as part of a roadway relocation plan.

structural steel removal, which was a challenge as Laramie experiences frequent high winds and gusts. Managing and coordinating the crane work with DDSC while monitoring the weather added an additional challenge to this job. The bridge removal project was a success, thanks to the versatility, hard work and dedication of the Diamond Drilling & Sawing Company crew. “Our ability to take on the complicated nature of this bridge with its many railroad tracks, while coordinating with the railroad and flaggers was key to the success of this job,” stated Eric Blackburn, Senior Project Manager of National Contracts for Diamond Drilling & Sawing Company. “The versatility of the entire DDSC crew is what makes us successful on these types of projects. Our highly skilled operators are proficient at all tasks this type of demolition requires,” he continued. Once again, a CSDA contractor showcases the professionalism, versatility, flexibility and open communication that is essential for the success of projects like this. Cutting with diamond tools enables another project to be completed safely, precisely, on-time and with the highest level of professionalism.

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT: WWW.CONCRETEOPENINGS.COM

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COMPANY PROFILE Diamond Drilling & Sawing Company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and is celebrating 60 years in 2019. They have been in business since 1959 and with the current ownership since 1989, and a CSDA member since 1995. Their fleet consists of approximately 50 trucks. Diamond Drilling & Sawing Company is a full service contractor for slab sawing, wall sawing, structural demolition, GPR scanning, wire sawing, core drilling and surface grinding. In addition to the Service Division, DDSC’s Airport, Bridges & Road Division specializes in larger scope cutting, rehab and demolition projects around the country; including seal repair, control joints, crack sealing, spall repair and panel replacements.

RESOURCES General Contractor S&S Builders Laramie, Wyoming CSDA Cutting Contractor Diamond Drilling & Sawing Company Jim Zappavigna & Eric Blackburn Phone: 303-733-3741 Email: jim@ddscusa.com, eric@ddscusa.com Methods Used Slab Sawing

NEW TOOLBOX SAFETY TIP (TST) MODULES NOW AVAILABLE AT CSDATRAINING.COM. Over 100 TSTs now available, grouped by topic.

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Tech Talk Tech Talk is a regular feature of Concrete Openings magazine, focusing on equipment, maintenance and technical issues of interest to concrete cutting, polishing and imaging contractors. Readers wishing to have a particular subject addressed can call or email CSDA with their suggestions at 727-577-5004 or pat@concreteopenings.com.

GPR Talk: But Wait, Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s More! By: Jami Harmon

PR technology has been an accepted and routinely used nondestructive method for imaging objects embedded in concrete prior to cutting or coring for several decades. On July 17, 2009, the CSDA released a Best Practice for GPR Concrete Inspection, CSDA-BP-007. It details the general use of GPR for concrete imaging, normal survey applications, and includes scanning with single sided access and slabon-grade application. However, it was never intended to outline difficult or challenging survey conditions. It is not uncommon for concrete contractors to request the location of rebar, conduits, post-tension cables, electrical, or plumbing in order to aid in remediation risks. Additionally, savvy contractors have been using GPR technology to determine concrete slab thickness. This provides the concrete contractor with several benefits including the proper assignment of concrete cutting and coring tools, as well as the ability to better quote the work required. Trained and CSDA Certified GPR operators understand the benefits and limitations of the technology and how to determine the best course of action in challenging survey conditions. Yet, even the most knowledgeable operators will wonder if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tip or trick that they can deploy in the field to collect better data. Here we explore the difference between suspended slab and slabon-grade surveys, as well as infield processing techniques which operators can use to get the best out of their slab-on-grade data. The detectability of the slab bottom depends on the underlying material and amount of steel within the slab. It is easier to see when a contrasting material such as water, air or metal is under the slab because

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they will have a stronger dielectric contrast. In Figure 1, the data is representative of an elevated concrete slab. Note the several hyperbolic reflections on the screen, this is indicative of a double rebar mat. Towards the bottom of the data image, there is a strong dielectric contrast at the concrete-to-air boundary and therefore produces a clear indicator of the bottom of the slab. In slab-on-grade situations, the bottom may be very weak or invisible if the slab rests on sand or another concrete structure (supporting beam, for instance) with similar

dielectric properties. This can be challenging due to the low dielectric contrast for the concrete-to-sand boundary and intersecting hyperbolic tails from objects embedded in the slab. The former results in weak or non-existent reflections and the latter tends to mask the reflection from the bottom of the concrete interface. Figure 2 illustrates a reinforced concrete roadway with a strong reflective boundary towards the center of the roadway. This is an example of a void. The concrete-to-grade boundary is less reflective as the air-filled void.

Surface Top rebar

Bottom rebar Bottom of Slab (concrete-air interface)

Figure 1: Elevated concrete slab with two layers of rebar.

Figure 2: Reinforced concrete roadway.

Operators can use the following tips for in-the-field manipulation: 2-D versus 3-D Data Collection: In most cases, GPR manufacturers recommend using 2D scanning for real-time locating and simple imaging services, and to use 3D data collection for complex survey sites. However, slab-on-grade surveys are an exception to this rule. It is recommended to conduct 2D scanning in these situations because the layer interface is a planer target which is more easily viewed from the side. Depth Setting: Conducting a preliminary scan of the area will help the operator determine the appropriate GPR system settings. A common mishap is that the system is set to a depth that is less than the overall concrete depth. This inherently causes data loss at the deeper levels. Remember to always set the depth range 2-3 inches deeper than the expected slab thickness to ensure that the full slab thickness is captured. Gain: Display Gain and System Gain can be used to brighten a weak back reflection. However, these settings should be used with caution. Display Gain and System Gain settings often influence the rest of the data. Some systems apply a correction factor to gain based on assumed material dielectric. Check with the manufacturer for specific details of your system. Migration: Migration eliminates hyperbolas by collapsing them into dots representing the actual targets. This can be helpful to make target identification more intuitive and makes the data easier to interpret. This is especially true for slab-on-grade because the tails of hyperbolic targets can sometimes intersect and hide the concrete-to-sand boundary reflection. By collapsing the hyperbolas into dots, the bottom of the slab can become more recognizable. Cross Polarization: When detecting linear metal targets (pipes, rebar, etc.), antenna orientation relative to the target becomes important. Antenna dipoles (transmitter and receiver) are most sensitive to the metal targets that are parallel to them. In other words, if an operator is scanning across the slab with the GPR system in its normal orientation, it is sensitive to targets that are running perpendicular to the direction the operator is moving (parallel to the antenna dipoles). Some systems can be modified to turn the antenna 90 degrees. This method is known as “cross-polarizing”. If the operator scans over a metal target that is again perpendicular to their

