Concrete Openings - June 2009

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A Groovy Kind of Job laying down tracks for the musical highway

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President’s Page

Douglas H. Walker CSDA President

S

o far, so good. Well, maybe not “good”, but things are starting to

the hard work of Pat O’Brien and his dedicated staff. Pat and his staff are

look up. From a more than bleak start to the year to a time now

always there to make sure that the needs of the association are met and

where stimulus money seems to be hitting the streets, I think we

to everyone’s satisfaction. Thank you to Pat and his staff.

can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This tunnel may be a

One new idea to come out of the convention came from the past

long one and the light far away, but if you are into infrastructure work,

presidents’ breakfast. The idea was the establishment of a young executives

as many of our members are, we are really starting to get requests for

committee that will be made up of younger members and company

bids and those all important contracts that we have not seem for some

representatives. The notion is that this kind of group can bring fresh ideas

time. Only time will tell, but so far the beginning of the second quarter

and points of view that have not been commonly heard in the past. Many

is far better than the first.

past presidents feel that if we are to grow as an association, the voices of

The CSDA did start the year off right with another great convention, this year in sunny Cancun. Even considering the current economic situation,

younger generations coming into the industry should be heard now and in the future.

the convention was well attended by members while attracting several new

In other business, CSDA is working on the establishment of a company

members as well. As usual there were many great roundtable discussions

certification classification. Kellie Vasquez from Holes Inc. is heading this task

and technical talks. All in all, this was a very informative convention.

force which is moving fast. Also, the CSDA Insurance Program and the CSDA

Whether it was through participation in the meetings, the roundtables or

Training Committee are cooperating in an effort to get more companies

even conversing at the side of the pool, everyone came home with at least

into the insurance program as well as to get more training classes to the

two or three new ideas to help their company become more professional

membership. The insurance world can be a frustrating industry in which

and more profitable. If you could not make this convention this does not

to work, but we are moving forward and we are committed to making

mean that you cannot get the benefits of the discussion. Proceedings from

this happen.

the two roundtables have been written and are now available to members 24/7 via the CSDA website.

So to conclude, this year may have started out tough in terms of the economy but things seem to be getting better. So if you can apply some of

For me, the convention started with a great keynote address by Robert

the ideas and items that you brought home from the convention or if you

Stevenson who encouraged us to soar with the eagles—and that is kind of

can participate in some of the committee work being done by CSDA, you

what I did on the zip line right up until the big belly flop into the crystal

will be able to move through this year with more success and confidence.

clear waters of the sink hole. And it ended with a first rate dinner and some salsa music and old classics while I hit the dance floor with my wife, Nancy. With all this said, the convention would have been nothing without

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concrete openings | 1

Strength That’s Been Tested In the Lab and in the Field

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Conversion kits also available. Contact your ICS® representative or call 800.321.1240 for more information. Visit the NEW icsbestway.com to learn more about Diamond Chain Technology™, view training videos, and see the full line of ICS products. © 2009 ICS, Blount Inc. All rights reserved.

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FORCE4™ has been proven to have 1.5 times the tensile strength of standard chains.

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the official magazine of the concrete sawing and drilling association

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

F E AT U R E S T O R I E S

6

From Gray to Green

c o n c rete c ases

10

A Groovy Kind of Job

16

Speeding Through the Toll

20

New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Recycling in the Cutting and Coring Industry

Laying Down Tracks for the Honda Musical Highway

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

24

But No Ticket For Cutting Too Fast!

Concrete Cutting Helps Prevent Environmental Disaster with Diamond Belt Saw

Sawing with the Fishes

Precision Underwater Concrete Cutting Aids Marine Wildlife

CSDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (Terms expiring 2011) 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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concrete openings | 3

Concrete Openings Magazine Official Magazine of the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association Volume 18, Number 2 ISSN: 1093-6483 Concrete Openings magazine is published by O’Brien International, Inc. four times each calendar year in March, June, September and December. Editorial contributions are welcomed and advertisements are encouraged. Please contact the Concrete Sawing 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 Jim Russo

D E PA R T M E N T S

1

President’s Page

30 B usiness of Business

Losing the Battle, Winning the War—For Talent

32

S afety Counts

Safety Violations Could Cost You More Than Money— They May Cost You Your Freedom

36 Tech Talk

Four Steps to Efficient Core Drilling

38

I nsurance Corner Pre-Task Planning

40 Industry Bits 50 Certified Operator Companies 52 New Members 53 Calendar

Ty Conner Rich White Annette Oppenlander

54 Advertisers

Ken Barnes Editorial Review Committee Les Kuzmick Pat Stepanski

56 Director’s Dialogue

Ron Van Zee 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: The musical highway in Lancaster, California.

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CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 99

Recycling in the Cutting and Coring Industry

A

s awareness of environmental and economic issues grows in the construction industry, an increasing number of companies are recycling as both an Earth-friendly and cost-effective alternative to standard methods of disposal. For example, the recycling of concrete from a demolition project as opposed to arranging transport to a landfill (which can cost up to 25 cents per ton/mile) can amount to sizeable savings, and removes the expenses associated with the actual disposal of the concrete (up to $100 per ton). So even if some contractors currently do not feel strongly about environmental issues, the monetary value and benefits of recycling cannot be ignored.

Concrete has all the traits to make it an excellent material for recycling. Whether removed or demolished, the concrete can be crushed and reused as high quality aggregate for various applications.

Combine these elements with rising landfill costs and tighter regulations, and it is clear why a growing number of companies are turning to recycling methods for their concrete disposal.

The recycling of concrete is continually developing in order to provide more options for companies, making this simple process even more efficient and straight-forward. Recyclers now have the opportunity to transport portable recycling machinery to a site, or

Large sections of pavement can be easily stacked and recycled.

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F EATURE

should this not be possible, arrangements can be made to transfer the concrete to recycling plants. Advanced methods of breaking down and crushing waste concrete have also been introduced that deal with the removal of mesh-and-dowel, continuous reinforcement or steel.

Pavements or runway pavements have been found to be a simpler form of material to recycle, as quite often the cut pieces are uniform in both size and thickness, making them easy to stack and transport from the job site. There are no restrictions on the types of pavement that can be recycled. Jointed plain pavement, reinforced pavement, continuously reinforced pavement and, in some cases, airport pavements in excess of 17 inches in thickness have been recycled through various projects. Going green is fast becoming the aim of many companies and, the positive impacts that can be made to both the environment and economy are great reasons to join the movement.

Mary Forristall, president of CSDA member Forristall Enterprises Inc., has been working towards the building of a construction and demolition waste transfer station for the past 18 months. Forristall has been working closely with the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the necessary permits, and has just received final approval for construction. Forristall Enterprises has been proactive in their efforts to reuse, recycle and conserve any waste materials. In fact, this family-run business originally started in salvage over 40 years ago in Miami, Florida. The business has now grown into a full demolition and selective demolition company, also offering concrete cutting. Now Forristall will have their own transfer station, enabling them to recycle 100% of their recyclable waste including concrete, slurry and water.

Another CSDA member, Pro Cut, Inc., has also carried out concrete recycling in the Boston area. The practice of concrete and waste recycling is particularly important in the inner-city metropolitan areas, where space is at a premium and there is little room to store waste materials for any great length of time. As Ron Culgin explains, “It is important for cutting contractors to recycle what they can, or ensure their subcontractors are doing it,” he said. “The points structure for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system is based on the weight or tonnage of the concrete recycled, so it is good practice to recycle as much as possible.”

In the United States, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation, and have established the LEED Green Building Rating System™. This system encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices, to which many governments and large developers are either adhering, or adopting,

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based on their own procedures and plans. The concept is centered on “principles that minimize the use of nonrenewable resources and seek to prevent air, water and ground contamination and other activities that degrade the environment.”

The European Commission (EC) produced a green paper on energy efficiency, and identified the building sector as one particular area where important improvements in energy efficiency can be realized. From the results of this green paper, it was found that the building sector is responsible for more than 40% of the final energy demand in Europe. The EC has now initiated the Green Building Programme (GBP), which aims at improving the energy efficiency and expanding the integration of renewable energies in non-residential buildings in Europe on a voluntary basis.

The steps being taken both across Europe and in the U.S. will not just have an impact on an environmental level, but on an economic one too, and may serve as a stimulus to the economy. According to a recent NewScientist.com report, a $100 billion U.S. government investment over two years could create 2 million green jobs in such industrial sectors as steel and construction, retrofitting old, energyinefficient buildings. This support for green buildings could help the industry recover from a loss of 800,000 jobs in the past two years.

The issue of recycling in the sawing and drilling industry is not necessarily a new one. Almost ten years ago, Concrete Openings published a job story on the removal of a section of a runway at the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport by Penhall Company during the Fall of 1999. Over 213,000 tons of concrete were cut and removed from the site over seven weeks of cutting by Penhall operators. The cut sections, weighing 20,150 tons each, were to be recycled into aggregate and used as a base for roadway projects around the airport

concrete openings | 7

Example of the water recycling process

Allen Ellison and Steve Lemaster of Penhall with slabs from the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport

and for construction of a new fifth runway at the airport. Gary Johnson of Penhall Company said, “The stockpile yard accommodated 213,000 tons of panels stacked on top of one another, sometimes as high as 13 panels. This concrete can be recycled into a vast amount of material for later construction.”

Slurry was also a major concern for the airport, so each day the contractors used sweeper trucks and pressure washers to remove any waste materials from the runway before flight operations began.

Failure to do this would have led to costly fines for Penhall, but more importantly, may have caused potential dangers for pilots and passengers as the drying slurry turned to dust and blew across the runway.

Construction trade shows are also adopting a green approach. The annual World of Concrete exhibition in the U.S. features a greensite area, with exhibitors showcasing the latest green- build technologies.

The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA) recently held a green roundtable at the 2009 World of Concrete on the subject of slurry recycling. This event was linked to CSDA’s Best Practice

“The stockpile yard accommodated 213,000 tons of panels stacked on top of one another, sometimes as high as 13 panels. This concrete can be recycled into a vast amount of material for later construction.”

—Gary Johnson of Penhall Company

CSDA-BP-001—Slurry, and focused on water and slurry collection, disposal and recycling with a goal to develop ideas for managing concrete slurry and address industry and environmental concerns.

By having industry professionals discuss various topics on slurry recycling, together with representatives from companies such as Slurry Solutions, Alar and Liebherr providing their input, the association was able to acquire useful information on how contractors are dealing with this element of their work. These companies are responsible for the production of slurry presses and water pollution control and filtration equipment, and have already assisted CSDA members like Quality Saw and Seal of Illinois to recycle wastewater while providing them with substantial savings on their disposal costs. In addition, some new ideas from manufacturers were discussed that may provide smaller contractor companies with more cost-effective alternatives for recycling their waste material. A transcript of the slurry recycling roundtable held at World of Concrete 2009 has been produced, and CSDA members can access this information via www.csda.org.

