http://www.pdworld.com/document/PDi%205-2007

“Major changes at Allu” p. 32 VOLUME 7 • NO. 5 DECEMBER 07 - JANUARY 08

Association News:

Association News:

“Vienesse Whirl”

“Vienesse Whirl” page: 42

pages: 42 Reports: Demolition:

Brokk 180 and CC 420 operate together page: 40 Demolition:

The Fourth Emergency Service page: 46-47

“What a Journey” page: 12 Reports:

“Strong Foothold in USA” pages: 22-26 Reports:

Knowledge is Power...and Productivity pages: 28-30 Reports:

Cutting in Tornado Alley pages: 34-36 Reports

Increased Focus on Construction pages: 38-39

CONCRETE CUTTING FULL SPEED AHEAD

pages: 8-30

This issue carries the annual PDi Conrete Cutting Survey

CONTENTS PDi • issue no. 5 Nov 07 - Jan 08 • volume 7 Professional Demolition International Magazine Address: P.O. Box 786, SE-191 27 Sollentuna, SWEDEN

REGULARS Editorial 4

Upturn, downturn or no change at all?

Visitors address: Skillingevagen 14A., SE-192 71 Sollentuna, SWEDEN

Future for Sawing and Drilling Contractors

Phone:

+46 8 631 90 70

Business

Telefax:

+46 8 585 700 47

E-mail:

info@pdworld.com

6

Website: www.pdworld.com ISSN Registration:

CONEXPO Russia exhibition announced by AEM Bobcat Opens New European Plant

ISSN 1650-979X

Editor-in-Chief Jan Hermansson, Jan.Hermansson@pdworld.com

Don’t forget SAMOTER 2008

Assisting Editor Anita do Rocio Hermansson, Anita.Hermansson@pdworld.com

CONEXPO Asia 2007 Sets Records LaBounty inventor and entrepreneur, dies at 89

Editorial staff Editor Global: Mikael Karlsson, mikael.karlsson@pdworld.com Editor Demolition: Mark Anthony, mark.anthony@pdworld.com Editor Recycling: Heikki Harri, heikki.harri@pp1.inet.fi

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Editor North & South America Jim Parsons, jim.parsons@pdworld.com Editor Asia Pacific Silvana Wirepa, silvana@pdworld.com Editor Russia Andrei Bushmarin, andrei.bushmarin@pdworld.com Publisher Jan Hermansson

International Sales Offices Sweden, Norway & Denmark Contact the Editorial Office Phone: +46 (0)8 631 90 70, Fax: +46 (0)8 585 700 47 E-mail: info@pdworld.com Germany/Austria/Switzerland/ Liechtenstein/Finland Gunter Scheider GSM International Postfach 20 21 06 - D-41552 Kaarst Alma-Mahler-Werfel-Str. 15 - D- 41564 Kaarst Germany Phone: +49 2131 / 51 18 01 E-mail: gsm-international@web.de

© Copyright SCOP AB 2007

Diamond Vantage appoints new President and CEO

Knowledge is Power . . . and Productivity

ICS launches gas powered concrete chain saw

“Cutting in Tornado Alley”

D-Drill Six “Increased focus on construction”

Hellcat’s new CSN-3AH variable speed core drill

Demolition 46

Duro Ultra Shoxx Ticks all the boxes

The Fourth Emergency Service

Association News 42 50

SDA & OSHA alliance produce best practice for reducing silica exposure

18

New wallsaw blades from Hilti

20

Atlas Copco extends Bulk Pulverizer Range

32

Correction concerning the article about the global floor grinding industry pulblished in PDi 4-2007

Conjet to the rescue in tunnel fire repairs

NEWS VIC International announces first ’Green Spec’ dry polished certification programme Toolgal UK partner with major diamond supplies (MDS)

Major changes at Allu Extec Crushers Breeze into Scottish Windfarm

New solutions from Aquajet Systems

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FORCE4™, new diamond chain technology from ICS

New Top-of-the-Range Bobcat® Breaker

Nascars Kyle Petty keynote speaker at 35th anniversary convention of US Demolition Association

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15

Viennese Whirl

Hydrodemolition

The magazine PDI, Professional Demolition International is published four times per year with a worldwide circulation of 13000 copies. The annual airmail subscription rate is US$ 45. All subscription correspondance should be directed to: The subscription department, SCOP AB, P.O. Box 786, SE191 27 Sollentuna, Sweden. PDI is mailed by second class postage paid at Stockholm, Sweden.

Diamatic joins the Nimbus range

“Strong foothold”

Italy Romano Ferrario, Ediconsult Internazionale S.r.l.

Via Savona 97, 20144 Milano, Italy Phone: + 39 02 4771 0036, Fax: + 39 02 4771 1360 E-mail: milano@ediconsult.com

Rest of the world Contact the PDi head office.

Diamond Products introduces new Premium Grade Dry Hole Saw Diamond Core Bit

“What a Journey”

CSDA adds 21 courses to online training website

Australia/New Zealand/Asia Pacific/Korea/Japan Contact PDi editorial office in Sweden.

Diamond Products Keith Ripley promoted

Reports 12 22 28 34 38

ICS appoints two new managers Diamond Products unveils expanded concrete polishing tools and brochure

50 cm cuts in concrete lintels with eurodima wall saw with the new braxx control BC200

UK/Ireland/France/Belgium/ the Netherlands/Spain/Portugal M. Stéphane de Rémusat, REM - Europe Media Service Chemin de la Bourdette, F-31380 Gragnague, France Phone: +33 (0)5 34 27 01 30, Fax: +33 (0)5 34 27 01 31, +33 (0)5 34 27 01 34, Mobile: +33 (0)6 80 84 43 78 E-mail : sremusat@aol.com

USA & Canada Barnes Media Associates, Ray Barnes PO Box 140, Penhook, VA 24137, USA Tel: 434 927 5122, Fax: 434 927 5101 E-mail: barnesrv@charter.net

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Sawing & Drilling

40 48

BROKK 180 and CC 420 operate together

49

Conjet Robot 322 at World of Concrete 2008

Doosan Infracore completes acquisition of Bobcat

Special Survey

EDCO offers CONTRX Polishing Systems GDM introduces Turbo Air Power with new model 24GT Air Wall Saw

8

PDi Concrete Cutting Survey 2007: Flash back of 2007

Vibration testing by DTAS at OPERC ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008 •

PDi

3

Upturn, downturn or no change at all?

Words from O’Brien

Future for Sawing and Drilling Contractors In my last column, concrete surface pre-

Dear readers I am writing this column, as we are just about to enter a new year. And when I look

paration and polishing were discussed as

back at 2007 I must say that it has been one of the most exiting years for a long time for

an emerging new business service for

the concrete sawing and drilling, concrete floor grinding and polishing, demolition

contractors. That column resulted in a

and recycling industries. Although I live in a somewhat remote part of Europe and

surprising number of acknowledgements.

maybe do not have the full picture, I travel frequently and meet a lot of contractors

But is this a singular opportunity, or part of

from these industry segments. In my judgement there are promising signs from all over

a change in the future for sawing and dril-

the world for the industry sectors covered by PDi.

ling contractors?

As Europe and the Eastern parts of Asia are my nearest regions 2007 has been

Sawing and drilling with diamond tools

tremendous, in particular when it comes to continental and northern parts of Europe.

has been an established segment of the

After years of rather slow increase it is possible to recognise a significant change that

construction industry for over 50 years.

started some years ago and really accelerated during 2007. Contractors are now much

While there have been, and will continue

more interested and have the means to invest in new products and improve their skills

to be, improvements to the equipment and

in terms of methods. At the latest Bauma show there was a magnificent “smorgasbord”

diamond tool technology, the business

of new tools and equipment on offer. But what is the forecast for 2008? The strong

model has changed relatively little. Today

increase that we have seen during 2007 in Europe will probably slow down a bit. In

many of the entrepreneurs that helped

several countries the levels will remain the same and in a few others maybe decline a bit,

establish the sawing and drilling industry

but still from a very high level. My own opinion is that Germany will be one of the few

have retired and a younger generation is

markets in Europe that actually will continue to increase, as the country is still someway

looking to improve on past practices and

behind in terms of economical upturn within the building and construction industry.

create a better business model that will

And that is good news and a promise that the rest of Europe will more or less maintain

allow them to thrive in the competitive

its position.

construction environment.

Many building and construction projects have started during 2007 and many

There are several areas in which sawing

others are planned to start in 2008 and should provide a lot of work for our contractors.

and drilling businesses can change. First,

The US market is maybe a little bit uncertain due to several reasons and right now most

newer technology and improved

of all because of the private residential housing sector. But the American contractors

performance will result in performance

PDi has contacted do not yet show any signs of worry. And in March the US answer to

efficiencies to allow contractors to perform

Bauma, ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008 will take place in Las Vegas, plus the World of Concrete

far more work in a given time period. Newer

in January that plays an important role for the US industry every year.

technologies like hi-cycle power and

Finally I would like to thank all our readers, advertisers and other contributors for

remote control are lighter and more

a great 2007. I hope you enjoy reading PDi

powerful and diamond tools now last longer

as much as PDi staff enjoys producing the

and cut faster at lower unit costs. These

magazine. We have been publishing PDi

factors play a part in fully understanding

for 7 years and we intend to continue for many more years reporting about these inspiring industries and its participants.

the cost structure to ensure a bottom line profit.

But advances in the equipment and

ration and polishing, selective demolition and removal and ground penetrating radar are but a few of the value-added services contractors are considering as a way to grow their businesses. Adding such services helps the contractors provide customers with one-stop shopping. It also better utilizes a labor force to even out the inevitable ups and downs of the business cycle.

To maximize the benefits of new equipment and technology, contractors will need to depend on better-trained employees. Contractor are now realizing the benefits of safety and training programs to help provide operators with the tools to work more effectively and efficiently. Plus owners now have access to software programs and other management tools that can help them collect data on all phases of their business in order to analyze the information and make decisions about resource management to achieve greater profit. These activities will ultimately yield long-term savings from reduced loss time accidents, less downtime, improved profitability, improved employee retention and higher morale.

Today’s sawing and drilling contractors are learning from past and taking advantages of new resources and business opportunities to ensure that their businesses will thrive in the future.

tools need to be supplemented by other

Jan Hermansson Editor-in-Chief jan.hermansson@pdworld.com

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PDi • ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008

advancements such as adding services beyond the traditional sawing and drilling business to grow revenue. Surface prepa-

Best regards Patrick O’Brien President IACDS

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CONEXPO Russia Exhibition Announced by AEM The North American-based international trade group for off-road equipment manufacturers, Association of Equipment Manufacturers is to stage a new exhibition called CONEXPO Russia in response to manufacturers seeking improved opportunities to showcase their products and technologies to the growing Russian marketplace.

The inaugural show will be held between15-18 September 2008 in Moscow and will focus on construction, forestry and utility equipment and will be organised in conjunction with the Exhibition and Marketing Centre, a Moscow-based exhibition organiser of DORKOMEXPO. The Russian Association of Regional Highway Administrations (RADOR) has endorsed CONEXPO Russia. Russian manufacturer associations such as NEDRA are also endorsing the show and leading contractor associations, such as the Russian Builders Union and the Russian Builders Association, will be supporting this exhibition through assistance with educational programmes and promotion to their members.

Some manufacturers have already committed to exhibiting in the inaugural show and include Blount, Caterpillar, Chetra, FinvalStroy Company, GOMACO, JCB, Komatsu, KOMINVEST AKMT, Manitowoc, RemTechStroy, SZLK/Astec/RoadTec, SANY, Sermac Com-

pany, Techstroykontrakt (Hitachi), Terex and Volvo.

The new CONEXPO RUSSIA will be directed by the industry and for the industry, with a manufacturer led managing committee of exhibitors. This committee will guide the strategic direction of the show to focus on delivering reduced costs, improved return on investment and a high-quality event that meets the industry needs of exhibitors and attendees.

www.aem.org

Bobcat Opens New European Plant Bobcat has opened the company’s first newly built manufacturing plant outside the USA at Dobris, about 35 km southwest of Prague, to serve markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Together with the establishment of a design and engineering facility in Dobris, the new plant, covering an area of more than 20,000 m, will be used for the fabrication, welding, painting and assembly of Bobcat small

and mid-size compact loaders, mini-excavators up to 2 t and a variety of attachments.

