December '09 Concrete Openings

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Worth Their Salt Cutting the World’s Longest Floating Saltwater Bridge

Taking it to the next level.

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President’s Page

Douglas H. Walker CSDA President

I

n past issues, I have talked about how participating in the CSDA

are first-rate, and the equipment donated by the manufacturers is

quarterly meetings is one of the best ways to benefit from

top-of-the-line. In addition, the class is being offered at a tremendous

CSDA membership. This was never more evident than at the Fall

discount so there is really no reason not to attend.

meeting in Portland, Oregon. I want to thank Jake VanderZanden,

Next, the 2010 CSDA Convention and Tech Fair in San Diego, California,

Kevin Warnecke and everyone at ICS, Blount Inc. for their factory tour

will also be of great benefit to all who attend. Besides the committee

and barbeque. The tour was very informative and the barbeque was

meetings early in the week, the convention will offer great roundtable

a great place for contractors from around the country to mingle and

discussions, informative workshops, a tabletop Tech Fair and presentations

share information and ideas. I also want to thank Travis Squires from

by CSDA members and highly sought-after keynote speaker Lt. Col. Rob

Penetrations, Inc. in Portland for his efforts to get local contractors

“Waldo” Waldman. An Estimating class is also being offered, again at a

to come to these meetings. A good number of local contractors who

discount. Over the years, this has been one of the most popular classes

wanted to learn more about the association attended.

offered by the CSDA, giving estimators the chance to improve their skills and

At the Portland meeting, a large amount of work was reported by the committees. We addressed the topics of how to produce better contractors

increase their company’s bottom line. This is quite a program of activities for the price of one trip to Southern California.

and how to present a more professional industry. An Oregon contractor

Of course, nothing comes without a cost. In this case, however, I would

brought in an article about silicosis testing and described how well their

not look at these classes and events as a cost, but more as an investment in

company had performed with the Oregon office of OSHA. The results

your business. Where else are you going to meet with people in the same

were outstanding for the sawing and drilling industry. Jim Dvoratchek,

industry that are willing to share ideas and opinions that will benefit you

Tom Stowell and Kellie Vazquez, of the Certification Committee, made

and your company? If you come back with a new idea on how to do a job,

great progress in the development of a company certification program;

dispatch your men or you are introduced to a new type of application that

and with input from some local contractors, more ideas were discussed. It is

could expand your services, you have just made money for your company.

my feeling that everyone who participated in the meetings, the barbeque,

It has been my experience that the return on the investment you make

the Wednesday night dinner or any other meeting, benefited by coming

by going to these meetings, classes or the convention will far outweigh

away with at least one new idea to make their company better.

any cost. The stock market will not tell you how to cut a 92-inch-diameter

CSDA has two events scheduled during the first quarter of 2010 that

hole, will not tell you about the benefits of the CSDA Insurance Captive or

you should attend. At the 2010 World of Concrete, we are offering the

show you how to run a chain saw. But the Concrete Sawing and Drilling

Wall Sawing 101 class. This is a great way to have your operators trained on

Association and its members will–if you participate.

any wall saw equipment you have, or are planning to buy. The instructors

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concrete openings | 1

STREngTh ThaT COmES FROm InnOVaTIOn

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1990 © 2009 ICS, Blount Inc. All rights reserved.

2 | DECEMB ER .09 CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 5

2010

the official magazine of the concrete sawing and drilling association

CSDA OFFICERS

concrete cases

President, Doug Walker Atlantic Concrete Cutting, Inc. dwalker@atlanticconcretecutting.com Vice President, Jim Dvoratchek Hard Rock Concrete Cutters, Inc. jimd@hardrockconcretecutters.com

Worth Their Salt

Secretary/Treasurer, Judith O’Day Terra Diamond Industrial joday@terradiamond.com Past President, Tom Stowell Norton Pro Diamond thomas.stowell@att.net Executive Director, Patrick O’Brien Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association pat@csda.org CSDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Terms expiring 2010) Skip Aston Ohio Concrete Sawing & Drilling, Inc. skipaston@ohioconcrete.com Ron Culgin Pro Cut, Inc. rculgin@procompanies.com Patrick Harris Concrete Renovation, Inc. ptharris@sbcglobal.net Mike Nelson K2 Diamond mike.nelson@k2diamond.com Chris Priest Sanders Saws cpriest@multiquip.com Jack Sondergard Central Concrete Cutting, Inc. jacksondergard@sprynet.com

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CSDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Terms expiring 2011)

Contractor Cuts on World’s Longest Floating Saltwater Bridge

A Shard of Concrete CSDA Member is a Glass Act

Go with the Flow Concrete Cutter Helps to Reduce Flooding at Dam

Roger Allen Protech Diamond USA, Inc. roger.allen@protechdiamondusa.com Larry Liddle Diamond Products Limited lliddle@diamondproducts.com Aaron Louisell Diamond Concrete Sawing aaronl@diamondconcretesawing.com Mike Orzechowski DITEQ Corporation mikeo@diteq.com Kellie Vazquez Holes Incorporated kvazquez@holesinc.com Kevin Warnecke ICS, Blount Inc. kwarnecke@icsbestway.com

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Moor Speed!

28

CSDA Member Uses Wire Saw to Get the Job Done

concrete openings | 3

Concrete Openings Magazine Official Magazine of the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association Volume 18, Number 4 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 and Drilling Association 11001 Danka Way North, Suite 1 Saint Petersburg, Florida 33716 Tel: 727-577-5004 Fax: 727-577-5012 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 and Drilling Association, Concrete Openings magazine, Issue Date.”

No alterations should be made in the text of any article.

Publisher Patrick O’Brien Editor Cherryl O’Brien Assistant Editor Russell Hitchen CONCRETE CASES Contributors Tim Beckman John Barber Todd Barna Rick Olson

contents

1

President’s Page

26 The Business of Business

It’s Not the Same Old Song— Avoiding Age-Related Discrimination Liability

36 Core Health

Implementing a Pre-Employment Physical Program

38 Safety Counts

Taking Names—Identity Theft

40 Tech Talk

Blade Smithing and Tensioning: Why are they Important?

44 Insurance Corner

Knowledge is Power—The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association Insurance Program

50 Industry Bits 62 Certified Operator Companies 64 New Members 65 Calendar 68 Director’s Dialogue

Editorial Review Committee Skip Aston Rod Newton Pat Stepanski The information and recommendations in this magazine are provided for use by fully qualified, professional personnel.

The Concrete Sawing and 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 and Drilling Association.

Cover Photo: Hood Canal Bridge, Puget Sound, Washington.

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Worth Their

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st e g n o L s ’ rld o W dge n o Bri s t Cu ater r to altw c a tr g S n Co atin Flo

I

n a project that lasted from 2003 to 2009, both approach spans, eastern pontoons and east and west transition spans had to be replaced on the Hood Canal Bridge in Washington State. Multiple closures were required prior to a May 1, 2009 shutdown, after which only 45 days were allotted to replace the major eastern pontoon and approach sections. The required cutting and separation of the existing floating concrete pontoons had to be done quickly, so that other phases of the works could be completed on time. A CSDA member contractor worth its salt was found to take on this challenging job.

The Hood Canal Bridge connects the Olympic Peninsula with the Kitsap Peninsula over a finger of the Puget Sound waterways called the Hood Canal. At 7,269 feet long, it is the world’s third-longest floating bridge and the longest situated in a saltwater tidal basin. First opened in 1961, the Hood Canal Bridge has become a vital commerce and recreational link, with its center opening span controlling the access of the West Coast United States Navy Trident submarine fleet that enters the port of Bangor, Washington. In 1979, 18 years after opening, the bridge suffered catastrophic failure during a severe windstorm, sinking the western draw span and pontoons after sustaining several hours of

A Trident nuclear submarine passes through the Hood Canal Bridge as Tim Beckman of Cutting Edge Services looks on.

120+ mph winds. Efforts to repair the bridge began immediately. Works were completed in three years and the bridge reopened in 1982.

Since this time, further wear and tear from the elements had taken its toll on 11 of the original east-half bridge pontoons, including the draw span, so plans were put in place to remove these sections and replace them with 17 new structures designed to last 75 years. The installation of the new pontoons required high levels of precision, as the roadways on each of the pontoon sections had to achieve tolerances of 0.125-inch for every 10 feet of surface. Kiewit of Washington and General Construction Company of Poulsbo formed a Joint Venture to act as the general contractor for the project.

Kiewit-General, A Joint Venture, under contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation, sought innovative and time-saving ideas to cut piers, separate pontoons and sever high-tensioned tendons.

Besides addressing the technical issues of making the cuts, the cutting specialist would have to control all slurry and debris that might enter

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c o n cr e t e o p e n i n g s | 7

The bridge pontoons were joined by 3.5-inch tendons and 1.5-inch bolts.

the pristine Puget Sound. In 2003, Kiewit-General selected Cutting Edge Services Corporation to perform its cutting operations. “We were happy to have been chosen to be part of such a major project, and that the general contractor had as much confidence in our abilities to get the job done as we did ourselves,� said Tim Beckman, president and CEO of Cutting Edge Services.

The general contractor required a method that would maintain the structural integrity of the floating pontoons, reduce bridge shutdown time and produce less dust and debris than other applications. The dependability provided by wire sawing was ideal and met all of these requirements, giving the ability to make the different types of cuts in pontoon joints. Test cuts on the tendons were made with shears.

However, these test cuts failed and cutting with shears was ruled out.

The use of jackhammers and cutting torches was also ruled out due to increased noise and vibration. Therefore, the use of specialized remote-

Diamond blades cut through the 1,000-foot, high-tensioned tendons with speed.

clamping wall saws with diamond blades was deemed to be the most suitable application for cutting the tendons.

Two phases involving the cutting of the east approach piers were completed prior to the major shutdown. Typical pier cross-sections were five feet in width and 40 feet in length. Working from an adjacent temporary pier, Cutting Edge set up diamond wires 190 feet in length, which were transitioned to various cutting heights at 5-foot intervals during the course of the cutting work. The cutting contractor completed these two phases on time so that cutting of the pontoons and tendons could begin on the day of the shutdown. The majority of the cut pier sections were lifted out prior to the shutdown, however some remained

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in place until larger cranes could perform the lifts during the outage.

The 14-foot-high by 50-foot-wide floating pontoons were joined together by 80 1.5-inch bolts and 24 3.5-inch tendons. The hightensioned pipe tendons had 12 0.5-inch steel cables grouted inside.

The pontoon joints were also pressure grouted within a perimeter of heavy rubber molding. Cutting Edge engineered and fabricated clamps that were remotely operated and bolted onto CC1600 hydraulic wall saws made by Diamond Products. These clamps were the key to the success of the May 2009 shutdown, as all primary tendon cutting had

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to be done or made remotely, with no personnel allowed below deck.

Following the completion of the tendon cuts with the wall saws, four wire saws were used to separate the pontoons.

Several months of design and trial cutting were done on sections of tendons, including test cuts on location prior to the outage. Angular core holes were then drilled into the upper corners of each planned separation, to allow for initial wire cuts and re-tensioning prior to commencing the primary wire cuts on May 1. Once the clamped wall saws were in place, actual cutting time was less than three minutes per tendon. Due to the pre-stressing of the tendons, the initial cut on the 1,000-foot tendons caused a separation of more than 15 feet.

After the tendons in the upper corners were removed, these sections were then wire cut. Temporary tendons were installed to carry the load during primary wire sawing, and shims were put in place to fill any spaces or gaps that remained. Primary wire sawing began and continued until the lower corners were severed. Following a precise sequence of

Some of the pontoon sections were as long as three football fields.

water plugs and inspections of the cut paths, wire sawing was halted for installation of shims and temporary tendons on these underwater corner sections. With all four corners shimmed and re-tensioned, three wire saws worked in parallel to cut the remaining sections of the pontoon joint while the specialized wall saws severed the remaining 20 tendons, taking approximately 32 hours to perform. These steps were then repeated for the other pontoon until the work was completed seven days later on May 8.

One problem encountered by the cutting team was the process of raising the saw and clamp assembly by 12 feet to the upper tendons while working inside dozens of concrete cells. To avoid man-handling and excess scaffold installations, Cutting Edge installed 120-volt cable winches onto each clamp, which allowed the team to raise the saw assembly onto the tendons. The natural environment on the job site also provided Cutting Edge with some challenges. Strong winds and water

The cut pontoons were towed north to be reemployed as floating piers.

currents produced heavy stresses on the severing operation, and at one stage of the outage these high winds forced a complete evacuation of

team and created a need for confined space monitoring and strict

all personnel and equipment from the job site.

safety procedures. Potential dangers included the significant failure

In addition to the weather conditions above water level, working inside concrete cells below sea level involved extra risk for the cutting

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of the pontoon separation, which could have sunk several pontoons during the works.

concrete openings | 9

Aerial view of the Hood Canal Bridge during the course of the work.

Cutting Edge worked very closely with the general contractor

The precision and decreased vibration from cutting with diamond

to identify significant design considerations and special precautions

wire and blades was a profitable choice for the general contractor, as

required for the pontoon separations, including the sequence of cutting,

the structural integrity of the pontoons was maintained so that they

a plan for the stabilization of the bridge and the close monitoring of

could be reemployed elsewhere. Cutting Edge proved that the Hood

below-sea-level confined space work. In addition to standard items of

Canal Bridge wasn’t a bridge too far, and that this cutting contractor

personal protective equipment, all workers had to wear flotation vests.

was worth its salt.

Wire sawing on the east approach piers and on the floating

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT: WWW.concreteopenings.com/FORUM.CFM

pontoons was performed with 50-horsepower hydraulic power units and Diamond Products WS 25 wire saws using Tyrolit plated diamond wires.

The cutting contractor did not want to waste any time in getting to work, so cutting commenced at 12:01 AM on May 1. By working

Company Profile

in such a fast, yet safe and efficient manner, Cutting Edge completed

Cutting Edge Services Corporation has been in business

the pontoon work on May 8. Despite a couple of days of bad weather

for over 12 years and is based in Batavia, Ohio. Support

delaying the job, cutting finished approximately four days ahead of

operations are located in Houston and Seattle. The

schedule and within budget. This in turn helped the general contractor

company offers primary services of engineered solutions,

to earn the highest early-finish bonus awarded by the Washington State

diamond wire sawing, underwater cutting and core drilling.

Department of Transportation for its commendable work.

Cutting Edge has been a member of CSDA since 1997.

“We had an extremely nice thank you from a lead engineer, stating how Cutting Edge went “the extra mile” to help ensure that a very unique set of tasks were done with a high level of success,” explains Joe Shebesta, Project Engineer for Cutting Edge. These words came from Kent Werle, Senior Engineer for Kiewit-General, “We appreciated not only their significant procedural and engineering help on the front end, but also during the long nights of execution where their highly skilled

Resources

General Contractor: Kiewit-General, A Joint Venture Sawing and Drilling Contractor: Cutting Edge Services Corporation Batavia, Ohio

people worked to be sure that we got through the difficult spots. This

Phone: 513-388-0199

should be marked down as a success story,” Werle concluded.

Email: beckman@cuttingedgeservices.com

As for the disposition of the existing pontoons—they were taken to Vancouver, British Columbia, where they were sold to a company that will convert them into floating piers.

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Website: www.cuttingedgeservices.com Methods Used: Wire Sawing, Core Drilling, Wall Sawing

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concrete openings | 1 1 CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 65

A Shard of Concrete The completed construction will be Britain’s tallest building.