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Hyperbolic target Bottom of slab

Migrated target

Bottom of slab

Figure 3: Example of migrated GPR data with a Hilbert Transform applied.

Figure 4: An elevated slab with parallel metal and PVC conduits. Left half of the profile- “standard” antenna position. Right half- same survey line with antenna turned sideways. Red circles define metal targets, unmarked targets are PVC.

direction of travel, the GPR system is not as sensitive to it. This “weakens” the amplitude of the metallic objects and may result in a stronger concrete bottom reflection. In summary, GPR interpretation and survey efficiency is a skill that requires training, field experience, time and practice. These tips are intended to help operators troubleshoot a very specific type of survey scenario. An operator may employ all of them, some of them or only one of them in an attempt to conduct a successful survey. In some extreme cases, none of the solutions may work, and only a trained operator will know what tools to use and when. Malcolm Gladwell once said, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing that makes you good.” Jami Harmon is the Marketing Operations Manager for CSDA member GSSI. She has over 10 years experience with ground penetrating radar systems across a wide range of industries. Jami serves as a current Board Member and Marketing Committee Chair.

What is ‘Dielectric”? The dielectric contrast is a descriptive number that indicates, among other things, how fast radar energy travels through a material. Radar energy will always move as quickly as possible through a material, but certain materials slow the energy more than others. The higher the dielectric, the slower the radar wave moves through the medium, and vice versa. The range of values goes from 1 (air) to 81 (water). A dielectric of 3 to 12, typical for construction materials, corresponds to radar velocities from 7 to 3.5 inches per nanosecond (or 18 to 9 cm per nanosecond), respectively. Understanding how the dielectric properties of the survey area correlate will help operators understand the data, as well as provide better depth calculations. Depending on the equipment, the following terms are used for dielectric settings: Dielectric, Velocity, Concrete Type.

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Industry Bits

Aquajet Systems Upgrades its Aqua Cutter Hydrodemolition Robots with Versatile Super Lance 3000 Aquajet Systems AB introduces a new, more versatile lance system for its Aqua Cutter hydrodemolition robots. The Super Lance 3000 allows contractors to use a single lance for any pressure up to 43,500 psi (3,000 bar). Aquajet improved performance in the Super Lance by manufacturing it with a one-half-inch (13-millimeter) bore-through hole and no change in diameter, helping water enter the nozzle without turbulence and not lose power. The lance itself is lined with ceramic, reducing wear on the lance as it protrudes through the protective rubber below the hydrodemolition robot’s hood. It is also thinner, meaning less wear on the rubber. The highly efficient nozzles last 300-350 hours, depending on the water quality. Aqua Cutter hydrodemolition robots use the Super Lance to direct high-pressure water at a surface, often to remove deteriorated concrete or to remove concrete to a pre-determined depth without posing risk of microfracturing or damage to the underlying rebar. The Super Lance is capable of handling any pressure up to 43,500 psi (3,000 bar). Standardized ends allow components to attach in any direction. For example, if the nozzle needs to enter a narrow space it can be mounted in a 90-degree elbow. The system also includes uniform threads and seals and multiple fittings for different hoses, making the attachment compatible with any Aqua Cutter on the market. The uniform threads also mean less need for adaptors, which can lead to a risk of leaks if used. For More Information Contact: Peter Bigwood Tel: 413-537-5572 Email: peter@brokkinc.com

Sanders, Inc. Introduces a New Bottoming Bit Sanders, Inc., a K2 Diamond Company, has introduced a new Bottoming Bit for quickly and effectively drilling slots for asphalt recessed pavement markers. Sanders developed the new Bottoming Bit by incorporating Matrix Technology™ to enhance speed and life of 5-1/8” BB0675 Bottoming Bit. This allows for the most efficient cutting speed and material removal, resulting in the smoothest surface allowing maximum adhesion of recessed pavement reflectors. The Bottoming Bit is available in a variety of sizes and can be used primarily for drilling recessed pavement reflectors slots, but it is also very effective and versatile at smoothing out the bottom of any core drilled holes in asphalt, concrete and a variety of other materials. For More Information Contact: Bill Chapple Tel: 610-273-3733 Email: bchapple@sanderssaws.com

Husqvarna Expands Z-Edge Diamond Tool Range: Performance All Day, Every Day Husqvarna developed the Z-EDGE segment and diamond tools in 2018 to help make a difference for contractors with heavy-duty demands. The Z-shaped segment reduces the friction of the segment’s contact with the material being cut, thus keeping vibrations to a minimum. When combined with the effect of the improved diamond specification and bond, the blade delivers a smoother cut as well as increased performance. The lowered friction levels will also help minimize the wear on both the blade and the machine. The new and improved Z-EDGE diamond blades for flat saws, the F1510Z, joins the W1500 series for wall saws and Elite-Drill B1410 and Vari-Drill B10 core bits. For More Information Contact: Cate Stratemeier Tel: 913-928-1000 Email: cate.stratemeier@husqvarnagroup.com