The total initial investment of nearly US$32M includes a new training centre adjacent to the plant, with four rooms covering 380 m, a workshop, and outdoor training area covering 5,000 m. The new plant frees up manufacturing space in the Bobcat compact equipment plants in Gwinner and Bismarck, North Dakota, USA needed for production of large-frame loaders, the mid and large size miniexcavators, as well as new products, such as the Toolcat Utility Work Machine.

www.bobcat.com

Don’t forget SAMOTER 2008 Samoter, the three-yearly international exhibition of earth moving, site and building industry machinery will be held in Verona, Italy between 5-9 march 2008. Numerous activities are scheduled, including Samoter specials, press days, seminars and round table talks and

discussions bringing markets and companies closer together.

www.samoter.com

CONEXPO Asia 2007 Sets Records The CONEXPO Asia 2007 exposition held on 4-7 December 2007 at the Chinese Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou, China, was a great success, setting records for numbers of visitors, exhibition space and the number of exhibitors.

About 28,000 visitors from about 100 countries attended CONEXPO Asia 2007, which more than doubled in size compared to 2006, with about 450 Chinese and international exhibitors and more than 100,000 m2 of space.

The success of CONEXPO Asia 2007 reflects the construction industry boom in the Asia Pacific region. The next CONEXPO Asia will be held in 2009

www.conexpoasia.com

LaBounty inventor and entrepreneur, dies at 89 World War II, he served in the U.S. Army in the European Roy LaBounty - inventor, businessman, pilot and founder of and Pacific theaters. He began his work life wiring houses LaBounty Manufacturing in Two Harbors has died of and then went into the logging business. Eventually he started complications from a broken hip. He was one day short of his LaBounty Construction, a company that built roads 90th birthday. and bridges in Lake County and elsewhere. The comLaBounty, who learned to innovate and invent pany also built Two Harbors Municipal Airport. during his make-do-or-do-without farm upbringing, The success of the tools LaBounty invented and began LaBounty Manufacturing in 1973 after manufactured for his own business led to the designing and building a contractor’s grapple that can establishment of LaBounty Manufacturing. move heavy materials and quickly tear structures apart.

His interest in aviation was strong throughout his He built the grapple while running his construction buadult life. He was on the Two Harbors Airport Comsiness. From 1969 to 1972 he manufactured it in his mission from the time it began in the 1960s and maintenance shop for other contractors during the Roy LaBounty. continued to serve until the end of his life, his son winter.

Curt LaBounty said Tuesday. Roy LaBounty learned LaBounty Manufacturing assembler Chris to fly after World War II. Sauer of Two Harbors uses an air wrench to assemble In 1992, LaBounty Manufacturing was sold to Stanley hydraulic shears at the LaBounty plant in Two harbors, Minn.

Hydraulic Tools and the Two Harbors plant now is known as His inventions are credited with changing the demolition Stanley LaBounty. Roy LaBounty stayed on as a consultant but industry, providing safer, faster and more efficient ways to in 1995 retired from day-to-day operations. operate at lower costs. LaBounty’s mobile shears, LaBounty was a modest man, Curt LaBounty said. ”He’s introduced in 1981, brought the company notice from never been anybody to go out and seek recognition for himself,” the automobile and metal recycling industry. Pieces of he said. But others recognized him and his achievements anyway.

LaBounty Manufacturing equipment were made in Two In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Harbors and sold all over the world. LaBounty held at recognition as part of the University of Minnesota Duluth least 25 patents.

Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards. Last winter, LaBounty grew up on a farm in Two Harbors. During

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PDi • ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008

the Two Harbors airport’s administration building was named for him.

LaBounty also was a philanthropist. Although he never earned a college degree, ”he recognized the value of a good education,” Curt LaBounty said. He donated generously to the UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering and the Labovitz School of Business and Economics. He established the LaBounty Family Fund with the Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation, designating his gift for economic development-related projects for the Two Harbors area.

Although he was away a lot when his children were young, he taught them the value of hard work, Curt LaBounty said. ”Especially in his later years, he turned out to be such a nice person. ... He really is someone who had a lot of compassion for people,” Curt LaBounty said.

His family was planning a party for him on Sunday, a few days after his 90th birthday, which would have been today. However, he fell and broke his hip recently, had surgery and was a patient at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth. He was unable to recover from the trauma of the broken bones, according to his son. Roy LaBounty’s wife, Viola, died about 10 years ago. He leaves behind sons Curt and Ken and daughter, Linda, and their families.

Source: Jane Brissett Duluth News Tribune. Published Wednesday, November 21, 2007

PDi’s Concrete Cutting Survey 2007

Flash back of 2007 As usual the December/ January issue of PDi always carry the Concrete Cutting Survey which is sort of a summary of what has happened in the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Industry during the past year. Of course we are far away from covering everything but you, our readers, can help us with that by sending us as much information as possible during the year.

IN OUR SURVEY WE USE TO PUBLISH the IACDS market figures for the year but they are scheduled to be finished in the spring and we hope to publish the 2007 updates in our spring issue.

“A great year” 2007 was a very good year for the global concrete sawing and drilling industry. The majority of markets that have an established concrete sawing and drilling industry have shown a clear upturn. Australia and New Zealand have strong and well functioning associations and increased their numbers of members, which also applies to Japan. Statistics from China are unclear, but among the vast number of contractors several groupings are taking place, which has created a number of larger concrete cutting contractors, which work, if not nation wide but on larger territories through several branch offices. There is also an even increased interest for export from professional Chinese diamond tool and concrete cutting machinery manufacturers.

Russia and neighbouring markets are not showing any slow down in business and the number of professional contractors is increasing. During Bauma in April 2007, the first Russian Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association was founded gathering around 10 member companies. Also the use of Russian diamond tools and machinery has increased in most of the Eastern European countries.

In the USA the numbers of professional concrete cutters has increased and the average age of employees is low as younger people are entering the industry.

The US concrete cutting business has been somewhat affected by the economical instability within the private residential housing sector but figures are expected to remain at about the same level as in 2006.

The commercial construction sector is still strong in

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the US and US manufacturers PDi has contacted are not showing any signs of a further recession in the market.

Markets in Europe have shown a clear and strong upturn and several are booming. The large German market is growing, but has still a way to go until it can be described as having a booming concrete sawing and drilling industry.

Also in several European countries with professional concrete sawing and drilling associations the number of new and younger concrete cutting operators has been increasing. We hope that this trend continues and that respect is shown from both older and more experienced operators as well as young new comers. In the way this industry develops both are needed.

A steadily growing trend is the increase of complexity. The demands on today’s professional concrete cutters are far higher then in earlier days.

Behind these stronger demands lie several factors.

Structures are much more complex, but the complexity has not resulted in lower efficiency and quality. The more complex applications have combined with higher efficiency and quality. But this scenario brings even higher importance to increased and better training and education from our associations and manufacturers.

But in the end it is the concrete sawing and drilling contractors that have the choice to further educate themselves. In order to compete and survive as well as not jeopardise their own or employees’ health the best recommendation for concrete cutting contractors is first to become a member in a branch association which gives excellent guidance. Unfortunately not all countries have their own association and in these territories the responsibility lies even more with the representative manufacturers or distributors. Guidance can also be given by the international umbrella association the International Association for Concrete Drillers & Sawers. IACDS is organised by nine of the world’s largest concrete sawing and drilling associations and can give excellent guidance for contractors to achieve appropriate information about all sorts of tasks, like working methods, safety and technical aspects, training as well as information about setting up a national branch association. More information about IACDS can be found on HYPERLINK ”http:/ /www.iacds.org” www.iacds.org.

New demands from the end clients and the professional contractors puts greater pressure on the industry’s manufacturers of diamond tools and concrete sawing and drilling equipment. And 2007 saw in particular a whole bunch of new equipment launched on the market. In hall A1 at the Bauma show most of the manufacturers were present and an impressive range of new diamond tools and equipment launched.

New diamond tools In this feature we have divided new diamond tools and machinery for concrete cutting in two groups.

Austrian manufacture Tyrolit with its brand Hydrostress made an extensive face lift of their range

PDi • ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008

including several new tools and machines. In general terms the complete product range has been divided in two groups, Standard and Premium where the Premium brands are focused on the professional and everyday users. The company has released a new tool series for wall, floor, wire and bench sawing as well as surface preparation.

Spanish manufacturer Solga Diamant during 2007 released a new series of wall saw blades and a new core drill series. In addition the new drill system SDR 600, with drill stand also made its debut. Solga also showed a new compact convertible wall saw from Swiss manufacturer Demco. The wall saw, which also can be used as a wire saw, has been developed primarily for use with the Solga diamond tools.

Solga Diamant has established itself on the world stage during the past decade and distribution is through dealers in 50 to 60 countries. The company has also been in a joint venture for many years with Sumitomo Group called Solgallied, which focuses on the manufacture and sales of diamond wire throughout the world. Countries where Solga has strong presence are Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

The British supplier of diamond blades and core drills, Nimbus Diamond Products, continues its newtechnology boost for its product range. At Bauma the company presented its new wall sawing blades with the second generation of the patented “V-Max design” to increase cutting power and resistance in tough application with “V” shaped segments that increase the points of attack by up to three. The sandwich segments protect side clearance and the segment height is 15 mm for longer life. The diamond section is only 9mm, which reduces side friction. The blades have the unique multi slots and expansion gullet design to accelerate the evacuation of slurry and cool down the blade. The centre part of the blade is made of copper to better absorb shocks to the diamond.

The Belgian diamond tool manufacturer, Carbodiam, has promoted its new products the Sharkor drilling segments and the Alligator and Predator cutting blades. The patented Sharkor segments are used for drilling with a diameter from 50 to 1000 mm and have a unique geometry and increased diamond concentration without needing extra power.

The patented alligator segments, with turbostart technology, ensure a very fast cut. This is partially achieved by reducing the frontal contact with the material. The blades have a diameter from 450 to 1200 mm and a segment height of 10 mm. The Predator blade has a unique geometric pattern for high-speed cutting on any type of construction material, reinforced concrete, granite and more. The special and patented drop shaped segments ensures a fine cut and a very high cutting speed. The diamond height is 11 mm and the blades are available in 125, 230, 300, 350 and 400 mm diameter.

The diamond tools manufacturer Samedia, based in Les Herbiers, France has released a completely new diamond cutting blade series called SHOXX, developed to cut very hard reinforced concrete, granite

and construction materials. The new X20 SHOXX blades, with a diameter of 230, 300 and 350 mm, incorporate a completely new and patented manufacturing technology, where they use high quality bonds developed in the automotive industry and are much more resistant.

With the new method and materials, Samedia has managed to give the new blades the highest segment height currently available of 20 mm. The segments are conical, which reduces the space between them reducing vibration during cutting. The new blades have a steel core with a thickness of 2 to 2.2 mm and the diamond grains are coated with titanium, which increases diamond retention by 25%. “It has taken us six years to develop this new manufacturing method and the SHOXX blade to get the very best results for the end users,” says SHOXX product development manager Uwe Neidhardt.

Samedia promises that X20 SHOXX blades are the fastest tools on the market and cut hard materials twice as fast as standard blades. At a special product demonstration in the French city of Le Mans earlier this year, hundreds of invited guests witness a demonstration. The company also says that with quality and hardness tested to a much higher level than required

by EN 13236 standards, the new blades have a lifetime that is twice as long as other top quality blades.

The manufacturer Husqvarna Construction Products has released a long line of new products during 2007 but most of them are on the equipment side. But there are also new diamond tools like new types of blades and segments in the well-known Kite series as well as the new core drill qualities B345, AS25B and A54B. At the beginning of 2007 the company Sandvik Nora released a new series of diamond blades called Arix. The Arix blades were developed according to the revolutionary new way of structuring the diamonds in the segment to achieve a much higher cutting performance and developed by Korean Shinhan Diamond.

New concrete cutting machinery The big amount of new products for 2007 is on the machinery side. To cope with its new diamond tool series Tyrolit has also launched new and upgraded machines for all concrete cutting applications as well as surface preparation. Tyrolit’s marketing manager for the construction division, Mr Keckeis, said that this is just the beginning of an array of new products from Tyrolit in the nearest future.

The big news from Hilti in 2007 was the new compact drill system DD120. The drill machine and stand fits in the traditional “red box” from Hilti. The drill machine has a 1600 W motor and the complete set weighs only 9.8 kg and measures 600 mm in height.

The DD 120 system is easy to use and can be used both for dry and wet coring in diameters up to 162 mm, even in strong reinforced concrete. The machine has two speeds and the Hilti LED system makes sure that the machine always works at full capacity. Hilti has also recently released the high cycle wall saw DSTS 20-E which was also on display at Bauma as well as the new Combi hammer TE 40-AVR and new laser measurement equipment PD40/42 and PR25.