CSDA Member is a Glass Act The skyline of central London is changing.

Despite the current recession, England’s iconic capital city is the subject of significant development to increase economic growth. In addition, the city is preparing for 2012, when the eyes of the world will focus on London as the host of the 30th modern Olympic Games.

As part of the city’s evolving landscape, a major development has begun in the London Bridge Quarter that will be home to Britain’s highest skyscraper, “The Shard.” One CSDA member played an integral role in the structural preparations of this new building, deep below street level, inside an unoccupied section of London’s underground rail network.

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The Shard tower is to be built above a 28-year-old underground

Architects’ Gold Medal. Despite his accolades, Piano actually conceived

station named Southwark Tower, which is no longer in service, and a

the idea for a building overlooking the river Thames in London by

new concourse and station will be constructed to transport potentially

sketching on the back of a restaurant menu, and The Shard emerged.

350,000 commuters per day, once the development is complete. The

The new building has a glass fronted exterior, however the main

results of the drilling work will help the general contractor prepare for

structure for The Shard consists of reinforced concrete, with concrete

the demolition aspects of the works and plan for the construction of

encased steel “plunge” columns and slip-or jump-formed concrete used

the 1.4-million-square-foot skyscraper and associated transport links.

for the tower and substructure.

Sub-contracted by the general contractor, Barhale PLC of Stratford, East

Once completed, The Shard will become the tallest building in the

London, D-Drill Master Drillers (London & South England office), was one

United Kingdom, surpassing the 244-meter (800-foot) One Canada

of the first drilling contractors to be brought in to assist in determining

Square office tower, the current title holder, located in the Canary Wharf

the make-up of the ground and subsurface.

district of London. The new construction will also dwarf other famous

The 80-story, 310-meter (1,016-foot) structure will include offices,

landmarks in the city, such as the 191-meter (625-foot) BT Tower, the

restaurants, housing and a luxury hotel and spa. The Shard is the

133-meter (436-foot) Wembley Stadium and will even overshadow the

brainchild of Italian architect Renzo Piano, a winner of the prestigious

Queen, as Buckingham Palace stands at a mere 24 meters (79 feet) in

Pritzker Architecture Prize in the U.S. and the Royal Institute of British

height.

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concrete openings | 1 3

Operators performed cutting work at the bottom of an 18-meter (60-foot) shaft.

Concrete drilling was specified for this project because of difficulties with accessibility in some of the confined spaces within Southwark Tower station. The general contractor was faced with an unknown quantity of concrete, steel and other refractory material, and so required a sawing and drilling contractor to cut through the concrete in sections to determine consistency. It was clear that there were no other methods or technology available to the general contractor to be able to work effectively in such confined spaces, and diamond core drilling would provide the necessary results, so D-Drill got to work. “We were brought in because of our experience and ability to drill in confined spaces, while having a good understanding of demolition requirements,” said John Barber, branch manager for D-Drill.

Following the completion of appropriate training courses, the operators performed inverted and horizontal core drilling at the bottom of an 18-meter (60-foot) shaft within the former station—an area that was also once part of a World War II shelter. The general contractor provided the necessary hoists to move the drilling equipment to and from the work area, while operators used a series of ladders and landing stages at 3.5-meter (11.5-feet) intervals to enter and leave the job site.

The core drilling equipment was of a modular design, so that it could be easily broken down into single items, weighing 15 to 20 kilograms (33 to 44 pounds), for transfer to the work area. The drilling team cored through reinforced concrete to obtain core samples for material testing, so that the general contractor had definitive results to conduct pre-demolition planning.

Operators began by core drilling 15 holes to depths of 450 millimeters (17.75 inches) with a standard length drill bit measuring 150 millimeters (6 inches) in diameter. The drilling of each 17.75-inch core

An artist’s impression of how The Shard will look.

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took approximately one hour to perform before removing the cores.

The team then changed to a bit measuring 902 millimeters (35.5 inches) to achieve depths of up to 3.4 meters (11.2 feet). The operators took an additional two to three hours to complete each core drilling procedure to the depths specified by the general contractor using this longer bit.

On completion of the required core drilling procedures, D-Drill removed all equipment from the job site and provided the core samples to the client for review and testing.

The main obstacle faced by the D-Drill team was the restricted access for the cutting area. To overcome this challenge, the contractor modified the rig for the drills to navigate the confined space and used custommade diamond core drills to perform the required core sampling. As the team had previous experience working in such conditions, D-Drill was able to handle the relatively small work area well and remove the cores quickly and efficiently.

In order to complete the work safely and adhere to health and safety guidelines when working in enclosed areas, operators attended a 2-day, confined-space, entry and escape breathing apparatus training course held by Skills Training Center, Ltd. The center provides training for personnel in the construction and civil engineering sectors, and is endorsed by Britain’s health and safety executive. D-Drill operators were

15 holes were drilled to depths of up to 3.4 meters (11.2 feet) for core sampling.

then provided with the appropriate breathing apparatus and educated in the proper use of this equipment prior to use. To optimize safety, the drilling work was only performed during daylight hours, much to the liking of the client as this also brought cost savings to the job, avoiding

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concrete openings | 1 5

The core samples created by D-Drill were forwarded to the client for analysis.

The job site at Southwark Tower was once a World War II shelter.

extra costs and permissions associated with working in such confined

London Bridge Quarter continues. Soon the world will see The Shard

areas during the night.

slicing its way up from the busy streets to the London skyline, changing

To obtain the core samples required by the general contractor,

the face of this popular city forever.

D-Drill used a Husqvarna multidirectional drilling rig mounted with an extended column. The contractor employed custom-made diamond core

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT: WWW.concreteopenings.com/FORUM.CFM

drills measuring 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length that were manufactured by White Diamond Products. For the inverted drilling, a 414-volt, 3-phase, 40-liter hydraulic power unit and a 4-speed Husqvarna hydraulic motor with a Husqvarna “Gyro” rig and water collector were used.

In total, D-Drill obtained 15 core samples from the subsurface at Southwark Tower with a team of two operators working in tandem at the site. The team performed the drilling work over a period of five

Company Profile

8-hour days, cutting to the maximum depth specified of 3.4 meters

Formed in 1967, D-Drill Master Drillers has been a member of

(11.2 feet) and taking an average time of three hours to achieve the

CSDA since 1982. Based in Coventry, England, the company has

required depths for each sample. The contract was completed on time

94 employees and 70 trucks in 10 locations across the country.

and within budget.

D-Drill offers services that include core drilling, slab sawing,

The cutting contractor’s emphasis on safety over speed paid dividends for both the cutting team and the client. As a result, Barhale have selected D-Drill for a number of other projects in the London area, including the drilling of a large quantity of inverted holes in the roof of a tunnel 60 meters (197 feet) below ground at Heathrow International Airport. “We are proud to have been entrusted and involved with such a prestigious scheme at the London Bridge site, and that we were able to complete the project on time and within budget for the client. The company has continuously invested in new equipment and training, and was an obvious choice for the client for this stage of the project,” Barber concluded.

With the help of this CSDA contractor, the development of the

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wall sawing, hand sawing and selective demolition.

Resources

General Contractor: Barhale PLC Sawing and Drilling Contractor: D-Drill Master Drillers Coventry, England Phone: 44-207 355 4444 Email: johnbarber@d-drill.co.uk Website: www.d-drill.co.uk Methods Used: Core Drilling

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www.diamondvantage.com concrete openings | 1 7

Go with the Concrete Cutter Helps to Reduce Flooding at Dam Speedy Concrete Cutting operators performed a visual inspection of the work area.

W

hen remediation of an existing retention dam was required to increase the flow of water to the spillway and to reduce the water level in the reservoir at the Jane Green Detention Area in Melbourne, Florida, the general contractor, Derrico Construction, working in tandem with the Army Corps of Engineers, needed to find a concrete cutter that could go with the flow.

They found that in CSDA member, Speedy Concrete Cutting, Inc., of Fort Lauderdale.

of cutting concrete, since the project included the creation of new spillway openings. This required the wire sawing of two openings measuring 8-foot by 8-foot by 43-foot-thick at their largest dimensions through the existing dam and weir walls. The challenge here, and it was a big one, was the removal of cut sections of concrete which would weigh approximatley 384,000 pounds each, given that the dimensions of the front and back sides of the openings were to remain consistent.

The sawing of these large blocks was accomplished by wire sawing the perimeter of the openings, then making one horizontal and one vertical cut through each piece at angles to create four wedge-shaped pieces per opening. These large sections could then be removed with

High water levels at the Jane Green Detention Area reservoir had

a backhoe.

caused flooding of the surrounding areas, damaging the nearby plant

The second portion of this project involved the flat sawing of two

community which is the natural habitat of several rare and endangered

liner slabs that measured 35 feet high, 15 feet wide and 12 inches deep,

species of wildlife. This situation was caused by a problem in the original

and the sawing of 68 linear feet of recessed slots that measured 24 to

design of the discharge structure and the culvert system at the dam.

36 inches wide by 10 inches deep, to accept the new sluice gates.

The primary purpose of the remediation project was to correct the

Maintaining the structural integrity of the dam, built in 2005,

imbalance created by the original construction of the dam. This was

was the top priority on this job, since any type of impact demolition

to be accomplished by the creation of new spillway openings, the

could have compromised the integrity of the dam and the structures

reduction of the weir wall and liner slab elevation and the addition of

surrounding it. In addition, diamond sawing with ecologically friendly

new sluice gates.

hydraulic fluids and safely recovering any slurry created minimized the

Early on, it was clear that a large amount of the work would consist

1 8 | d e c ember.09

impact to the surrounding ecosystem that was already damaged by

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Flow excess ground water. Time was also another constraint, as all of the remediation work had to be completed within a 3-month period to allow the surrounding environment to make a quick and permanent recovery.

Speedy Concrete Cutting employed the same strategy for landing this contract as it has done for many other unique and complex projects —careful planning. By the use of clear presentation materials, and by providing a clear understanding of wire sawing methodologies and time scale to the general contractor, the team from Speedy was able to instill trust and confidence in the proposed work for both Derrico and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The first task for Speedy was the flat sawing and removal of the existing liner slabs. This would allow Derrico to excavate the surrounding fill areas and also provide for the wire sawing of the new spillway openings at the desired elevation. The two liner slabs, measuring 35 feet by 15 feet by 12 inches each, were to be cut, followed by the creation

Wire sawing techniques were employed to create two spillway openings.

of 68 linear feet of two 24- to 36-inch-wide by 10-inch-deep recessed slots in the created openings. These slots would enable the openings to accept the new sluice gates later in the project. The breaking and removal of the concrete was completed by the general contractor via backhoes to complete their other scopes of work. Each liner slab took one operator approximately six hours to cut.

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concrete openings | 1 9

Operators cut 8-foot by 8-foot areas of concrete to depths of up to 40 feet.

The second phase of the cutting contractor’s work was the drilling of the corner holes for the new spillway openings. Cores were drilled horizontally to a depth of 32 feet for the top two corner holes to 43 feet for the bottom two, with a 2-inch-diameter bit. A high level of consistency in the dimensions of the openings was required by the Army Corps of Engineers, to allow water to pass through the dam at the necessary flow rate. Speedy worked with a great deal of accuracy to create the holes, and stayed within the 0.5-inch specified tolerance throughout the maximum 43-foot depth. Each core took about 32 man hours to drill, after which they were removed and safely disposed of by the general contractor.

Once Derrico had cleared the work area, the cutting team was able to perform the actual wire sawing work to create the new openings.

Steel channel was placed on the backsides of the openings as a guide for the wire that would help keep a consistent 8-foot by 8-foot opening on both faces of the dam wall. Unfortunately the Speedy operators did get a little wet at this stage of the works, as a cofferdam had not been completed on the downstream side of the dam. These temporary welded steel structures are built within docks and dams to displace water with air, creating a dry work environment. Typically cofferdams are constructed using sheet piles, wales and cross braces, and are dismantled upon completion of the works. Despite the extra water present on the job, the cutting team pressed on, using pulleys on both the front and

The cutting team split each piece of dam wall into four 96,000-pound sections for removal.

back faces of the dam to help reduce the “belly” in the horizontal pulls. The perimeter cutting was completed by a two-man crew, with supervision, over a 212-hour period.

2 0 | D ECEMB ER .09

Speedy also performed cutting work on liner slabs and created recessed slots.

The new spillway openings will help reduce localized flooding.

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concrete openings | 2 1

while a Core Cut CC 6560 Flat Saw, two Core Cut WS 25 wire saws, two Core Bore 4-speed hydraulic motors and M-2 columns, 85 feet of 2-inchdiameter continental tubing and crowns and electroplated diamond wire were all manufactured and provided by Diamond Products.

By carrying out the cutting of the spillway openings, liner slabs and through the creation of the recessed slots, Speedy was able to wire saw 3,840 square feet of concrete while drilling 520 feet at a 2-inch diameter, flat sawing 160 linear feet at a depth of 12 inches and hand sawing 272 linear feet to a depth of 10 inches. In total, 272 tons of concrete Cross-section of the Jane Green Detention Area dam.

was cut and removed from Jane Green Detention Area dam. Operators worked 8- to 12-hour shifts under the supervision of the Army Corps of

After the perimeters of the openings were created, wire was fed back through the cut lines to create the intersecting angle cuts, which

Engineers. The project was completed one month ahead of schedule and within budget.

would separate each piece into quarters. The team achieved this by

Not only was this Speedy’s first time working with both Derrico and

making one horizontal and one vertical cut thorugh each piece at

the Army Corps of Engineers, it was also the first time that most of the

angles to create four wedge-shaped pieces per opening, which could

representatives from these general contractors had witnessed diamond

then be removed with a backhoe. The angled cuts reduced each piece

wire sawing. All involved were extremely satisfied and impressed with

to four segments weighing approximately 96,000 pounds each, and

the operation and the product. By completing this job in such a timely

created wedges that could be removed without binding or damaging

manner, the general contractor has informed Speedy that they would

the floor and sidewalls of the created opening. Holes measuring two

like to work with them again when other renovation works are required.

inches in diameter were then drilled through each of these wedge

While the monetary value of the project was favorable for the

pieces before steel cables were run through them and secured with a

cutting contractor, the greater reward for the team was the unique

steel backing plate and bolt. When ready, the pieces were pulled from

nature of the project, as Todd Barna of Speedy explains, “Operating

the openings with a John Deere 850 excavator. The quartering of each

mostly in the low-lying parts of Florida and Georgia, which both have

piece took approximately 27 hours, which included the drilling and

high water tables, we do not get exposed to dam work very often.

anchoring of each piece.

Most of our wire sawing is done on bridges,” he said. “It was a good

After completion of the two spillway openings, the recesses for

challenge and a unique test of skills for our operators, supervisors and

the new gates were created using line drilling and hydraulic handsaws

estimating staff. It was also rewarding to do something that will benefit

and chainsaws, taking around 100 hours in total to create. Some light

the environment and the local wildlife,” Barna added.

chipping was used to clean up the bases of the recesses, and waste material was removed by the general contractor. Slurry was collected

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by 50-gallon wet vacuums, as vacuum trucks could not access the work area. The collected slurry was then transported to a concrete washout recycling and recovering vendor service.