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CSDA Elects 2019-2020 Officers and Board of Directors The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association (CSDA) is pleased to announce new Officers and Board members, who were elected at the 47th Annual CSDA Convention & Tech Fair, held March 11-15, 2019 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Newly elected Officers are President Matthew Finnigan, National Concrete Cutting, Milton, Washington; Vice President Mike Orzechowski, DITEQ Corp., Lenexa, Kansas and Kellie Vazquez, Holes Incorporated, Houston, Texas who will serve as Secretary/ Treasurer. Jack Sondergard, Central Concrete Cutting, Edgar, Wisconsin will serve as Past President and Patrick O’Brien continues as Executive Director. Six Board members, whose terms expire in 2021, were also elected. They are Ty Conner, Austin Enterprise, Bakersfield, California; Dan Dennison, Diamond Tools Technology, Indianapolis, Indiana; Mark DeSchepper, Echo GPR, Paola, Kansas; Bruce Ferrell, PROSOCO, Lawrence, Kansas; Jami Harmon,

GSSI, Nashua, New Hampshire and Greg Lipscomb, Diamond Products, Elyria, Ohio. Returning for the second year of their term on the Board are Peter Bigwood, Brokk, Monroe, Washington; Scott Brown, ICS Blount, Portland, Oregon; Bill Fisher, National Research Company, Novi, Michigan; Rick Glidewell, Hilti, Plano,

Brokk Introduces New Hydraulic Breaker Series Brokk, the world’s leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition machines, launches its own line of hydraulic breakers. The new Brokk Hydraulic Breaker (BHB) series is perfectly matched with the company’s full range of remote-controlled demolition robots. In essence, each robot is designed from the attachment backward, providing the exact amount of flow, pressure, backpressure, and downward force that the hammer requires, which offers the best possible demolition performance to Brokk customers. The BHB series includes eight breaker models, starting with the 110-pound (50-kilogram) BHB 55 breaker for the compact Brokk 60 remote-controlled demolition machine. The range goes all the way up to the 1,543-pound (700-kilogram) BHB 705 for the recently introduced Brokk 500 and Brokk 520D. The hammer bodies are machined from a solid casting, eliminating side and through bolts, along with the side plates found on many other hammer designs. An integrated, side-mounted accumulator holds a nitrogen gas charge for as long as a year. Pound for pound, Brokk demolition robots provide the highest power-to-weight ratios in the industry, allowing contractors to substitute robots for much larger excavators, and achieve the same concrete removal rates. For More Information Contact: Peter Bigwood Tel: 413-537-5572 Email: peter@brokkinc.com

Texas; Bennett Jones, Advanced Concrete Sawing, St. Paul, Minnesota and Tim Terrell, Husqvarna Construction Products, Olathe, Kansas. For More Information Contact: Erin O’Brien Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: erin@csda.org

STIHL Inc. Marks Manufacturing Milestone with 75 Millionth Unit Built in America STIHL Inc., U.S. affiliate of the global STIHL group, announced the production of its 75 millionth powerhead at the company’s headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va. STIHL is known worldwide for products with innovative technology and outstanding performance. STIHL established its American operations in Virginia Beach in 1974, and STIHL Inc. has evolved from assembling a single model of chain saw to manufacturing more than 80 different models in its cutting-edge, highly automated operation. STIHL Inc. produces a variety of gasoline- and battery-powered handheld outdoor power equipment, including chain saws, trimmers, hedge trimmers and blowers. STIHL products are distributed through a two-step distribution model, delivering products to customers through 11 regional branches and distributors which serve a nationwide network of more than 9,000 authorized local STIHL dealers. Manufacturing excellence, a robust distribution network and superior quality products have enabled STIHL to remain the number one selling brand of gasolinepowered handheld outdoor power equipment in America, as well as the number one selling brand of chain saws in the world. For More Information Tel: 800-467-8445 Website: www.STIHLusa.com

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ACI-IL Honors George W. Seegebrecht at Inaugural Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards George W. Seegebrecht, P.E. of Concrete Consulting Engineers, LLC was recently honored by the Illinois Chapter of the America Concrete Institute with the Henry Crown Award for his lifetime achievement in the concrete industry. Seegebrecht delivered a presentation titled “How to Sell Your Company to Specifiers” at CSDA’s annual convention in St. Petersburg, FL, on March 14th, 2019 and is also a contributor to Concrete Openings Magazine. For More Information Contact: George W. Seegebrecht Email: george@concretece.com

Distributed by:

Expert Equipment Offers 16-Piece Set of Brazing Magnets Expert Equipment Company of Houston, TX is now offering a 16-piece set of brazing magnets sold in a convenient wooden storage box. The popular brazing magnets can also be purchased in sets of four or eight in blister packaging. As always, we offer the Type D magnets with clearances of .02-, .03-, .04-, .05-inches, as well as the Type E (US) magnets with clearances of .06-, .07-, .08-, .09-inches for large diameter bits. For More Information Contact: Markus Bartl Tel: 713-797-9886 Email: info@expertequipment.com

Brokk Inc. | Monroe, WA | 1-360-794-1277 | info@brokkinc.com | www.brokk.com

42 | JUNE.19

D-Drill Duo Help in Bid to Get Tunnel Reopened in Wales A dynamic diamond drilling duo has been praised for their role in reopening a tunnel in Wales that benefits the whole community. The team at D-Drill’s South Wales office in Bridgend was called in to find a way through a section of wall inside the Rhondda Tunnel to allow detailed examinations to take place. It’s part of a project by a group of volunteers who are working to reopen the tunnel, which is the longest disused tunnel in Wales at 3,443 yards. They wanted to reopen the tunnel for public use, such as walking and cycling. That’s when D-Drill got the call, and experienced engineers Alun Burnell and Gary Robinson were tasked with breaking through to the other side. Thanks to the drilling of a 100mm pilot hole using a Weka DK32, they discovered the concrete wall was over two meters thick. Knowing this vital piece of information, the duo decided that the best solution was to stitch drill through the solid concrete wall using a Weka DK32. A Hilti TE60 was utilized to bolt to the wall and a Hilti TE1000 breaker was used to remove the solid lump of concrete in the center where the wall had been stitch-drilled. However, the job was not without complication, there was a water ingress into the exact area of the tunnel where the pair were working with levels varying from “normal to the ridiculous”, according to those watching on because of torrential rain. Alun and Gary battled on, despite the freezing cold water that covered their feet, and after seven days of drilling 14 separate 200mm holes, they finally broke through. That meant that inspectors could return to assess the tunnel and deliver a full report on the viability of the plan to reopen the tunnel. For More Information Rhondda Tunnel: www.rhonddatunnelsociety.co.uk D-Drill Website: www.d-drill.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