Another manufacturer that also has released several new interesting products recently is Austrian EDT Eurodima. At Bauma the manufacturer showed a new floor saw called FS450. The saw is powered by a 3-cylinder Deutz motor and has a very large production capacity. It is easy to manoeuvre as well as maintain and service. EDT Eurodima has also released

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a new wall saw called Tornado sb 320 that has shown great success in both Europe and USA. The 32 kW high cycles saw is developed for diamond blades from 800 to 2000 mm and has a total weight of only 35.8 kg.

Austrian Braun Machinenfabrik has launched their new HF Titan wall saw that has a new grip and intelligent automatic control system. Titan weighs 38 kg with motor and drill head and has a cutting depth of 680 mm.

The popular Pentruder, manufactured by Swedish company Tractive, also delivered several new products during 2007. The HF motor assortment now also contains 18 and 27 kW motors. Pentruder 8-20HF has been updated to serve even tougher applications where larger blade diameters are needed for cutting in heavily reinforced concrete and then the 27 kW motor comes in handy. The new Pentruder 8-20iQ with 4 speeds and the 27 kW motor has a 20% higher torque on each gear, which means a lot more power compared to Pentruder 8-20HF and a 20 kW motor.

The saw head weighs only 20 kg and this cutting combination offers a production rate comparable with really large wall saws.

The big news from Tractive during 2007 was the wire saw Pentruder 3P8. The saw has the same feeling of “high tech” as all products from Tractive. The wire saw has a new design compared to other wire saws and is very compact but can still store up to 16 m of wire. It is built on a modular platform and weighs only 25 kg and is easy to move and transport and can be set up in a few minutes.

US manufacturer ICS has shown an increased presence in the market recently, particularly in Europe. One reason is a strengthening of the sales organisation in Europe with Joe Taccogna responsible for the European market. Recent new products are the ICS concrete chain saw ICS 603GC. The 603GC is the lightest gas-powered, concrete cutting chainsaw on the market. Weighing less than 8 kg, this new saw will plunge cut to 250 mm and make square corners with no over-cuts. With a powerful, 64 cc, 4.2 hp engine and advanced, rear-port, multi-chamber air filtration the 603GC is dependable and powerful enough for a wide range of concrete and masonry cutting jobs.

Also the ICS 633 has been up-graded and is now called ICS 633GC. The machine is equipped with a 6.5 hp motor and has a cutting depth of 400mm. The new model has been equipped with several new technical improvements like better air filtering, better water protection of sensitive electric parts, less vibration in the handle and new start mechanism. ICS also recently introduced the diamond chain saw ICS 853PRO-FL with straight cutting function which makes it easy to cut straight along a wall or a floor where over cuts are not allowed. The machine has been built on the 853 PRO series and uses the same type of diamond chain.

The ICS 853PRO-FL allows the operator to shorten set up time as the handheld saw simply do not need any set up compared to stationary chain and sword saws. The saw can cut up to 600 mm thick material and cuts as close as 4.5 mm to a wall, roof or floor.

The model has been field tested over six months by the US concrete sawing and drilling association before launch.

Husqvarna Construction Products is probably the manufacturer that has delivered the broadest range of new products during 2007. Most of them where launched during World of Concrete and Bauma and included two new electric drill motors, DMS 160 and DM 230, three new floor saws, FS 300, 400 and 500,

PDi • ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008

two new drill stand systems, DS 50 Gyro and DS 70AT, the new power cutters K650 Cut-n´- Break and K960 with Air Head technique as well as K750 with OilGuard function. HCP also acquired Australian floor grinder manufacturer King Concepts as well as US Soff-Cut that produces machinery for fresh concrete floor treatment.

Two strong trends There were two particular trends in 2007. One is the fact that high cycle equipment maintains its strong position without any signs of cutbacks. The other is that concrete floor preparation equipment is booming and becoming a more and more common service among concrete cutting contractors. HTC Sweden AB is the biggest supplier and has ploughed the path by building up a completely new market, new methods, new machinery as well as diamond tools. Now several other players are trying to enter the market in a stronger way then before.

During 2007 HTC Sweden launched a complete upgrade of their product range. And among others the HTC 650 and 800 Classics have been equipped with a new Hub system which makes the two machines easier to handle as well as safer. A new version of the HTC 420 has been released. Several new technical features have been incorporated in all the HTC existing models like new chassis, upgraded start motors, new ergonomic features, easier access to different part of the machines and easier handling of the machines.

The main news from HTC in 2007 was the completely new HTC 1500iT, which is the second largest machine in the range offering a grinding width of 1.5 m. It is self-propelled and has two grinding heads with room for six 340 mm grinding discs. The machine completes the HTC heavy-duty range where the HTC 2500iX is the biggest with a grinding width of 2.5 m. Besides the machines HTC has also launched new and upgraded tool systems as well as dust extraction systems. The well-known concrete polishing system Superfloor as well as the cleaning and maintaining system Twister has been gained a stronger presence during 2007.

German manufacturer Schwamborn has released a new floor grinder called DSM 430 SL, the patented chisel system OMF-250 and the new SB-Crystal system, which is a new concept for grinding and high gloss polishing.

Blastrac has reinforced the activities of the flooring machine manufacturers, which is a major force in machines for concrete surfaces. Blastrac considerably extended its product range with the acquisition of the Dutch manufacturer Diamatic some years ago.

Blastrac has released the new floor grinder Blastrac BMG835 with a grinding width of 835 mm and the self propelled giant grinder BMR85D, which can be equipped with many different types of attachments, including floor grinding and polishing heads. It has also a large integrated dust extractor and a water tank.

Swedish manufacturer Scanmaskin has extended its range of Scan Combi Flex floor grinders with the introduction of the patented remote controlled Scan Combiflex 700 RC. For a more detailed update of the floor grinding industry see the floor grinding feature in PDi issue 4-2007.

On the following pages are a number of short notes published during 2007 in the magazine “Concrete Openings”, which is published by the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association as well as the magazine “Concrete Cutter”, published by UK’s Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Vibration testing by DTAS at OPERC

VIC International announces first ’Green Spec’ dry polished certification programme VIC International announced the first “green” concrete polishing certification programme at the World of Concrete 2007. This polishing system is now certified as a ”green” process by Green Spec and is listed in the Green Spec Directory.

“The rationale for launching this programme is two-fold, says VIC International surface prep division director Dill Beres. “The demand for quality standards for concrete polishing contractors is immediate and the opportunity for working with architects and designers with the ”green” environmental umbrella has never been more positive than right now. To become a VIC-certified, green applicator, a contractor must have professional experience in polishing a minimum number of square feet of concrete, a history of working with larger customers, a truck, trailer, grinding equipment, generator and manpower, credit approval and at least five references. In addition, the contractor must attend quarterly applicator meetings held and catered by VIC International at locations to be announced.”

Source: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

GDM introduces Turbo Air Power with new model 24GT Air Wall Saw GDM’s new turbo powered 24GT pneumatic wall saw uses air to produce up to 25 hp.

Weighing less then 23kg the saw can easily run blades ranging from 610mm to 1220mm diameter. The Model 24GT pneumatic wall saw package includes wall saw with motor, tracks, blade guard, small parts and manual. A 2-bolt conversion kit is available allowing current GDM wall saw owners to have the power of two saws in one.

www.gdmsaw.com

Toolgal UK partner with major diamond supplies (MDS) Tool manufacturer Toolgal UK has teamed up with marketing and sales operation MDS to form an efficient sales and after sales service in support of their products.

The synergy between Toolgal and MDS offers the UK construction market the best product and the best service. The emphasis is on cost effective and reliable tools which will perform to professional standards and which have an international brand behind them. This will serve customers’ best interests in ease of supply, aftersales service and support and tool design and specification. MDS will also provide accredited training conforming to industry standards and legal requirements, making Toolgal/MDS a complete diamond products and service provider in the UK for the professional user.

Source: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling and Sawing Association.

EDCO offers CONTRX Polishing Systems Equipment Development Company, Inc. (EDCO) has introduced the CONTRX Polishing System for polishing concrete. The single and dual disc systems are ideal for contractors polishing areas up to 930m2.

www.contrxsystems.com

Source: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

ICS appoints two new managers The US company ICS has appointed Ron Somers as the new heavy regional sales manager for the south central US region. Somers joined the ICS heavy user channel in March 2007 after 14 years of experience in the diamond tool retail market, and working 9 years for a general contractor where he ran all phases of the operation.This blend of retail and end user experience makes Somers an excellent asset to serve the pro-cutter market.

In addition, Scott Brown has been appointed regional sales manager for the Pacific Northwest and western Canadian territories. Brown joined the ICS heavy user division in March 2007, after 18 years of experience with a local market concrete cutting company, serving in many capacities including wall saw operator and subsequent progression into sales and estimation. Brown brings a new level of

user-need understanding to ICS that can be directly translated to business improvement for customers.

Not only is he fully versed in all cutting methods, he has over five years of job estimating experience with ICS products.

www.icsbestway.com Source: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Diamond Products unveils expanded concrete polishing tools and brochure Diamond Products line of concrete polishing equipment and tools has been expanded. The new line has been designed to make concrete counter tops and floors shine and help distributors take advantage of the growing decorative concrete market. In the fall off 2006, the company introduced the DS175 and DS 301 hand held polisher units along with the DSDS302 single head walk behind polisher and DS602 and DS605 dual head units. They joined an initial selection of dry and wet resin polishing pads and cup grinding discs. The equipment line has now been expanded to include a more powerful version of the DS301, the DS301 HD, and the Edge Pro counter top edging machine. Other new product items include an expanded selection of wet grinding discs as well as polishing pads for concrete, marble, granite and hand pads. Router bits are available to work with the Edge Pro edging machine.

www.diamondproducts.com Source: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Diamond Products Keith Ripley promoted Diamond Products in the US has promoted Keith Ripley to Northeast regional sales manager. Ripley will be responsible for managing the sales force in the Midwest, Mid Atlantic and North-eastern US and he will also serve as company national training manager. Ripley had most recently been working as a sales representative covering Ohio, West Virginia, wes-

The UK Drilling and Sawing Association is aware of the risk of Hand Arm Vibration associated with the use of power tools fitted with diamond blades and one supplier member records the steps to deal with this problem. The management of hand-arm vibration health risks for construction workers is under the spotlight after the influential Major Contractors Group (MCG) announced that in future its members, the UK’s largest construction companies responsible for over £20bn worth of construction work each year, would seek to use only hand powered tools listed on the HAVTEC register. To qualify for inclusion on the register, power tools are required to undergo independent assessment at the Off-highway Plant & Equipment Research Centre at Loughborough University, with the register freely available through the OPERC website, www.operc.com. Fully qualified experts conduct testing, which involves measuring the vibration emitted by each tool under normal use. The readings are categorised in two ways: * Exposure Action Value (EAV). Based on an 8 hour working day, the EAV at which preventative action should be con sidered is set at 2.5m/s2. * Exposure Limit Value (ELV). Again based on an 8 hour working day the ELV is set at 5.0m/s2.

New DSA member and diamond tool specialist, DTAS of Sheffield, tested its latest Duro Ultra SHOXX 300mm blade at OPERC on three different power saws, the Stihl TS400, Stihl TS410 and the Husqvarna K750.

Results showed slight variation with the lowest magnitude of vibration consistently achieved by the Stihl TS410.As a result, visitors to the OPERC website will find SHOXX is registered on HAVTEC with an EAV level of 2.8 m/s2, the lowest yet achieved by any diamond blade, which equates to a continual usage time of 6hr 24min, and an unlimited usage time on the ELV scale, similarly the best performance to-date.

MCG and OPERC hope that by providing an independent assessment of HAV exposure and the application of a consistent benchmark for performance values will accelerate development of safer hand-held power tools and accessories. The testing regime at OPERC will be used to enhance the existing traffic-light scheme co-sponsored by the Construction Confederation and the Hire Association Europe. ”As a supplier to the industry, we were keen to have our diamond tools assessed at OPERC,” says DTAS managing director Paul Morewood. “Hand-arm vibration is a serious problem and we support MCG in its initiative. The excellent results we’ve achieved at OPERC are in themselves proof that better design leads to better performance and a safer environment for construction workers.”

Source: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling and Sawing Association.

Continues on page 14.

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“What a Journey!”

Many successful businesses have been launched in the humble confines of the family garage. But how many, besides Concrete Cutting & Breaking Company Grand Rapids, have the space shuttle launch pad and Boston’s “Big Dig” on their project resume? PDi’s Jim Parsons reports.

WORKING AT SUCH HIGH-PROFILE venues was hardly on Dan Vandermey’s mind when he began Concrete Cutting & Breaking Company (CCB) at his Grand Rapids, Michigan home in 1974. The 21-year-old accountant was simply looking for a more interesting, hands-on career.