The recycling of concrete and other waste materials has globally become one of the most talked about issues in the construction industry. With heightened concerns over the ecological impact of the construction and renovation industries, together with increased regulation and implementation of tougher fines by state and federal governments, many contractors feel as though recycling is now at the top of their agendas when preparing for a job. It has never been a more appropriate time to help turn concrete in the sawing and drilling industry from gray to green.

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT WWW.CSDA.ORG/FORUM.cfm

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A Groovy Kind of Job

Laying Down Tracks for the Honda Musical Highway

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n Europe, perhaps more so than in the United States, companies who advertise on television have developed extremely clever and memorable advertising. Like many multi-national automobile companies, Honda is known for coming up with

highly entertaining ads.

From using their individual car parts to create a domino

effect, or by using a human choir to recreate the noises of their vehicles (you can find these, and others, on websites like Youtube), this car maker has created ads that get people talking. Their latest idea was no different.

The team from Torrance, California-based American Honda wanted to create a musical highway using rumble strips and they wanted their Honda Civic to play a musical score as it traveled over the strips. Rumble strips are the rough patches of road that make a loud noise to wake motorists up if they veer outside a lane. The concept had already been successfully realized in countries like South Korea and Japan; however this would be the first musical highway of its kind in the U.S.

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concrete openings | 1 1

Did You Know?

RPA of Santa Monica, California, was hired by Honda to create a television commercial featuring the musical highway and the location, a quarter-mile stretch of road in Lancaster, California, was chosen. Pauline East, the Antelope Valley Film Office’s liaison said that the location was picked after Honda said it wanted a sense of community and city lights from one angle and a feeling of openness from the other. RPA heard about CSDA member Austin Enterprise through other road contractors and from employees at the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The contractor performs a lot of work for Caltrans on highways and on airport runways creating rumble strips. Many employees of Caltrans knew Ty Conner of Austin Enterprise because of Austin’s largediameter saw blades and grinding heads, and Austin Enterprise was approached to cut the grooves.

A musical score was translated into a series of strips and the Honda Civic, traveling at a speed of 55 miles per hour, would produce the series

Rumble strips

of vibrations and “hum” the score. The concept was similar to a record

Roadway departments all over the world have spent years experimenting with various devices and measures to guard against accidents while maintaining driver safety. Some are designed to reduce traffic speeds or ease congestion while others are installed with the intention of keeping correct road position or providing hazard warning notifications.

Audio tactile profiled markings, or rumble strips, are a safety feature that warn drivers of potential dangers or deviations on roadways. They do this by causing vibration and audible rumbling when a car travels over them. These vibrations are transmitted through the wheels into the main chassis of the vehicle, and together with the noise produced, alert off the roadway.

Rumble strips were first implemented on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey in 1952. Also known as singing shoulders, they provided an alert system to prevent the ever-increasing problem of drivers straying from the roadway. Since this time, research has shown that rumble strips are a highly effective way

Austin Enterprise operators grooved all night long.

of reducing many types of accidents and they are cost effective as well. The effectiveness of rumble strips has remained consistent

player needle gliding across a vinyl LP. Seven notes were required to cre-

over time, while other road safety measures studied at specific

ate the music for the song that had been selected. Although the notes

installations have often shown a decline in their effectiveness

were repetitious, they were different in that they had varying durations

as drivers become accustomed to them. Cost-benefit analysis

of the note. Varying lengths of blank spaces were also inserted to create

have shown that even on relatively low-volume roads, the costs

the rest of the music. Small blank spaces were used to give definition to

associated with creating rumble strips are quickly exceeded by the

each note. Larger spaces were inserted to maintain the beat of the song.

economic benefits of improved road safety.

Mathematical musicians made the calculations for the notes after three

Rumble strips are usually applied in the direction of travel, along an edge or centerline, to alert drivers when they are drifting

days of test cutting.

It was determined that three factors affected the making of the note:

from their lane, or across the direction of travel to warn drivers

depth of groove, width of groove and spacing between grooves. Just

of a nearby danger-spot. These strips are created by scalloping or

one incorrect calculation and groove would make a big difference in the

grooving a section from the concrete or asphalt roadway using

music that the production company was hoping to create. According to

diamond cutting equipment in a regular pattern. Alternative types

Conner, “Sometimes rumble strips produce too much vibration and noise

of strips can be created by forming raised sections or by adding

and I’m called to try and reduce the noise.” He added, “This was one job

thermoplastics or cold-applied plastic round or rectangular bumps.

that was actually fun in that I was called to create noise. Watching Park

Certain types of raised rumble strips also have reflectors built into

Pictures produce the commercial was a trip as well.”

the edge to increase driver visibility. Round raised rumble devices

This job had some interesting challenges. The 0.5-inch-deep grooves

are sometimes referred to as Bott’s dots. Whether alerting drivers

made transverse to traffic across the 12-foot-wide lane varied from 0.5

or creating music, rumble strips get the job done.

to 1 inch in width, with a tight tolerance of 0.05 inches. Great care was

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The width, depth and spacing of the grooves had to be exact.

also taken to make sure the sections of road in between the cuts were

There was a brief moment of panic for Conner and his operators,

the correct width. “The spacing in between the notes was really impor-

as they wanted to be the first to try out the musical highway. They pro-

tant,” said Conner. “The spacing of the strips had to be specific to get

ceeded to travel over the series of rumble strips in a 20-foot truck. The

the right length of note as well as the right tempo,” added Conner. In

size and weight of the truck traveling over the grooves did not exactly

addition, the cutters and the production team had to deal with the heat

produce sweet music, and the cutting team was worried that the project

of the California sun which caused the surface of the asphalt pavement

would not be a success. However, once the production crew from Park

to soften. This, in turn, caused some distorting of the grooves so the

Pictures traveled over the strips in the test car, the team’s fears were

operators completed a portion of the work at the night.

allayed as they heard the excited shouts and screams of the crew, as it

Austin Enterprise used a Meco 72-horsepower diesel groover with

was clear that the cuts were correct. The project had been a success.

a 24-inch head, together with a 35-horsepower gas groover with a

The stretch of highway in Lancaster soon became an extremely

16-inch head to make the grooves. A full day was taken to configure the

popular section of road, but not for some local residents. Residents

grooving heads prior to commencement and 12-inch Diamond Products

complained about the weird noise coming from the road as well as the

blades were used with various width spacers. Five operators completed

increased volume of traffic in the area. In addition, some motorists were

the cuts over three days and eight-hour shifts.

making illegal U-turns or traveling over the strips in reverse, causing

The result? Well, for those that haven’t yet seen the advertisement, the musical highway plays Gioacchino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture,” more commonly known as the theme tune to the “Lone Ranger” TV series.

safety concerns. Mark Bozigian, City Manager for Lancaster, made the decision to repave the road to avoid any accidents.

This, too, proved to be an unpopular choice. “I was not a well-liked man,” said Bozigian, who had to deal with approximately 500 complaints about the removal of the strips. He then made the decision to

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concrete openings | 1 3

Operators created 0.5-inch-deep grooves of varying widths over a 0.25-mile stretch of road.

reproduce the strips in a less populated area that would not cause as much disruption. Despite this setback, the city of Lancaster was pleased with the exposure provided by having it’s name and logo included in the commercial, “You can buy that kind of advertising, but not on our budget,” added Bozigian.

Patti Austin of Austin Enterprise, was also pleased to have been involved in such a unique job, “Our operators were overjoyed to hear that it was a success, and we are proud to have been a part of it.”

Watch for the ad that begins with the cutting work taking place,

Company Profile

Austin Enterprise has been a CSDA member since 2005.

Based in Bakersfield, California, the company employs ten operators and offers services such as wall sawing, slab sawing, core drilling, demolition and highway and airport grooving and grinding.

followed by two fellows getting into the car. From there, the ad is shot

Resources

from the inside the car by a camera mounted in the middle of the back

General Contractor:

seat, with a microphone that was placed in the trunk that records the

Park Pictures

sound produced by the tires. The viewer takes the journey from a pas-

Sawing and Drilling Contractor:

senger’s perspective, hearing the tune play out as the car travels along

Austin Enterprise

the stretch of road. There are three different versions of the ad with

Bakersfield, California

varying lengths, so it will take a sharp eye to spot the shorter versions.

A visit to the westbound stretch of Avenue G between 30th and 40th Streets West in Lancaster, California, might just be worth it for a ride along the Honda Civic musical highway.

Phone: 661-589-1001 Email: paustin@austin-enterprise.com Website: www.austin-enterprise.com Methods Used: Flat Sawing

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT WWW.CSDA.ORG/FORUM.cfm

1 4 | J UNE .09

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Cutting took place during non-peak traffic hours to avoid congestion.

The tollway plaza on completion of the project.

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Several of the islands had fallen into disrepair.

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Speeding Through the Toll But No Ticket for Cutting Too Fast!

The Illinois Tollway Authority has embarked on an ambitious retrofit of many miles of its roadways, including lane additions, shoulder widening and bridge upgrades. One particular element of these retrofit works that has perhaps had the largest and most impact has been open road tolling. This concept of toll collection allows transponderequipped vehicles to pass through collection camera stations without having to stop or pay a fee at the booth. Although this method has been embraced by many tollway travelers, there are still some who choose to pay the ‘old fashioned’ way. This, of course, requires the continued use of a toll plaza for manual and automated cash collections.

As part of the overall improvements, the Toll Authority felt it necessary to increase plaza lane safety. To this end, a change was recommended in the design of the islands that separate the tollbooths. A collapsible crash sled was chosen as the most suitable installation for the upgrade, meaning modifications to the existing concrete separator islands would need to be made. The existing 26-foot long islands measuring 3.5 feet at ground level and 2 feet high at the tallest point had to be reduced in length by 5 feet to allow for the sled-mounted collapsible crash barriers to be installed.

Time was of the essence, as each island scheduled for modification required two tollbooth lanes to be closed while the work was carried out. These lane closures add to traffic congestion and increase safety risks, so it was of the utmost importance to both the contractors and the public that the work was carried out quickly, but safely. Removal had to be completely flush to the existing pavement to allow for the installation of the steel runners for the sled. With all these factors to consider, concrete cutting with wall saws was the most appropriate method of choice. Diamond wall sawing would allow the cutting contractors to perform the required cuts with speed and accuracy without as much waste materials as other methods.

Chief engineer Randy Farmer of GFS Fence Company, the general contractor for the first phase of the project, chose the demolition design

The 26-foot-long islands were shortened by five feet for the retrofit.

tain level plane, preventing any downward drift that would produce an uneven connection surface for the new equipment. Hard Rock senior operator Steve Bingham noted that the nose portion of the island was heavily reinforced with multiple layers of reinforcing steel. With this in mind, operators had to be aware of this rebar and handle the cuts appropriately, as the cuts could not be moved to avoid any parallel reinforcing steel in the cut lines.

Another concern was the tunnel of the plaza design, and protecting vehicles and booths from water was a problem for the cutting team.