PROFESSIONAL CUTTING

LISSMAC Corporation 356 Hudson River Road, Waterford, NY Phone +1 518 326 9094, sales@lissmac-corporation.com

www.lissmac-usa.com W WW. C O N C RE TE OPE N IN GS.COM

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Industry Bits

continued

IACDS Announces Concrete Coring Company wins the 2019 Diamond Award for Best Job IACDS announced that Concrete Coring Company of Osaka, Japan, was the winner of the Diamond Award 2019 in the job category, during the ceremony held on April 11th at bauma. Due to the integration of subway vehicle inspection stations as part of management efficiency improvement, a new line was built to forward railroad vehicles to another line inspection station. This line is an underground tunnel dedicated to forwarding, and its start and end points are connected with the subway system while it is in operation. Interference with subway operations due to the construction are not permitted, but work to remove an existing sidewall was necessary. Wire sawing was used for the existing sidewall removal method. However, the most distinguishing feature of the slide-down was a lowering device for moving heavy blocks obliquely. With an ordinary hydraulic jack, it is difficult to safely control a block that comes down linearly and obliquely. The company developed and manufactured a slide-down device in which the weight of the block is received by a rotating support. By rotating the support, slide-down of the block could be easily controlled and guided. Also, the part in contact with the block was made of 80 round steel, and the contact part naturally shifted to an appropriate position as it slid down. By these innovations, the company was able to continually support the weight of the block and safely control it during slide-down. The device also has a sideways pull function, so that the block can be smoothly moved to a predetermined position. This contributed to the total efficiency improvement of the removal work. For More Information Contact: Jose Blanco Tel: 34-9 1277 2036 Email: info@aedt.es

CSDA Announces Fall 2019 Training Classes CSDA has released the Fall 2019 schedule of training classes. 101 Operator Training classes will be held October 14-15, October 16-17 and October 18. The 101 classes will include Slab Sawing and Core Drilling 101, Wall and Hand Sawing 101 and Wire Sawing 101. The courses will take place at the ICS Training Facility in Portland, OR. A GPR Certification will be held at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, FL, on November 8-9. The 201 Operator Certification courses will also be held at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, FL, and will take place on November 11-12, November 13-14 and November 15. These courses will cover Slab Sawing and Core Drilling 201, Wall and Hand Sawing 201 and Wire Sawing 201. You can find more information about training courses at www.csda.org/page/472 For More Information Contact: Erin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: erin@csda.org 44 | JUNE.19

Honda Engines Expands Mini-Four Stroke Engine Lineup The all-new Honda GX50 general-purpose engine expands the company’s Mini-Four Stroke lineup with a model that offers high output and light weight— extending into more demanding commercial and rental applications with excellent fuel efficiency. The new engine is quieter and features reduced vibration over a comparable two-stroke engine, pairing greater user comfort with top-class performance. The GX50 is the first Honda four-stroke model in the two-horsepower class that is 360-degrees inclinable during operation and storage. The new GX50 incorporates a higher displacement, making it an ideal power match for demanding rental, industrial, construction and professional landscape applications. These engines incorporate an advanced design including a crossflow combustion chamber, providing a wide, smooth range of torque unique to four-stroke technology. State-of-the-art design and manufacturing techniques have reduced the number of moving parts, and many of these techniques have resulted in reduced engine weight and smoother operation for the end user. The all-new GX50 is 360-degrees inclinable, allowing it to be operated and stored in any position. Further, the engine integrates an innovative Bridge Guard Design, a wide, scratchresistant area with protruding edges that provides stability and serves to protect the engine cowling in upside down positions during maintenance intervals. Such attributes have made Honda engines the popular choice for original equipment manufacturers looking to add value to their own brands. For More Information Contact: Davis Adams Tel: 770-712-3082 Email: davis_adams@ahm.honda.com

Husqvarna Opens New Distribution Center in Lenexa, Kansas: Improving Efficiency to Help Serve Our Customers Husqvarna Construction Products, headquartered in Olathe, KS, has expanded with a brand new 150,000-square-foot distribution center. The center, located in Lenexa, KS, is only a mile away from our present headquarters and central warehouse. The center increases our receiving and shipping capabilities three times over our present location. The size and layout of the new facility also enables the ability to process up to ﬁve times the amount of inbound inventory every day. The increased capacity has resulted in at least 16 new positions. For More Information Contact: Cate Stratemeier Tel: 913-928-1000 Email: cate.stratemeier@husqvarnagroup.com

From Start to Finishing — Husqvarna’s Range of Compaction and Concrete Placement Equipment Husqvarna’s compaction and concrete placement equipment is built on three basic principles: high-performance and well-designed quality equipment, a clear focus on efficiency and a service and support network to help contractors when and wherever needed. Every little detail in our compaction equipment — from the ergonomic, vibration-damped handles to the hard, wear resistant steel plate beating the surface — is designed to get the job done with maximum uptime and minimum service required. The compaction line includes equipment for all soils and pavements, including tamping rammers, forward plate compactors, reversible plate compactors and duplex rollers. From hard-wearing vibrator heads to the reliable trowel motors, our range of concrete placement and finishing equipment is designed for maximum uptime with minimal service required. The range covers gasoline and electric powered concrete vibrators, screeds and power trowels. For More Information Contact: Cate Stratemeier Tel: 913-928-1000 Email: cate.stratemeier@husqvarnagroup.com