Attracted to construction “I was attracted to construction because it was outdoors and rapidly changing,” recalls Vandermey. ”My uncle provided financial backing and expertise, and we did pretty well in our first year. We kept finding new opportunities, and that kept the company growing.”

More than 30 years later, CCB has become one of the most diversified demolition contractors in the US, providing a wide range of diamond cutting, sawing, breaking, drilling, and related services from 13 offices spanning the Great Lakes Region, New York, and Florida. Appropriately for a company built largely on infrastructure work, CCB’s journey has included some interesting twists and more than a few potentially daunting challenges.

When the recession of the early 1980s forced drastic cutbacks in Michigan’s roadway programmes, for example, Vandermey looked to adjoining states for opportunities that would sustain the company.

“Nobody had much money to spend on roads at the time, but it was enough to keep us going,” he says. “It paid off, because when the economy began to pick up, we had developed good relationships with highway contractors in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and we were doing a lot of industrial and commercial work as well.”

At the urging of his increasingly far-flung customers, Vandermey opened CCB’s first branch in Cleveland, Ohio, which provided a more efficient logistical base for the firm’s services.

But to compete for those coveted low-bid highway projects, CCB needed an edge in equipment. Along with adopting the then new wire saw technology, the firm began developing its own tools.

“Our most notable inventions were a deep cut saw that is capable of cutting through a 30-in. slab and a 120-hp saw that is still the most powerful saw on the market,” says Vandermey.

“We also developed a curb cutter that cuts horizontally on a continuous basis, and a truck-mounted power unit that provides hydraulic and electric power simultaneously, and runs many different types of tools. We also made a remote-controlled, highpowered wire saw built on rubber tracks.”

Vandermey adds that while he missed the opportunity to patent these tools, which are all commercially available now, “very few people have them. The important thing for us was that they made us competitive and sustained our growth.”

Vandermey also discovered that too much of a good thing can be dangerous. CCB’s first venture of its base Great Lakes market was the 1990 acquisition of a Florida-based concrete demolition business and was followed by a flurry of new branches up and down the East Coast. Although the expanded operations generated sizeable revenue, Vandermey sensed that the company’s infrastructure was far from stable. By reducing the number of branches and centralizing operations, he also shrank the company’s balance sheet. ”But we became a much stronger company financially,” he says.

Extreme experience One critical aspect that was not compromised was CCB’s expertise in tackling unusual concrete demolition challenges. That enabled the company to be a part of numerous landmark projects such as the “face-lifting” of Cape Canaveral’s Launch

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Pad 39A, which supported America’s missions to the moon before being modified for the space shuttle.

To allow maintenance on three 38 ft (11.6m) high structures that help deflect the intense flames from the shuttle’s engines, CCB was tasked with cutting away 7,000 ft2 (650m2) of 6-8 in (150mm - 200 mm) thick protective refractory concrete, also called ”fondue fire.” The material is welded to the structures with metal pins and a steel grid. Because the structures’ height and angle limited access for conventional breaking equipment, CCB used hydraulic powered handsaws and 20-in (508mm) blades to make vertical cuts every 12 inches (305mm). This approach helped speed the process of removing the “fondue fire,” and keep dust and debris to a minimum.

“Driving up to the site, you couldn’t help but be awed by the history and technology of the space programme,” recalls Vandermey. “But once we began working, it was just another big and challenging concrete cutting job.”

So too was CCB’s assignment in the $12 billion “Big Dig” project in Boston, Massachusetts. Here, workers ventured underground to remove a 400ft (122m) section of an existing eastwest subway tunnel to make way for a new platform, and allow a tunnel for a new north-south transit line to pass overhead.

During the week, work crews cut through the 30 to 48in (762mm to 1219mm) thick concrete archway from opposite sides of the track, creating 35ft (10.67m) sections that could be removed when subway service was shut down on weekends.

CCB also threaded wire through core holes at each cut location to saw horizontally through the walls at the new platform elevation.

“Working 100 ft (30.5m) underground surrounded by different levels of tunnels and roads made you appreciate what a feat of engineering the Big Dig is,” says Vandermey, noting that the project’s well-publicized cost and technical problems should came as no surprise him. “This was a very complex effort,” he adds.

Keeping current Recent months have found CCB with a more routine mix of projects that range from routine highway maintenance work in the Great Lakes to core drilling piers for bridges along the US Gulf Coast, to a railroad structure expansion project in Connecticut.

“Overall, the market is a bit soft, and more cautious,” says Vandermey. ”The slowdown in the nation’s housing market seems to be affecting the construction industry as a whole, including the way customers select contractors. Instead of relying on relationships, more of them are now trying to find the best price. It’s surprising how quickly that changed.”

The cost of doing business has changed as well, particularly with the substantial insurance that firms like CCB now need to pursue large projects. ”That’s created a gap between large and small firms as well as more intense competition, which in turn, has led to more specialization among firms,” says Vandermey. ”It will be interesting to see how this plays out. But we expect to be a part of the market, no matter which way it goes.”

tern Pennsylvania and western New York. He has also covered Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Oklahoma. He began his career in the company’s customers service department.

www.diamondproducts.com Source: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Diamond Products introduces new Premium Grade Dry Hole Saw Diamond Core Bit Diamond Products has announced the addition of its new Core Bore brand premium black grade dry hole saw diamond core bit. Dry diamond hole saw bits are used to drill quickly through block and brick without water. This saves time, with cleanup being much easier. Diamond Products was the first company to introduce the dry hole saw core bit.

The Premium bit features higher quality diamond for long life when dry coring in brick and block. It also has wider segments and thicker-walled tubing for heat resistance and hard use. It is available in diameter sizes ranging from 22mm to 150mm and has a 230mm maximum drilling depth with a 150mm diameter bit.

of Diamatic’s worldwide distribution network.

www.nimbus-diamond.uk.co Source: Journal of the UK Drilling & Sawing Association.

Diamond Vantage appoints New President and CEO Graeme Gilmour has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the US diamond saw blade and drill bit manufacturer Diamond Vantage Incorporated. Gilmour has over 30 years experience within the civil construction industry and brings extensive field and business management knowledge to the company. He will continue to lead the company through its recent growth phase and expand its existing markets with the introduction of new products such as the Zones patterned diamond blade recently launched by Diamond Vantage, and participation in industry associations. Gilmour succeeds Carl Roemmele who retired as president and CEO after a long and successful career with General Electric, Target and most recently Diamond Vantage.

www.diamondproducts.com Source: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Diamatic joins the Nimbus range May 2007 saw the beginning of a new alliance for Nimbus Diamond Products. As sole UK distributors for the Dutch floor preparation system Diamatic, Nimbus is able to offer a full range of machines to cover floor grinding and polishing requirements.

“With the versatility of the Diamatic range behind us we will provide a cost-effective answer for every application from a simple ’ironing out of bumps’ to a multi-stage, top quality decorative floor,” says Nimbus national sales manager Peter Worsley.

The company behind the patented Diamatic technology, Holland Industriele Diamantwerken, is a leading name in floor preparation systems and specialises in the design, development and manufacture of state-of-the-art planetary-driven machines. As sole UK agent Nimbus becomes part

www.icsbestway.com

D-Drill Six Following months of exhaustive field-testing and evaluation, Peter White of the UK company D-Drill has purchased six new ICS Hydraulic Chain Saws. ”We have proven that with the new lower prices for consumable diamond chains, this is the best way to cut small openings,” says Peter White, who now has a saw at every one of his eight depots in the UK. “The 853PRO Hydraulic Saw complete with the new PRK(tm) system is becoming ever popular right across the globe,” said ICS President VanderZanden. “Peter and D-Drill have always been quick to exploit the advances in our technology and lead in innovative methods.”

www.icsbestway.com Source: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling and Sawing Association.

ICS launches gas powered concrete chain saw The US Concrete chain saw manufacture ICS® has introduced the 680GC gas powered concrete chainsaw that is a big leap ahead in durability and reliability. Improvements to carburetion, the starting system, and airflow combine to create a product that the company hopes will change the attitude of the general construction market towards gas-powered concrete chain saws. “The general contractor is beginning to understand that Diamond Chain Technology™ comes with a lot of advantages and is inherently safe. A past concern has been reliability. The 680GC is about to change that,” Says ICS President Jake Vanderzanden Under development for five years, the replacement for the 80cc 613GC, is wrapped in an all black housing and features several improvements including: Redesigned airflow keeps engine running 100F (38C) cooler. A benefit that will greatly increase engine life.

Altitude-friendly carburetion for reliable operation at any jobsite, regardless of elevation Coarser idle adjustment for easier tuning Large diameter rope, stronger recoil spring, and digital coil for more reliable starts

“We looked at every part of this saw to see what could be improved,” said ICS lead engineer

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on the project Ian Osborne. “ We even made changes to the air filter cover, eliminating knuckle scrapes when starting.”

Weighing in at 9.5kg, the 680GC is portable and requires only standard garden hose water pressure for its wet-cutting system. Its 80cc 2stroke engine generates nearly 6 hp and like all ICS gas powered concrete chainsaws, it features special seals and filtration to protect key components from the harsh environment of concrete cutting. Available with either 300mm or 610mm guide bars and ICS’s full line of TwinMax™ diamond chain, the 680GC is able to plunge cut to 610mm and make square corners with no overcuts in reinforced concrete, natural stone, and masonry. It is scheduled for worldwide distribution early January 2008.

PDi • ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008

Hellcat’s new CSN3AH variable speed core drill Hellcat Power Tools has introduced its latest 75mm Hellcat variable speed core drill. Designed for fast drilling, the dual speed CSN-3AH Hellcat motor drills holes up to 75mm diameter at 1,400/2,100 rpm. The CSN-3AH Hellcat frame features the US patented angle column base that allows the user to control the angle of drilling to 120° (±60°) with a gauge showing the angle of drilling. The CSN-3AH Hellcat core drill boasts a spring-loaded feed handle with a one touch switch that can be released or attached by the push of a button and a convenient ceiling jack for easy setting and removal of the motor.

www.hellcatpowertools.com

Source: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Duro Ultra Shoxx Ticks all the boxes A new generation of diamond blades developed using a revolutionary, new manufacturing process and promising a step-change in performance levels has been introduced in the UK by Sheffield based specialist DTAS. The thermo-electric manufacturing process, incorporating high quality bonding technology borrowed from the automotive industry, produces high density segments, which are then laser welded onto a low carbon steel core. The blades are being marketed under the Duro Ultra SHOXX brand. The unique production process, coupled with a 20mm segment height gives Duro Ultra SHOXX blades a 20-30% lifetime advantage over other top branded products. ”SHOXX delivers easily the fastest cut of any blade we’ve ever tested,” says DTAS managing director Paul Morewood.

Due to a conical design and reduced space between segments, SHOXX provides exceptionally smooth cutting to deliver a major reduction in HAV exposure. Controlled testing conducted by OPERC in Loughborough, and using a Stihl TS400 petrol saw, shows a 3.9 m/s2 magnitude of vibration, the lowest recorded. In side-load tests, the blade achieved 1000N/m2, which is far in advance of the EN13236 standard. SHOXX, manufactured to ISO9001 and EN13236 European Safety Standard, is also oSa approved and has been patented worldwide. Initially available in three sizes, 230mm, 300m and 350mm, authentic Duro Ultra SHOXX blades can be recognised by the logo stamped into one of the segments. ”We’re very excited by the potential for SHOXX because in terms of performance and safety it’s on a different level to anything else on the marked,” says Paul Morewood. “Until now, all diamond segments have been manufactured using a sintering process and SHOXX changes all of that. Although the new blades are designed for use on construction materials, the unique technology has the flexibility for the future development of diamond blades for any application.”

www.samedia.fr Source: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling and Sawing Association.

FORCE4, new diamond chain technology from ICS ICS®, the inventor of Diamond Chain Technology (DCT™) for cutting concrete and other aggregate material announces the release of FORCE4™, a new diamond chain with tensile strength 50% greater than previous chains and anti-stretch engineering that significantly increases chain life and reduces maintenance. Aimed at the professional concrete cutter, FORCE4 is scheduled to hit dealer shelves across the globe early January 2008 along with its companion product, the 880F4 hydraulic concrete saw. Designed to handle the stronger forces the FORCE4 chain is capable of, the 880F4 features a strengthened drive sprocket and a specially designed guidebar that accepts FORCE4’s deep engagement drive links, a combination said to help keep cuts straight.

“The pro market has been quick to see the benefits of DCT,” said ICS President Jake Vanderzanden. “What has been missing was a diamond chain that could really stand up to the day-in, day-out use they put their equipment

through. With FORCE4 and the 880F4, we have closed that gap.”