The main challenge for the cutting contractor was to come up with a solution that would make the removal of the 384,000-pound sections quick and safe. By splitting the two large concrete pieces into lighter, more managable quarters, Speedy was able to meet this challenge and provide the general contractor with smaller concrete pieces for breaking and removal. One other issue on the project was the area surrounding the job site. Operators were constantly aware of the environment around them, not just to maintain it through safe and efficient wire sawing techniques, but also because they did not want to run into some of Florida’s natural inhabitants­­—alligators!

As always on any concrete cutting job, safety was paramount. Aside

Company Profile

Speedy Concrete Cutting, Inc. has been a member of CSDA since 1994. Speedy opened its first office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1988, and has since expanded to offices in Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville and Savannah, Georgia. The company has 100 employees and 70 trucks, and offers services including core drilling, flat sawing, hand sawing, wire sawing and selective demolition.

Resources

General Contractor:

from following Speedy’s own safe working practices, all operators

Army Corps. Of Engineers / Derrico Construction

on the project carried an OSHA 10-hour course card and hold several

Sawing and Drilling Contractor:

other individual safety certifications. The cutting contractor addressed

Speedy Concrete Cutting, Inc.

the issue of working on a floating platform by the provision of OSHA-

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

approved life preservers in addition to all standard items of personal

Phone: 954-730-7200

protective equipment.

Email: todd.barna@speedycon.com

Speedy Concrete Cutting, Inc. manufactured 18- and 30-horsepower diesel hydraulic power units and hydraulic hand saws for the project,

2 2 | DECE MB ER .09

Website: www.speedycon.com Methods Used: Core Drilling, Wire Sawing, Flat Sawing

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TAKE OFF FOR SAN DIEGO

Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association Convention and Tech Fair March 4-6, 2010 Loews Coronado Resort Coronado, California

Highlights of the 2010 Convention Keynote Speaker Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman Never Fly Solo: The Leader’s Flight Plan to Win in Business Through this keynote presentation, Rob “Waldo” Waldman applies the same principles that guaranteed his success in the competitive world of flying fighter aircraft to success in business. Waldman is a former F-16 fighter pilot and highly experienced and decorated combat veteran. He holds an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behavior.

Waldman helps individuals and organizations maximize productivity, increase revenues, build trusting relationships and achieve victories in highly competitive environments. In business, you should never fly solo.

Specially-Priced Estimating Class Estimating is a 2-day classroom course focused on the practice of estimating sawing and drilling jobs. The course outlines the role of an estimator, reviews different methods of estimating,

How to Register

compares estimates and actual costs and discusses how estimators affect the company’s bottom line.

This course is being offered at a special reduced rate of $650.

This course will be held on the two days preceding the convention, March 2-3, 2010.

Call the CSDA office at 727-577-5004 or follow the links on www.csda.org to register.

Tech Fair Back by popular demand from CSDA contractor members is the tabletop Tech Fair. This special one-day event showcases products specific to the sawing and drilling industry through literature and tabletop demonstrations. If your company would like to exhibit at the Tech Fair, call the CSDA office at 727-577-5004 to register.

Convention Hotel Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa $229.00 / night (run of house)

Call the CSDA office at 727-577-5004 or visit www.csda.org and click the Convention Banner on the home page.

2 4 | DECE MB ER .09

Loews Coronado is a classic California luxury resort offering spectacular facilities, an unsurpassed level of service, exceptional guest amenities and award-winning cuisine. The property’s scenic waterfront setting boasts an outstanding selection of year-round recreational activities. Fifteen minutes from San Diego Airport and downtown San Diego, Loews Coronado is ideally situated for San Diego sightseeing. The hotel consists of 438 deluxe rooms and suites, five restaurants and lounges, three lighted tennis courts, heated swimming pools, a state-of-the-art spa and a fitness center.

Hotel Reservations Inside the U.S. Tel: 800-815-6397 Outside the U.S. Tel: 001-619-424-4000 Reserve your room online at www.loewshotels. com/en/hotels/san-diego-resort/overview.aspx Group Code: ‘CSDA’ or ‘Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association’ CSDA room rates are available for the three days prior to and three days after the convention on a space-available basis.

Hotel Reservation Deadline: January 29, 2010

CONVENTION AT A GLANCE TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2010

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010

7:00 AM–1:00 PM

Registration

7:00 AM–1:00 PM

Registration

8:00 AM–5:00 PM

CSDA Estimating Class Pricing Jobs in the Concrete Cutting Industry

7:00–10:00 AM

Tech Fair Setup

8:00–10:00 AM

Marketing Committee Meeting

7:30–9:00 AM

Continental Breakfast

9:00–10:00 AM

Election Committee Meeting

8:00–10:00 AM

Roundtable–Identity Theft Jim Dvoratchek and Susan Kelbus

10:00 AM–12:00 PM

Membership Committee Meeting

10:00 AM–1:00 PM

Tech Fair

10:00 AM–12:00 PM

Standards and Specifications Committee Meeting

12:30–4:30 PM

Optional Activity–Balboa Park

1:00–3:00 PM

Safety Committee Meeting

1:00–3:00 PM

Training Committee Meeting

3:00–5:00 PM

Certification Committee Meeting

1:00–3:00 PM

Roundtable–Ground Penetrating Radar for Today’s Contractor Moderators: Matt Dragon, Greg Summers and Matt Wolf

3:00–5:00 PM

Manufacturer Committee Meeting

3:00–5:00 PM

Roundtable–Applications for Automation in the Concrete Cutting Industry Moderators: Todd Forbush and Ryan Nolan

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2010 7:00 AM–1:00 PM

Registration

8:00 AM–5:00 PM

CSDA Estimating Class (Day 2) Pricing Jobs in the Concrete Cutting Industry

8:00–11:00 AM

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010 7:00–1:00 PM

Registration

CSDA Board of Directors Meeting

7:30–9:00 AM

Continental Breakfast

12:30–6:30 PM

CSDA Golf Tournament Coronado Municipal Golf Course

8:00–9:00 AM

Workshop–It’s All About the Right Training!

Rick Norland

12:30–4:30 PM

Optional Activity–Old Town Trolley Tour of San Diego

9:00–10:00 AM

Workshop–Solving Common Blade Problems in the Field Steve Garrison, Gary Johnson and Ron Rapper

10:00–11:00 AM

Workshop–Tier 3 and Tier 4 Diesel Engine Regulations (2010-11) Russ Hutchison, Marty Marsic and Chamila Tissera

11:00 AM–12:00 PM

CSDA Annual Meeting

12:30–5:30 PM

Optional Activity–USS Midway

7:00–8:00 PM

Cocktail Reception

8:00–10:00 PM

Gala Dinner and Entertainment

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010 7:00 AM–1:00 PM

Registration

7:30–9:00 AM

Continental Breakfast

8:00–8:30 AM

Welcome and Opening Session Douglas Walker, CSDA President and Patrick O’Brien, CSDA Executive Director

8:30–9:30 AM

Keynote Presentation Never Fly Solo: The Leader’s Flight Plan to Win in Business Lt. Colonel Rob “Waldo” Waldman

9:45–10:45 AM

Presentation–How To Handle a Governmental Investigation Ted Johnston and Don Moroz

10:45–11:45 AM

Presentation–“5S” Your Shop, Truck and Job Site Mike Orzechowski

12:30–4:30 PM

Optional Activity–San Diego Zoo

6:00–8:00 PM

President’s Reception

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concrete openings | 2 5

The Business of Business

It’s Not the Same Old Song!

Avoiding Age-Related Discrimination Liability

By Mark A. Lies II

A

ge may be the only status under the employment discrimination

Proving Age Discrimination

laws in which every employee in the U.S. will eventually be

The burden of proof lies with the employee, who must provide

protected, as we all make the inevitable journey to age

evidence that the employer based its decision upon the age of the

forty and beyond. Many employers are faced with difficult decisions

employee. This evidence can be shown in two ways:

regarding reductions or restructuring of the workforce because of

Direct Evidence—Under this process, the employee must produce

current economic conditions, and the subject of age looms as an ever-

evidence in the form of specific comments, in written or spoken form,

increasing liability issue for employers. Further, because many “baby

by management representatives that show the manager’s age bias.

boomers” have not made adequate provisions for retirement, they are

Comments can include negative statements, such as:

forced to continue working. Employers are faced with issues regarding

•

a need to get “young blood” in the workplace

the propriety of their hiring and retention decisions when these older

•

clearing out the “dead wood” or the “dinosaurs”

•

references to “old ways of thinking” or “old-fashioned approach”

•

negative comments indicating that older workers “don’t

candidates seek employment, or seek to remain in the workplace.

Protections

understand new technology” or “can’t use computers” or “can’t

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects all

be retrained”

employees who are 40 years of age or older against discrimination in many areas, including: •

failure or refusal to hire

•

discharge

• •

asking older workers about their “retirement plans” or indicating that they ought to “slow down and smell the roses” In addition, direct evidence can be forthcoming in the form of age-

discrimination with respect to compensation, terms or other

based jokes or comments, such as:

conditions or privileges of employment

•

referring to older workers as “old timers” or “gramps”

discrimination or retaliation because an employee has exercised

•

references to health problems experienced by older workers

rights under the ADEA (An employee may not be discriminated against after having filed a complaint with the employer or raised •

•

including loss of memory or incontinence While the primary focus of age discrimination is comments by

a charge with the EEOC.)

supervisors, age-related comments by co-employees, including repeated

advertising for employment in any manner which indicates a

teasing or other jokes, can be the basis of liability for age-related

preference or other limitation based on age

harassment. Supervisors must take action to curtail such conduct when

While the majority of these protections extend to potential hires or

they become aware of it.

existing employees, former or retired employees may also be protected after their employment. Some retirees have been allowed to sue for discrimination in retiree benefits, which included the termination of medical benefits after they had reached a certain age.

Indirect Evidence—When there is no direct evidence available, an alternate means of proving age discrimination is for the employee to show that the employer’s reason for its action taken against the employee is simply not believable, and is merely a “pretext” or a lie for age discrimination. Under this method, an older worker could challenge a termination for poor work performance by proving that the employer has no documentation to support the poor performance, that no supervisor or co-worker ever observed performance deficiencies, and that the older worker was evaluated utilizing more stringent performance criteria than younger workers.

2 6 | D ECEMB ER .09

•

Potential Damages claim and proceeds to trial, a jury may well include other similarly-aged

ensure supervisors do not engage in conduct, particularly verbal comments, that focus on employee age

In the event that an older employee files an employment discrimination •

monitor workplace conduct by supervisors and co-workers

individuals who would view the plaintiff’s case sympathetically because of

to eliminate conduct in the form of jokes, teasing or written

his or her age, and understand the difficulties of finding other employment

materials, such as emails or otherwise, that may create a

in a youth-oriented culture. A successful plaintiff can recover a variety of

mocking, demeaning, harassing or hostile atmosphere toward

damages, including:

older workers

•

back pay, which can include the value of benefits also lost

•

reinstatement to the former employment

workers with documentation of such decisions, which establishes

•

front pay, comprising future wage losses the employee would

that factors other than age (such as education, experience or

be expected to experience for a reasonable period until the

poor performance) were the basis for these decisions

employee is likely to secure future employment •

•

liquidated damages—a form of punitive damages—which can double the established damages if the employee can prove the violation was willful

•

fees and expenses for the employee’s attorney—in many instances, the attorney fee award can exceed the damages awarded to the employee

be prepared to defend employment decisions involving older

ensure that employment practices and policies are applied with equal criteria for all employees, regardless of age

Conclusion As the average life expectancy rises and more people continue in work past retirement age, the subject of age-related liability continues to be a significant factor in the workplace. If the employer follows these recommendations, they will substantially limit the potential for a successful complaint on the basis of age discrimination.

Recommendations In order to avoid or reduce the potential for age discrimination claims, and to be able to successfully defend them, it is recommended that employers: •

•

conduct documented employee training about the rights of older employees, and how they can be protected against unequal

Mark A. Lies, II is a labor and employment law attorney and partner with Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago, Illinois. He specializes in occupational safety and health law and related employment law and personal injury litigation.

In addition, Lies has worked with CSDA members in their businesses. He can be reached at 312-460-5877 or at mlies@seyfarth.com.

treatment based upon age

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concrete openings | 2 7

Moor Speed!

CSDA Member Uses Wire Saw to Get the Job Done

CSDA Member Uses Wire Saw to Get the Job Done Large 32-foot by 30-foot concrete structures needed to be cut and removed.

I

n the summer of 2009, a general contractor had the job of removing 10 concrete moorings and berthing structures in the shipping channel at the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas. These berthing structures were to be removed and positioned offshore to enhance an artificial reef. To accomplish this task, a concrete cutting contractor was needed who could combine speed with accuracy and safety.

The Port of Corpus Christi is situated 150 miles north of the border between the United States and Mexico on the Texas coastline.

Opened in 1926, the 45-foot-deep port has more than 125 acres of open storage and has an average of over 6,500 vessels traveling through it each year. The port has an average of just over 87 million short tons of fuel, materials and food stuffs that arrive and depart every year. In 2008, petroleum accounted for over 81 percent of the total tons handled by the port.

Concrete mooring “dolphins� and berthing structures of varying sizes were installed in the shipping channel at Corpus Christi over 30

2 8 | D ECEMB ER .09

C ON C RETE

C ASES

Left: Wire sawing of mooring structures at the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Concrete Cutting & Breaking operators set up the diamond wire.

years ago. The aim was to provide fixed structures for vessels to moor to without extending docks or piers. However, these structures had rarely been used since being installed. This lack of use, together with years of degradation from exposure to the elements, brought about a decision to have these structures removed.

The complete removal and disposal of two structures measuring 32 feet long by 30 feet wide and 10 feet thick was the main task involved in the project. In addition, eight 18-foot by 15-foot berthing structures, measuring five feet thick, also needed to be removed.

Each of these structures sat on a number of piles, consisting of steel tubes measuring 22 inches in diameter that contained a 16-inch H-pile surrounded by concrete. The structures were to be broken down, drilled for anchor holes and taken 25 miles offshore, where the cut sections would be added to an artificial reef. This removal operation would open up the waterway for the growing number of vessels frequenting the port, providing a wider channel for passing ships and eliminating safety concerns about potential collisions with the structures.

Cayo LP, working under the supervision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was chosen as the general contractor for the project.

The cutting work was managed by the heavy

w w w.CS DA. ORG

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 96

concrete openings | 2 9

The team spent almost five months cutting in the hot Texas sun.

civil and industrial division of CSDA mem-

each one, in turn, to cut and remove them

cuts north to south and four cuts east to west

ber Concrete Cutting & Breaking Co., based

from the H-piles to complete the work.

to create the 20 sections, taking approximately

in Okemos, Michigan. “The general contrac-

Meanwhile, the general contractor would

three-and-a-half weeks to cut one mooring

tor had a strict timetable for the project, so

be following close behind to secure the

dolphin.

we knew what was expected of us,” said Rick

cut sections in place with I-beams until

This process was repeated for the other

Olson of Concrete Cutting & Breaking.

the cutting team returned to cut through

mooring dolphin, creating cut sections weigh-

the H-piles.

ing between 50,000 and 105,000 pounds each.