Spinning large blades, particularly on the vertical cuts, generated large quantities of airborne mist. In addition to the standard blade guard, operators positioned large plastic catch panels to minimize this concern.

The slurry generated by the cutting process was collected in 55-gallon drums and disposed of offsite by the general contractor. The cut sections were removed by rigging and loading onto waiting trucks. This quick process was scheduled during off- hours, allowing lanes to open during high traffic hours.

submitted by Hard Rock Concrete Cutters of Wheeling, Illinois. This method, designed by inside sales associate Jim Sowa, called for Hard Rock to make two 5-foot cuts, 24 inches deep, flush to the ground, with over cuts permitted into the remaining wall. Due to the weathered and damaged condition of the islands, Hard Rock was required to mount on concrete road pavement. Care had to be taken when cutting to main-

w w w. CS D A. ORG

concrete openings | 1 7

Both Hard Rock and the general contractor remained conscious of the environment throughout the course of the work, and were careful to reduce dust and debris to a minimum. The diamond cutting techniques employed resulted in less fuel consumption, plus less fuel consumed by the traveling public due to reduced lane closures and traffic backups.

As a result of this value-added engineering, the general contractors and the Tollway Authority enjoyed thousands of dollars in savings.

In total, the cutting contractor removed 75 tons of concrete throughout the course of the two projects, cutting 350 linear feet in the process. By utilizing diamond cutting techniques over the tollway’s original plan, an additional 200 tons of concrete debris and waste material was eliminated.

A second phase with Midwest Fence/Aretha Construction Group as the prime contractor was also awarded to Hard Rock Concrete Cutters, based on their successful performance during the first phase.

The general contractor was more than satisfied with the accomplishSled-mounted, collapsible crash barriers were installed at the toll plaza.

ments of the Hard Rock team. “The Tollway Authority was extremely pleased with how quickly and neatly the job was completed, saving time,

Jim Russo of Hard Rock Concrete Cutters was confident of the cut-

money and added safety for the traveling public. Another example of

ting team’s abilities to complete the work ahead of schedule and within

how concrete cutting makes construction and demolition ‘cleaner and

budget, “We were chosen ahead of our competitors due to our aggres-

greener’,” says Karl Wilson of DLZ.

sive design and our access to multiple wall saw crews.”

The Illinois Tollway’s project engineer, Karl R Wilson P.E. of DLZ

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT WWW.CSDA.ORG/FORUM.cfm

Engineering Company based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, was pleased with the advantages gained from choosing the concrete cutting methods designed by Hard Rock. The obvious advantage was the sheer speed of the cutting. Original time estimates for the completion of the project were three months, however Hard Rock’s diamond sawing reduced the actual duration to just three weeks. To complete the job in just under a quarter of the originally scheduled time frame was a great achievement for the cutting team, and provides further evidence of the benefits of diamond sawing in the industry. Having the ability to complete a job with precision, safety and efficiency is always the main goal. However, a huge advantage is held over the competition when a job can be completed in a fraction of the time while maintaining these elements.

COMPANY PROFILE

Hard Rock Concrete Cutters, Inc., have been a CSDA member for 20 years, and are based in Wheeling, Illinois. The company has been operating for 22 years, and specializes in diamond drilling, sawing, and ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning. Hard Rock has 45 employees and carries out sawing and drilling jobs in and around the state of Illinois.

RESOURCES

General Contractor: GFS Fence Company, DLZ Engineering Company Midwest Fence/Aretha Construction Group Sawing and Drilling Contractor: Hard Rock Concrete Cutters, Inc. Wheeling, Illinois Phone: 847-699-0010 Email: jimd@hardrockconcretecutters.com Website: www.hardrockconcretecutters.com Methods Used: Wall Sawing

Cutting with diamond tools reduced time and waste.

1 8 | J UNE.09

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w w w. CSD A. ORG

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concrete openings | 1 9 CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 65

The crew performed several cuts of 15 and 50 feet in length.

2 0 | J U NE.09

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Concrete Cutting Helps Prevent Environmental Disaster With Diamond Belt Saw

N

orth America’s largest transportation network, the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), spans a 5,000-square-mile area fanning out from New York City

through Long Island, southeastern New York State and Connecticut.

Since the first New York subway opened in 1904, the transport network in the metropolitan area has grown exponentially. Today, the MTA handles on average over 8.5 million passengers a week.

With 422 bus routes, rail and subway lines, measuring almost 6,000

The MTA required access through 30 inches of concrete.

miles combined, the MTA has a massive undertaking in ensuring that the subways, buses and railroads provide New Yorkers with 2.6 billion scheduled trips each year in a safe and timely fashion. Any potential or actual problems have to be dealt with efficiently and safely, causing minimal disruption.

In September of 2008, the New York City MTA faced a unique environmental challenge at the Spring Creek Depot in Brooklyn. They needed to reach through 30 inches of reinforced concrete — not the expected eight—to fix six leaking underground diesel fuel storage tanks.

Seemingly out of reach, diesel fuel was leaking underground and mixing with seawater. Typically, MTA’s general contractor, The Franklin Company of College Point, New York, would have considered traditional demolition methods to gain access—a widely-accepted solution.

However, this was not a typical concrete cutting job. MTA policy prohibited such action above active piping and tanks out of concern for potential damage and rupture. Complicating matters further, the diesel fuel tanks were not only needed for this still-active bus depot, they were in a very public area of Brooklyn. The contractor and MTA realized that complexities like these demanded specialized skills and tools.

An operator programs the cutting parameters of the diamond belt saw.

Precision saws capable of cutting through 30 inches of concrete and rebar were required. The task also demanded the problem-solving skills of experienced craftsmen who could operate the saws and avoid creating

own diamond belt saw to cut approximately 700 lineal feet at a depth

dangerous vibrations, which could further damage the tanks. Existing

of 30 inches without having the luxury of drilling holes because of the

electrical wiring and piping surrounding the tanks further complicated

delicate nature of the oil tanks.

matters and required a careful approach.

The 8,000-pound, track-mounted diamond belt saw was chosen

MTA and the general contractor decided to call Indiana-based CSDA

because it can cut deep concrete without overcutting. In addition, the

member WF Meyers Company, Inc. to carry out this complex cutting

saw causes little disruption by cutting with minimal noise and vibration,

task. Project manager, Gary Hall, explained that there were three key

helping to maintain the structural integrity of surrounding buildings

prerequisites for successful project completion: special cutting equip-

and structures. The saw can produce fast cutting speeds of up to 200

ment, delicacy and project management skills.

square feet per hour, and cuts to depths of up to 16 feet. Water is used

“First, we felt our diamond belt saw would work extremely well

to flush out the cut, ensuring dust-free operation. Only one person is

in this application. While saw cutting, we had to minimize noise and

required to operate the saw, and this person is responsible for program-

keep the site environmentally safe, containing the slurry by sandbag-

ming the cutting parameters and monitoring the progress of the cut.

ging the work area. Essentially the team created a canal that moved

The machine stands six feet tall, measuring seven feet in length and

the runoff so that they could pump the water and slurry into a frac

34 feet in width, and is capable of cutting 2 to 3 inches of concrete per

tank,” Hall explained. “Don’t forget,” he said, “the work had to be

minute and 0.75-1 inch of steel rebar per minute, depending on the

performed while the bus garage still operated.” The company used its

depths of both materials.

w w w. CS D A. ORG

concrete openings | 2 1

The cut pieces were removed so that leaking fuel tanks could be fixed.

A total of 700 feet of concrete was cut over a two-month period.

Using a blueprint to avoid damaging the maze of electrical wires

“WF Meyers came in with the tools that were necessary to cut the

and pipes, the cutting crew guided the saw through the two layers of

thickest of concrete,” said Franklin Company engineer, Robert Laga. “We

concrete as it cut an area above each tank. The cut concrete now allowed

would work with WF Meyers again in a heartbeat. There was no other

access to expose the piping and tank sumps. WF Meyer used the dia-

way the job could have been completed as effectively and creatively.”

mond belt saw in delicate balance with a frac tank and mud pump to

Over the two-month period of the project, a total of 700 feet of

dispose of the water and remove the remaining concrete. They then

concrete was cut. The crew performed cuts of 15 and 50 feet in length

used a vacuum to detach pea gravel and stone from the site. This pro-

through 30-inch-thick concrete. Cutting speeds varied due to the location

cess exposed the complete tanks for repair and new seals and led to

and thickness of embedded rebar. On average, it took approximately

the replacement of all faulty and compromised piping.

2.5 hours to complete each 15-foot cut.

The biggest challenge faced by the WF Meyers crew was the cutting

CEO Ken Barnes said, “The Spring Creek job is a clear example of

of the rebar. Furthermore, the varied size of the rebar, typically measur-

how versatile we are and how our capabilities continue to extend fur-

ing 0.625 or 0.75-inch in diameter, forced the crew to adjust the pres-

ther and further across industries.”

sure of the cutting and perform the task manually. Although difficult, the problem was handled by the constant monitoring by the crew. The

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT WWW.CSDA.ORG/FORUM.cfm

only other delay encountered by the crew was when cutting needed to stop to replace worn saw belts. The crews always carried spare diamond cutting belts for such occurrences, so the cutting process was never shut

Company Profile

down for an extended period of time.

Founded by Willard F. Meyers in 1888, WF Meyers Company,

The saw used by the diamond belt saw for the cutting was pow-

Inc. joined CSDA in 2008 and is based out of Bedford, Indiana.

ered by a 75-horsepower motor, working off three-phase electricity.

The highly-advanced saw used for performing the cuts can be powered automatically or manually. However, in this application the saw was

Resources

General Contractor:

predominantly used manually by the operator. As cutting commenced,

The Franklin Company

it was noted that the saw cut faster when used manually, so the opera-

Sawing and Drilling Contractor:

tor was able to make quick adjustments when encountering thicker

WF Meyers Company, Inc.

concrete or rebar. The saw is typically slower when set automatically

Bedford, Indiana

because its parameters will not allow it to over-amp.

Phone: 812-275-4485

In terms of usage, the saw required approximately 50 to 75 gallons of water per-minute at 50 to 80 pounds of pressure. The crew ensured a constant water supply to cool and guard against premature wear of the patented diamond belt. As water feeds underneath the side of the belt through the hollow core guide bar, the diamond belt hydroplanes on the guide bar and avoids contact with any metal surface.

2 2 | J UNE .09

Email: contactus@wfmeyers.com Website: www.wfmeyers.com Methods Used: Wall Sawing, Slab Sawing

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© Saint-Gobain Abrasives 2009

sawing

with the

Fishes

Precision Underwater Concrete Cutting Aids Marine Wildlife

Minneapolis Concrete Sawing and Drilling cut and removed ice walls and pier noses with diamond wire sawing.