In addition to its greater strength, FORCE4 diamond chain has many other features that ICS hopes will make it the choice of professional cutters: Patent pending pitch design of the chassis elements designed to create the optimal combination of weight and strength Water distribution feature that allows for better lubrication and less clean-up Inclusion of patented SealPRO® o-ring and bumper designs for smoother cutting performance and increased chain life.

The 12 gpm 880F4 hydraulic saw, wrapped in black from the handle to the guidebar, meets

industry standards of design and ergonomics. Able to plunge cut to 24 inches and make perfectly square corners with no overcuts, it offers all of the versatility of this unique approach to cutting concrete, but with what Vanderzanden states will

be a new level of durability. “All black is a real change for ICS, but we wanted to make it clear that is was no ordinary ICS saw.”

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, ICS is a division of Blount International, Inc., a diversified manufacturing company with global distribution. ICS introduced the world’s first concrete chainsaw in 1992 and sells a large line of concrete cutting chainsaws, diamond chains, and related products through a worldwide distribution network.

www.icsbestway.com

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50 cm cuts in concrete lintels with eurodima wall saw with the new braxx control BC200 The concrete drilling and sawing contractor Seidl GmbH choose eurodima equipment due to among others the 96% efficiency factor of the electric direct drive that saves up to 35% energy.

For their members, the volunteer fire brigades in Bavaria operate the recreation home St. Florian in Bayerisch Gmain, bordering Austria. The members of Bavarian fire brigades within the association Bayer Feuerwehrerholungsheim e.V. can take holidays close to the Alps and Salzburg. Due to the great demand, the home was enlarged and during reconstruction 500mm thick reinforced concrete lintels had to be cut.

The concrete drilling and sawing contractor Seidl GmbH from Obertrum am See was commissioned for the task and used a EDT EURODIMA wall saw WM50 with a new braxx control BC200 and 20kW braxx EB200 electric motor. The WM50 was equipped with EDT

EURODIMA wall saw blades 825 mm WS40X/46X with 4.7 mm and 1200mm WS40X/46X with 4.4 mm segment width.

The operators at Seidl had previously worked with the WM50 driven by a hydraulic unit HA150 and preferred the new higher performing braxx system. The 96% efficiency factor of the electric direct drive saves up to 35% energy. The considerable higher tool performance enables a faster drilling and sawing progress. The infinitely variable revolution setting permits the optimal cutting data and highest tool life.

www.eurodima.com

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New wallsaw blad Hilti from Liechtenstein is using their common slogan “Hilti.

Outperform. Outlast”.

Although a diamond segment specification can be optimized relatively easily for top performance and efficiency on just one type of material, the task of fine tuning cutting performance and segment life to meet the wide variety of conditions presents a much greater challenge. This demands a precise knowledge of the types of concrete encountered in various regions and an indepth understanding of the interaction between the material to be cut and the motor power available.

And this is certainly no idle claim when it comes to the Hilti diamond systems and

Polished cut image “soft” concrete.

especially the cutting characteristics of Hilti wallsaw blades.

Below the new Hilti wallsaw blades.

Polished cut image “flint” concrete.

Having studied and researched this subject in great detail, Hilti’s diamond systems engineers have now introduced further significant improvements to the cutting characteristics of the existing range of Hilti wall saw blades. The resulting n e w,

Hilti wallsaw blade production.

improved range of Hilti wall saw blades will go into production in 2008.

These new blades let concrete sawing and drilling contractors achieve higher productivity and will thus make a significant contribution toward improved competitiveness. Long before the new blades reach the market Hilti and independent specialists subjected them to an extensive series of tests. These new wall saw blades have been required to prove that they meet the demanding requirements of users under the real conditions encountered in the construction business.

All blades in the range, in diameters from 500 to 1600 mm, feature laser-welded segments for exceptionally high strength, virtually ruling out the possibility of segment loss. Each blade is factory tested to ensure correct tension and comes complete with its own special blade tension certificate.

To cover various grades and types of concrete, saw power levels and users’ preferences, nine different segment types will be available and blades with a sandwich-type steel core will also be manufactured for use where noise has to be kept to a mini-

Job-site suitability test.

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des from Hilti Above the Hilti new segment design

Saw blade tension certificate

mum. These low-noise blades are capable of reducing the perceived noise level by approximately 50%, compared to standard blades.

Particular attention has also been paid to the geometry of the steel core, especially its shape at the base of the slots between segments. With the assistance of computer simulations and other tests, this part of the core has been optimized to keep cracking

Computer simulation – slot design

to an absolute minimum.

The secret of the increase in performance achieved by these blades, however, is their new segment composition and design.

This reduces lateral friction during cutting and optimizes the supply of cooling water. A smaller area of surface contact between the segments and the material being cut also ensures quick starting.

The Hilti wall saw programme now includes 4 machines and a range of blades with 9 segment specifications covering everything from the lightest to the heaviest cutting jobs.

As these blades are manufactured in Hilti’s own facility in Liechtenstein, Hilti is in a position to act quickly to meet customers’ requirements and short delivery periods can be guaranteed. Moreover, the diamond blades can be manufactured to a constantly high quality standard and customers’ special wishes also taken into account. The new blades will be available

From left to right the Hilti high frequency wall saws DS TS5-SE and DS TS20-E

To the left the Hilti hydraulic wallsaws DS TS22 and DS TS32

Dust Control earns CE certification One of the world’s leading suppliers of dust suppression equipment has announced its successful CE Certification, confirming that the company’s products meet all established standards for health and safety in the European Economic Area (EEA). Upon receiving the Declaration of Conformity from a certified independent auditor, Dust Control Technology has earned the right to market its products in the EU and to display the CE Mark as an indication of its successful compliance.

“This certification confirms the essential health and safety of our equipment, so customers can be assured that it has been well engineered and properly constructed,” commented DCT President Edwin Peterson. “The CE Mark also avoids the need for re-testing when a product is introduced to different markets within the European community,” he said. The company’s Dust Boss“ product line was tested and certified compliant by F Squared Laboratories of Burton, OH. CE labeling is a mandatory conformity mark on many products intended for sale in the EEA. By affixing the CE mark, a manufacturer asserts that the item meets all the essential requirements of all applicable (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ European_Union_directive” \o ”European Union directive”) EU directives and that the appropriate conformity assessment procedures have been applied. Examples of European Directives requiring CE marking include toy safety, machinery, medical devices and communications equipment.

There are about 25 different directives requiring CE marking.

Dust Control Technology is a leader in effective dust control solutions for demolition, construction, transfer stations, composting facilities, mining operations, steel making, wood processing and recycling industries. The company’s Dust Boss“ product line helps reduce labor costs, freeing up manpower for more important tasks, while effectively knocking down airborne particles to help minimize dust and odor.

While some suppliers modify existing equipment designs for dust control applications, each Dust Boss model is developed specifically to achieve optimum droplet size, velocity and distribution. The nozzles, plume, spray angles and throw are all designed to work together to create the optimum conditions for effective suppression, with large units capable of blanketing more than 20,000 square feet of area.

The company’s high-efficiency units also use less water than hoses and sprinklers, with customers frequently realizing payback in less than six months and netting an annual cost savings of more than $50,000.

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New Top-of-the-Range Bobcat® Breaker

Atlas Copco extends Bulk Pulverizer Range Atlas Copco is extending its range of hydraulic bulk pulverizers presented at Bauma 2007 with the latest BP 2100, which weighs 2115 kg and is suitable for carriers in the 18 to 27 t class.

The wide angular pulverizing jaw easily picks up debris and offers a productivity benefit during the separation of rebar and concrete and during the subsequent crushing of the concrete

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elements into grades suitable for crushing and backfilling. The wear elements such as crushing teeth, crushing plates and cutter blades can be turned and/or replaced on site using on-board equipment. The standard hydraulic rotation unit allows the BP 2100 to be easily and rapidly positioned so that it can also be used for a primary demolition of ceilings and walls.

www.atlascopco.com

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Intended for trenching, concrete demolition, secondary breaking and general excavation work, the HB2380 hydraulic breaker from Bobcat is the new top-of-the-range model in the company’s 80 Series breakers range. The new HB2380 breaker offers versatile mounting allowing it to be mounted on both the 7 to 12 t Bobcat® excavators and the Bobcat range of large frame, compact loaders.

With an ability to work with flow rates from 75125 l/min, the HB2380 maximises efficiency by providing a match of hydraulic capacities, performance and dimensions with a wide range of Bobcat carriers from the 442 and 444 midiexcavators; S220, S250 and S300 skid-steers; T250 and T300 compact tracked loaders to the A300 all-wheel steer loader. The HB2380 shares various aspects with the other models in the 80 Series range, including less moving parts for easy and minimal maintenance, automatic pressure re-

gulator ensuring optimal operating pressure on all approved carriers and standard silencing. The HB2380 hydraulic breaker retains the cylindrical frame of the 80 Series range, providing improved access to jobs in confined areas. The breaker is equipped as standard with a special shield to protect hoses and fittings from being damaged when working close to the ground or in tight spots.

As well as fewer moving parts, the internal design of the HB2380 breaker also excludes tie rods and can be quickly dismantled without the need for special tooling. The automatic pressure regulator ensures the HB2380 breaker delivers a constant energy per blow. The HB2380 breaker also incorporates a very effective soundproofing system. Another innovative feature is a patented steel ring clip system, which retains the bushing of the tool and protects the greasing system.

www.bobcat.com

Husqvarna Construction Products in the US:

“Strong foothold” Husqvarna Construction Products has in a short time dramatically strengthened its market presence and created a strong foothold in North America. Today the company has 500 employees in the USA and Canada with an estimated market share of around 20%.

The acquisition of a number of Canadian and US companies has had decisive importance for the fast expansion, but the company is also growing organically each year and HCP now has five production plants in the US and Canada.

PDi visited two of the HCP plants in the US at Olathe and Columbia. What is surprising is the low average age of the employees. Those PDi talked to at the development and marketing departments and in production indicated great optimism for the future. The economic instability in USA has not yet affected the building and construction industry.

Optimism despite recession

The HCP head office in North America is located in Oltahe, south west of Kansas City. In Oltahe about 200 employees work in manufacturing and sales of concrete cutting machinery. Olathe produces machinery while another factory in Columbia, South Carolina makes diamond tools for the construction industry and one in Princeton, Illinois, produces diamond tools for the stone industry. HCP also has a smaller factory in Torrence, California and an assembly plant in North Bay, Canada. Head of the operations in North America is Anders Berggren who has worked in the US for many years.

Anders said, when PDi met him in Olathe that the American concrete cutting contractors’ work varies from concrete cutting contractors in Europe. In Europe and in particular in the more northern regions they often also offer floor grinding, light demolition and industrial cleaning besides concrete cutting services. “But there is a clear trend towards North American concrete cutting contractors starting to offer a wider spectra of services like in Europe. We can see clear signs of that,” says Anders Berggren.

Anders Berggren is heading the HCP But HCP product range is not only sold to concrete operations in USA and Canada. sawing and drilling contractors but to the big variety of 22 PDi • ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008

contractors within the building and construction sector as well as rental companies.

Anders Berggren estimates HCP’s total market share to be about 20% in North America and climbing. “If we study particular product segments our market share is even far higher than that. But the market is very fragmented and the competition tough. There are a few bigger and many smaller US manufacturers in this large country and a lot of foreign brands, mostly different types of diamond tools from manufacturers in Asia,” says Anders.

But the biggest competition comes from Tyrolit through its US subsidiary Diamond Products. Hilti has, from being more anonymous, strengthened its position most of all when it comes to diamond tools. Another strong player in diamond tools is US manufacturer Diamond B that also represents the Pentruder brand in the US.

Hydraulic equipment still strong in the US Far back in the history of concrete cutting equipment the USA started to use high cycle equipment. At that time there was no interest for such equipment in Europe. Now the situation is completely different. In Europe high cycle equipment dominates. In the US hydraulic driven systems dominate and have done so for many years even though high cycle is becoming more and more popular. In what way does this effect HCP that has not profiled itself so strong in terms of high cycle equipment like for instance other large manufacturers such as Hilti and Tyrolit?

“First, it is correct. We don’t have so many high cycle systems in our range. But the plan is to widen it within the near future.

But here in the US hydraulic equipment is still dominant and

three years HCP in North America has what they call an experimental shop. This work has a lot of advance planning and a lot of the work is related to find and create more environmentally friendly products or devices on existing products as well as safer and more powerful products.