Precise cutting of the concrete was the method specified by the Army Corps of

To remove the larger 32-foot by

A similar method was employed to cut the

Engineers. The work was to be performed in

30-foot and 10-foot-thick concrete dol-

smaller 18- by 15-foot anchor structures. In

open water with limited access to the work

phin mooring structures, the cutting team

this case, the cutting team only had to perform

area, and required that the active shipping

dissected the main platform into 20 pieces.

three north to south cuts through five feet of

channel be left free of debris. Sawing with

First, access holes were drilled for the dia-

concrete to separate the anchor structures into

diamond wire proved to be the most suit-

mond wire. Hicycle core drills were used

four pieces for removal, taking just two days

able technique. This was a much better solu-

to cut through the 10-foot-thick dolphin,

each for the eight structures.

tion than the use of traditional demolition

taking an average of two hours each to

After separating the 10 structures into sec-

methods that would increase noise, debris

create the six holes. The wire saw was then

tions, Concrete Cutting & Breaking returned to

and vibration—affecting passing vessels, the

set in place, pulleys were mounted and

the dolphins to cut the underside of the sec-

pH levels of the water and the local marine

the diamond wire was placed ready for

tions and separate the main mooring platform

wildlife. In addition, wire sawing provided the

cutting. The dolphin was cut in half along

from the 22-inch steel tubes containing the

speed necessary to meet the specified timeta-

the shorter distance of the structure. This

16-inch, concrete-encased H-piles. Each moor-

ble and allow operators to perform the cutting

meant most of the remaining cuts would

ing dolphin had 42 piles, while the anchor

work remotely.

be smaller and not place as high a demand

structures had an average of 12 piles each. The

Concrete Cutting & Breaking devised a

on the diamond wire, reducing the chance

cutting team was able to wire saw an average

plan to perform all of the cutting on the main

of a break in the wire. Once the structure

of seven piles per day up until the completion

concrete structures first, and then return to

had been halved, the team made three

of the cutting work. A 26-inch-deep hole was

3 0 | D ECEMB ER .09

drilled so that the general contractor could anchor and remove each of the cut sections from the job site.

Access to the jobsite was by watercraft only. The cutting team utilized a shipping container as a makeshift shop, warehouse and break room, traversing to and from the moorings by temporary walkways. Excessive heat was a constant concern, especially as the structures were located in the middle of a bay with no shade—not an ideal spot to spend long summer days in southern Texas! A plan was developed to assure the crew restocked water and supplies on a daily basis in order to stay hydrated.

Since the entire operation was positioned on a barge in open water, the contractors had to perform all of their scope of work within a

The structures were attached to 22-inch-thick piles containing 16-inch H-piles encased in concrete.

defined area. Fire extinguishers and ground fault circuit interrupter outlets were posi-

Concrete Cutting & Breaking conducted daily

on the barge, such as the ceasing of all wire

tioned throughout the work barge. Life jack-

toolbox talks to maintain awareness of safety

sawing activity while other vessels approached

ets and all items of personal protective equip-

measures and to prepare for potential hazards

the contractor’s work barge and when passen-

ment were required while at the work area.

or risks. Rules were established for operations

gers embarked or disembarked.

Cut sections weighed between 50,000 and 105,000 pounds each.

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concrete openings | 3 1

Ed Gushwa, of Concrete Cutting & Breaking Co., with some of the cut sections of concrete.

To leave the general contractor shouting for “moor,” the cutting

vided by other CSDA members during the course of the cutting work.

team mobilized two remote controlled, 120-horsepower track wire saws

Representatives from both Husqvarna and Diamond Products visited

and two mobile hydraulic power units engineered by Diamond Products.

the job site to assist Concrete Cutting & Breaking with the equipment,

Two Husqvarna 6-speed hydraulic core drills and two Diamond B hicycle

while a local CSDA contractor member, Randy Wendel of Diamond Core

core drills with three portable generators were used to create the wire

Drilling Systems Inc., of Corpus Christi, also provided assistance.

access holes and anchor holes.

Olson was pleased with the results of the cutting team’s work and

During the course of the cutting work, Concrete Cutting & Breaking

commented, “The remote location of the job site could have been an

wire sawed 6,000 square feet of reinforced concrete, cut through

enormous obstacle, but the cooperation of the general contractor and

approximately 200 steel and concrete piles, core drilled more than 180

the Galveston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers eliminated

feet of wire access holes and created 125 holes to a depth of 26 inches

this concern.” “Cayo LP did a great job of letting us do what we do

for anchor placement by the general contractor.

best—cut a lot of concrete quickly,” he concluded.

The cutting contractor faced a sizeable challenge to keep the projREVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT: WWW.concreteopenings.com/FORUM.CFM

ect on schedule, but was able to finish their cutting work ahead of time and on budget. The team was grateful for the amount of support pro-

Company Profile

A CSDA member since 1985, Concrete Cutting & Breaking Co., is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has offices throughout the eastern half of the United States.

The company was founded in 1974, and offers the services of slab sawing, wall sawing, flat sawing, core drilling and wire sawing.

Resources

General Contractor: Cayo LP Sawing and Drilling Contractor: Concrete Cutting & Breaking Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan Phone: 517-381-0222 Some of the structures took over three weeks to cut.

Email: rolson@concut.com Website: www.concut.com Methods Used: Wire Sawing, Core Drilling

3 2 | DECE MB ER .09

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Built for demolition.

Husqvarna is always working to offer you the best products on the maket. Be sure to stop by our booth at the World of Concrete (#C4313 & #O31500) to see the latest in demolition machinery.

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The new DXR 310 remote-controlled demolition robot from Husqvarna is the latest in compact demolition robot technology. High power, low weight and functional design makes this machine the choice for consumers who want a highly maneuverable, strong and sturdy machine with a long reach. The user-friendly, ergonomically designed remote control guides the machine and is the only Bluetooth-assisted remote control on the market. The DXR 310 is perfect for demolition and light excavation work indoors and outdoors.

HUSQVARNA CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS 17400 West 119th Street • Olathe, Kansas 66061 • T 800-288-5040 • F 800-825-0028 2077 Bond Street • North Bay, Ontario P1B 8J8 • T 800-461-9589 • F 800-728-1907 www.husqvarnacp.com Copyright © 2009 Husqvarna AB (publ.). All rights reserved. Husqvarna is a registered trademark of Husqvarna AB (publ.).

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CORE HEALTH

Implementing a Pre-Employment Physical Program

By Erin O’Brien

I

n the construction industry, the physical demands of the job and risk of injury are high. Each year, one out of every ten construction workers is accidentally injured on the job. Back injuries are

the most common type of injury, at 25 percent, followed by leg, arm and hand injuries. Even though these injuries are covered by Workers’ Compensation, all owners and managers of a concrete sawing and drilling company should take every safety precaution possible to avoid on-the-job injuries. By preventing on-the-job injuries, employers will save their company and employees time and money. Unfortunately, there are occasions when an employee is less than truthful about the extent or cause of an injury. Falsifying a Workers’ Compensation claim is illegal, however, almost every day an employee is convicted of collecting on a fraudulent claim. It is important for companies to protect themselves from this type of fraud.

orthopedic measurements such as strength and range of motion for all

One of the most important steps a company can take to prevent

muscle groups and joints. The results of this PEP help employers manage

fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claims is to administer a Pre-

future risks, set the foundation for preventative procedures, limit future

Employment Physical to all employees. A Pre-Employment Physical, or

liability, establish an employee’s medical condition when hired (creating

PEP, is a physical health examination that can include a health history,

a medical and legal information base) and promote workplace safety.

previous illnesses and hospitalizations, current health concerns (frequent

A PEP should be administered to all employees immediately after they

headaches, high blood pressure, back/joint pain or “trick” joints) and

are hired, or as soon as the program is implemented by a healthcare professional or company that specializes in administering workplace PEPs. This program is essential in preventing fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claims.

Why Implement a PEP?

a PEP program. These include cost, high employee turnover rate and

• Reduces fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claims

convenience. The benefits, however, of pre-employment testing far

• Provides a baseline medical profile to reference for medical or legal purposes if required

There can be many reasons why employers choose not to implement

outweigh any of these costs. Any initial cost incurred would be made up in discouraging frivolous and fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claims.

In addition, by testing employees before they begin work, a company

• Uncovers pre-existing conditions so employees can

is ensuring that their employees are physically able to perform their

be treated or referred appropriately

job. This can reduce turnover rate, as well as show employees that the

• Helps control turnover rate

company cares about their health and well being. Finally, immediate

• Promotes workplace safety

testing of employees is paramount. Even one day on the job provides a new hire with ample opportunity to claim an injury or elaborate on an existing injury or condition. A good example of this comes from CSDA President, Doug Walker. While undergoing a routine pre-employment

3 6 | D ECEMB ER .09

physical, a standard at Atlantic Concrete Cutting, Inc., a new hire was tested for vision. The employee tested with 20/70 vision and was referred to an opthamologist. The results of that evaluation showed the employee had shards of metal in his eye, probably resulting from an incident at a previous job. Because this impairment was caught before he performed any work for Atlantic Concrete Cutting, the company was not at risk for this employee claiming Workers’ Compensation against them, potentially saving the company hundreds to thousands of dollars. Walker states that there have been several cases similar to this one, and had his company not administered these PEPs, the company would have been out thousands of dollars in false Workers’ Compensation claims. Atlantic Concrete Cutting began administering PEPs to their employees in January 2008 after a recommendation from

Resources

Tony Viggiano National Director of Work Strategies NovaCare Rehabilitation and Select Physical Therapy Select Medical Companies 680 American Ave. 2nd Floor King of Prussia, PA 19406 Phone: 610-992-7187 Fax: 610-265-4065 Daniel A. Jarvie

the CSDA Insurance Program.

CSDA will be considering partnerships with healthcare companies

At Work Administrator-

to offer PEP programs to members at reduced prices. In the meantime,

Atlanta, Columbus, Nashville, &

contact information is provided below for two companies with whom

Birmingham

CSDA member contractors have worked in the past. Every company

Concentra Health Solutions—At Work

should consider adding this valuable service to their employment pro-

900 Ashwood Pkwy, Suite 850

cess. Implementing a PEP program is an important step in insuring safe

Atlanta, GA 30338

employees and safe companies.

Phone: 678.420.3209

Erin O’Brien, MS, ATC is a new employee at O’Brien International, the association management company that manages the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association. O’Brien received her Master of Science degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida, and will become a regular contributor to Concrete Openings magazine. She can be reached at erin@csda.org or 727-577-5004.

Fax: 214.775.4525 Email: Daniel_Jarvie@Concentra.com Website: www.concentra.com

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concrete openings | 3 7

Safety CountS

Taking Names— Identity Theft

W

ith identity theft being the fastest growing crime in the world, and spreading in epidemic proportions in the U.S., it is vital that people start thinking about what they—as both

individuals and as business owners—need to be doing to protect their identities and those of their employees and clients.

It has been determined that if a business experiences a security breach, 20 percent of the affected customer base will end the relationship with the company, 40 percent will consider ending the relationship and five percent will be seek legal advice. This potentially leaves only 35 percent of the original customer base with the business.

Companies, on average, spend 1,600 work hours per incident at a cost of $40,000 to $92,000 per victim.

reported that each victim of identity theft will on average spend $1,495, excluding attorney’s fees, and 600 hours of their time straightening out the results of the theft over the course of two years.

Social Security Theft

There are five common types of identity theft to which most

Stolen Social Security Numbers (SSN) and related information can

businesses are susceptible, each of which can result in huge losses.

be used to illegally gain employment or report income under another

Businesses should be aware of these types of theft and their

name. By using illegally-obtained SSNs, thieves are able to collect income

consequences, and take the necessary steps to protect their companies

without paying taxes, leaving the victims with the bill. Wanted criminals

and their personnel.

can use a stolen SSN to get employment without being discovered, or

Financial Theft Thieves can use stolen information to gain access to existing bank accounts or open new ones. If the individual or business is lucky, the thieves may only rob their bank accounts. However, there are other potential dangers associated with this kind of theft that are much more

illegal immigrants can use a falsely-obtained SSN to gain employment without being detected by the U.S. Customs & Immigration Service.

These same SSNs can also be used for medical, financial, criminal or educational purposes.

Medical Identity Theft

severe. With financial information, thieves can also rack up outrageous

The fastest growing kind of identity theft is medical. There are over

charges on credit cards or take out loans. This illegal activity can destroy

40 million Americans without medical insurance. Medical information

credit that has taken years to build, forcing victims to pay higher interest

can be bought on the black market for pennies, or it can be stolen.

rates. The worst part of this whole scenario is that victims can be held

This type of identity theft can literally be the difference between life

responsible for the debts incurred by the thieves if they have not acted

and death. For example, a mismatch of blood type between a thief

quickly enough, or if they are not suitably protected.

and victim could lead to a fatal mistake during an emergency situation.

Driver’s License Theft

Conclusion

Stolen information can be used to acquire a driver’s license in

Information for any given individual or business is already stored

another individual’s name, so a thief can claim to be someone else

in thousands of databases, and when a person falsely submits someone

during a traffic stop. This can lead to victims being ticketed for such

else’s information, whether a business or an individual, it becomes a

things as Driving Without Insurance, Driving Under the Influence or

struggle to clear this problem without help. It is recommended that

other charges. These offenses can result in a license being suspended or

businesses implement or reinforce protocols for the secure storage and

revoked, or even an arrest for a crime that the victim did not commit.

use of information on staff, clients or the company itself; failure to do

Identity Theft By obtaining stolen information, thieves are able to mask their criminal activity behind another identity. If successful, victims can be denied future employment because of fraudulent criminal records found during a routine background check or encounter trouble at airport security checkpoints. In fact, victims of this type of crime could be denied a passport, barred from leaving the country or even arrested. It is

3 8 | d e ce mber.09

this may result in the loss of one, or all three. While there is currently no ‘cure’ for the epidemic of identity theft, businesses can take steps to make sure it does not spread to them.

The CSDA 2010 Convention will feature a roundtable discussion on the subject of identity theft, moderated by Susan Kelbus, a certified identity theft risk management specialist for Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. and Jim Dvoratchek of Hard Rock Concrete Cutters, Inc. For more information, call 727-577-5004 or visit www.csda.org.

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concrete openings | 3 9

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

Blade Smithing and Tensioning: Why are they Important?

By Kevin Baron and Mike Nelson What are Smithing and Tensioning?

Smith’ing n. 1. The act or art of working or forging metals, as steel, into any desired shape.

Tension’ing n. 1. The process of neutralizing stresses in a disc of steel to allow it to cut with as little side play or wobble as possible.

Why do diamond blades need to be smithed and tensioned, and why is it important that all concrete cutters understand these basic procedures? In terms of business, the aim is to obtain the absolute best value possible from diamond blades. Contractors want blades to have the longest life while being able to maintain peak performance levels.

A diamond blade will achieve its best value if it runs straight and true, which also reduces the chances of core cracking or warping of the blade.

To get a diamond blade to run straight and true, the right combination of factors, such as the well-trained operation and maintenance of the machine and tool components, is needed. Diamond blades have two primary components—the core and the diamond segments. Assuming that these segments are “dialed in” to run correctly for a particular application, the focus should then turn to the blade core, which is made of steel.