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C O N C RET E O P EN I N G S | 4 5

Industry Bits

continued

IACDS Announces BRAUN MASCHINENFABRIK GmbH wins the 2019 Diamond Award for Best Product IACDS announced that BRAUN MASCHINENFABRIK GmbH was the winner of the Diamond Award 2019 in the Best Product category at bauma on April 11th, 2019. The BRAUN Bridge Wire Saw is a worldwide unique, mobile, movable bridge wire saw that, with a height of 10.5 m and a width of 6.5 m, can dismantle large objects. The combination of cold cutting (with carbide or diamond saw blades) and wire sawing makes it possible to dismantle almost any kind of material very effectively and efficiently so that everything that comes under the “bridge” can be sawed and dismantled. The BRAUN Bridge Wire Saw is unique for two reasons. First, it is a bridge wire saw with a modular construction- the whole system can be disassembled into small parts (not heavier than 40 kg and no longer than 2.5 m). Secondly, it can be combined with the patented BRAUN Cold Cutting Saw, which is 10 times more efficient when cutting steel than a diamond wire saw. Therefore, when dismantling the heat exchangers, primarily the cold cutting saw is used. Only in the case that the diameter of the saw blade is too small to cut through certain components, wire sawing will be necessary. For More Information Contact: Jose Blanco Tel: 34-9 1277 2036 Email: info@aedt.es

Gear Keeper Releases New ANSI-121 Compliant Deluxe Side-Release Wrist Lanyard Gear Keeper’s new ANSI-121 compliant Deluxe TL1-2007 side release wrist lanyard system for tools up to five pounds are particularly important when a short drop length is critical when climbing or working in close quarters. Unlike an “offthe-shelf” lanyard, which can become a safety hazard, all Gear Keeper tethering systems insure dependable ANSI-121 safety and quality by the company’s stringent quality control systems. Quality Assurance includes the company’s dynamic and static testing, drop load testing with up to a 100% safety margin and cycle testing for safe productive use and long-life. The economical TL1-2007 is attached to the wrist by a loop and cinch Velcro strap and connected to the tool by 10-inch lanyard with a barrel lock. Productivity is increased by the company’s patented Quick Connect tool attachment connectors that permit secure, fast and easy connection/disconnection of tools. Users can quickly change out tools by simply having extra lanyards attached to the tools and then unclicking one tool and clicking in another. Additional lanyards are inexpensive and are available in 3 and 10 packs. For More Information Contact: Harvey Barish Tel: 888.588.9981 Email: Harvey@TheBarishAgency.com

46 | JUNE.19

STIHL Contra: The Legendary Chain Saw Turns 60 In 1959, Andreas Stihl achieved a technological breakthrough. The Contra, a gearless one-man chain saw, made forestry work significantly easier. Equipped with a chipper-tooth chain and a diaphragm carburetor capable of working in any position, the chain saw offered unlimited flexibility without having to manually change settings. Thanks to its compact and streamlined design, the Contra weighed in at just 12 kilograms while also being more efficient than its predecessors, with engine performance of 6 hp (4.4 kW) and a maximum speed of 7,000 rotations per minute. As a result, it was lighter and more efficient than any other product on the market, allowing forestry operations to increase their productivity by 200 percent. The Contra made it possible for STIHL to revolutionize the world of forestry in 1959 and set new standards in the field of chain saws. After its official launch, it did not take long for the Contra to gain recognition as the one-man gasoline-powered chain saw with the highest cutting performance. In the following 10 years, the company’s workforce grew from roughly 640 employees in the year 1959 to over 1,500 in 1969. Production volume also saw marked growth. Since 1971, STIHL has been the world’s top-selling chain saw brand. For More Information Tel: 800-467-8445 Website: www.STIHLusa.com

GET MORE DONE ICS is the choice of concrete cutting professionals who seek high-performing, high-quality tools to get more done safely. ICS along with Merit and Pentruder work to set the standard as a premium provider of industrial cutting solutions. From power cutters and diamond chain to wire, wall, and floor saws, you can expect the best from ICS. FOR ICS AND PENTRUDER PRODUCTS

CALL TO ORDER: 800.321.1240 EMAIL: orders@icsdiamondtools.com icsdiamondtools.com

FOR MERIT PRODUCTS

CALL TO ORDER: 928.771.0575 m e r i t s aw.c o m

C O N C RET E O P EN I N G S | 4 7

Certification

C ER TI F I E D OPERATOR

OPERATOR CERTIFICATION

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

CSDA’s Operator Certification is a comprehensive six-day program that combines detailed classroom instruction with on-slab demonstration and evaluation of advanced concrete cutting techniques. Safety, proper equipment use and efficiency are emphasized. CSDA certified operators are recognized industry-wide for their proficiency in the full range of sawing and drilling applications.

• Successful completion of CSDA Cutting Edge, Slab Sawing & Drilling 101, Wall Sawing 101 or Wire Sawing 101

ACCU-CUT CONCRETE SERVICES, INC.

• Three years field experience (4,500 hours) • Successful completion of 10-hour OSHA Construction Safety course • No more than one lost-time injury within the last three years • Unrestricted driver’s license • Negative drug test within 30 days of taking the course

Cleveland , OH Orlando, FL

HOLES OF SAN ANTONIO, INC.

Clearwater, FL

ACE CONCRETE CUTTING

CONCRETE CUTTING SPECIALISTS

HOLES, INC.

Cumberland, RI

Freeland, MI

AGGREGATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

CONCRETE RENOVATION, INC.

Houston, TX

San Antonio, TX

AMERICAN PAVEMENT SAWING

CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS REMOVAL, INC.

Garden City, MI

St. Augustine, FL

AUSTIN ENTERPRISE

CR MEYER

San Antonio, TX Houston, TX

HOUSLEY DEMOLITION CO., INC. Visalia, CA

INTERNATIONAL DRILLING & SAWING, INC. Pensacola, FL Montgomery, AL

Bakersfield, CA

Osh Kosh, WI

INTERSTATE SAWING COMPANY, INC.