In USA flat saws and road saws are used to a much bigger extent than for instance in Europe. At the plant in Olathe some 15 different models are produced. Most requested and sold, both in the US and Europe, is the Husqvarna FS 4800 D which is a 48 hp saw. Almost half of the production is shipped to Europe. Service and after market is a priority sector within HCP and today eight service centres operate in the US. The goal for end of 2009 is to have 14 service centres. “Our ambition is to increase this sector as fast as possible but it is important to hire the right people. We want to start in the right end by finding the right and skilled people first and then set up a new service centre instead of the opposite,” says Anders.

US $ 1,1 billion of market value

First from above part of the Husqvarna Construction Products headoffice and plant in Olathe and below the entrance of the Columbia plant.

Two pictures from the production in Oltahe, Kansas.

Above production of diamond tool segments in Columbia, South Carolina.

Below from the left, Chris Noeth, VP Marketing, Jodie Klaus, Marketing Communications Manager and Production Manager, Olathe plant, George Halsey at Husqvarna Construction Products, USA.

that is what the users want most of all. I think it has to do with tradition. US contractors always like their machines strong and big but it has started to turn and the request for lighter, smaller machines with high power is increasing. And in that perspective high cycle equipment comes in handy,” says Anders.

The US building and construction industry has had some really good years but at the end of 2006 it started to change.

The down sloop has continued during 2007 but there are signs of a slight upward turn. This is of course connected with the total economy in the country. GNP has increased a bit during the fall of 2007 but the private home market has dropped dramatically while the industry and commercial sector is still good.

Product development in short and long term When it comes to developing new products HCP works out of a global platform. The company has development centres in Europe, China and USA. Development of flat saws and drill stands lies in Olathe, while development of new diamond tools is located in Columbia. About 60% of the development work is related to the global market while the remaining 40% relates mostly to the local markets in USA and Canada. For the past

The American market value of the sector HCP is working in is valued at about US$ 1,1 Billion (approx. Euro 730 million). This sector is divided into three areas. The first is machinery like flat saws, wall saws, wire saws and core drills and other related equipment. The second area is core drills, diamond blades and diamond wires and the third is handheld power cutters.

HCP’s market share in the US is about 20 % and the remaining 80 % is divided between international and national manufacturers and suppliers. To shed more light on the figures the US concrete cutting industry contains around 1000 contractors and some 300 of these are members of the branch association CSDA. The US company Penhall is the world’s biggest concrete sawing and drilling contractor and has an annual turn over of around US$ 160 million. For handheld equipment, where the power cutter dominates, the German manufacturer Stihl and HCP are the biggest players. In the US ICS are also a manufacturer that has strengthened its positions during recent years.

Mix of acquisitions and organic growth And what of the future for HCP in USA? Anders Berggren has a clear vision how they must proceed in order to increase their position even further and several of the strategic steps in this vision have already been implemented. “In recent years we have been growing a lot through strategic acquisitions and we are going to continue in this direction.

We recently, for instance, acquired US manufacturer SoffCut. But we will also continue and improve our organic growth and we have the resources needed to do it,” he says.

“Safety and environmental aspects are a priority within the whole HCP Group and we are going to invest even more energy and money on these things in the future. Our sales manager Ron Rapper is a delegate of the CSDA board and follows and takes part in the discussions of these matters within the national association. He has a particular interest in safety and certification issues.”

In addition Ander Berggren also says that HCP will prioritise building up the service network, invest more money in customer training, and shorten production and delivery time. “Our goal is also, to a bigger extent, to serve our customers directly on the job site. We want to introduce credit card readers in each sales and service truck and each sales man should carry a small stock directly in the truck.

What the salesman is not able to deliver directly should be with the clients within 24 hours. We will also improve and build up our Internet shop,” says Anders.

Diamond tool manufacturing in the peanut district After our visit in Olathe we head on to the second biggest HCP plant in USA, which is located in Columbia, South Carolina.

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Here HCP develop and manufacture diamond blades for the building and construction industry. Jim McMenemy, responsible for production in Columbia, says that they mostly produce tools for the professional users or “Heavy Users” that HCP calls the client segment.

Diamond blades are produced in standard dimensions between 100 mm to 1800 mm (4 till 72 inch) and core drills between 9.5 mm to 1500 mm (3/8 till 60 inch). Most popular blades are between 100 to 400 mm (4 till 16 inch) and for core drills around 200 mm (8 inch). The production of segments is done with modern machines and follows current standards. The segments are automatically mounted on the blades and laser welded with computerised welding robots. The majority of the diamond tools produced in HCP’s plants in the USA are sold in the USA and Canada but some are also exported to Central and South America.

Some special orders are exported to Europe.

“At least five times faster then in the 1980s”

Pictures from the manufacturing of diamond segments and laser welding of blades at the Columbia factory.

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Jim is originally from Kansas and worked earlier at the plant in Olathe. He has been working with diamond tool production since the late 1980s and he has seen a big difference since then.

“During the 20 years I have been doing this the cutting speed has changed dramatically. Today’s diamond tools, anyway the ones we produce, are at least five times faster to cut with compared to the ones produced at the end of 1980s.

Safety is also far more important, which is very good. Within HCP there is a constant movement towards faster, more efficient and safer diamond blades. But efficiency aspects don’t over run safety aspects. Safety aspects are very important and almost more important then how fast the blades is cutting,” says Jim.

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Jim McMenemy is responsible for the operations at the Columbia factory in South Carolina.

Knowledge is P . . . and Producti Diamond B Inc in

Santa Fe Springs, California, is probably United States most serious and prestigious manufacturer of diamond tools. In all that they lay their hands on “quality” is always first priority.

Even when it comes to the lowest price grade saw blades, PDi’s US Editor Jim Parsons reports.

Below a picture of the Diamond B Inc premises in Santa Fe Spring, California, USA.

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AT FIRST GLANCE, DIAMOND B INC.’S catalogue may appear to be a textbook on diamond tools instead of a printed portfolio of concrete, asphalt and masonry cutting products.While the catalogue does provide the requisite descriptions and prices for the Santa Fe Springs, California based company’s extensive line of diamond blades, core bits, equipment, and accessories, there is also a wealth of information on the science of diamond tool design, construction, and performance. Readers can also learn all about the various combinations of diamonds and bonds, and how they interact with a saw’s size and horsepower, the material being cut, and other factors to determine the optimal tool for a particular application.

“No one-size fits all” Why share so much detailed information with customers, especially professionals who may have decades of sawing and drilling experience? It’s simple, responds founder and President Webb Burnett as there is no such thing as a “one-size fits all product” in the cutting industry. “Each project has unique factors and requirements, so it makes sense that blades and bits should be custom-tailored too,” explains Burnett, a 50-year veteran of the diamond tool business. “The more customers know about these products and their features, the better they can make informed evaluations to find the best balance of cutting productivity and diamond cost for their needs.”

Sales and marketing manager Steve Garrison adds that’s why there’s no one flagship product that embodies the Diamond B philosophy. “Quality has nothing to do with price and everything to do with consistency,” he says. “Even our lowest priced grade of saw blades is a high-quality product.”

Diamond B’s customers appreciate the added value of this information. Since Burnett set up shop in 1984, the company has become a top U.S. manufacturer of diamond blades for highhorsepower walk-behind saws, pavement grinding, grooving, and texturing equipment, wall mounted saws, hand-held saws, curb

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cutters, core drills and floor grinders. In addition, Diamond B also produces an extensive range of 400-Hz drills and flat saws, and is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Swedish-made 400-Hz Tractive Pentruder wall saws.

“Now fuel, labour, and insurance comprise the largest costs” Headquartered in a 3,500m2 facility with more than 50 employees, including two of Burnett’s sons and one grandson, the company stresses continual refinement of both its products and processes in order to ensure that customers can keep pace with the constantly changing dynamics of costs and competition. “It used to be that a diamond blade was an expensive part of doing business for a cutting contractor,” says

Power ivity Burnett. “Now fuel, labour, and insurance comprise the largest costs. That makes cutting speed and productivity essential to reducing those costs. It’s up to us to do things that will help them utilize their time better and get the job done faster.”

One application where these demands are particularly acute is the ongoing maintenance on the nation’s interstate highways, an effort that has received renewed urgency following the collapse of the I-35 Bridge in Minneapolis.

“The majority of interstate pavements have 230mm to 254mm thick jointed concrete slabs that have often been utilized many times beyond their original design loads, resulting in extensive slab faulting at the joints,” says Garrison, noting that special multi-blade diamond saws are used to cut slots for dowel bars that help transfer the load from slab to slab and dramatically

Picture above is showing an overview of the Diamond B Inc production facility in Santa Fe Springs.

Picture to the right showing George Arellano at OD and Side Grinding.

Picture below showing from left to right, Richard Brakeman, Financial Manager, Webb Burnett, President, Bruce Burnett, Vice President - Manufacturing and Steve Garrison, Sales and Marketing Manager.

Maria Vargas at the Hot Press.

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increase pavement life, especially when combined with slab patching and diamond grinding. “This is a cost-effective way for highway departments to expedite repairs to these joints, and quickly restore the pavements safety and ride ability,” adds Garrison. “We actively support the International Grinding and Grooving Association, which has been very active in the promotion of diamond grinding and other repair techniques that will help keep our country’s concrete pavements performing well beyond their originally designed service life.”

Making it happen

Juan Mercado at the Granulator.

Above Cherry Moore at the Cold Press.

Picture below, Chris Giles at Brazing.

While construction practices and standards may be similar across the country, aggregate compositions and cutting characteristics vary widely, even within relatively small regions. That is why Diamond B maintains an extensive collection of sample aggregates from all corners of the US to complement its options of diamonds and bonding materials. “This enables us to be more adept at coming up with the right diamond blade with a composition that’s best suited to a specific situation,” says Garrison.

A mix of both automated and manual manufacturing processes also provides Diamond B with the flexibility to meet customers’ needs. While approximately 90% of the company’s blades are produced using automated equipment, highly customized segments are still crafted quickly using the traditional process. “We can have a manually produced blade ready in under three hours,” Garrison says. “If a customer requests an item that is not in stock, chances are good we can still ship it the next day at the latest.”

What really helps Diamond B connect with its customers, Burnett believes, is the company’s field sales staff, many who have worked in the cutting business. “It’s very important that our people to understand not only the aspects of the particular

job, but also the pressures and concerns the contractor is facing,” he says. “We share a lot of information about diamond tools and materials that other companies usually keep secret. But sharing this information ensures our ability to examine and evaluate how the diamond segments are performing, what may be needed to increase productivity and blade life, and work with the contractor to implement any changes.”

The field staff ’s proficiency in the language of cutting also helps them stay on top of what is keeping their customers awake at night. “Slurry disposal is already a major issue in certain areas, and will only grow in importance,” says Garrison. “Silicosis concerns are spurring many contractors to go back to wet cutting using remote-controlled equipment where possible to provide operators with an extra measure of protection.”

The continuing shortage of experienced operators also looms over the industry’s future, which is one reason why Diamond B actively supports training programmes sponsored by the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association. “Anything we as an industry can do to help attract and train qualified operators will help our customers and the industry as a whole,” says Garrison.

It is also why productivity will continue to be a point of emphasis at Diamond B, both with its diamond blades and cores bits, and 400-Hz equipment offerings. “There are just so many advantages that 400-Hz equipment offers, including lighter weight per horsepower, long-lasting reliability, and of course dramatically increased production rates,” says Garrison.

“These Diamond B products along with the Tractive 400-Hz saws are ideally suited for the operational and competitive demands today’s contractors face.”

Competition is also on Burnett’s mind, given the growing presence of foreign-made diamond tools. While he freely admits that less expensive products may be a tempting way to preserve a profit margin, customers soon find that the short-term savings are hardly worth the long-term shortcomings. “Once again, it’s information, helping our customers become more aware of what goes into blades and other diamond tools, and how those qualities help them get their jobs done,” says Burnett. “That helps them make better decisions about what to buy, which leads to better results in the field and on the balance sheet.”

www.diamondbinc.com

Pictures above, Kurt Burnett at tensioning.

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Major changes at Allu

Extec Crushers Breeze into Scottish Windfarm

Allu, a Finnish manufacturer of equipment for environmental care, recycling and processing of various materials, has experienced major changes in 2007. These include moving to totally new premises, changing the company name and corporate identity and adding quite a few new products launched this year. The existing employees have been complemented with new staff.

A specialist Scottish plant hirer and earthworks contractor is using a pair of Extec C 12 trackmounted mobile crushers in preparation for Europe’s largest onshore windfarm when it comes online in 2008. Glasgow-based earthworks contractor AB2000 is using two Extec C 12 track-mounted mobile crushers to spearhead the project, known as MBK Whitelee, and involves the construction of 140 wind turbines, each 100 m high. Situated on moorland at East Kilbride, 15 km south of Glasgow, the 322 MW Whitelee windfarm is part of Scotland’s goal to derive 40% of its electrical power from renewable sources by 2020.