Steel is stretchable and contractible. When steel is incorporated into an object that spins, the steel needs to be expanded or contracted and

Diamond blades can be re-tensioned as long as the core is in good

flattened, so that the object is in balance when spinning at a specific

condition and there are no core cracks present. Blade re-tensioning saves

rotational speed. In the sawing blade manufacturing industry, the term

contractors time and money, and is a much safer option than continuing

smithing is used for the process of flattening and tensioning blades to

to use a damaged blade. It takes a trained professional to tension,

run straighter, longer and safer at specific speeds.

re-tension and level a blade properly. Once completed, blades are then

Most diamond tool manufacturers have the capability to tension blades, and can assist contractors in determining the specific saw

speed tested according to ANSI code B 7.1. All U.S. manufacturers are capable of this service.

revolutions per minute (rpm) required. Based on the rpm of the

A good way to determine the proper speed at which a diamond

machine, blades are tensioned to run at the optimal speed for that

blade should run, is to use the following formula to calculate the optimal

specific diameter and type of diamond blade. Once the diamond blade

blade speed for specific blade sizes:

has been tensioned for a specific speed, it is critical that the blade be run only at that speed for maximum and safe performance.

If the blade is run too slowly or too fast, and is outside of the

Diameter of the Blade (in feet) x 3.14 x Machine rpm = Surface Feet Per Minute

“tensioned window,” the blade may start to wobble, vibrate, heat

Example: 2 (24-inch blade) x 3.14 x 2,000 (rpm) =

up—which begins a process of self-destruction. This process can lead

12,560 Surface Feet Per Minute

to a catastrophic failure of the blade, which can result in injury to an operator, or even death.

4 0 | D ECE MB ER .09

Contractors should always check with the diamond blade manufacturer to determine what recommendations are in place for

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The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association regularly reviews and recommends updates and changes to standards and specifications that are specific to sawing and drilling applications. The association’s committees work closely with government agencies to make sure that safety is the primary concern when determining procedures and specifications. ANSI has a code for blade tensioning, handling, care and use, which is: ANSI.B.7.1. This code requires machine users to run wheels (diamond blades) at the correct speeds. Diamond blades must be smithed by a skilled saw smith. Blades are hammered and rolled to level

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and tensioned for specific speeds, which are marked on the blade.

Handling, care and storage of blades are the user’s responsibility.

For further details please refer to the full listing of the ANSI.B.7.1 code.

Should it be noticed, or even suspected, that a blade is out of tension or wobbling when in operation, it should be removed immediately. The blade should be thoroughly inspected and, if any anomalies are found, should not be used again unless smithed or re-tensioned by a skilled saw smith. The blade must be tested and approved before returning to use. This way, the chances of achieving maximum performance and longest life from a blade increase significantly, while maintaining a high level of safety.

Kevin Baron is the president of Western Saw, Inc., based in Oxnard, California. He is also vice-chair of the CSDA Manufacturer Committee.

Kevin can be reached at 805-981-0999 or by email at kevinb@westernsaw.com.

Mike Nelson is vice president of sales and marketing for K2 Diamond, based in Torrance, California. A former CSDA Board member, Mike is now involved in the election and marketing committees. He can be contacted at 800-539-6116 or by email at mike.nelson@k2diamond.com.

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Insurance CornER

Knowledge is Power— The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association Insurance Program

By Bill Crimmins

W

hen it comes to preventing injuries and avoiding insurance claims, wouldn’t everyone in the work place today like to have a road map that could help them steer clear of these

events in the future? More specifically, for the readers of this article who are involved in the sawing and drilling industry, wouldn’t it be valuable, when evaluating company-wide injuries or claims, to have the same type of information available from comparable companies in the industry?

It may come as a surprise to many that this information is available.

The CSDA Insurance Program (CSDA IP) has been working to assist its members in evaluating losses for some time and has been collecting data to help them do so. The purpose of this article is to discuss the general trends that we have been able to spot, given the data that we have collected and analyzed. We would like to share this information with readers to demonstrate just what a unique resource the CSDA Insurance Program is to members of the association. The fact of the

be more meaningful when educating members and insurance

matter is that having an understanding of these trends can have a

companies on how to prevent or minimize the effect of these claims.

fundamental impact on a sawing and drilling contractor’s bottom line.

Data Base Development

Claims Coding In order to effectively compile a comprehensive collection of

One of the most critical components in any data analysis is credible

claim data, the CSDA IP needed to establish claim codes or descriptors

information. One of the most important components of information

that were specific to CSDA members. Since most insurance carriers do

is collected early in the claims process and has to do with the “type of

not focus on homogenous groups for coverage, their claims system

occurrence.” All too often, standard insurance company claims (coding)

is set up to address a wide range of occurrences. In the standard

personnel are overloaded with work and “code” the insurance claim

market claims arena, when a claim is reported the data is generally

with a number that reflects a type of occurrence based on the initial data

based on more generic terms. Hence, if a wall saw is involved in a

received. Rarely do they re-evaluate the codes that truly reflect the claim.

claim, the insurance carrier’s report to the insured will generally state

Several years ago, the CSDA IP began to establish a claims coding

that a saw was involved, leaving off any specific descriptor. While

system to aid in categorizing insurance claims. The codes used to

this may sound like a minor issue, if there are several saw incidents,

categorize each claim are unique to claims that occur in the sawing

and you are trying to determine what type of saw most frequently

and drilling industry. In addition, recognizing that initial reports may not

results in a claim, you may be out of luck and base your decisions to

give an accurate description of the claim, the CSDA IP has refined this

mitigate exposure on assumptions.

process by coding claims based on the entire claim file, not just initial assumptions. The end result is a clearer account of the actual event.

The CSDA IP uses a system of coding that involves the use of hundreds of claim codes related to the industry—codes that are

Because of this, more meaningful data is provided to members.

grouped into specific categories. This method allows for more

The thinking is that if the information being used to describe a claim is

specifics when determining trends that other insurance entities

more accurate to a particular class of work such as concrete sawing and

cannot or do not care to identify. In addition to having the specific

drilling, then the information obtained from the information should

details relating to the claim, the CSDA IP can also step back from

4 4 | D ECEMB ER .09

this information to compare against the more generic categories as

What the analysis of this data shows is that the insurance program

well. Frequently, this multiple level approach is necessary when setting

has two primary vehicle groups on which to focus to cut down on the

benchmarks for results against other national trends. As a result, the

number of incidents. Drivers of LT vehicles and drivers of XHT vehicles

data can be evaluated on several different levels.

need to apply consistent defensive driving techniques. However, XHT

Many insurance organizations have the ability to tell you that

drivers should be reminded to manage following distances on highways

you have incurred too many rear-end collisions or too many back

more closely, and LT drivers should be reminded to be more aware of

injuries. When approached for more information, they quote from

what is happening in and around intersections when they are driving

national statistics that point to everything from grocery stores to pillow

on city streets.

manufacturers. However, The CSDA IP uses its system to provide more meaningful data. For example, if a member company is having too many rear-end collisions, it can be determined that the incidents involve more common in mid-sized trucks than small trucks and that they occur with an increasing frequency as the day continues. Further, they occur more often when the drivers are being distracted. In the case of back injuries, the CSDA IP can identify the type of saw or material being moved, the average age of the employee, the employee tenure and the time of day in which these back injuries most often occur—mid-afternoon. As a result, members are better informed and can address the exposure more precisely.

The analyses conducted by the CSDA IP have also aided in educating insurance providers to understand that sawing and drilling companies are less likely to incur specific losses and that the average loss is lower in many categories. As a result, the insurance providers are more

Figure 1–Light Trucks and Extra Heavy Trucks produce the majority

comfortable with insuring a sawing and drilling business and may be

of loss and they have similar types of incidents, but they occur in

more aggressive in pricing their coverage. Overall, better information

different driving situations.

leads to more informed clients and more aggressive insurance pricing.

The trends from a recent loss analysis were recently shared among the Board of Directors of the CSDA IP and following are some of the key points.

Commercial Vehicle Coverage When evaluating automobile coverage, the CSDA IP has found that the primary types of claims incurred have been rear-end collisions and sideswipes. Many incidents happened because of the driver not paying attention or failing to yield. While these incident descriptions are commonplace, the type of vehicle in which they occur most frequently may provide useful information as well.

In Figure 1, the categories of Private Passenger (PP), Light Trucks (LT), Medium Trucks (MT), Heavy Trucks (HT), and Extra Heavy Trucks (XHT) are used in identifying the frequency and severity of loss. Vehicles classified as HT are generally larger than a heavy duty pickup truck but smaller than a semi-tractor. XHT are tractor trailers and LT vehicles are most similar to a pickup truck or cargo van.

What is significant in this graph, is that XHT vehicles are generally on the road less but have much more severe incidents. In fact, the findings suggest that the severity of a rear-end collision is four times greater in a XHT vehicle than a LT vehicle. Conversely, LT vehicles incur three times as many accidents, which are commonly due to their exposure or miles driven.

These trucks also differ when detailing where these rear-end collisions and sideswipes occur. XHT vehicles generally have half of these incidents on either interstate or state highways, which is twice as frequent as LT vehicles. LT vehicles have nearly half of their incidents in city streets.

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Auto claims, as a whole, are also evaluated on a variety of other issues, such as the time of day during which an accident happens, the purpose of the trip or the age of the operator. The majority of the incidents involve a vehicle used to travel to or from the job site. When evaluating the time of the vehicle accident, the CSDA IP has identified trends that suggest vehicle accidents increase in frequency and severity as the day progresses. These incidents are graphed in Figure 2. This trend may be due to an increase in vehicle use by the mid-afternoon or driver fatigue after a long day on the job site. In either case, policy holders have been cautioned to keep drivers on the alert.

Figure 3–The CSDA IP tracks the type of saw used in employee injuries and promotes proper training of operators.

New Hires One of the areas where the CSDA IP has focused its attention is the promotion of training and supervision for new hires. While many new employees may possess some experience, records indicate that Figure 2–Vehicle accidents increase in frequency and severity as the day progresses.

employees with less than two years experience produce the majority of injuries. In fact, half of the CSDA IP injuries occur to employees who have been working for the company less than 24 months. Further, new hires employed for less than one year produced approximately 35

Workers’ Compensation Claims Analysis

percent of the losses.

Lifting injuries are quite common in the workplace whether employees are involved in the lifting of heavy equipment and machinery

When examining the length of employment, the CSDA IP found that

or not. Lifting injuries represent 21 percent of the CSDA IP Workers’

over two-thirds of the injuries that occur in the first year will happen in

Compensation claims. More specifically, back injuries represent 18.7

the first six months of employment. Persons employed less than one year

percent of these injuries. By comparison, the frequency of back injuries

will have approximately 20 percent of the injuries occur when operating

in the CSDA IP is slightly lower than back injuries occurring in other

a saw. Half of the injuries to persons employed less than one year will

construction trades.

involve some use of the tools of the trade as shown in Figure 4. This is

The Center for Construction Research and Training has estimated

compelling evidence to suggest that members of the CSDA IP review

that backs are injured in approximately 19.2 percent of the reported

hiring guidelines, provide documented training and review proper

incidents. Many of the CSDA IP injuries have occurred due to the lifting

equipment use with supervisors. Effective training and supervision of

of concrete, which has produced more than 40 percent of the back injury

new hires is essential.

severity. More than one-third of the lifting incidents involved lifting of saws, with wall saws producing the most frequent back injuries. Knowing the type of saws producing the injuries may aid the CSDA IP in getting members to focus on employee training and safe work practices.

Figure 3 shows that hand saws have produced the most severe injury.

Improper use of the saw has resulted in foot injury, and repetitive use of the saw has produced several back injuries. Core drills have produced more frequent injuries, generally resulting in back or shoulder strains.

Wall saw injuries have generally been less severe than other types of saw injuries. However, both core drills and wall saws have produced a higher frequency of incidents which may eventually lead to a severe accident.

Therefore, employers should ensure that their employees are adequately trained in proper saw use to ensure that they can recognize hazards associated with equipment they operate, including saw inspection, setup and adjustment. One resource to consider may be the CSDA-sponsored training or training provided through manufacturers.

4 6 | D ECE MBER .09

Figure 4–New employees incur more injuries than other groups.

, Inc Concrete Cutting Systems Pentruder, Inc, Sales and Service, Telephone: 562-445-6429, Fax: 480-966-2386, E-mail: terry@pentruderinc.com, www.pentruder.com w w w.CSDA. ORG

concrete openings | 4 7 CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 50

Figure 5 shows that employee injuries have been reported to occur consistently throughout the workday. However, the severity of injury is higher later in the workday. While the CSDA IP continues to research the cause of this trend, employee fatigue may play a role in the severity.

Figure 6–Over the last five complete policy periods (2004-2008) the Figure 5–Injury severity increases as the day progresses.

Worker fatigue may be a contributing factor.

Overall Results The CSDA IP also evaluates its own performance on other levels, including the General Liability and Property insurance lines. However, the majority of loss has occurred within the Commercial Auto and Workers’ Compensation areas. In addition to discovering trends within the coverage offered, the program also monitors the overall loss results.

When comparing results of the CSDA IP to the standard insurance market, the insurance program is confident that its results are better than average.

CSDA IP has averaged a Loss Ratio of nearly 40 percent.

The CSDA IP discovered, several years ago, that members were not submitting claims in a timely manner. As a result, the number of days it took for members to submit a claim averaged over 14. As a result, the CSDA IP focused on having members submit claims more promptly so as to help control costs. Through the members’ efforts, the insurance program has reduced lag time to an average of seven days. While this is significantly better, there is still room to improve. With continued emphasis in this area, the CSDA IP hopes to improve this lag time to an average of less than five days.

Conclusion

A general method of determining the success of an insurance

So, what does all of this mean? It means that having a team of

product is to evaluate the total incurred losses to the earned premium.

dedicated professionals managing the processes involved in insurance

The ratio of incurred losses to earned premium is called the “Loss Ratio.”

in a very specific industry, such as concrete sawing and drilling, has its

Insurance entities generally believe that loss ratios of 50 percent or

advantages. This team uses the data collected to make decisions that

lower are ideal, with the lower the loss ratio, the better. In the case of

affect the bottom line in a way that allows the program to outperform

the CSDA IP, loss ratios have consistently been below 50 percent which

the market. The CSDA IP has, in fact, found itself in a better position

suggests that the CSDA IP has consistently outperformed the insurance

to negotiate lower premiums and to return unused premium to its

products in the marketplace.

members. The end result is less operating expense for the member and

Over the last five complete policy periods (2004-2008), the CSDA IP

a better chance at a healthy bottom line.

has averaged a loss ratio of below 40 percent, as shown in Figure 6. The

As a member of the CSDA Insurance Program, there are some added

current policy year looks to be promising based on the loss ratio of 11.2

benefits that go beyond everyday insurance. One of these areas lies in

percent. While this year’s ratio may increase due to late reported claims

the ability to learn from the mistakes of others. Several times a year,

and claim development, there is confidence that a low loss ratio will

the CSDA IP reviews the trends in the program’s losses. Some of these

be achieved. Success in achieving these low ratios is obtained through

trends are very obvious and expected, while others tend to indicate

effective risk management such as active claims management, effective

opportunities for improvement.

nurse case management, safety materials and audits and bi-monthly safety conference calls.

Other areas evaluated include how long it takes members to inform

The information presented here is just a brief example of the data being evaluated throughout the year. It is hoped that you, as a reader of Concrete Openings, find the information presented useful

the program when they have a potential claim. The insurance industry

when controlling costs in the future. The CSDA IP also looks forward

calls the time between when the incident occurs and when the insurance

to additional CSDA members joining in on the successes achieved, by

company is notified as the “lag time.” Insurance companies have found

becoming a member of the insurance program. If you are interested in

that the higher the lag time, the higher the overall cost of the claim.

joining, contact Jay Odice, CEO of International Captive Alliance Group,

This is due to the fact that these claims become more difficult to defend

LLC, at 847-639-1040 or at jodice@icagroupcaptive.com.

since the evidence and facts are usually lost as time passes. In the past, lag time has been tracked but the insurance program did not have substantial data to determine the best route to take.