2 4 | J UNE .09

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A hydroelectric plant in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, was having trouble keeping fish out of its intakes. Alliant Power, owners of the plant, had to clean the intakes daily to remove the dead fish, along with any other debris collected by the trash racks.

only allow two of the eight generators to be shut down at once. Each

As separate efforts were being put forth to protect the fish, it was

ing productively. In addition, due to very low underwater visibility,

also decided that a self-cleaning trash rack would be installed along the

all underwater work had to be closely monitored and coordinated.

face of the piers, in front of the intake bays. In early spring of 2008, dur-

Divers would have to avoid any work in front of the running generator

ing a close pre-construction underwater inspection of the piers, it was

intakes because of the potential of being sucked into the trash racks and

determined that a section measuring 2 feet, 9 inches of the 3-foot-thick

trapped. To avoid entanglement, only one diver per bay was allowed in

pier nose would be removed and replaced from the base to the bottom

the water during the wire saw set-up. Underwater scaffolding would

of the existing ice wall (a total of 25.5 feet). New precast pier nose caps

have to be employed to get the divers to the right elevation. Air drills

would have to be installed for each of the 24 piers. With this addition to

provided by the general contractor were used to place the corner holes

the project, Alliant was willing to extend the amount of time needed,

for stringing in the wire.

and would allow the project to extend into another year if necessary.

generator has three intake bays and J.F. Brennan had other contract work in each bay, so wire sawing would be limited to one generator location at a time.

Special coordination efforts were made to keep all crews work-

The top cut of the 9.5-inch by 10-foot, 6-inch ice wall was 2 feet

Marine contractor J.F. Brennan won the bid and invited CSDA mem-

below the surface of the water. This cut consisted of one top 10-foot,

ber Minneapolis Concrete Sawing and Drilling (MCSD) on the project to

6-inch horizontal cut and two 9-foot, 6-inch vertical cuts, flush with the

carry out the cutting portion of the job. MCSD’s approach was to wire

piers. Special efforts had to be made to make sure the pieces that were

saw the ice walls and pier noses, then crane out the pieces onto portable

cut free did not bind, and could easily be craned out of the opening.

barges that were unloaded onto shore later. The power plant would

For the pier nose, the top cut was 11-feet, 6-inches below the surface of

New precast pier nose caps were to be installed at each of the 24 piers.

w w w. CSD A.ORG

concrete openings | 2 5

the water and the bottom of the piece being

a project plan and considered the various set-

removed was 37 feet below the surface of the

ups that would be needed to wire saw. It was

water. The tip of the nose on the piers was

decided that large jigs would speed up the

even with the face of the ice wall; therefore

process. J.F. Brennan would supply and man-

the removal was 2-foot, 9-inches back under

ufacture the large jigs and MCSD would sup-

the ice wall, and the top cut was flush with

ply the pulley fixtures and pulleys that would

the bottom of the ice wall.

attach to the large jigs.

Sawing the piers would consist of a

The jigs for the top horizontal cut on the

minimum of a top horizontal cut 2-feet,

pier nose were 45-foot I-beams that were low-

9-inches through the 36-inch-thick concrete

ered, two at a time, in front of each pier on a

pier, a secondary horizontal cut 3 inches below

generator intake. These jigs had scaffolding

the first cut to create a relief area in the pier

planks attached to them at the elevation that

nose, and a 25-foot, 6-inch vertical cut through

the divers had to work. Each of these two jigs

the 36-inch-thick concrete pier. No bottom cut

had adjustable pulley fixtures welded to them

was needed because the bottom of the pier

at a set height for the top horizontal cut. Two

nose had a cold joint at the base. Aside from

top cuts were made and then both jigs were

the wire sawing carried out, there was also

craned over to the next two pier noses. The

some miscellaneous wall sawing on the pier

jigs for the vertical cut were two 40-foot-tall

deck required to allow for installation of the

angle irons welded together with spacers and

new recessed grating.

wire guides to help provide a straight cut. At

Once on site, J.F. Brennan’s supervisor

the limits of the vertical cut there were two

Rodger Bean, MCSD’s operator Keith Barrow,

pulleys in series to provide for a wire stop. One

and project manager Rich White coordinated

vertical jig was placed on each side of the pier

Large jigs were put in place to perform the vertical cuts.

and the wire was sent down over the top and beneath the bottom pulley, then along the guides to the bottom limit of the cut where it was sent through the pier via an air-drilled

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The wire was then fed back along the complimentary jig around the back of the lower pulley and around the outside of the top pulley, and back to the wire saw. For picking the pier noses, the general contractor used a cable choker that was sent through an air-drilled

Locates the safest place to cut or drill.

horizontal hole approximately one-third of the way down.

For the ice wall, the jig for the top horizontal cut was a large L-shaped bracket that

Available in 16", 21" and 24" saws

bolted to the deck and ran along the ice wall with spacers to avoid cutting into the bracket

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2 6 | J U NE .09

hole to the bottom of the complimentary jig.

upon completing the horizontal cut. This jig had scaffolding planks attached to it at the elevation that the divers had to work, guides for the corner air-drilled holes, guides for the drill holes for the through-bolt anchors that secured the piece to the jig used for the vertical cut, and pulley fixtures that were set at the elevation of the top cut to change the direction of the wire from horizontal to vertical and send it to the guide pulleys on the pier deck. After the top horizontal cut was made, the jig was moved to the next ice wall removal area. The jig for the vertical cuts was then set

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Sections of the ice wall were craned out and removed from site.

An MCSD operator with one of the cut pieces of ice wall.

Pier nose removal at Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.

in place and bolted to the pier deck. This jig

weeks a second operator, Duane Bridgeman,

encountered, work proceeded smoothly and

had scaffold planks attached as well, and fixed

was brought in and used a Husqvarna CS2512

the entire wire saw portion of the project was

pulleys set to the width of the opening. The jig

wire saw. A 35-horsepower Longyear 360 wall

finished ahead of time. The overall project

was through-bolted to the previously drilled

saw was also employed to perform some of

took approximately three months to complete.

horizontal holes to securely fasten the piece

the cutting work.

to the jig and prevent the piece from fractur-

Apart from the delay caused by the flood-

ing. After the vertical cuts were made, the jig

ing of the lake and the high levels of rain

was unbolted from the pier deck and both the jig and the cut piece were craned out. The jig

REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE AT WWW.CSDA.ORG/FORUM.cfm

also remained bolted in place if the crane was occupied and the wire saw was moved onto the next cut. By using multiple jigs, the general contractor was able to get one jig ready ahead of the cutting team.

The process was running along so efficiently that six weeks into the project Alliant re-evaluated their original time frames and requested that all works be completed this year. J.F. Brennan called in more divers and

COMPANY PROFILE

A CSDA member since 1991, Minneapolis Concrete Sawing & Drilling is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company has been operating for 16 years, and specializes in diamond and wire sawing. The company has a team of 18 operators and carry out sawing and drilling jobs in the upper Midwest.

MCSD brought a second wire saw to the site.

RESOURCES

Early into the project excessive rain, coupled

General Contractor:

with the incident of Lake Delton washing out

J.F. Brennan

into the Wisconsin River, elevated the water

Sawing and Drilling Contractor:

levels enough to call off work for one work

Minneapolis Concrete Sawing & Drilling

day. During this time, flood gates were opened

Minneapolis, Minnesota

and all generator bays opened to lower the

Phone: 763-488-3721

pool head.

For the first six weeks, MCSD had one operator, Keith Barrow, running a Plattner GS180-30 wire saw, and for the remaining four

w w w. CSD A.ORG

Email: rich.white@mcsdcutting.com Website : www.mcsdcutting.com Methods Used: Core Drilling, Wire Sawing

concrete openings | 2 7

Simply the best.

2 8 | J U NE .09 CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 11

The Husqvarna® FS 6600 D 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 out of every cut.

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.). w w w.CS D A. ORG CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 11

concrete openings | 2 9

The Business of Business

Losing the Battle, Winning the War— For Talent

By Sean Taylor

P

rofessional sports teams often overpay and then struggle to integrate highly-touted free agents. During the last NFL offseason, one cornerback received a contract for one of the

highest amounts of money ever received for that position. Almost immediately thereafter, an article by a well-known sports writer stated that, “All the other free agent cornerbacks just got a pay raise.” Were those cornerbacks more valuable than in years past? Or, were teams willing to pay more just to keep up?

Like sports teams, battling for talent within the construction industry is not a new concept. However, it has been magnified by the labor shortage and the current economic troubles. Frequently, contractors hear stories about competitors passing through job sites trying to steal their top superintendent or project manager. This is a battle that very few companies can win. Just as in the sports world, the teams that acquire the best free agents do not necessarily win championships. In fact, the ones who actually win are the free agents. Project managers, superintendents, estimators, as well as executives, are receiving financial packages that are more competitive than ever before as an incentive to switch teams. As a result, companies are forced to raise compensation not just for new hires, but for existing employees as well. The cycle is endless. Companies will keep battling over free agents or stealing employees from each other, continually driving up the price, until one of them finds a better way to fight for talent.

Is it worth winning the battle if you lose the war? The New England

Determine Who to Keep and What to Reward

Patriots team would say no. They let go of several high performers

Contractors should look at employee performance management

because they refused to overpay to keep them. So, if they let good

in two ways, starting with the fit factor (a.k.a. core values). Do the

people leave, why are they still so successful?

employee’s values align with that of the organization? Does the

A few reasons:

employee have the integrity, customer focus and selfless behavior

•

They have a great leader who has the respect of his players.

that have made the company successful over the years? Does he or

•

They have assembled a nucleus of selfless players who are more

she get along? Measuring these behaviors is much more subjective

excited about team success than individual success.

than performance-based factors, but contractors should measure it

They continue to add veterans who are attracted by the previ-

nonetheless. In an industry where many companies are “just one large,

ous reason.

bad job away” from disaster, can anyone afford to have someone who

They continue to bring in young talent and leverage the expe-

does not show a concern for safety? How about being unresponsive to

rience of the selfless veterans, while prioritizing the mentoring

the client? How about image or integrity issues?

• •

process in their organization.

•

The second area to look at is performance. Performance factors focus

Their rewards are more focused around training, development,

on position-specific behaviors or results. Often when contractors measure

team accomplishments and incentive-based compensation.

behaviors, they ask, “Why not just measure the results?” Financial results

To summarize, the Patriots lost the battle to retain a few people

should not be the sole determinant of bonuses, because, as is commonly

looking for big guaranteed money, and invested their time and money

known in this industry, contractors constantly take the best guys and

in players that fit the system. This discipline has resulted in four Super

put them on the worst jobs. Bonus funding can come from financial

Bowl appearances (and three victories) since 2001.

results, but it just does not make sense to have individual performance

3 0 | J U NE.09

solely measured on it. Measuring specific behaviors, like conducting

offer key employees the opportunity to share in the success of the firm,

meaningful pre-job planning meetings, will have a noticeable impact

without actually giving up ownership. Some of the non-compensation

on the financial results.

areas that have been growing in popularity have a strong employee

While a contractor may lose the battle for that top free agent by

development or employee satisfaction focus. These programs range

refusing to pay an exorbitant base salary, focusing efforts on developing

from formalizing career paths to training/mentoring initiatives to

a multifaceted, meaningful approach to rewards will ultimately help to

establishing work/life programs. Best-of-class employers are taking a

win the talent war. Is paying a high price for me-first individuals worth

proactive approach to these softer areas that are of growing importance

giving up the ability to invest in:

to upcoming generations.