Traditionally the corporate name of the company was Ideachip Oy, although it was better known as Allu, which is the product family name. Now the new corporate name is Allu Group Oy and also the names of the company’s many subsidiaries in various countries have changed to Allu. The old name of Ideachip is preserved in a separate Allu Group company, called Ideachip Machine Oy, covering sales in Finland.

“The company was founded in 1985 and we thought that this was the right time to make all these changes so that we can continue with a fresh start. Allu has been a globally operating company for many years and now we focus on expanding our operations and consolidating our efforts under the new identity,” explains managing director Kauko Pylväs.

Allu used to be located near Lahti in the south of Finland. The new office and factory building is also near Lahti, but about 30 km from the old location. The new building offers 6,000m2 of space and the manufacturing facilities are equipped with the most modern machinery and tools. “We are now geared towards the future with all the resources and tools we need,” says Pylväs. The new location also provides space for further expansion.

Strong product development Allu’s expertise includes machinery and methods for environmental care, soil improvement, recycling and processing of various earth compounds. The company has made many innovations and one of the latest is the soil stabilisation system that has created a lot of interest and used in many parts of the world. One particular project of this system is the strengthening of the levees in New Orleans.

“One of Allu’s strong product lines is the screener crusher, where we estimate to have 70% of the world market.

On the other hand, many of our products really don’t have any competition and we are the only global player in our market niche,” says Pylväs. In the coming years, he expects the biggest growth to come from North and South America.

Allu’s other major product lines include windrow turners and compacting plates.

www.extec.eu

www.allu.com

Rapid growth In consecutive years Allu has experienced an approximate 25% annual growth, and the trend is bound to continue, if not even more rapidly. “We expect to achieve sales of EUR 26 M in 2007 but the forecast for 2010 is EUR 50M,” says Pylväs. Managing director Kauko Pylväs.

Allu exports 85% of products and the growth of sales is expected to come from overseas operations rather than from the relatively small home market.

Along with the change the company has increased the number of employees by ten with the total almost 100 covering both Finland and subsidiary operations. In 2010 the company plans to employ almost 150 people. The present subsidiaries and offices cover Germany, France, USA, UK, Chile, China and Argentina.

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Correction concerning the article about the global floor grinding industry published in PDi 4-2007 A few lines in an article published about players on the international floor grinding arena came out incorrectly in PDi issue 4-2007.

PDi wrote that propane driven machines are still very common and US companies in this segment besides HTC are EDCO, Eagle Solutions, VIC International, Ravan Enterprises and Innovatech.” This is incorrect! None of the mentioned companies, except for Eagle Solutions, manufacture propane powered machines. Eagle Solutions underlines that electricity adds 80% more CO2 to the environment than LP and LP engines perform better and have increased power.

Further LP engines have reduced maintenance and wear and LP engines do not require high voltage sources, power cords to trip over and can be used easily during wet grinding, a superior process.

“Cutting in To We are in the middle of Tornado Alley, which sweeps vertically through the middle of the USA. In the small town of Hayesville, just outside Wichita, Kansas, the US contractor M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring is in the process of cutting 80 holes for a new ventilation system in a Campus High school.

Darien Bergman from M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring making a hole to lift up the concrete block when cutted. He is using a Husqvarna DM 230 drilling machine and a 50 mm core drill.

IT IS EARLY MORNING in Wichita and M6 Concrete Cutting and Coring is preparing for another day of work. Concrete cutters Jake Myears and his colleague Darien Bergman are packing equipment to go to nearby Hayesville. The contractor was hired to cut holes for ventilation and electrical connections and sewer pipes at the Campus High school. About 80 holes 610x910 mm will be cut through 250 mm of heavily reinforced concrete.

In the middle of “Tornado Alley” In this area between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains tornados are common and they hit fast and hard. The landscape in Kansas is rather flat and easy for a “Twister” to move across. On our way to Hayesville we drive along a street that is said to be the USA’s most populated street of construction machinery retailers and rental firms. All the major brands are side by side as well all the bigger rental companies and also the parent company of M6 Concrete Cutting and Coring, M6 Concrete Accessories.

US cities are normally known for their tall buildings but not in this area. “Tornados are very frequent here so constructing tall buildings would be stupid. The strong winds and the Tornados hook on to anything that is tall and the damage is often severe.

All of us that live in this area have experienced that,” says Jake Myears.

Also Campus High school in Hayesville contains low buildings constructed in such a way as to better withstand a “Tornado Attack”. All type of reinforcement has been incorporated, such crush proof windows and shelters. When a Tornado is on its way citizens in the area are informed well in advance so they can protect themselves and their properties as best they can.

M6 Concrete Accessories owner and head of operations, JD Munley, is very satisfied with the development of the new concrete cutting firm.

Cutting for ventilation The comparatively small Campus High school is undergoing extensive renovation and several different contractors are working on the project. M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring has chosen to use handheld equipment to cut the 80 square holes. Starting with the first hole the area is measured and a 50 mm hole is drilled in the centre of the area for attaching a crane wire to lift out the concrete section after it has been cut. The core drill used is the new Husqvarna Construction Product (HCP) DM 230 core drill.

Afterwards the rectangular hole is pre-sawed with a Core Cut plunge saw from Diamond Products and t he cutting is finished off with the HCP K 3600 ring cutter. When all sides are cut the concrete block is lowered to the ground and it is estimated that the 80 holes will take about two weeks and the concrete will be recycled and reused.

In USA this method is a common procedure and handheld equipment is used to a much greater extent then in Europe. In Europe a contractor would probably have chosen to use alternative equipment like a plunge saw, such as Zhorro or a diamond chainsaw like ICS, or a wall saw. But to use this type of equipment would have taken longer time to set up and in USA the term “Time is Money” is much more dominant than in Europe.

A new concrete cutting firm M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring is a young firm and was started in the beginning of 2007. Jake Myears was first to be hired and came from a concrete cutting company in Oklahoma. A couple of months later two more joined and at the end of 2007 a fourth employee joined the company. M6 has three self-contained ser-

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Jake Myears is pre-cutting the concrete surface with a plunch saw from Diamond Products.

ornado Alley” vice trucks equipped with all kinds of concrete cutting equipment and 830 litre water tank. “Our activities within M6 Concrete Accessories are extensive. Through our shop in Wichita we are selling and renting everything that a professional building and construction contractor needs. We are representatives for several different brands including Husqvarna Construction Products. We are also selling brands like Makita, Honda Power Equipment and BMI. Besides that we produce and sell steel rebar to all Kansas. The steel rebar is produced at our plant in El Dorado, between Wichita and Kansas City,” says Concrete Accessories owner J.D. Munley. “But the idea to offer concrete cutting and coring services came up a short while ago. The whole thing started as an idea a couple of year’s ago and the company was started in the beginning of 2007. At the moment we are quite alone offering concrete cutting services in the area around Wichita.”

The three concrete cutters in the company are all certified and each has about 10 year’s of experience. The company is also a member of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association and continuous training of the personnel is a priority in the company. The company invests a lot and tries to use the latest concrete cutting equipment. This is quite easy as the company is a distributor for HCP’s equipment. The fact that a concrete cutting contractor also sells equipment for concrete cutting or vice versa is quite unusual in Europe but very common in Russia for example.

Above Jake Myears (left) and Darien Bergman after finishing the first hole. Another 79 are remaining.

Picture to the right showing Jake Myears going real deep with a Husqvarna K3600 ring cutter.

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From the left Ryan Wesselschmidt and Justin Hubbard, both from Husqvarna Construction Products, Darien Bergman and Jake Myears from M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring and Bob Heffley from M6 Concrete Accessories, posing in front of one of the M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring service trucks.

Pictures showing the concrete block and a finished ventilation opening.

Flat sawing is dominant for M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring. Some 50% is flat sawing and the remainder is divided between core drilling, wall sawing and handheld equipment jobs like the one in Hayesville. But flat sawing is not only related to building construction, but also road and bridgework.

Concrete cutting competition in Wichita is not that hard but is tough in the whole state of Kansas. “We are looking for jobs at a longer distance as well and even though competition is hard I think we can offer something extra in terms of both our personnel and equipment. Our key to success is that we constantly improve ourselves. Our membership in CSDA is playing an important role in this and I believe we can offer something extra to our clients. Next step for us is to invest in a demolition robot and also take on lighter demolition jobs,” says J.D. Munley.

Easy shift from Target to Husqvarna M6 Concrete Accessories has been selling concrete sawing and drilling equipment and diamond tools for many years and previously sold the HCP products under the Target brand.

M6 Concrete salesman Bob Heffley thinks that the shift from Target to Husqvarna was a smooth transition. “It was an easy shift and the best of all is that I can now offer my clients a lot

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more products, all with premium quality. They simply love it”, says Bob Heffley.

The visit to M6 Concrete Accessories was arranged by Ryan Wesselschmidt and Justin Hubbard, both stationed at the Husqvarna Construction Products plant in Olathe outside Kansas City. Ryan Wesselschmidt is Area Sales Manager for Kansas and Missouri and spends most of the time on the road. Justin is Product Assistant for Handheld Cutters. “In Kansas and Missouri HCP have between 150 to 200 retailers. Most of them are rather small and about 20 of them account for around 80 % of the sales in the two states. Many of them also rent out equipment but the big volumes come from diamond blades and in particular 350 mm diamond blades that fit all kinds of cutters,” says Ryan Wesselschmidt.

This confirms that handheld applications are much more frequent in USA than in Europe. When Ryan Wesselschmidt speaks about handheld cutters he mentions many types and names that do the same work. A handheld cutter can be called a lot even if it is a HCP K960, a ring cutter K3600 or another brand it can be called Cut Off Saw, Hotsaw, High Speed Saw, Quicky Saw, Power Cutter or similar. Something we all can be sure about is that a US concrete cutter never leaves the workshop without a handheld cutter.

“Increased focus Professional machinery and equipment for collecting concrete dust and slurry is an important part of a concrete cutting or demolition contractor’s daily work. There are only a few specialized manufacturers of this type of equipment and one of the biggest or maybe the biggest of mobile and stationary equipment is the Swedish company Dustcontrol.

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DUSTCONTROL IS A PRIVATELY OWNED company founded in 1972 by Johann Haberl, Evert Krantz and Mirko Purar .

Johann Haberl and family is the majority owner and Johann is still the President and an important driving force in the company. His wife Pirrko Haberl, son Stefan and daughter Nina also work in the company.

A leading player Dustcontrol emerged during the 1970s when Swedish regulations concerning handling of asbestos and stone dust became much stricter. As Dustcontrol could offer efficient equipment the company quickly became one of the leading players. What makes Dustcontrol different from other manufacturers in this field is there ability to offer a very broad range of products, including stationary, semi-mobile and mobile dust extraction and air cleaning systems. At the plant in Norsborg, just outside Stockholm, the different products are assembled while the different components are manufactured in the Nordic region of Europe. About 95 % of the parts come from manufacturers in the Nordic countries.

Exports dominate Dustcontrol sales, but the Nordic countries including Sweden, which should be considered the home market, are just over 25 %. Germany is also a strong market with another 25%. USA and Canada represents another 25% and the remainder is exported to various countries around the globe.

Demolition, concrete cutting, floor grinding and rental are all important client segments and vary depending on the market. In the Nordic countries building and construction clients are dominant, buying mostly mobile and semi-mobile equipment. About 60% of the sales in the Nordic region go to the building and construction industry and more then half of these are taken by the rental industry. The remaining 40% is stationary equipment sold to different types of industries with a need of efficient dust extraction and air cleaning.

In Germany and USA stationary equipment still dominates, but the building and construction industry is picking up and sales of mobile dust extractors, air cleaners and wet vacs is increasing among mainly contractors working within light demolition, concrete cutting and floor grinding. Rental companies also represent part of the increase.

It is these groups of contractors, including rental firms that Dustcontrol is aiming at, not only in the Nordic countries but also in other parts of Europe and USA. Dustcontrol’s total turn over for 2007 will be around EUR 14 million (approx. US$ 20 million) and the company has

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From the left Dustcontrols founder, majority owner and Presdent well as Lars af Klintberg, sales manager for the North European

140 employees worldwide, including 70 at the head office and plant in Norsborg. Besides Norsborg Dustcontrol have five subsidiaries in Finland, Germany, Austria, United Kingdom and USA. The US firm was founded about a year ago and has 17 employees and is the second biggest subsidiary after Germany with 26 employees. Besides the subsidiaries Dustcontrol has about 20 distributors worldwide.