B.T. RENTALS

DELTA CONTRACTORS & ASSOCIATES, LLC

West Bend, WI

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago

Owings Mills, MD

JEM CONCRETE DRILLING & SAWING, INC.

BAY LINE CUTTING & CORING, INC.

DIXIE CONCRETE CUTTING, INC.

Granger, IN

College Park, GA Greenville, SC

KRAUS-ANDERSON CONSTRUCTION CO. Minneapolis, MN

Edgar, WI, Eau Claire, WI

JACK DOHERTY CONTRACTING

LIUNA LOCAL 506 TRAINING CENTRE

CHESCO CORING & CUTTING, INC.

E. LUKE GREENE COMPANY, INC.

Malvern, PA New Castle, DE

Johnson City, TN

COBRA CONCRETE CUTTING SERVICES CO.

FINE CUT DRILLING & SAWING Pleasant Hill, MO

San Francisco, CA

CENTRAL CONCRETE CUTTING

Woburn, MA

Arlington Heights, IL Bloomington, IL Milwaukee, WI

FORRISTALL ENTERPRISES, INC.

CON-COR CO., INC.

Danielsville, PA

Menomonee Falls, WI

CONCRETE CUTTING & BREAKING Jacksonville, FL Kentwood , MI

48 | JUNE.19

Bradenton, FL

HAFNER & SON, INC. HARD ROCK CONCRETE CUTTERS Wheeling, IL

HARD ROCK CONCRETE CUTTING Raleigh, North Carolina

Richmond Hill, ON Canada

M6 CONCRETE CUTTING & CORING Wichita, KS

MIDWEST CONCRETE CUTTING, INC. Peotone, IL

NEIL’S CONCRETE CUTTING, INC. Taylorsville, UT

OKLAHOMA CORING & CUTTING, INC. Arcadia, OK

PG CUTTING SERVICES Lake Elisnore, CA

TRUE LINE CORING AND CUTTING OF MARYLAND, INC.

Baltimore, MD

COMPANY CERTIFICATION The CSDA Company Certification Program is the first of its kind in the industry. This program has been created for cutting contractors to provide owners, architects, engineers, general contractors and government officials with a valuable pre-qualification tool that acknowledges sound business practices. It is available to all sawing and drilling contractors.

CERT I F I ED COMPANY

A COMPANY MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA TO ACHIEVE CERTIFICATION: • Meet the basic safety, and insurance requirements of the industry • Undertake sound operational and financial best practices • Provide evidence it has taken part in basic training or certification programs to better its employees and the company as a whole • Successfully pass a written application review

AMERICAN GPR SERVICES LLC

ECHO GPR

Avondale, Arizona

Paola, Kansas

AUSTIN ENTERPRISE Bakersfield, California

CENTRAL CONCRETE CUTTING, INC. Edgar, Wisconsin

HARD ROCK CONCRETE CUTTERS, INC. Wheeling, Illinois

HARD ROCK CONCRETE CUTTING Raleigh, North Carolina

COBRA CONCRETE CUTTING SERVICES CO. Arlington Heights, Illinois

HOLES INCORPORATED Houston, Texas

CUTTING EDGE SERVICES CORP. Batavia, Ohio

DIACORE CONCRETE CUTTING SPECIALISTS Frenchs Forest, New South Wales, Australia

INTERNATIONAL DRILLING & SAWING INC. Pensacola, Florida

ONLINE CONCRETE CUTTING SERVICES PTY. LTD Seven Hills, New South Wales, Australia

ST-118 CERTIFICATION This certification is the first of its kind for measuring concrete surfaces and their surface texture value. The approach is to measure and analyze the surface texture in order to understand how the texture is influenced by the finishing process, and how the surface texture influences its behavior with regards to gloss, friction and sustainability. The certification is based on Standard CSDA-ST-118.

A CERTIFIED OPERATOR: • Has been provided instruction on how to correctly measure concrete micro surface texture • Has knowledge of proper tool selection to mitigate damage • Passed a written test • Was issued a certificate upon completion of the class For more information about this Standard, certification or a list of current ST-118 Certified companies, visit www.csda.org/st118.

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C O N C RET E O P EN I N G S | 4 9

Membership

CONTRACTORS

KAVIK, USA Brandon, FL

CAPMEN LLC Tampa, FL

ADVANCED CONCRETE SAWING LLC

MBE

Iowa City, IA

CANADIAN CONTRACTORS DALY CONCRETE CORING LIMITED Courtice, ON, Canada

CONCRETE POLISHING CONTRACTORS

ALL WEST SURFACE PREP Commerce City, CO

MEMBER

BENEFITS SAFETY RESOURCES

UNTS O C DIS GRAM ember PROion negotiates mional

sociat ith nat The As programs w d t UPS an de i f bene taples, S ovi e r k p i l rs rder to o vendo n i s .com unitie supply opport . s V-belt g n i v s mber cost-sa DA Me for CS

50 | JUNE.19

NETWORKING

AND TOOLBOX SAFETY TIPS (TSTS) • 230-page CSDA Safety Manual • Safety Handbook in English/Spanish • Safety Videos for concrete cutters • Over 100 Toolbox Safety Tips (TSTs)

AT THE ANNUAL CONVENTION AND QUARTERLY MEETINGS The number one benefit for members has always been the opportunity to network with cutting professionals at the annual convention and quarterly meetings. This networking provides opportunities to forge new relationships and learn from other experienced professionals.

NEXT GEN

CSDA NEXT GENERATION GROUP The group aims to continue the growth of the association while serving the needs and wants of the younger generation, with the goal of continuing to set a standard of excellence.