•

project manager or superintendent training to help reduce rework and control field labor costs?

•

milestone perks to drive labor productivity?

•

a deferred compensation plan to retain and reward existing superstars?

•

a performance management and incentive compensation plan to drive organizational performance?

•

formalizing career paths to show employees their long term potential with the company?

Gauge Your Performance

When done right, each of these methods drives employees to join a company, stay with the company and/or perform better for the company.

Communicating and Implementing A company could have the best rewards plan in the entire construction industry, but it will be completely ineffective if no one understands it. There can never be too much communication. Employees want to feel like they are working with a company that is doing whatever it can to give back to the people who are driving its success.

Regardless of the type of reward, communication is by far the largest opportunity to leverage a company’s investment in its employees. Let

There is no silver bullet to building a top organization or rewards

employees know what is being done for them and how they can succeed

plan. However, there are key areas that should be evaluated and

in the company. And don’t forget to praise them when they do succeed.

considered when deciding how to design a plan to win the war. The

To summarize, when thinking about paying a lofty price tag for a

most successful organizations are persistent in the evaluation of what

new free agent who was a star somewhere else, here are some questions

is important to their employees. An internal employee survey can often

that should be asked. Is there something else that can be done to

be used as an excellent tool to gauge such feedback. Contractors can

better attract, retain or motivate the type of people who will be a

use findings from internal surveys to gauge the importance of different

good fit for the firm? How do existing employees feel about the firm’s

rewards to employees versus the firm’s current performance as perceived

compensation and rewards package? Are there areas where internal

by employees.

improvements can be made to improve the current workforce, before

Develop Your Rewards Plan Successful organizations view base pay as a qualifier, not a differentiator. Just as many private contractors strive to differentiate on factors other than price to owners, a firm should do the same for potential employees. That said, compensation needs to be adequate to achieve a reasonable standard of living for that employee or all other bets are off. It is important to find a reliable benchmarking source to make sure the company is in-line with industry averages. The number of organizations with performance-based plans has increased significantly over the past five years. Contractors are attempting to move away from the discretionary plans of the past for several reasons: •

They would like employees to win with company, division, project or individual success.

•

looking at external hires? Should the company elect not to compete for the project manager demanding base pay in the 90th percentile? How can the company leverage these changes to be a more attractive firm and build a sustaining, winning organization? Become a complete firm, one that offers a variety of rewards, to satisfy the type of employees who are a good fit and perform in the organization. Invest in becoming the employer of choice. Lose the battle for that pricey free agent and win the war for talent.

Sean Taylor is a national practice leader of compensation for FMI. Taylor’s expertise in performance management and incentive compensation has provided significant value to his clients from an implementation standpoint, helping contractors reinforce the most effective performance behaviors that drive the company’s core values. Taylor can be reached at staylor@fminet. com or call 602-381-8108.

The carrot effect­—companies can use short-term incentives to drive desired behaviors or initiatives.

•

The twenty-somethings entering the workforce desire more clear performance expectations than in previous generations.

•

Formula-based plans provide defense against accusations surrounding inequitable compensation for similar positions.

Most companies also have a qualified plan in place (401k, pension, etc.), but more are adding non-qualified, wealth-accumulation vehicles as well. In a recent closed study conducted by FMI, 57% of companies surveyed had some form of non-qualified deferred compensation in place and 85% of those plans contained a simulated equity element.

Simulated equity (phantom stock, stock appreciation rights, etc.) can

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concrete openings | 3 1

Safety CountS

Safety Violations Could Cost You More Than Money— They May Cost You Your Freedom

By Mark A. Lies, II and Meagan Newman

I

t is no secret that under the Obama Administration, businesses

ties. The subcontractor was cited for twenty-five violations, including

can expect to face increased OSHA inspections, resulting in more

three willful citations, resulting in $271,500 in penalties.

citations and increased penalties. Businesses should also be aware

The incident also led to state criminal charges. The subcontractor,

that heightened enforcement of workplace safety regulations could

along with its abatement director and foreman, were charged with

result in penalties that reach beyond company monetary liability.

manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment.

Criminal sanctions for violations of OSHA standards are not new.

The site safety manager for the general contractor was charged with

However, referrals for prosecution of businesses and individuals where

manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment and

OSHA deems the violation to be willful are expected to rise in the

other charges related to false paperwork regarding the disconnected

coming the years. This article revisits some recent workplace safety cases

standpipe. While the general contractor was not charged criminally,

that led to criminal charges, and discusses the steps that companies,

they agreed to fund an independent monitor, approved by the district

safety managers and supervisors should take to reduce the likelihood

attorney, to oversee safety and subcontractor hiring procedures.

of criminal sanctions for workplace safety violations.

Construction Supervisors Indicted Following Firefighter Deaths

Homicide Charges Follow Crane Collapse A March 2008 crane collapse in New York City, led to the deaths of the crane operator, five crewmembers and an occupant of an adjacent

Unfortunately in August 2007, a fire at the former Deutsche

building. Following the collapse, the crane company and its owner faced

Bank building in Manhattan caused the deaths of two New York City

numerous OSHA citations as well as criminal charges. According to the

firefighters. The building had been badly damaged on 9/11 and it was in

post accident investigation, Rapetti Rigging Services, Inc. was hired to

the process of being taken down. Prior to the fire, a pipe connection to

erect a tower crane at a high rise construction site. William Rapetti

the building fire water standpipe system in the basement had been cut

was supervising a rigging crew in jumping the crane on the 18th floor.

to facilitate the demolition work. The firefighters responding to the fire

During this process, polyester straps that were being used as temporary

were told that the standpipe was working and they pumped hundreds of

slings snapped, and the steel collar slid down. This ultimately led to

gallons into the pipe, mistakenly believing that the water was reaching

the crane collapsing against the roof of an apartment building across

the upper floors. Additionally, asbestos contractors were supposed to

the street. The top of the crane, including the cap, was sent flying over

build plywood walls around the stairwells to contain asbestos dust.

the apartment building landing on a townhouse. The crane’s operator,

Instead, the contractors apparently sealed off the stairwells completely,

five members of the rigging crew and an occupant of the townhouse

causing the firefighter’s access to be blocked.

were killed.

Following the fire, the investigation revealed numerous, previously-

The regulatory investigation revealed that the slings that snapped

unreported fires and other safety problems at the building during demo-

had substantial pre-existing damage that should have been discovered

lition. OSHA cited the general contractor and the asbestos subcontractor

during an inspection prior to use. Furthermore, the slings had been tied

for numerous violations relating to fire safety, access, fall hazards and

without padding around the sharp metal edges of the crane tower,

electrical safety. The general contractor was cited for nineteen violations,

exposing the slings to damage. The investigation following the accident

including two willful citations, resulting in $193,000 in proposed penal-

also revealed that the manufacturer’s specifications were not followed,

3 2 | J UNE .09

stating that eight slings should have been used, in contrast to the four

for OSHA violations and will broaden the scope to include willful and

that were used, at the time of the collapse.

repeat citations that lead to serious injury or death. Currently the OSHA

OSHA issued multiple citations to Rapetti Rigging Services for failure

act allows for criminal penalties only where a willful violation leads to

to comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations for mounting

the death of an employee. The Protecting America’s Workers Act, as

the sling, totaling $220,000 in proposed penalties. In addition,

currently proposed, expands the scope of criminal liability to include

William Rapetti and Rapetti Rigging Services, Inc. were charged with

repeat as well as willful violations that not only lead to death, but also

manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and reckless

to serious injury. This would include amputations, disfigurement or

endangerment.

brain injuries. Additionally, these criminal sanctions can be applied to

Falsification of Records Leads to Large Fines Early this year, Stone and Webster Construction Inc., a contractor for the Tennessee Valley Authority, paid $6.2 million to settle charges related to falsified safety records. The U.S. attorney prosecuting the case claimed that Stone and Webster failed to maintain required safety logs and gave false information about employee injuries. Stone and Webster’s contract gave them a bonus for meeting employee safety goals. The prosecutor alleged Stone and Webster falsified the records in order to receive money under this bonus program. Between 2003 and 2006, it was alleged that they provided false information that underestimated the quantity and severity of employee injuries.

Conclusion It is imperative that safety professionals and managers understand that they are potentially at risk of having criminal charges files against them for safety violations—especially when those violations cause death or serious injury. Currently, OSHA laws allows for criminal prosecution by the U.S. attorney for willful violations that lead to the death of any employee. The offense is classified as a misdemeanor and is punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for organizations.

The Protecting America’s Workers Act, which was introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy, is to be considered for passage by Congress in

the company as well as individual managers, supervisors and employees.

Even now, absent a willful citation from OSHA or an injury that causes death, criminal sanctions are currently available under various state criminal codes. For companies and professionals, particularly those engaged in construction and demolition work, it is especially critical that means of ingress and egress are maintained at all times on the job site.

False statements to OSHA are also punishable as a misdemeanor under current law, and can be deemed a felony under federal law as obstruction of justice. This includes any false statement, representation, or certification in any application, record, report, plan, or other document filed or required to be maintained under OSHA. The offense is punishable by up to six months in jail and fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for organizations.

The cases discussed above represent a consistent pattern of conduct that will likely lead to criminal charges. In instances where recognized safety standards are ignored, manufacturer’s specifications are not followed or false records or statements are provided to investigators, criminal sanctions are likely. An era of increased enforcement and heightened civil and criminal penalties is upon us. Every business owner and manager needs to be aware of their safety obligations and make sure that operations are in compliance. If someone is injured or killed on your site, the penalty you face could be more than money—it could be jail time.

the coming year. This act increases the potential criminal penalties

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concrete openings | 3 3

Recommendations

with these legal obligations. This will thoroughly undercut any claim

In order to avoid potential criminal liability, employers and managers are encouraged to consider the following actions: •

by a prosecutor that there was any criminal intent by the employer or a manager to intentionally or willfully violate regulations, or expose

Confirm that Job Hazard Analyses (JHA’s) or similar hazard

an employee to the hazard of serious injury or death.

assessments are conducted for all expected work activities to identify hazards and develop a corresponding safety and health procedure or practice.

•

Confirm that the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is in place to protect employees against the hazard of fire and conduct drills with local fire responders to ensure that all fire protection equipment is functional.

•

Confirm that all manufacturers’ safety recommendations are incorporated in the JHA’s to ensure that they are followed for use of equipment, including cranes, slings and other devices.

•

Conduct periodic audits of all records, such as training records and certifications, that are required by regulatory agencies, including OSHA, to determine that record-keeping is being maintained in accordance with such regulations.

•

Discipline any employee who fails to comply with any aspect of their involvement in the foregoing activities.