4 8 | D ECE MBER .09

Bill Crimmins is the President of Titan Risk Management LLC, based in New Lenox, Illinois. Crimmins also serves as a consultant for the CSDA Insurance Program. He can be reached at 815-405-8448 or by email at crimminsb@ comcast.net.

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TOOLGAL DIVISION CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 17

Industry Bits CSDA 2010 Annual Meeting Notice The annual meeting of the members of the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association will take place at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa, Coronado, California, for the purpose of receiving reports, transacting business and electing directors.

Blount International Unveils New Utility Saw Chain Technology Blount International is pleased to introduce the new PowerGrit™ utility saw chain. From ductile iron to plastic pipe, PowerGrit™ technology requires less access to cut pipe in the ground. An operator using PowerGrit™ chain has no need to get under the pipe with a saw.

PowerGrit™ utility saw chain is a patent-pending combination of chain design features coupled with a brazed layer diamond coating, and is the first commercial result of an intensive research and development/ innovation effort undertaken by the business development group of Blount International.

PowerGrit™ chain, which will be initially marketed and sold under the ICS® brand, is available for use on the professional grade ICS 633F4, 101cc, gas-powered chain saw and the ICS 853 and 880, large frame, hydraulic-powered chain saws. PowerGrit™ is also sold through an OEM partnership with Stanley Hydraulic Tools. For more information, contact Joe Taccogna at 503-653-4644 or visit www.icsbestway.com.

5 0 | D ECEMB ER .09

HILTI DD 120 Diamond Coring System Hilti is pleased to announce the release of the DD 120 diamond coring system, a self-contained complete system in one unit. The 22-pound DD 120 is compact, lightweight and small enough to fit in a kit box, yet can core up to 6-inch-diameter holes in reinforced concrete. The DD 120 features an intelligent steering display at the top and anchor base plate at the bottom. The drillstand, carriage and drive are integrated to reduce setup time, while a carriage lock fixes the carriage in position. The column is 28 inches tall, and an optional 33-inch column is available.

The power for the DD 120 comes from a 1,600-watt, 2-speed motor, which runs at 650 or 1,380 rpm. The system helps to optimize the operator’s power control and drilling performance with a color-coded LED light. The unit has a 360-degree rotating water swivel, allowing for water connection in any position. An optional precision water collection system at the base completes the package. The DD 120 is backed by Hilti’s Lifetime Service, a unique service agreement that includes two years of no-cost coverage. For more information, call 800-879-8000 in the U.S. or 800-363-4458 in Canada, or visit www.us.hilti.com in the U.S. or www.ca.hilti.com in Canada.

Concrete Openings Website Launched CSDA has launched a website for its

and helping to educate specifiers of concrete

official magazine, www.concreteopenings.

cutting services about just what can be done

com. Now all job stories, regular columns—

with diamond tools. Comments about job

and much more—can be accessed 24/7.

stories, or the magazine as a whole, can now

From its beginnings as a 4-page newsletter,

be shared online in the discussion forum.

Concrete Openings has grown into a major

Visitors can join discussion threads to share

international publication with more than

knowledge and information on specific topics

16,000 subscriptions. With the development of

covered in the columns, or start new threads

this website, everyone interested in the work

on industry-related subjects.

Many times readers of Concrete Openings

of concrete sawing and drilling contractors around the globe will have access to current

have wanted to reread past issues and have

information. The website incorporates the

not had them readily available. Now back

latest page-turning technology to allow

issues will be archived so they can be reread

readers to page through the entire magazine

easily. Also individual stories are categorized

or print out sections to be read later. The home page of the website

by the technique applied to help readers find exactly what they’re looking

is organized with the same headlines as the magazine to make

for. The launch of this new website signals the start of an exciting period

navigation easy.

of expansion for Concrete Openings. The website provides a new platform

Now job stories about some of the most unique and challenging

to introduce the public to the magazine and CSDA through home

jobs in the concrete sawing and drilling industry are available through

computers or Internet-enabled portable devices. For more information,

the new website, showcasing the techniques of sawing and drilling

call Russell Hitchen at 727-577-5004 or visit www.concreteopenings.com.

www.concreteopenings.com

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concrete openings | 5 1

Western Saw Celebrates 80 Years and Four Generations In 1930, Western Saw began as a repair shop, sharpening knives and scissors under the guidance of Waldemar Christian Nielsen (grandfather of current owners Kevin and Kraig Baron). After World War II, Western Saw established itself as a manufacturer of circular saw blades and band saws, and in 1947 manufactured its first diamond core for Felker. The company’s reputation grew, and in 1950 the name was changed to Western Saw Manufacturers, Inc. and a new era began with Frank Baron. By 1951, Western Saw had six different dado designs and a patented multi-cut oscillating dado. Soon after, the service of chrome plating was added, and circular saws and square saws joined the production line. By 1955, Western Saw began producing carbide tipped saws for hardware and industrial businesses.

The business once again expanded in 1968 to an 18,000 square feet building, and patented the first hard face diamond core.

Left to right: Cole Baron, Kevin Baron, Frank Baron, Kraig Baron and Chase Baron.

By the late ’70s and early ’80s, it was the turn of a third generation of leadership, with Kevin and Kraig Baron beginning a new era of innovation and technology. Their first laser purchase came in 1984 which started a new journey of becoming a leader in the diamond core industry. In 1991, another big move came when Western Saw moved to a 25,000 square foot building, followed by the acquisition of an additional 22,000 square foot area by 1995, in Oxnard, California. In

1999, the company purchased land, designed and built a state-of-the-art 70,000-square-foot facility for the manufacture of cores, tubes, carbide blanks and custom laser cutting for the automotive and aerospace industries. Western Saw celebrates 80 years of business with a great sense of pride and thanks to its customers.

For more information, contact Cole Baron at 805-981-0999 or email cole@westernsaw.com.

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5 2 | DECE MB ER .09

Diamond Products announces its latest edition of specialty turbo blades with the XLerator high speed turbo blades. These blades have special air holes in the core that allow enhanced cooling during accelerated speeds.

The ‘waffle’ style turbo segments are spaced on the core for less surface to surface contact, enhancing cutting speeds. The XLerator turbo blade is offered in a 12- and 14-inch-diameter, and can be used on any standard high speed cut-off saw to cut concrete with medium to medium-hard aggregate. For more information, call 800-321-5336 or visit www.diamondproducts.com.

INDUSTRY

B ITS

Stone Adds Diamond Saw Blades

Cutter Celebrates 50 Years in the Business

Stone Construction Equipment, Inc. has added a diamond saw blade line to complement its Saw Devil® masonry and concrete saw lines. The line of 26 blades, consisting primarily of general-purpose blades, falls into two categories: Saw-lect™ – the value line, and Saw-preme™ – the premium line.

The laser-welded Saw Devil® blades range in size from 12 to 20 inches in diameter, with bond ratings from three to eight, to cut brick, block, stone, cured concrete, green concrete, asphalt and asphalt over concrete. The blades fit all 1-inch arbors and can be used wet or dry. The blades fit both Stone saw lines and the majority of the blades can also be used on high-speed saws. For more information, call 585-229-5141or visit www.stone-equip.com.

Next year will mark the 50th year of business for CSDA member Lowery Supa Cutters, Ltd., based in Albany, New Zealand. Lowery Supa Cutters was formed in 1998, and created from the merger of Lowery Concrete Drilling Ltd, formed in 1960, and Supa Cutters Ltd, which was formed in 1985. The company has 35 employees and offers all methods of concrete cutting and drilling. While most of Lowery’s work is in the Auckland and Wellington areas, the company has worked extensively throughout New Zealand and also operates in Australia, the Pacific Islands and Asia. For more information, call 64-9 414 5050 or email info@lowery.co.nz.

Walker Receives Safety Award From UTCA

Husqvarna Introduces Greener Flat Saws

DDM Introduce 4000 Series Hand Saw Blades

From the start of 2009, Husqvarna Construction Products has been offering Tier 3/Interim Tier 4 compliant diesel engines in all large flat saws to act in accordance with federal regulations. The EPA’s Clean Air Act requires certain air pollutants generated by diesel engines to be gradually reduced in four tiers over several years. Currently, Tier 2 regulations are coming to a close and Tier 3 regulations are becoming the standard. The government has allowed manufacturers to sell a certain percentage of Tier 2 saws, but once this amount has been reached, manufacturers must move to Tier 3 engines.

Husqvarna fully complies with the federal Tier 3 regulations.

Federal, state and local projects are already starting to require contractors to use Tier 3 compliant engines on certain projects. This trend is likely to increase in the future. For more information, call 800-845-1312 or visit www.husqvarnacp.com.

Dixie Diamond Manufacturing has added three new hand saw blades to its professional grade product line. Segments are laser welded with 0.400-inch usable diamond depth to guarantee safe, smooth and fast cutting characteristics for industry professionals. The 4015 blade has been designed to provide the fastest cutting for applications such as pilings and heavy steel reinforcement while the 4025 blade provides speed and life in hard concrete applications.

A further model, the 4035, provides the longest life in the range while maintaining high performance levels for medium-hard concrete. For more information, contact Greg Wolters at 800-654-7224 or visit www.dixiediamond.com.

w w w. CS DA. ORG

During the annual meeting of the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA) in Atlantic City on September 25, 2009, Nancy L. Walker, President of Atlantic Concrete Cutting Inc., was presented with a 2009 Construction Safety Award.

The UTCA awards program was developed to publicly recognize efforts made by association members to provide the safest possible construction job sites. Walker has owned and operated Atlantic Concrete Cutting of Mt. Holly, New Jersey, since its founding in 1991. For more information, contact Dan Cowperthwait at 609-261-7200 or email dcowperthwait@atlanticconcretecutting.com.

concrete openings | 5 3

MALA Releases New Interface for CX-11 Concrete Imaging System MALA Geoscience provides cost effective and easy-to-use systems for use in many imaging applications. These systems include concrete imaging for the detection of embedded objects such as rebar, post tension cables and utilities. The CX-11 provided great ease of use in the field upon its release a few years ago. New for the Fall of 2009, MALA announces an even simpler interface for the CX-11 system. The new interface, coupled with full remote capabilities from integrated antenna controls, makes the CX-11 one of the most field efficient systems on the market. The ability to select one of three predefined-depth windows saves time during setup at each survey location. Image clarity and interpretation is achieved with instantaneous 2-D migration by transposing cluttered images into clearer, well-defined scans during data collection. A velocity wizard makes depth calibration quick, easy and accurate. For more information, call 843-852-5021 or visit www.malags.com.

James Instruments’ Mini R-Meter Rebar Locator

Scan Bridges and Concrete Floors with SPIDAR Sensors & Software introduces SPIDAR, a complete family of products for the networking of any number of Noggin or pulseEKKO PRO ground penetrating radar systems. SPIDAR provides full concurrent data acquisition, providing fast synchronized measurements. The system’s unique architecture is illustrated by the DeckMap platform, which deploys seven Noggin 1000 systems, spaced four inches apart. Operating through menu-driven touch-screen controls, the system can be set up in minutes. Using the DeckMap configuration, a single operator can easily cover 5,000 square feet per hour, revealing embedded element like rebar, conduit, post-tension cable and voids in concrete slabs or bridge decks. Concurrent operation of the EKKO Mapper provides quick depth slice views created on the spot. For more information, call 800-267-6013 or visit www.sensoft.ca.

5 4 | de ce mber.09

The Mini R-Meter from James Instruments is a rugged handheld field instrument for locating and determining the depth of reinforced bars in concrete. The Mini R-Meter is lightweight and economical. Rebar detection up to eight inches can be accomplished when locating large diameter rebar. The unit has an easy to read display and 4-hour battery life. The sensor design allows the end user to quickly and accurately locate and determine concrete cover in corners or hard to reach areas. Data can be saved in the instrument for upload to a computer and the record is time-stamped to help identify individual tests. The Mini R-Meter rebar locator is also capable of locating nonferrous metals. For further information, call 773-463-6565 or visit www.ndtjames.com.

INDUSTRY

B ITS

New Diamond Chain Wall Saw from ICS ICS, Blount Inc. introduces the CWS-200 Chain Wall Saw. This new saw combines patented ICS diamond chain technology with a mechanized, track-mounted hydraulic power drive, allowing deep cutting without overcuts.

Weighing 75 pounds, the CWS-200 is compact, lightweight and provides a one-tool approach to completing a full opening with square corners. The ability to mount the system to industry standard 360 track, combined with the capabilities of a chainsaw offers the advantages of increased cutting speed, increased chain life, improved ergonomics and reduced operator effort. The CWS-200 uses hydraulic power and operates with hydraulic flow and pressure readily available from most professional powerpacks. This latest ICS innovation will be available for shipment starting January 2010. For more information, call 800-321-1240 or email orders@icsbestway.com.

w w w.CS DA. ORG

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 33

Expert Equipment Celebrates 10th Anniversary Expert Equipment Company of Houston, Texas, announces the celebration of its 10-year anniversary in December of 2009.

Expert Equipment introduced the CARDI core drill line to the North American market. CARDI is an Italian manufacturer of core drilling equipment and now also manufactures sawing equipment. This

range of sawing equipment was showcased

by Expert Equipment during the World of Concrete trade show and exhibition in Las Vegas this year, with more new products ready for the 2010 event. Expert also supplies SLIDER easy release rings and FAS-NUT quick mounting anchor bolts. For more information, call 713-797-9886 or email expertequipment@sbcglobal.net.

concrete openings | 5 5

INDUSTRY

B ITS

Left to right: Matt Baer, Mario Garcia, Matt Smith, Ralph Sandstrom, Lance Turman

DITEQ Appoints New Sales Managers DITEQ Corporation is pleased to announce the addition of five new district managers to its sales force. Matt Baer has over 15 years of experience in the concrete cutting industry, having started in the industry as a sawing operator in Springfield, Missouri. He progressed to selling diamond blades and concrete and masonry equipment in the lower Midwest. Baer will manage DITEQ’s pro accounts in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Mario Garcia has over 13 years of experience in the industry selling diamond blades and equipment through product demonstration and training of end-users. Garcia’s territory will be Nevada, Arizona and Southern California. Matt Smith brings DITEQ over 16 years of experience selling8:57 diamond blades1 DP HalftoPage LEFT_DEC 09:Layout 1 10/12/2009 AM Page

and equipment and has worked in almost every niche of the concrete industry. Smith’s territory includes Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. Ralph Sandstrom will represent DITEQ in Wisconsin, northern and central Illinois, Michigan and northern Indiana. Sandstrom has over 40 years of experience in the distribution of construction tools. Lance Turman has over 20 years experience operating core drills, wall saws, hand saws, flat saw, grinders and groovers and has been involved in several large scale airport and highway expansion projects. Turman will be responsible for DITEQ product sales in the states of Utah, Wyoming and Montana. For more information, call 866-688-1032 or visit www.diteq.com.