24/7

THE CSDA WEBSITE AT WWW.CSDA.ORG CONTAINS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE 24/7 IN THE “MEMBERS” SECTION. IN ADDITION, CSDA’S FACEBOOK PAGE AND DISCUSSION FORUM GROUP PAGE ALSO PROVIDE MEMBERS WITH A CHANCE TO DISCUSS TECHNICAL ISSUES, SELL EQUIPMENT, HIRE EMPLOYEES OR ANY OTHER RELEVANT TOPICS.

TRAINING

TESTIMONIAL Diamond Drilling and Sawing Company has been a member of CSDA since 1995. The main reason that we joined and the reason we continue to be members is the people we have met. We are especially appreciative of the relationships that we’ve built with other cutting professionals in the industry. The exchange of ideas and the opportunity to learn from our peers is invaluable. CSDA has helped us to comply with the new silica standard. They’ve been an advocate for the cutting industry with OSHA. Whether it’s setting safety standards or establishing operating procedures, CSDA has helped to raise the level of professionalism and to increase our visibility in the construction industry. If you are a professional cutter, we encourage you to consider joining CSDA. There are many benefits.

OVER 4,000 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS HAVE GRADUATED FROM MORE THAN 20 CLASSROOM, HANDS-ON AND ONLINE CSDA TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON CUTTING DISCIPLINES, ESTIMATING, POLISHING AND SAFETY. ONLINE TRAINING AT WWW. CSDATRAINING.COM OFFERS A COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO THOSE NOT ABLE TO AFFORD THE TIME OR THE MONEY TO SEND OPERATORS TO CLASSES.

Matt Wiersma, President & CEO

Henk Dykhouse, VP & Chairman of the Board

DUESSCHEDULE REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.CSDA.ORG GROSS SALES

NORTH AMERICAN CONTRACTOR

POLISHING CONTRACTOR

GPR IMAGING MANUFACTURER DISTRIBUTOR OVERSEAS CONTRACTOR CONTRACTOR

$0 – 1M

$685

$825

$1,480

$1,055

$1 – 2M

$1095

$1,795

$1,345

$2 – 3M

$1,680

$2,675

$2,000

$3 – 5M

$2,255

$5 – 10M

$2,860

$825

$1,375

$440

AFFILIATE

$840

$4,285 $5,800

$3,220

> $10M $3,585 $7,150

For more information about CSDA membership, visit www.csda.org, call 727-577-5004 or email info@csda.org. W WW. C O N C RE TE OPE N IN GS.COM

C O N C RET E O P EN I N G S | 5 1

Calendar 2019

NOVEMBER 11–12, 2019 Slab Sawing & Core Drilling 201

CSDA Summer Board & Committee Meetings Reno, Nevada

St. Petersburg College Clearwater, FL Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

NOVEMBER 13–14, 2019 Wall & Hand Sawing 201 St. Petersburg College Clearwater, FL Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

NOVEMBER 15, 2019 Wire Sawing 201

JUNE 5-6, 2019

OCTOBER 16–17, 2019

CSDA Summer Board & Committee Meetings

Wall & Hand Sawing 101

Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel Reno, NV Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org www.csda.org

ICS Training Facility Portland, OR Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

SEPTEMBER 5-6, 2019 CSDA Fall Board & Committee Meetings Hyatt Regency Columbus Columbus, OH Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org www.csda.org

SEPTEMBER 18–21, 2019 Concrete Show South East Asia 2019 – The 7th Concrete and Construction Show in Jakarta Jakarta International Expo Jakarta, Indonesia Tel: 49-40-3999905-0 Email: contact@merebo.com www.cssea.merebo.com

OCTOBER 18, 2019 Wire Sawing 101 ICS Training Facility Portland, OR Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

NOVEMBER 8–9, 2019 GPR Certification St. Petersburg College Clearwater, FL Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

ICS 101 Training Courses SEPTEMBER 19–20, 2019 Chicago Build Expo 2019 McCormick Place Chicago, IL Tel: (917)-746-7620 Email: alexandra@oliverkinrossevents.com

OCTOBER 14–15, 2019 Slab Sawing & Core Drilling 101 ICS Training Facility Portland, OR Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

52 | JUNE.19

Portland, Orgegon

St. Petersburg College Clearwater, FL Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

FEBRUARY 4–7, 2020 World of Concrete Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

MARCH 10–11, 2020 CSDA Spring Board & Committee Meetings Omni La Costa Resort Carlsbad, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

MARCH 12–14, 2020 CSDA Annual Convention Omni La Costa Resort Carlsbad, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 Email: info@csda.org

Advertising and Readership Circulation 19,000+ minimum, per issue 12,000+ member and prospective member companies made up of contractors, manufacturers, distributors and affiliates

7,000+ general contractors, engineers, architects and government officials who specify cutting, polishing and imaging

Who Reads the Magazine? Concrete Openings reaches cutting, polishing and imaging contractors as well as specifiers of these services, including engineers, architects, general contractors and governmental agencies. Why waste your message on unnecessary circulation? Advertising in Concrete Openings guarantees a targeted audience of industry professionals.

READERSHIP BY PROFESSION

Target the Specialized Industry of Concrete Cutting, Polishing and Imaging Advertising in Concrete Openings magazine is the only way to reach the specialty market of cutting, polishing and imaging contractors who work with concrete, asphalt or masonry because it is specifically targeted to this segment of the industry.

How Do You Reach 19,000+ Concrete industry Professionals? Each issue of Concrete Openings magazine is sent to more than 12,000 operators, equipment manufacturers and suppliers in the concrete cutting, polishing and imaging industry, and more than 7,000 specifiers of these services around the world.

Not a Subscriber? Get your free subscription today! Visit www.concreteopenings.com and click “subscribe.”

52%

Readership Per Issue A poll of Concrete Openings subscribers revealed that 66% pass on their copy of the magazine to at least one other person, with almost 25% stating that the magazine is passed on to four or more people each issue. This translates to an average of four people reading each issue of the magazine for a total readership per year of approximately 60,000.