•

Document their company’s steps to conduct the above actions, including its corrective actions taken when non-compliance is identified.

If the aforementioned actions are taken, the employer and managers can demonstrate that they are making a concerted effort to comply

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.

Meagan Newman is an associate with Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Newman’s practice focuses on environmental and occupational safety and health law and related litigation. She can be reached at 312-460-5968 or at mnewman@seyfarth.com.

DITEQ AND SHIBUYA 866-688-1032 DIAMOND TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

THE PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE When I’m up against a tough job I can depend on the DITEQ team for their quality products and their expertise. Our job was to cut a doorway through the wall of this turn of the century bank vault. The wall was 24” thick concrete reinforced with 3/4” square double mat rebar.

After coming out to the job, the DITEQ folks recommended the combination of the SHIBUYA TS-403 Stitch Drill and ARIX C-52 double pointed core bit. That combo worked like a dream. We got thru the concrete and rebar in no time and were finished well before our scheduled deadline.

DIAMOND TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Mike Iiams, Precision Cutting & Coring Leawood, KS

1250 NW Main • Lee’s Summit, MO 64086 • Phone 866-688-1032 • www.DITEQ.com Discover the DITEQ

Call for your copy of DITEQ’s new 2009 Catalog CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 76

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concrete openings | 3 5

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.

Four Steps to Efficient Core Drilling

by Jim Palmer

C

ore drilling can be an intimidating task if an operator is unsure of how to go about it. With all the unknown factors that can arise, it is difficult for an inexperienced operator to know what

they are getting into. A core drill, core bit, water hose, anchor, electric cords, wrenches and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are provided, and the operator is ready to go. But are they truly ready?

Core drillers often find it is not just about having all the necessary equipment to do the job, but that they have the training and knowledge to use the equipment safely and correctly to achieve the required results.

There are four easy-to-learn steps that all operators should bear in mind before starting to drill.

Water When drilling with a wet core bit, one of the most important factors is water. Many drillers think the more water used, the better. This is not correct. As the diamonds work on grinding away the concrete, water helps form concrete slurry by mixing with concrete dust and debris. This slurry helps the grinding process by not only keeping the core bit cool, but also making sure the diamonds remain exposed by allowing the bit to come into contact with particles in the slurry. Without enough water, there is nothing to create the slurry and the diamonds will continue to grind the same particles. Too much water, and all the concrete dust particles will wash away, leaving nothing to help keep the diamonds exposed. For best results, operators should apply water until the slurry begins to look like heavily-creamed coffee. This consistency proves to be the most effective when wet core drilling.

Anchor Proper rig anchoring is essential to insure a straight core. The best method of anchoring the drill rig is using physical anchors rated for core drilling. In addition, the use of proper tools and techniques to set the anchor will produce optimum results. Using a base vacuum is also recommended if applicable, providing the surface is smooth and the vacuum gasket is in good working order. It is not safe to use a vacuum

Many rigs also have a ceiling jack that allows the operator to shore the top of the mast up to an overhead area with a sturdy piece of wood. Never stand on a rig to hold it down, as this is an unsafe practice.

Standing on a rig causes a ‘ribbing’ effect on the core, and will eventually cause the bit to bind up in the hole.

Speed

base when drilling into a wall or ceiling. Always make sure that the

Setting a motor to the correct revolutions per minute (rpm) could

vacuum filter bottle is free of water or debris, as the presence of either

be the difference between grinding properly and glazing the diamond

will compromise the vacuum. A vacuum gage is recommended to ensure

segments. Diamonds perform optimal cutting at a predetermined surface

that you have a visual indication that an adequate vacuum is available

speed, therefore every core bit should be run at the proper rpm. The

for drilling.

smaller the bit diameter, the faster the bit should be run. These ratings

3 6 | J U NE .09

Bit Diameter (Inches) Recommended Speed (rpm)

1

2

3

4

6

8

10

12

14

18

20

24

36

42

3,200

1,600

1,050

800

530

400

320

265

225

175

160

130

85

75

are standard with almost all manufacturers in the industry. Many electric

Power

core drills have multiple speeds, so an operator is able to use different

In order to maintain the correct drilling speed, the operator needs

size core bits and operate them at the appropriate speed. The table

the necessary amount of power to do the job. The majority of core

above shows a range of standard core bits and their recommended

drills are electric-powered, and it is recommended that an amp meter

operating speeds.

is used when drilling with this type of core drill. Operators should look

With conventional brush type motors, as the motor current rises

to push the drill motor to its maximum rated amperage, but without

from feed pressure the rpm starts to drop. This causes a decrease in

exceeding it. Exceeding the rated amperage of the motor will result

surface feet per minute (sfm) and can slow the production rate of

in the motor becoming bogged down, resulting in lower productivity.

drilling. Therefore, an amp meter is a tool that can assist the operator

Operating the motor at a higher rate than its maximum amperage will

in getting the most out of a drill motor by maintaining a more constant

cause the internal components of the electric drill motor to overheat

rpm or sfm. Drilling should not be carried out above the rated amp

and wear prematurely. The same principles also apply when drilling

draw of the motor.

with a hydraulic motor. It is important to maintain the correct flow to

Induction type motors, that do not contain brushes, operate at

ensure the correct drilling speed is being maintained.

a synchronous speed (based on 60 cycles per second of the power

Core drilling can be a daunting task for a new operator, but by

source) and try to maintain that speed with a minimal drop in bit rpm.

understanding and following these four steps the operator will have

These motors will maintain a greater consistency of rpm for increased

the knowledge to core holes productively, while saving both time and

production rates. If excessive feed pressure is applied, these motors will

money. Always remember that safety is paramount.

also draw current until the overload protection device trips. An amp gauge will also serve as a useful tool when using these types of motors.

Hicycle_ad_rev5.qxd

10/29/2007

7:59 PM

Jim Palmer is the marketing manager for Diamond Products, based in Elyria, Ohio. Palmer can be contacted at 800-321-5336 or by email at jpalmer@ diamondproducts.com..

Page 1

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CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 8

concrete openings | 3 7

Insurance CornER

Pre-Task Planning

By Bill Crimmins

M

any owners and operators travel to job sites believing that

Pre-task planning is the process of reviewing each project or task

they have seen and done it all, only to be confronted with

in advance of the work, to ensure that workers are prepared to carry

an unusual situation. Perhaps an unexpected safety hazard

out the task in an efficient and safe manner. The task or project size is

presents itself, or the right safety equipment is not available for the job.

irrelevant. Each project presents a unique set of parameters. Therefore,

Unfortunately when these scenarios occur, it can be common for work

pre-task planning must be completed consistently on each jobsite,

to continue regardless of the risks.

regardless of size or complexity. When applying this process to small

On completion of the job, some managers and operators experience

projects, an abbreviated process may work. However, the challenge is not

the realization that they have been lucky that no one was injured. In

to overlook hazards or to have the employees rubber stamp the process.

addition, they realize that they were lucky not to have been visited by a

The pre-task planning process should ideally start with the bidding

compliance officer. Some owners have had the unfortunate experience

of a job. Frequently someone involved in the bidding process visits the

of having to visit a job site where an employee has been severely injured,

jobsite in order to get a first hand look at the scope of the project.

and have left the site wondering how could this person have missed such

During this visit, hazards should be reviewed and addressed in the bid

a seemingly obvious hazard. This isn’t because the crew has been poorly

to ensure the project is estimated correctly.

trained about safety on the job or because they don’t care. Rather, these employees have not thought ahead.

For example, if employees are required to be tied off for the entire project, what types of attachment points will be available? If drill-in

When asked about the reasons why they chose to work in this

anchors are to be used, verification of quantities will be needed and

manner, responses from employees have included comments about the

any hazards such as post-tensioning or electrical hazards should be

inadequate provision of safety equipment by the employer, or in some

communicated. Once the site has been evaluated, the hazards should

cases no equipment supplied at all. Others have mentioned the lack of

be documented and kept with the job paperwork.

necessary tools or inadequate time to complete the job safely. However

If the bid is successful, the crew should review the project paperwork

during a period of investigation, employers have said the exact opposite,

before leaving the shop to ensure that the necessary equipment is

stating that they do provide the right tools for the job and do plan for

available. When the crew foreman sees that drill-in anchors are

safety. Well-stocked supplies of necessary equipment have been found

recommended, the foreman should be prompted to either obtain the

back at the shop, together with a manager who is wondering why their

anchors or ask the appropriate questions so that proper anchors will

employees believe they don’t have access to this equipment.

be available.

All of these situations can be avoided with one simple procedure—

If the bid was selected without a site inspection, pre-job planning

planning. If these situations sound familiar, pre-task planning should

should be done before the job commences. In this case, a foreman

be considered as a priority.

3 8 | J U NE .09

should be provided with the means to obtain anchors or a substantial

the event of an incident, the document serves as a guide to understand

supply should be carried by the crew to the job site. In either case, the

the thought process of those on site before the incident occurred. Many

method of how the crew is supplied with the necessary information or

employers overlook the requirement to periodically inspect their work

supplies should be emphasized and managed.

site, so an added benefit of adhering to this process is that it may achieve

While the process of pre-task planning may start well before the project, much planning needs to happen when a crew reaches the job

OSHA compliance, as it verifies that a member of management and the foreman have inspected the work area.

site. A brief review of site conditions should be made. The foreman

The process of implementing pre-task planning starts with

should complete a basic evaluation or checklist of key elements that

commitment from management. As with any process, a lack of support

may aid in an efficient and safe project. Items that should be included

from management will result in failure. Sawing and drilling companies

in this evaluation include the types of saws or tools planned for the job,

often make a significant effort to obtain good clients, but may stop

personal protective equipment required, the need for fall protection,

short in making significant efforts to make sure their employees are well

traffic and traffic control, aerial lifts involved and other workers on the

prepared. Pre-task planning can impact the bottom line of a company

job site. Other conditions to review include live electrical, fall exposure,

in many ways. Proper planning may decrease the number of injuries

traffic conditions, confined spaces or the presence of pedestrians.

that occur, resulting in lower insurance costs, increased productivity and

Hazards like these make up the bulk of site-specific concerns, and

improve internal communications. All of these outcomes can improve

should prompt the crew to take a closer look.

the performance of any company.

Once all hazards have been identified, a review to ensure they are controlled should be completed and documented on the pre-task planning checklist and everyone who will be on the job site needs to sign off on this checklist. While this would, at first, appear to be cumbersome, once the practice is put in place, it should not require a significant amount of time to implement on each site as employees

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

become increasingly familiar with it. The benefits of this process is to have a crew that understands the hazards specific to that site and avoid costly delays, injuries or citations that may occur by not properly addressing these issues.