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5 6 | D ECEMB ER .09

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INDUSTRY

B ITS

RGC Introduces New FS20 Flat Saw The new FS20 flat saw from Reimann & Georger Corporation can cut flush to perpendicular surfaces and be used for wall corner cutting. With the upright handle attachment, the saw can cut walls or curbs at ground level. The FS20 cuts flush to perpendicular surfaces up to eight inches deep and can cut vertically, horizontally, in confined spaces, wet, dry or underwater. The saw cuts through concrete, stone, brick, pavement, block, pipe, reinforced concrete, steel beams and aggregates quickly and cleanly. The unit features a dual function trigger for automatic wet cutting, a heavy duty guard for flush cutting and a standard guard attachment for regular cutting. An optional upright handle attachment is available for wall or curb cutting at ground level.

For more information, contact Lodema Erbacher at 716-895-1156 or lodema.erbacher@rgcproducts.com.

ICS Appoints New Western Regional Sales Manager ICS, Blount Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Brown as western regional sales manager. Formerly the territory sales manager for the Pacific Northwest, Brown is now responsible for sales in western Canada, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. “Scott’s background in the sawing and drilling industry combined with his ICS experience make him the ideal person to lead the company’s future efforts in new product introductions and revenue growth,” said Jake VanderZanden, President of ICS. For more information, call Joe Taccogna at 800-321-1240 or email joet@icsbestway.com.

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 1

w w w. CS DA. ORG

concrete openings | 5 7

INDUSTRY

B ITS

New Advanced Hydraulic Handsaw from Wolverine Wolverine Equipment is proud to offer its WFC-COMBO line of saws. These flush-cut combo handsaws combine high-power, efficiency and safety in a lighter-weight saw. The WFC-COMBO has a number of unique features. Because water is fed through the blade collar assembly, the unit achieves superior dispersion of water and more efficient cooling, while also lowering water consumption by up to 50 percent. A safe-stop hydraulic valve brings the blade to a complete stop within seconds of trigger release. The flushcut combo hydraulic handsaw has a weight of just 32 pounds and is available in 10-, 12- and 15-gpm versions, as well as 16- and 24-inch-diameter models. For more information, contact Bill Darling at 561-994-2750 or email bill@wolverineequipment.com.

Concrete Sustainability Hub Launched at MIT MIT has announced the creation of the Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH), a research center established in collaboration with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation. The purpose of this research center is to address the sustainability and environmental implications of the use of concrete as the backbone of housing, schools, hospitals and other built infrastructure, including highways, tunnels, airports and rail systems. Established with the goal of accelerating emerging breakthroughs in concrete science and engineering and transferring that science into practice, the CSH will provide $10 million of sponsored research funding during the next five years. Researchers from MIT’s School of Engineering, School of Architecture and Planning and Sloan School of Management are expected to participate in the CSH’s research activities.

The RMC and PCA leaders are hopeful that research results emerging from CSH projects will help ease the way for the industry to meet any changes that would be required by potentially new EPA regulations on cement manufacturing. CSH research will initially be organized around three focus areas: concrete materials science, building technology and the econometrics of sustainable development. The first two projects, “Green Concrete Science,” and “The Edge of Concrete: A Life-Cycle Investigation of Concrete and Concrete Structures” are already underway. Franz-Josef Ulm, the Macomber Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will serve as the CSH’s inaugural director and is the lead investigator on the Green Concrete Science project. The CSH will be co-directed by John Ochsendorf, Class of 1942 Career Development Associate Professor of Building Technology in the Department of Architecture and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

5 8 | D ECEMB ER .09

CSDA and OSHA at World of Concrete Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada February 2-5, 2010 For the fourth consecutive year, OSHA representatives will be present at the CSDA booth to provide advice, guidance and documents to industry professionals on safety-related matters. Visit CSDA and OSHA in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center at booth #S11131.

For more information, call 727-577-5004, visit www.csda.org or email info@csda.org.

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CSDA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ACTIVITY

$525

$1,090

$810

$855

$1,375

$1,030

$1,285

$2,040

$1,525

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$630

17reasons

t o b e c o m e a CS D A M e mb e r

Networking at Annual Convention and Quarterly Meetings

Roundtables

The number one benefit for members has always been the opportunity to network with cutting professionals at the annual convention and quarterly meetings.

The roundtable sessions at the annual convention and selected regional meetings give members a chance to share their wisdom and acquire additional knowledge. Information gleaned at the roundtables often saves members money.

Training Programs and Materials Over 1,500 members have graduated from nine classroom and handson training programs: Cutting Edge, Slab Sawing and Drilling 101, Wall Sawing 101, Wire Sawing 101, Operator Certification courses, OSHA Construction Safety and Estimating. Five training and safety videos/ DVDs are available to members at a discount. CSDA also offers online training at www.csdatraining.com for those members who are not able to afford the time off or the money required to send operators to remote classes. The site provides owners/managers with testing, scoring and documentation for employees.

Manuals and Promotional Literature

Concrete Openings Magazine

Specifications, Standards, Tolerances and Best Practices

Concrete Openings is the voice of the cutting industry with a circulation of 16,000 per quarterly issue. Members can advertise at significant discounts and have the opportunity to have their job stories reach 7,000 architects, engineers, general contractors and government officials in the only professional magazine dedicated to concrete cutting.

Complimentary copies are available for company promotion.

Specifications, Standards, Tolerances and Best Practices are available for the whole spectrum of cutting disciplines including core drilling, flat sawing, wall sawing, hand sawing and wire sawing. Twenty documents have been developed and new ones are in production.

Insurance Program The CSDA Insurance Program offers members coverage that includes Workers’ Compensation, auto, comprehensive general liability, environmental pollution, professional liability, equipment, Employment Practices Liability (EPL) and other lines specifically geared for the concrete cutting industry.

CSDA Website The CSDA website at www.csda.org contains a wealth of information available 24/7 in the members only section. The online discussion boards also provide members a forum to discuss technical issues, sell equipment, hire employees or any other relevant topics.

CSDA Safety Resources and Toolbox Safety Tips (TSTs) The 230-page CSDA Safety Manual and CSDA 57-page Safety Handbook are designed specifically for concrete cutters and are available to members at a significant discount. TSTs are a positive way of communicating to your employees that your company is serious about their health and safety. They can be used in employee safety meetings and can be an important part of your company’s safety program.

Representation with Governmental Organizations CSDA have formed an Alliance with OSHA to advance the safety of cutting contractors. This partnership includes issuing Best Practice documents, joint exhibitions at trade shows, review of safety materials and the OSHA Joint Design for Safety Construction Roundtable. CSDA also actively participates with NIOSH on field testing and the NORA Construction Workgroup.

Mentor Program

Members have access to manuals developed specifically for them.

Members can make presentations with the Diamond Advantage Seminar Planning & Presentation Manual and find out how to market their company with the How to Market Your Concrete Cutting Business Manual. Four-color brochures, flyers and a video/DVD are ready for member use to promote their business to customers. Materials are designed so members can easily personalize them and avoid the cost of developing their own.

Resource Guide and Membership Directory The CSDA membership directory is available in print form and on the website at www.csda.org. The searchable web directory is especially valuable as the CSDA website averages 150,000 pages viewed per month.

The Specifications, Standards, Tolerances and Best Practices are included in the print version.

Membership Profile Analysis Periodic survey of members to collect statistical information on operating and financial information such as wages, profit and loss, safety, equipment and diamond tool costs.

Slurry Analysis Report This is an association-sponsored, 60-page report for members. The slurry analysis was performed by an environmental engineering firm with data compared to federal standards and recommended guidelines for slurry management.

FREE World of Concrete Registration Members receive free registration and reduced seminar fees for the industry’s annual exhibition of concrete-related equipment and supplies.

Discount Programs CSDA offers its members exclusive programs for insurance, equipment leasing and online training, plus discounts on credit collection services, drug testing and safety services.

Cooperation with Industry Associations CSDA is a founding member of the International Association of Concrete Drillers and Sawers and works with other associations around the globe to promote concrete cutting and the use of professional cutting operators.

New members can receive personalized assistance from a current CSDA Board or committee member during their first year of membership. w w w. CSDA. ORG

concrete openings | 6 1

Certified Operator Companies Companies listed here have invested time and money to send their operators to CSDA’s Operator Certification. If you are committed to professionalism in the concrete cutting industry, consider sending your operators through the training programs offered by CSDA.

A.E. BRICE & ASSOCIATES, INC. 1510 Aspen Street Baltimore, MD 21226 Tel: 410-354-8890 Fax: 410-354-8894 www.sawconcrete.com ABC Cutting Contractors– Birmingham 3060 Dublin Circle Bessemer, AL 35022 Tel: 205-425-7711 Fax: 205-425-7769 www.abccuttingala.com Advanced Coring & Cutting Corp.

919 Highway 33, Building 26 Freehold, NJ 07728 Tel: 732-409-7733 Fax: 732-409-0032 www.advancedcoringandcutting.com Ambercroft Labourers’ 506 Training Centre 1600 Major Mackenzie Drive East Richmond Hill, Ontario L4S 1P4 CANADA Tel: 905-883-4268 Fax: 905-883-4894 www.506tc.org Atlantic Concrete Cutting, Inc. 396 North Pemberton Road Mt. Holly, NJ 08060 Tel: 609-261-7200 Fax: 609-261-7246 www.atlanticconcretecutting.com

Cal West Concrete Cutting, Inc. 3000 Tara Court Union City, CA 94587 Tel: 510-656-0253 Fax: 510-656-8563 www.calwestconcretecutting.com

Cal West Concrete Cutting, Inc. 1153 Vanderbilt Circle Manteca, CA 95337 Tel: 209-823-2236 Fax: 209-823-0740 www.calwestconcretecutting.com

6 2 | D ECEMB ER .09

Central Concrete Cutting, Inc.

Cut-Rite Concrete Cutting Corp.

GRONEMEIER CONCRETE CUTTING, INC.

W719 Leroy Street Edgar, WI 54426 Tel: 715-352-2552 Fax: 715-849-2028 www.centralconcretecutting.com

22 Lockbridge Street Pawtucket, RI 02860 Tel: 401-728-8200 Fax: 401-727-2953 www.cutriteccc.com

22 White Place Bloomington, IL 61701 Tel: 309-829-7991 Fax: 309-829-2685 www.gronemeier.com

Concrete Cutting Specialists, Inc.

DeAndrea Coring & Sawing, Inc.

Hafner and Son, Inc.

6455 Pierce Road Freeland, MI 48623 Tel: 989-791-2032 Fax: 989-791-3915

6385 Grandview Avenue Arvada, CO 80002 Tel: 303-422-3885 Fax: 303-431-9661 www.deandreacoring.com

Concrete Penetrating Co. P.O. Box 35766 Dallas, TX 75235 Tel: 214-634-2990 Fax: 214-634-0953

Concrete Renovation, Inc. 6600 Randolph Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78233 Tel: 210-653-6120 Fax: 210-590-2316 www.concreterenovation.com

Core Solutions Ltd. P.O. Box 3349 Maraval TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Tel: 868-622-8334 Fax: 868-622-3074 www.coresolutionsltd.com

CORING & CUTTING SERVICES, INC. 1107 North Redmond Road Jacksonville, AR 72076 Tel: 501-779-4072 Fax: 501-985-9781 www.sawconcrete.com Coring & Cutting Services of Bentonville 2711 SE Otis Corley Drive Bentonville, AR 72712 Tel: 479-271-9672 Fax: 479-271-9674 www.sawconcrete.com

Delta Contractors & Associates, LLC 605 South Caton Avenue Baltimore, MD 21229 Tel: 410-624-0990 Fax: 410-624-0991 www.deltacontractorsllc.com Derrick Concrete Cutting & Construction Ltd. 7039 - Gateway Boulevard Edmonton, Alberta T6H 2J1 CANADA Tel: 780-436-7934 Fax: 780-435-4389 www.derrickconcrete.com

Dixie Concrete Cutting Co. 5297 Port Boulevard South College Park, GA 30349 Tel: 404-761-1100 Fax: 404-669-2550

Dixie Concrete Cutting, Inc. 16 Maple Creek Circle Greenville, SC 29607 Tel: 864-627-8744 Fax: 864-299-5009

90 Atlas Road Northampton, PA 18067 Tel: 610-262-4805 Fax: 610-262-4809 www.hafnerandson.com

Hard Rock Concrete Cutters, Inc. 601 Chaddick Drive Wheeling, IL 60090 Tel: 847-699-0010 Fax: 847-699-0292 www.hardrockconcretecutters.com

Hard Rock Sawing & Drilling Specialist Co. P.O. Box 718 Keshena, WI 54135 Tel: 715-799-3823 Fax: 262-723-5060

Holes Incorporated 9911 Franklin Road Houston, TX 77070 Tel: 281-469-7070 Fax: 281-469-6207 www.holesinc.com

Holes of san antonio, inc.

118 Braniff Dr San Antonio, TX 78216 Tel: 210-349-5256 Fax: 210-349-0727 www.holesofsa.com

E. Luke Greene Company, Inc.

International Drilling & Sawing, Inc.

619 East Maple Street Johnson City, TN 37601 Tel: 423-926-1151 Fax: 423-926-5558 www.elukegreene.com

P.O. Box 250013 Montgomery, AL 36125 Tel: 334-288-2355 Fax: 334-288-7299 www.idscuts.com

east coast concrete cutting co., inc.

LOMBARDO DIAMOND CORE DRILLING CO. 2225 De Le Cruz Blvd.

Santa Clara, CA 95050 Tel: 408-727-7922 Fax: 408-988-5326 www.lombardodrilling.com

7229 Montevideo Road Jessup, MD 20794 Tel: 410-799-4540 Fax: 410-799-1978

M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring

Roughneck Concrete Drilling & Sawing

1030 South McComas Street Wichita, KS 67213 Tel: 316-833-3640 Fax: 316-264-3517 www.conacc.com

8400 Lehigh Avenue Morton Grove, IL 60053 Tel: 847-966-6666 Fax: 847-966-6577 www.roughneck1.com

Pacific Concrete Cutting & Coring, Inc.

True-Line Coring & Cutting of Knoxville 1902 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, TN 37921 Tel: 865-637-2131 Fax: 865-637-1973 www.sawconcrete.com

P.O. Box 662261 Lihue, HI 96766 Tel: 808-245-7171 Fax: 808-245-9393

Penhall co./ Concrete Coring Company of Hawaii, Inc. 99-1026 Iwaena Street Aiea, HI 96701 Tel: 808-488-8222 Fax: 808-487-6679 www.penhall.com

Professional Concrete Sawing

CSDA 2010 Spring Training Discounted for Members!

Reduced Registration FeeS CSDA Wall Sawing 101

CSDA Estimating

February 2-4, 2010

March 2-3, 2010

Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada

Loews Coronado Bay Resort Coronado, California

CSDA members save $300 Was $1,295 Now $995

CSDA members save $175 Was $825 Now $650

True-Line Coring & Cutting of Nashville 280 Hermitage Avenue Nashville, TN 37210 Tel: 615-255-2673 Fax: 615-255-9685 www.sawconcrete.com

8539 Oliver Road Erie, PA 16509 Tel: 814-566-5555 Fax: 814-866-5555 For more information, call 727-577-5004, visit www.csda.org or email info@csda.org.

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 90

w w w.CS DA. ORG

concrete openings | 6 3

New Members The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association is a nonprofit trade association of contractors, manufacturers, distributors and affiliates from the construction and renovation industry.