8% 40%

• Specifiers • Contractors • Manufacturers, Distributors

CSDA Social Media CSDA’s social media pages are packed with all the latest news, updates, photos and videos from the association and Concrete Openings magazine. Look out for exclusive content and become “friends” with others who are looking to network and promote the sawing and drilling industry. Join our growing fan base and stay in touch with the association through your PC, laptop or mobile device. Find direct links to these pages at www.csda.org.

Concrete Openings Website Concrete Openings has its own website. Advertisers have direct links to their websites placed on our Advertisers page as a complimentary addition to ad placement. A full page-turning copy of the magazine, including ads, is also available for visitors to read on the website. Visitors to the site can now access our advertisers at the touch of a button. The Concrete Openings website also has banner advertising opportunities available throughout the year. Visit www.concreteopenings.com for more information.

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C O N C RET E O P EN I N G S | 5 3

Advertisers To receive additional information about products advertised in this issue, contact the vendors below. PAGE

ADVERTISER

PHONE

Aquajet Systems

701-373-0062

brittany@ironcladmktg.com

Brokk, Inc.

877-276-5548

peter@brokkinc.com

Inside Front Cover, 24

Diamond Products

800-321-5336

jpalmer@diamondproducts.com

Diamond Vantage

866-322-4078

sunny@gtdiamond.com

27, 37

DITEQ Corporation

816-246-5515

mikeo@diteq.com

DDMâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Concut

443-521-9379

ghenderson@ddmconcut.com

GelMaxx

619-701-7246

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI)

603-893-1109

harmonj@geophysical.com

Inside Back Cover

Hilti North America

918-872-3079

corrie.brock@hilti.com

28, 29, Outside Back Cover

Husqvarna Construction Products

913-928-1442

cate.stratemeier@husqvarna.com

11, 47

ICS, Blount Inc.

800-321-1240

marketing@icsdiamondtools.com

K2/Sanders

310-539-6116

Mike.nelson@k2diamond.com

Lissmac Corporation

518-326-9094

sales@lissmac_corporation.com

SMK Sprayers

515-202-0052

john@smksprayers.com

Vacuworx

918-259-3050

paulab@vacuworx.com

CSDA FALL 2019 TRAINING REGISTRATION IS OPEN

paul@gelmaxxusa.com

Introductory Cutting Operator Training Classes:

101 OPERATOR TRAINING

Slab Sawing & Drilling, Wall Sawing, Hand Sawing and Wire Sawing October 14-18, 2019 at the ICS Training Facility in Portland, OR Advanced Cutting Operator Training Classes*:

201 OPERATOR CERTIFICATION

Slab Sawing & Drilling, Wall Sawing, Hand Sawing and Wire Sawing November 11-15, 2019 at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, FL *prerequisites required Advanced GPR Training*: Concrete cutting and GPR operators can now sign up for CSDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introductory and advanced hands-on training classes. Learn from the best in the industry in a real-life, hands-on format utilizing the latest in concrete cutting and GPR technologies.

54 | JUNE.19

GPR CERTIFICATION

November 8-9, 2019 at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, FL *prerequisites required Registration and more information is available now at csda.org Discounts available for multiple students and classes!

MEET BROKK 70 THE NEW MINI SUPER HERO

Packed with demolition power, faster than ever and extremely compact. The BROKK 70 is the perfect solution for safe and efficient demolition in very conďŹ ned spaces. Brokk Inc. | Monroe, WA | 1-360-794-1277 | info@brokkinc.com | www.brokk.com

Director’s Dialogue

World of Concrete Celebrates 45 Years PATRICK O’BRIEN Executive Director

he annual World of Concrete (WOC) has become a mainstay for both contractors attending the show and manufacturers exhibiting at this annual gathering of concrete professionals. Its position as “The” show was not always so, especially in the early years. Waters were tested in cities like Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, Orlando and even Washington, DC, before the show found a permanent contractor-friendly home in Las Vegas. WOC will celebrate 45 years in February 2020. CSDA was founded in 1972, three years prior to the first WOC in 1975, and has been a prominent cosponsor of WOC since 1977, just two years after the inaugural show. My personal involvement with WOC began in 1983, when I gave a presentation for CSDA while working for GE Superabrasives. I have attended every show since then, 27 shows! WOC show management utilizes the networking of members from the 18 cosponsor associations to attract people to the show. Over 60,000 attended the 2019 show, and many of the attendees were encouraged to attend by these associations. Co-sponsor associations can offer their “source codes” to attendees, offering free or significantly discounted registration. For a long time, these source codes gave attendees free registration, but in the past several years, the codes have allowed attendees to save anywhere from $50 to $75 on their registrations! You don’t even have to be a member of CSDA to use this code.

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In return, show management rewards their success in attracting attendees by granting $500,000 total in annual co-sponsor rebates. The partnership with WOC over the years has paid off handsomely for CSDA, with rebates totaling nearly $900,000! But after all these years it is amazing to me how many attendees still do not understand how CSDA earns these rebates or how much money they can save on registration. Cosponsor registration is $25, while regular show registration is $70-$95. So, registering for the show using CSDA’s A26 code will save you up to $70! Each registration credited to A26 earns CSDA a rebate of $40-50. If 2,000 attendees (instead of 1,000) were to register with A26 CSDA could double its rebate! So not only do you benefit by using CSDA’s source code, CSDA does too! We have been working to inform the industry this fact for many years. While CSDA has been very successful, the opportunity to be twice as successful is right in front of us. My question to readers of Concrete Openings is what can we do to make more people aware of this? Did you know about these savings and rebates? The 45th Anniversary of World of Concrete will be held February 4–7, 2020. While it may be early for attendees to start thinking about the next show, it is time for CSDA to begin planning for next year. Save money on your registration fee and help CSDA earn even more rebate money to fund programs that support CSDA and the entire industry. Let us hear your ideas to make this show even better for all attendees. Email me at pat@csda.org if you get a chance. Thank you and see you in Las Vegas.

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