When the project commences, the paper work generated in the pretask planning process should be collected and periodically reviewed. In

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concrete openings | 3 9

Industry Bits Warren Retires After Fifty Years Jim Warren has retired from Diamond Products. After a career spanning fifty years in the diamond tool industry, Warren says “Diamond blade salesmen never die, they just fade away.” Warren started his career in Greenville, South Carolina with Clipper Manufacturing. After seventeen years in sales, he moved to Robert G. Evans Company, manufacturer of the Target brand saws and blades and in 1986 became vice president of sales and marketing for Diamond Products. He has been a long-time supporter of the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association and has served on the Board as well as many committees. He and his wife, Carolyn, make their home in Anderson, South Carolina.

Green Concrete Saw from Diamond Products

Western Saw Introduces New Rolling Capabilities On Large Diameter Tubes

Diamond Products is pleased to announce a new Core Cut CC150-EE early-entry walk-behind saw. Features of the CC150-EE saw include a 4.8-horsepower Honda GX-160 engine and a patentpending skid plate adjustment mechanism that lasts the life of several blades. There is no need for adapters either.The CC150-EE uses a 6-inch blade with a 1-inch arbor. The saw has a mechanical blade depth control with a 1-3/16-inch maximum cutting depth and has two front polyurethane, non-marking wheels for greater stability. For more information, call 800-321-5336 or visit www.diamondproducts.com.

Western Saw expands its range of large diameter tubes by offering rolled tubes from 9 to 30 inches in diameter in wall thickness of 0.120, 0.134, or 0.187 inches. Lengths go up to 300 inches. In addition, large diameters from 31to 96 inches are also available in wall thickness of 0.120, 0.134, or 0.187 inches and lengths of up to 120 inches. All of the company’s large diameter tubes are available with standard welded adapters, inner rings and Western Saw’s patented lightweight spokeback inner ring system. For more information, call 800-388-7297 or visit www.westernsaw.com.

ICS® Unveil Diamond Wire ICS® has introduced a new high quality wire to complement their line of professional concrete chain saws, diamond chains and accessories.

The 10.5-millimeter wire uses 12 diamond-impregnated beads per foot along with vulcanized rubber injection over a spring composition to hold the beads in place and protect the wire cable from abrasion. The combined effect of this engineering is faster and more consistent cutting

4 0 | J UNE.09

over the life of the wire than electroplated wire can deliver, along with a lower cost per square foot of cutting. Compatible with commonly used wire connectors, ICS diamond wire is available in convenient 50-foot and 100-foot lengths as well as custom orders in continuous lengths. For more information, call 800-321-1240 or email joet@icsbestway.com.

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concrete openings | 4 1

First Brokk 260 in America Interstate Sawing Company, Inc.

Brokk 260 Weight: 6,724lbs Height: 60.2in Width: 47.2in Reach: 19ft Breaker: 1000ft.lbs Power:22kW

In 1996 Duke Long founded Interstate Sawing Company, Inc. after twelve years of concrete cutting. Selling almost everything they owned, Duke and his wife Sandi, started off as a “one man-one truck” operation working out of their garage.

Sandi managed the phone and office while Duke spent long days out in the field cutting concrete. The hard work soon paid off.

Today Interstate Sawing operates a fleet of 26 fully equipped trucks from their own 22,000 square foot facility in scenic West Bend, WI. Duke always believed in using only state of the art techonology to provide the best possible service for his customers.

Having tested another new “Brokk like” robot, Duke decided to invest in another Brokk, making it his fourth (B50,B90,B180,B260) in eighteen months. Duke recognizes Brokk’s excellent service and support and says “100% of the time Brokk has either gotten us back up & running over the phone or replacement parts were here next day”. In tough times, we fall back on what is already proven and established.

Brokks more than thirty years in business, does make a difference. Interstate Sawing has received many recognitions including: Equipment World’s Contractor of the Year in 2005, Small Business Times Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006, and MCISC Perfect Safety Award for 2007.

Duke is proud of the fact that in a declining economy he is still able to invest in superior new technology to get an edge on the competition.

Office: 800.572.9626 www.Interstatesawing.com CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 9

www.brokkinc.com

INDUSTR Y

B ITS

DITEQ Release ARIX Core Bit

Electric Slab Blade Series from Dixie Diamond

DITEQ introduces the ARIX C62AX wet core bit, the first core bit to utilize ARIX precise diamond arrangement technology. In field use, ARIX products typically deliver 50% faster cutting speeds with 30% longer blade life. The technology involved enables each diamond to be precisely arranged throughout all dimensions of a segment. Each diamond is provided an uncompromised support structure that ensures it will emerge in the proper place, at the proper time to provide maximum cutting speed and performance while vastly improving life span. The ARIX core bit cuts heavy steel, hard aggregates, river gravel, granite, quartz and similar materials. C62AX bits range in size from 2 to 14 inches and have a diamond depth of 0.354 inches. The 2- to 6-inch bits are laser welded while the 7-inch and above have brazed segments, designed to be used wet. For more information, call 866-688-1032 or visit www.diteq.com.

Dixie Diamond Manufacturing announces their new electric slab blade series. The blades are designed for 10- to 50-horsepower electric saws and have a 0.450-inch segment height for extra long life. The blades for the 10- and 20-horsepower saws have a split segment design, while the blades for the 30- to 50-horsepower saws have a solid segment design. With the increase in use of electric saws, Dixie Diamond Manufacturing has recognized the need to engineer a product line exclusively for these types of saws.

All of these blades are manufactured in the Dixie Diamond plant located in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. For more information, call 770-921-2464 or visit www.dixiediamond.com.

Star Diamond Tools, Inc. Devise Slurry Trap The Slurry TrapTM is a 20-gallon closed system that vacuums concrete or asphalt slurry, traps it in a filter bag and then pumps the filtered water back to the bit or blade for cooling. This significantly increases sawing and drilling productivity by not having to source water or empty vacuums filled with slurry. The Slurry TrapTM separates solids and liquids for compliant disposal. The patented filter bag traps up to 100 pounds of solids, and the remaining water can stay in the closed system or be neutralized and disposed of. The Slurry TrapTM enables the contractor to carry less water, save on labor, use less fuel, increase productivity and reduce disposal costs.

For more information, call 800-282-6470 or visit www.stardiamondtools.com.

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Sensors & Software Announce GPR Training Courses Sensors & Software is committed to advancing the skill level of all GPR users and announces 2009 training courses. GPR concepts are introduced over three days of intense instruction in July. The first day reviews the fundamentals of GPR and the instrumentation involved. A field school at Canadian Forces Base Borden (a GPR research site) on the second day focuses on providing students with practical experience. The third day provides an overview on how to process the GPR data to obtain desired results. During the rest of the year, a series of one-day training seminars are hosted at the head office in Mississauga, Canada, for customers specifically interested in concrete imaging or utility detection. For more information, call 800-267-6013 or email sales@sensoft.ca.

concrete openings | 4 3

Hilti HDMB Core Bits Used for dry coring of brick, concrete block and softer, abrasive base materials, Hilti’s HDMB core bits are available in diameters ranging from 1 to 6 inches, all with a 10-inch working length. The bits are slotted for maximum cooling to keep working under the toughest conditions. Designed for a 5/8- to11-inch industry-standard connection, Hilti HDMB core bits can be used with Hilti DD110-D,

DD130 and DD100 core drills as well as many models from other brands. The starting aid ensures an easy, precise start, and the balance of speed and service life helps ensure productive operation.

HDMB core bits replace earlier PM-D bits. For more information, call 800-879-8000 in the U.S. or 800-363-4458 in Canada or visit www.hilti.com in the U.S. or www.ca.hilti.com in Canada.

Pentruder, Inc. Announces Its Arrival

Multiquip and EZ Grout Team Up

Pentruder, Inc. will be an Arizona corporation that will office and warehouse in Tempe, Arizona, to service all of North America. Terry Martin will be the manager of Pentruder, Inc. With this investment in facilities and personnel, the company will be positioned to provide the customer with products, services and support that can be relied on throughout the life of any product. Pentruder and Tractive AB product research and development are also on tap. For more information, call Martin on 562-445-6429 or email info@tractive.se.

Multiquip, Inc. will become the exclusive distributor of EZ Grout equipment in the United States and Mexico. This new partnership will offer comprehensive masonry equipment solutions for customers of both companies. As part of the new agreement, current Multiquip dealers will be able to offer the EZ Grout product line, and all orders will be placed directly with Multiquip. For more information, call 800-421-1244 or visit www.multiquip.com.

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 1

4 4 | J U NE.09

INDUSTR Y

B ITS

Procontractor Supply Announce New Division Procontractor Supply is happy to announce a new division, ProScan, offering concrete scanning services. ProScan professionals can locate post tension cable, conduits, rebar, voids and slab thickness, and, in addition, have the ability to create 3D images for data recording and reports.

This new division is equipped for jobs of all sizes, and representatives can travel anywhere in the Southeastern United States from its location in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. The new division is headed by operations manager Sherry Wilson and senior technician Ernesto Mendoza. For more information, call 800-604-0088 or visit www.proscan3dimaging.com.

Diamond Systems, Inc. Introduce Feather CoreTM A new lightweight diamond core bit, the FeatherCoreTM, has been introduced by Diamond Systems, Inc. The new core bit weighs up to 30 % less than conventional steel-backed core bits, providing greater ease of use for operators and less strain on core drilling equipment. This decrease in weight also allows more usable horsepower from the core drill. Core jams can be released by the removal of the nylon back plate. For more information, call 800-387-2513 or email dsi@dsidiamond.com.

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 1

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concrete openings | 4 5

INDUSTR Y

B ITS

Wolverine Equipment Announces New Loop Saw

Vermont Concrete Cutting Celebrates 20 Years Service

Wolverine Equipment is pleased to announce its new Wolverine traffic loop circle saw. Traffic detector loops are cut quickly and cleanly with the W-60CC. This new saw features a 60-horsepower Deutz diesel engine on a heavy duty frame and can run 12-, 14- or 18-inch blades. Circular loops save time and money over conventional rectangular loops and provide superior signal recognition over any alternative method. The circle cutter will maintain a uniform depth over the entire cut, something that inspectors require and core drilling systems cannot always provide.

For more information, call Bill Darling at 561-994-2750 or email willydar@aol.com.

Vermont Concrete Cutting, Inc. is pleased to announce it has achieved the milestone of twenty years of service in the industry. In 1989, John Anderson, along with his son Douglas, realized there was a need in the area for cutting and coring concrete, a need they could fill.

This family-owned business, located in central Vermont, now has clients in its home state of Vermont and in surrounding states like Maine and New Hampshire. John’s daughter, Heidi, has been with the company for fifteen years, and recently another son, Todd, joined the crew. The company’s capabilities include coring, wall sawing, wire sawing, floor cutting, flush cuts and a new service of grinding and floor preparation. Anderson has always treated customers the way he would want to be treated, an ethic that has helped maintain a healthy client base during the past 20 years.

For more information, call 800-696-2326 or visit www.vtconcretecutting.com.

DITEQ ARIX Diamond Blades and Core Bits

THE PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE

866-688-1032 DIAMOND TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Brand New Look Same Great Blades!