Membership in CSDA is open to concrete cutting contractors, manufacturers and distributors

G&M Services, LLC

Overseas Contractor

Chris Gilliam PO Box 971 Bowie, MD 20718 Tel: 410-787-8828 Fax: 410-787-8830 Email: cgilliam@gmservices.ws www.gmservices.ws

G&S Construction Services Sukhchain Singh 2439 Henslowe Dr Potomac, MD 20854 Tel: 202-465-4830 Email: sukhchain@gmail.com www.gands.us Paul Gonzales PO Box 224946 Dallas, TX 75222 Tel: 214-232-3622 Fax: 214-292-8509 Email: info@ghrconcrete.com www.ghrconcrete.com

Diamond Wright Tools

Cut and Clean Pty Ltd.

Terry Martin 226 S Price Rd Tempe, AZ 85281 Tel: 562-445-6429 Fax: 480-966-2386 Email: terry@pentruderinc.com www.pentruderinc.com

Francis Massmann 17482 Granite West Rd Cold Spring, MN 56320 Tel: 320-685-4840 Fax: 320-685-5076 Email: fmassmann@coldspringgranite.com www.coldspringgranite.com

Pentruder, Inc.

Joseph Cottle 3232 Kitty Hawk Rd Ste 2 Wilmington, NC 28405 Tel: 910-762-5400 Fax: 910-762-5405 Email: scconcretecut@aol.com www.seacoastconcretecutting.com

csd a m e m b e r s h i p ( 1 9 9 3 – 2 0 0 9 )

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cutter’s corner This classified section is for use by anyone who wants to sell or buy used equipment, post help wanted ads or advertise business opportunities. Anyone interested in placing ads should send copy to Concrete Openings Classifieds, 11001 Danka Way North, Suite 1, St. Petersburg, FL 33716. Copy can also be faxed to 727-577-5012 or emailed to rhitchen@concreteopenings.com. Cost: $100 for 10 lines for members; $200 for non-members. Additional lines $10 each. Copy must be in the CSDA office no later than the first day of the month preceding publication.

FOR SALE 1998 Cushion Cut 6530 grinder. $20,000.00 For more information, contact Ty Conner at 661-589-1001.

6 4 | d e ce mber.09

2003

2004

DEWALT Industrial Tools

John Cunningham 701 E Joppa Rd Baltimore, MD 21286 Tel: 410-716-7467 Fax: 410-716-7996 Email: john.cunningham@dewalt.com www.dewalt.com Susan Kelbus 13108 Red Dr Lemont, IL 60439 Tel: 630-605-1029 Fax: 630-257-3428 Email: skelbusppis@sbcglobal.net www.prepaidlegal.com/group/skelbus

David Boyer 3741 Greenway Cir Lawrence, KS 66046 Tel: 785-865-4200 Fax: 785-830-9016 Email: rhonda.green@prosoco.com www.prosoco.com

Shriram Matte 7, GF, Industrial House, BK Marg, Near Paradise, Mahim Mumbai, Maharashtra-400016 INDIA Tel: 91-22 2445 9967 Fax: 91-22 2445 9682 Email: rammatte@gmail.com www.matteassociates.in

Glenn Counts 1840 SW 42nd St Ocala, FL 34471 Tel: 352-873-8378 Fax: 352-629-1334 Email: gcounts@counts.cc

pre-paid legal services, inc.

PROSOCO

Matte & Associates

seacoast concrete cutting, Inc.

Robert Dutko 7750 Division Dr Mentor, OH 44060 Tel: 440-255-1120 Fax: 440-255-1122 Email: rdutko@atsmachine.com www.atsmachine.com

Counts Construction Co., Inc.

Sean Finch West Barn Wimbourne Road, Blandford Forum Blandford, Dorset DT11 9HN UNITED KINGDOM Tel: 44-12 6841 1233 Fax: 44-12 6841 6683 Email: sfinch@buckfieldgroup.com www.bgldiamonddrill.co.uk Lance Knight PO Box 4129 Eaglemont, VIC 3084 AUSTRALIA Tel: 61-4 1231 1963 Fax: 61-4 9457 5219 Email: cutandclean1@gmail.com www.cutandclean.com.au

GHR Concrete, Inc.

ATS Machine & Tool Co., Inc.

Manufacturer

BGL Diamond Drill Ltd.

Affiliate

2005

2006

2007

2008

510

David McNamara 165 E 47th Ave Vancouver, BC V5W 2A6 CANADA Tel: 604-273-8381 Email: vancouvercutting@me.com www.vancouverconcretecutting.com

Jackie Bragg, Jr. 2505 Thonotosassa Rd Plant City, FL 33565 Tel: 813-251-6552 Fax: 813-659-2400 Email: bigt001@comcast.net

Sammuel Ip Kee Flat A, 8/F., Ray Centre 88, Hung To Road, Kwun Tong Kowloon, Hong Kong HONG KONG Tel: 852-2342 9622 Fax: 852-2342 1011 Email: info@modernok.hk www.mordernok.hk

555

Big T Tampa St. Pete, Inc.

Modern Concrete Drill Cut Co., Ltd.

540

Vancouver Concrete Cutting & Coring, Inc.

523

North American Contractor

of concrete cutting equipment and affiliated companies who provide products and services to the concrete sawing and drilling industry. Founded in 1972, CSDA reached the milestone of 500 member companies in 2006.

2009

ff ego!

O e k a T San Di for Save the Date!

CSDA 2010 Convention and Tech Fair March 4-6, 2010 Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa, Coronado, California For more information, call 727-577-5004.

Visit www.csda.org or email info@csda.org.

Calendar 2010 World of Concrete 2010

CSDA Estimating

February 1-5, 2010 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Tel: 866-962-7469 www.worldofconcrete.com

March 2-3, 2010 Loews Coronado Bay Resort Coronado, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 www.csda.org email: info@csda.org

National Demolition Association 2010 Convention

March 21-23, 2010 The Mirage Las Vegas, NV Tel: 800-541-2412 www.demolitionassociation.com

CSDA Wall Sawing 101

February 2-4, 2010 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Tel: 727-577-5004 www.csda.org email: info@csda.org CSDA Board Meeting

CSDA Summer Meeting

June 3-4, 2010 Cleveland, OH Tel: 727-577-5004 www.csda.org email: info@csda.org CSDA Fall Meeting

CSDA 2010 Convention and Tech Fair

March 4-6, 2010 Loews Coronado Bay Resort Coronado, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 www.csda.org email: info@csda.org

Bauma 2010

April 19-25, 2010 New Munich Trade Fair Centre Munich, Germany www.bauma.de

September 9-10, 2010 Atlantic City, NJ Tel: 727-577-5004 www.csda.org email: info@csda.org

February 3, 2010 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Tel: 727-577-5004 www.csda.org email: pat@csda.org CSDA Spring Meetings

March 2-3, 2010 Loews Coronado Bay Resort Coronado, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 www.csda.org email: info@csda.org

Why I joined CSDA I started my cutting business just outside Boston in 1985 with a

now. I have developed friendships with owners from all over the country. I can

single van. Today, I run close to 50 trucks in four states. In no way

pick up the phone and ask another member for advise on topics ranging from

is it imperative that new business owners grow to this size, but this

employee compensation to a method of deep sawing – just about any topic you

kind of growth is possible if you

can imagine. And I find that members, my friends, are always perfectly willing

are willing to work hard for it. I

to share information with me. This is due, in part, to the fact that CSDA is a

started attending CSDA meetings

worldwide association, so people that I call are not my direct competitors.

and the conventions early on, and I was like a sponge. I listened to everything that every concrete cutter said, and I cannot tell you how much I learned.

A lot of cutting contractors who are not active in the association think that CSDA is a group of Ron Culgin

“good old boys.” This is just not the case. I felt welcome at that

I have also developed lasting relationships with the leading manufacturers in the industry, and I find that it is very helpful in my business to be on a first name basis with the owner or national sales manager of these companies.

I can honestly say that CSDA has played a substantial role in the success and growth of my business.You can reach me at 781-899-0006 or email me if you’d like to know more. If you aren’t a member, what are you waiting for?

Ron Culgin Pro Cut, Inc. Waltham, Massachusetts Email: rculgin@procompanies.com

first meeting just as I feel welcome

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rpeetn e io c o n c rceotneco np gesn|i n6g5s | 6 5

AdvertiserS To receive additional information about products advertised in this issue, return the reader service card enclosed or contact vendors below.

PAGE ADVERTISER

PHONE EMAIL RS NO.

63

Advanced Cutting Technologies, Inc.

204-777-6588

ted@advancedcuttingtechnologies.ca

90

39

Brokk, Inc.

425-890-5534

henrik@brokkinc.com

9

67

Deer King Industrial & Trading Co. Ltd.

86-5712-8614 5553 deerking@deerking.cn

68

5

Diamond Pauber srl

39-05 85 830425

pauber@diamondpauber.it

99

56, 57, Inside Front Cover

Diamond Products

440-323-4616

jpalmer@diamondproducts.com

1

17

Diamond Vantage, Inc.

816-268-8310

info@diamondvantage.com

80

15, 37

DITEQ Corporation

816-246-5515

bcoats@diteq.com

76

59

Dixie Diamond Manufacturing

770-921-2464

gregwolters@dixiediamond.com

44

55 Expert Equipment Company

713-797-9886

sales@expertequipment.com

33

42, 43

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI)

603-893-1109

thomasj@geophysical.com

4

41

Hicycle Motor Manufacturing, Inc.

503-824-6119

hicyclemotors@colton.com

100

Inside Back Cover

Hilti North America

918-872-3553

bennett.myers@hilti.com

7

34, 35, Outside Back Cover Husqvarna Construction Products

913-928-1442

cate.stratemeier@husqvarna.com

11

2

ICS, Blount Inc.

503-653-4497

joet@icsbestway.com

5

45

Iowa Wall Sawing

319-934-3280

mitch@iowawallsawing.com

70

41

James Instruments, Inc.

773-463-6565

angelicalarios@ndtjames.com

8

29

MALA Geoscience USA, Inc.

843-852-5021

sales.usa@malags.se

96

23 Norton Pro Diamond

800-854-3281

stephen.m.anderson@saint-gobain.com

64

47

Pentruder, Inc.

562-445-6429

terry@pentruderinc.com

50

52

ProContractor Supply, Inc.

770-287-8555

mark.procontractor@charter.net

19

27 Reimann & Georger Corporation (RGC)

716-895-1156

peter.kowalczyk@rgcproducts.com

46

33 Sanders Saws, Inc.

800-421-1244

sales@sanderssaws.com

–

51 Toolgal USA Corp

706-283-9556

iair@toolgalusa.com

17

11

805-981-0999

cole@westernsaw.com

65

6 6 | DECE MB ER.09

Western Saw

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concrete openings | 6 7 CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 68

Director’s Dialogue

Change!

Patrick o’brien Executive Director

o I have everyone’s attention? What is it about the word change

D

CSDA contractor and manufacturer members have seen dramatic

that grabs our attention? It’s just a word, right? Wrong! It is

change over the past decade. The number of manufacturers has been

a word, sure, but more importantly it is a state; a process; a

greatly reduced through consolidation – larger manufacturers taking

result. Whether the word provides a positive or negative connotation,

over small and medium sized companies. Some contractors have seen

the process of change is inevitable and it can be a good thing, a really

consolidation while others have just closed their doors after decades of

good thing.

service to the industry. There are many reasons for such consolidation

The challenging economic times have forced us all to do things

but they are all, ultimately, based on change.

differently. Throughout history, challenging times have forced change

Another form of change that I have addressed in the past was

and this current period is no different. People are changing so they can

recently brought to my attention by a senior manager for one of the

cope with the changing times and certainly business has had to adapt

largest heavy civil contractors in the U.S., interestingly enough, over

and change to survive as well.

dinner. This manager stated that in the future his firm would be hiring

When I worked at GE in the ‘80s and Jack Welch eliminated complete

sawing and drilling contractors that did more than just cutting. He

lines of middle management, many in the company said that those of us

wants subcontractors who can provide a variety of other related services

who remained would not be able to do all the work. His response was

such as selective demolition, removal and flat work because he wants

that they were absolutely right, so they would need to decide which

to minimize the number of subcontractors he has to deal with on the

things were critical and needed to be done, versus which things were

job. This is a man who has hired many sawing and drilling contractors

being done because they had always been done and were thought

in his career.

absolutely necessary—but not critical. The passage of time, and the

CSDA has worked diligently to determine how we can better serve

status that GE has achieved in the world, has proved that Welch was right

the specifier community. Surveys have been conducted and we even

and the work got done—just by fewer people. Many companies soon

sponsored a Specifier Focus Group to find out how we can educate

followed suit in this process, eliminating various levels of management.

specifiers about the services that CSDA member contractors provide. So

The concrete cutting industry is no different than other industries.

it was a unique opportunity for me to tell this specifier and good friend

As I travel around the country, the people I talk to are all making

how CSDA contractors have been changing in recent times.

changes to the way they conduct business. CSDA has changed the way

If your contracting business has primarily focused on providing

it does business in many ways as well. The communications, publications

sawing and drilling services, maybe the time is right for you to change

and programs that were in place 10 or 20 years ago look far different

and expand your business by adding services like selective demolition,

than today. However, the focus continues to be on how to best serve

breaking and removal to better serve the specifier community. It just

the members and specifiers for the betterment of individuals and the

might change your bottom line as well. And the time is here for CSDA

industry as a whole.

to change the way in which we engage specifiers to get our message across as well.

6 8 | DECE MB ER.09

Hilti diamond systems for concrete cutting and coring

Hilti 1,000 Hz – unmatched performance.

Hilti. Outperform. Outlast.

Hilti diamond systems are specifically designed with the needs of concrete cutting and coring professionals in mind.

Our innovative 1,000 Hz high cycle technology is unlike any other in the industry. Combined with top quality Hilti blades and bits, we deliver unprecedented power and performance for all your concrete coring and cutting applications.

Visit us at World of Concrete 2010, outdoor booths #O30871 and #O31070 Hilti, Inc. (U.S.) 1-800-879-8000 www.us.hilti.com • en español 1-800-879-5000 • Hilti (Canada) Corp. 1-800-363-4458 www.hilti.ca CIRCLE READER READER service service CARD NO. 1 1 CIRCLE CARD CIRCLE NO. READER service CARD NO. 1

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 7

DEA C EUM GB U ES RT.. 0 7 9

Worth Their Salt Cutting the World’s Longest Floating Saltwater Bridge

Taking it to the next level.

The Husqvarna FS 6600 D with a 3-speed gearbox is a professional saw perfect for use on large and mid-size jobs. A Tier 3 compliant engine reduces emissions and the patented power transmission system transmits more power to the bladeshaft (60 hp), with optimum torque, than similar models in its class. Like other large flat saws, the FS 6600 D can accommodate different blade sizes. However, unlike other models, the addition of the 3-speed gearbox enables blades to run at their ideal performance level - ensuring you get the most of out every cut.

Core Drilling at New U.K. Landmark

HUSQVARNA CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS 17400 West 119th Street • Olathe, Kansas 66061 • T 800-845-1312 • F 800-257-9284 2077 Bond Street • North Bay, Ontario P1B 8J8 • T 800-461-9589 • F 800-728-1907 www.husqvarnacp.com Copyright © 2009 Husqvarna AB (publ.). All rights reserved. Husqvarna is a registered trademark of Husqvarna AB (publ.).

Spillways Created at Florida Dam Port of Corpus Christi Mooring Removal Project w w w . c s da . or g

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 11