Traditional

In field use, ARIX blades typically deliver 50% faster cutting speed with 30% longer blade life.

The secret is in ARIX technology’s ability to precisely arrange each diamond throughout all dimensions of a segment. Each diamond is provided an uncompromised support structure that ensures it will emerge in the proper place, at the proper time to provide maximum cutting speed and performance.

New! C62 ARIX Core Bit

DIAMOND TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

1250 NW Main • Lee’s Summit, MO 64086 • Phone 866-688-1032 • www.DITEQ.com Discover the DITEQ Call for your copy of DITEQ’s new 2009 Catalog CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 76

4 6 | J U NE .09

And because the support structure is not compromised by random-placed particles, it holds each diamond in place more securely to deliver vastly improved life.

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 4

CSDA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ACTIVITY

$525

$1,090

$810

$855

$1,375

$1,030

$1,285

$2,040

$1,525

$1,730

$3,295

$2,175

$4,420

$2,750

$5,495

$355

$2,465

*AFFILIATE: A person, firm, corporation, society, government agency or other organization providing services to the concrete sawing and drilling industry.

$130

4 8 | J U NE .09

$630

17reasons

to be c ome a C S D A M ember

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

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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 (IACDS) and works with other associations around the globe to promote concrete cutting and the use of professional cutting operators.

concrete openings | 4 9

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

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

Central Concrete Cutting, Inc.

Cut-Rite Concrete Cutting Corp.

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

Concrete Cutting Specialists, Inc.

DeAndrea Coring & Sawing, 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

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

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

east coast concrete cutting co., inc.

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

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

Hafner and Son, Inc. 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

International Drilling & Sawing, Inc.

M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring

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

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

K.C. Coring & Cutting Construction, Inc. 7240 Central Street Kansas City, MO 64114 Tel: 816-523-2015 Fax: 816-523-8493 www.sawconcrete.com

Pacific Concrete Cutting & Coring, Inc. 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 8539 Oliver Road Erie, PA 16509 Tel: 814-566-5555 Fax: 814-866-5555

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

Roughneck Concrete Drilling & Sawing 8400 Lehigh Avenue Morton Grove, IL 60053 Tel: 847-966-6666 Fax: 847-966-6577 www.roughneck1.com True-Line Coring & Cutting of Knoxville 1902 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, TN 37921 Tel: 865-637-2131 Fax: 865-637-1973 www.sawconcrete.com

CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 90

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concrete openings | 5 1

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

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.

North American Contractor

Overseas Contractor

Affiliate

Reciprocal Association

Ace Concrete Cutting

national contracting pty. ltd

EQ Consulting Services, LLC

National Demolition Association

Ted Callahan 715 49th St Marion, IA 52302 Tel: 319-447-0223 Fax: 319-447-0253 Email: tedcall@ccr.net

David Williams PO Box 184 Happy Valley, SA 5159 AUSTRAILIA Tel: 61-8 8383 7500 Fax: 61-8 8383 7045 Email: dw@natconpl.com.au www.natconpl.com.au

Construction FX, LLC

Frank Keeling 14204 Benson St Overland Park, KS 66221 Tel: 913-544-4485 Email: eqcsllc@gmail.com

Michael R. Taylor, CAE 16 N Franklin St Ste 203 Doylestown, PA 18901 Tel: 215-348-4949 Fax: 215-348-4949 Email: mtaylor@demolitionassociation.com www.demolitionassociation.com

Scott Mitchell 2162 US Highway 259 S Diana, TX 75640 Tel: 903-663-0185 Fax: 903-663-4318 Email: smitchell@constructionfxllc.com

DARI Concrete Sawing and Drilling

1993

1994

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1996

1997

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1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

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2007

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Jared London 421 Raleigh View Rd Raleigh, NC 27610 Tel: 919-772-4711 Fax: 919-772-4311 Email: jmlondon@dhgriffin.com www.dhgriffin.com

2008

Why I joined CSDA I joined CSDA in 2002, shortly after acquiring Pacific Concrete Cutters Ltd. Through my previous experience with construction associations, I knew the value of joining such a group.

Within a month of becoming a member, I was introduced to other concrete cutters and sales persons from around North America at a Canadian golf outing for CSDA members. By networking with fellow CSDA members, I have been able to draw upon knowledge and experience that has allowed my company to grow and expand. If a unique project comes along, I have a network of people I can contact to ask questions and figure out the best way to get the job done.

However, the association is not just about networking. I have sent staff to training courses and used the variety of publications provided in the day-to-day operations of my business. I have also attended several of the annual conventions since I joined, events from which I return with a whole host of ideas on ways to make my company better. CSDA is one of the best associations I have been involved with and I recommend any company, regardless of size, to join.

John van Dyk Pacific Concrete Cutters Ltd. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Email: info@concretecutting.ca

5 2 | J UNE .09

Calendar 2009 CSDA Summer Meeting

CSDA Estimating Course

World of Concrete 2010

June 17-18, 2009 Loews Coronado Bay Resort Coronado, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: pat@csda.org

November 10-11, 2009 St. Petersburg College Clearwater, FL Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: info@csda.org

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

Concrete 09

CSDA WINTER MEETING

September 17-19, 2009 Sydney, Australia Website: www.concreteinstitute.com.au

December 3-4, 2009 Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Bonita Springs, FL Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: info@csda.org

CSDA Fall Meeting

September 16-17, 2009 Portland Marriott City Center Portland, OR Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: pat@csda.org CSDA Operator Certification 201

November 9-14, 2009 St. Petersburg College Clearwater, FL Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: info@csda.org

2010 CSDA Wall Sawing 101

February 2-4, 2010 Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: info@csda.org

CSDA Board Meeting

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

March 2-3, 2010 Loews Coronado Bay Resort Coronado, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: info@csda.org CSDA Estimating Course

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

March 4-6, 2010 Loews Coronado Bay Resort Coronado, CA Tel: 727-577-5004 Website: www.csda.org Email: info@csda.org National Demolition Association 2010 Convention

March 21-24, 2010 The Mirage Las Vegas, NV Tel: 800-541-2412 Website: www.demolitionassociation.com w w w. CSD A.ORG

concrete openings | 5 3

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.

51

Advanced Cutting Technologies, Inc.

204-777-6588

ted@advancedcuttingtechnologies.ca

90

42

Brokk, Inc.

425-890-5534

henrik@brokkinc.com

9

Inside Back Cover

Diamond B, Inc.

562-926-8595

steveg@diamondbinc.com

7

5

Diamond Pauber srl

39-05 85 830425

pauber@diamondpauber.it

99

44, 45, Inside Front Cover

Diamond Products

440-323-4616

jpalmer@diamondproducts.com

1

15

Diamond Vantage, Inc.

816-268-8310

info@diamondvantage.com

80

35, 46

DITEQ Corporation

816-246-5515

bcoats@diteq.com

76

47 Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. (GSSI)

603-893-1109

thomasj@geophysical.com

4

37 Hicycle Motor Manufacturing, Inc.

503-824-6119

hicyclemotors@colton.com

100

28, 29, 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

37

James Instruments, Inc.

773-463-6565

angelicalarios@ndtjames.com

8

800-854-3281

stephen.m.anderson@saint-gobain.com

64

23 Norton Pro Diamond

26

ProContractor Supply, Inc.

770-287-8555

mark.procontractor@charter.net

19

9

Reimann & Georger Corporation (RGC)

716-895-1156

peter.kowalczyk@rgcproducts.com

46

34

Sanders Saws, Inc.

800-421-1244

sales@sanderssaws.com

—

41

Toolgal USA Corp

706-283-9556

iair@toolgalusa.com

17

55

Tractive AB

562-445-6429

terry@pentruderinc.com

50

19

Western Saw

805-981-0999

cole@westernsaw.com

65

5 4 | J UNE .09

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concrete openings | 5 5 CIRCLE READER service CARD NO. 50

Director’s Dialogue

Construction Certification Gaining Ground

Patrick o’brien Executive Director

M

uch discussion has occurred over the past decade on the

A few weeks later, I met with a group of executive directors for

value of certification. Many contractors would prefer to

construction associations of similar size as CSDA. Every association

avoid the extra expense, especially in these trying economic

has either individual or company certification programs in place or

times. Since certification in our industry is currently not required, it is easy

in development. The Small Association Group Executives (SAGE) are

to ignore it. However, contractors with a long-term vision have adopted

absolutely certain that contractors on any construction site, in the

the mantra to train and certify their employees and then use this accom-

future, will be required by federal or state regulations to demonstrate

plishment as a marketing tool against their non-certified competitors.

formal training in their craft. Because SAGE members are small in

CSDA introduced the Operator Certification program in the mid-

number of members compared with the huge construction associations

1990s and many operators have completed this training. Many who

that dominate the industry, we are investigating a joint promotion

came to this course felt they knew everything there was to know about

campaign to pool our resources and present a united front to the

cutting and they left realizing how much they had to learn. So we know

specifier community to promote certification.

that this training is important and that has tremendous value. But the

CSDA is also in the planning stages for a company certification

sawing and drilling community is a small segment of the construction

program that will incorporate materials from the current safety and

industry, and the requirement for certification has been overlooked for

training programs with existing construction safety requirements as well

sawers and drillers but mandated elsewhere.

as additional topics including risk management, minimum MOD levels,

Cutting contractors are required to have many different types of

insurance, documentation and audits. This plan is being developed

certification. Operators must be forklift certified; drivers DOT compliant;

by the Certification Committee that includes both contractor and

machinery operators must be licensed in hydraulics; Hazwoper training

manufacturer members.

is required for employees working at hazardous sites and OSHA requires

It will be far better for us, as an industry, to develop our own

a 10-hour course to access specific construction sites. But certification

certification programs that are tailored to the specific need of cutting

or any formal training program is not required for cutting contractors.

contractors. Otherwise when certification is mandated, cutting

I sit on the Board of the St. Petersburg College Corporate Training

contractors might be grouped with some other segment of the

Advisory Committee. At a recent meeting, the focus was certification.

construction industry that would not be a good fit. The CSDA Board

Virtually every segment of business already has formal training and

and committees are providing the leadership to put a program in place

certification programs or is moving towards it. My fellow Board members

that will help advance the profession of the cutting industry.

could not believe that certification of some type was not required for concrete cutters since they work on bridges, dams, nuclear power plants, airports and highways.

5 6 | J U NE .09

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A Groovy Kind of Job laying down tracks for the musical highway

The WS 440 HF Wall Saw.

Illinois Tollway Plaza Retrofit

Husqvarna’s WS 440 HF is setting a new standard for electric high cycle wall saws. The saw is based on a totally new technology, which gives the saw increased power for fast and efficient cutting. The powerful, water-cooled electric motor generates 17 horsepower to the shaft, despite the fact that the saw only weighs 55 pounds.

Underwater Wire Sawing at Hydroelectric Plant New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority Project

Husqvarna has succeeded in optimizing the weight/power relationship and developed a saw that is light and flexible but also powerful!

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.).

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