Good positioning for the future In the Nordic countries, including Sweden, client segments like rental companies and building and construction contractors are dominant, but Dustcontrol is selling to a big variety of client segments. Dustcontrol products are sold to all types of industries with requirements to extract different

on construction” priorities for the company. The philosophy is that a client should never need to wait for the products he has ordered.

The whole company is run according to the Lean Production principle, which has shown very good results both for the company and it clients. Dustcontrol is certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. “I think our recent success was the result of a combination of good products, genuine customer relations, a well functioning production and delivery system and a strong economy. 2006 was a great year and this year is fantastic. We think that 2008 will remain on the same high level as in 2007,” says Lars.

Wide product range Dustcontrol has a comprehensive product range and can best be categorised in eight different groups. “We have 1 and 3 phase dust extractors, wet vacs, mobile industrial dust extractors, air cleaners, pre-separators, stationary installations, suction hoods and our accessories,” says Stefan Haberl. “Besides this each of our products is available in different variations, depending on the application.”

Most common models among concrete cutters, light demolition contractors and floor grinding companies are DC 1800, DC 2800, DC 3800, DC 3800 Twin, DC 5800 and DC 5800 PTFE. The two last models have been developed for extracting high volume of dust from grinding concrete floors. “DC 2800 is also available as a wet vac and is called DC 2800 W. There is a strong demand for this product from concrete cutting contractors as it handles slurry efficiently,” says Lars af Klintberg.

“In cases when there is no electricity on a worksite we can offer models driven by compressed air.”

Johann Haberl, his son and marketing manager Stefan Haberl as market.

types of dust and air cleaning. A few examples are manufacturing industries like pharmaceutical, printing, chemical, electronic, airline and many more.

PDi met with Dustconstrol’s marketing manager Stefan Haberl and sales manager Lars af Klintberg who express a great optimism for the future of the company. “We have a very strong economy in most parts of Europe right now and many manufacturers share the fruits of a strong upturn. But within Dustcontrol we have a strong base and a genuine working tradition reaching from product development, manufacturing and customer support to after market activities. And this is an important factor both in good and bad times and we always had that,” says Lars af Klintberg.

Customer support, after market and delivery times are

Dustcontrol also manufactures slurry vacs.

Stronger focus on Building and Construction The plan for the near future is to increase the focus on the building and construction industry; not only in the home market but also in all the markets Dustcontrol operates. “We focus heavily on construction clients. Be sure the competition will shiver,” says Lars. “We have done very well in this segment in the Nordic regions and now we are going for Germany, England and USA. Our growth has always been organic and we plan to continue in that way.”

Lars and Stefan are secretive about new products and only hint there are some in pipeline but are not saying what and when.

www.dustcontrol.com

Dustcontrol has a wide assortment of dust extractors suitable for floor grinding purposes.

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Roofless Hospital in Germany:

BROKK 180 and CC 420 operate together The light, compact and powerful tandem combination of a Brokk 180 demolition robot fitted with a Darda CC 420 concrete crusher has bitten off the roof of a busy hospital in Germany.

This was the scenario at the Katharine hospital in the centre of Stuttgart. The building needed to be enlarged and one storey added and to accomplish this the roof was first removed. The wards one storey below were is use and there was a shopping street next to the hospital so damage to the building had to be avoided. Demolition using diamond technology would have been possible, but the collection of the cooling water and the disposal of sludge would have been difficult.

Due to the heavy reinforcement removal of the beams by hand was impossible. Chisels would have been too loud and would have caused vibration. The only option was to try a concrete crusher and a carrier vehicle.

Conventional concrete crushers were too heavy for the hospital floors so a CC 420 of Darda concrete crusher was chosen.

Compared to its size and weight it achieves a breaking force of 374 kN. It also has an opening width of 420 mm and can easily break

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concrete to 400m. With a cutting force of aup to 1,420 kN it even cuts reinforcement up to 28 mm diameter. The CC 420 only weighs 240 kg and works independent of the working pressure of the carrier vehicle. In the case of the Katharine hospital a Brokk 180 demolition robot was used, as it is ideally suited for operating the CC 420.

After a scaffold with tin roof encased the hospital the old roof cover was removed by a crane, which also lifted the demolition equipment to the attic floor. With the three-part movable arm of the Brokk 180 it could easily reach any place. The operator stood at a safe distance as he could comfortably operate the demolition robot by remote control. Therefore, concrete parts, which the crane lifted off the roof, could be broken out fairly silently. Using the Darda–Brokk tool tandem the whole attic had been taken out in one week.

Contractor Storz based in Sindelfingen carried out the demolition work. “The major assets of the Darda demolition equipment were the low weight of the demolition robot and the high performance of the concrete crusher,” said company owner Mr Storz. “Otherwise the use of this technique above the roofs of Stuttgart

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would not have been possible.”

www.brokk.com Picture to the right showing the Darda Concrete Crusher CC420 breaking concrete with a thickness of up to 400mm and cuts steel reinforcements with a diameter of up to 28 mm.

No problem with insufficient bearing capacity: the Brokk 180 has a low weight per unit area.

With 25 guest speakers over a two day period, the latest EDA Conference was certainly never dull, as Mark Anthony reports.

Viennese IT IS EASY TO CRITICISE the European Demolition Association, which is perhaps why so many people choose to do so.

The Association is run by people with little or no feeling for the demolition industry; it is often badly organised; it has summarily failed to include even half of the European Union’s member states among its membership; it does not communicate with its members outside of seminars and conferences; and its attempts at lobbying the European Parliament have been lamentable.

“A veritable feast of speakers”

Henrik Bonnesen.

William Sinclair.

Massimo Baraldi.

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Despite these shortcomings, the association’s two annual conferences do provide the cream of Europe’s demolition companies with a unique opportunity to meet, greet and share information with like-minded individuals from across the continent. And the latest conference, which took place in the Austrian capital of Vienna, was no exception.

Prompted by criticisms of overlong presentations at previous events, the organisers laid on a veritable feast of speakers – 25 in all – to be crammed into just over a day and a half. Many (perhaps, too many) of these guest speaker slots were seized by equipment manufacturers seeking a sales opportunity. These manufacturers – Atlas Copco, JCB, Komatsu, Mantovanibenne, Socomec and Trevi Benne among them – all paid for the privilege to speak at the event and their financial contributions were, no doubt, welcome.

It is unfortunate, therefore, that none took the opportunity to teach the assembled demolition experts anything new, preferring simply to claim sector supremacy or to announce that their equipment was bigger, better, stronger and more durable than anyone else’s. It was unfortunate, also, because these glorified sales talks served as an unwelcome interruption among some truly excellent presentations from contractors.

The first presentation came from Richard Kristensen of Kingo Carlsen A/S and Henrik Bonnesen of COWI A/S who explained how they had used a complex Site Audit Scheme to improve safety on the demolition of a BASF plant in Grenaa. Requiring daily site inspections, the scheme’s traffic light system (green for good, amber for look out and red for stop) was used to excellent effect, even though the site retained a high degree of chemical contamination.

Equally impressive, although for markedly different reasons, was a presentation by Massimo Baraldi of Italian contractor Fratelli Baraldi on a simple overnight possession contract to remove a cable-stayed bridge over the busy Emillia Romagna stretch of Italy’s A1 motorway. Overnight possessions are not unusual and while the demolition of a cable-stayed structure is not exactly the norm, this is not unique either. What made the contract and the presentation worthwhile, however, was the incredible quality, planning and professionalism demonstrated by the contractor.

The contract was carried out with military precision; the equipment used had been maintained to an incredibly high level; and the liaison with the local and national roads authority was thorough in the extreme. The result was a contract that was a lesson in professionalism. In a period of just seven and a half hours, the company took down the 220m long bridge, creating and removing 3,500m3 of debris together with a 400m3 bed of sand scattered on the main carriageway to protect it from damage during the demolition process.

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A presentation by the UK’s William Sinclair was also highly professional and very detailed. The managing director of Scottish contractor Safedem has gained considerable experience in the explosive demolition of tower blocks in his native Glasgow in recent years and this experience was used to good effect in a presentation that recounted the simultaneous blow down of five separate structures.

Interestingly, a large part of Sinclair’s presentation revolved around a video that was produced not by his company but by his client. It detailed the process of clearing the site, setting up safety perimeters and even liaison with local residents before and during the demolition process. Sinclair also took the opportunity to explain his preferred explosive sequence and his use of nonelectrical explosive charges.

The prize for most poignant presentation would surely have gone to Francisco Cobo of Spanish contractor Detesca and its involvement in the emergency demolition of a bomb-damaged section of Madrid’s Barajas Airport. Details of this contract can be found on Pages 46 and 47.

The most memorable part of the event, however, was a second presentation by the Danish pairing of Kristensen and Bonnesen, this time on the demolition of grain silos. Having extolled the virtues of safety in their first presentation, they then revealed something of a double standard by demonstrating a method that would have UK health and safety officers creating a ticker-tape parade of prohibition notices.

A 25t excavator had been removed from its undercarriage below the slew ring and been mounted instead on a steel skid unit. The excavator, which is equipped with a pulveriser attachment, is then craned onto the roof of the silo where it proceeds to munch its way down inside the building, effectively eating the structure from beneath itself. That this process helped contain dust and noise there can be little doubt. But what of the operator who is lowered into place on the machine by a cranemounted man-basket and is then required to crawl through an opening where the machine’s rear window once belonged?

Without tracks, how does he react should the machine shift

e Whirl suddenly or unexpectedly; how does he go to the toilet; what happens if the concrete below the machine collapses? And, most importantly, what of the standardisation of safety legislation across Europe?

Next EDA meeting in Rome

Below from top to bottom; Yves Canessa, Richard Kristensen and Francisco Cobo Valero.

With everything taken into consideration, the latest EDA conference was a considerable improvement on previous events. Sure, attendees were left wondering about the latest state of play with the association’s lobbying partners who should surely have been in attendance. And yes, the feedback form handed to members at the close of the seminar had clearly been handwritten and photocopied just moments before, clearly demonstrating that the Association still has much to learn about event organisation.

But minor gripes aside, the true test of any conference or seminar is whether or not the attendees gained any value or education from the event. Thanks to some excellent presentations by the Danish, Italian, Spanish and UK representatives, there can be little doubt that the latest EDA conference succeeded in its aim. And with the return of the German Deutscher Abbruchverband association to the EDA fray possibly imminent, the Spring 2008 conference, almost certainly to be held in Rome, should be well worth a visit.

www.eda-demolition.com

The grain silo demolition project.

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Conjet to the rescue in tunnel fire repairs The fast response from the US specialist hydrodemolition contractor and rental company HydroPressure Cleaning Inc has contributed to the rapid repairs to a strategic road tunnel in the Newhall Pass on the major I-5 Interstate near Santa Clarita, California about 30 miles (48km) north west of Los Angeles. The California Department of Transportation instigated the approximate $19M restoration, which included the removal of the entire concrete skin from both walls of the fire damaged tunnel by HPC with its two Conjet hydrodemolition Robots, followed by reskinning with a new sprayed concrete lining.

The approximate 600ft (183m) long, two lane rectangular box shaped reinforced concrete tunnel, known locally as the truck by pass tunnel, takes south bound traffic only. It runs under a portion of the south bound sections of the highway and is near the main intersection of the I-5 Golden State Freeway, and Antelope Valley Freeway.

A massive fire erupted in the 40ft (12.2m) wide tunnel after a collision of several trucks and cars.

Wind whipped up the flames from one end to the other, and the searing heat from the raging inferno, with temperatures up to 1,400ºC (2550ºF), caused concrete to split. The accident, involving around 31 vehicles, occurred late on the night of Friday 12 October and entry to the tunnel was impossible as the fire raged. It was allowed to burn itself out before emergency services were provided, and engineers from Caltrans could start inspecting the damage in the late afternoon of the following day.

HPC saw the accident on the local TV news and immediately contacted Caltrans and its initial emergency repair and clean up contractor Chumo Construction Inc. HPC, based in Camarillo, about 50 miles (80km) from the tunnel, explained the benefits of using the hydrodemolition technique of high pressure water jetting to selectively remove only damaged or unsound concrete. “We went to site a week after the accident and removal of the debris from the tunnel and had a meeting on Saturday morning and were given the go ahead to start with concrete removal tests with our Conjet 322 hydrodemolition robot,” says HPC general manager Paul Phelps. “We initially used different water pressures of 20,000, 15,000 and 12,000psi (1,360, 1,020 and 816bar) with the Conjet 322 Robot and our 500hp (373kW) high pressure pump and removed concrete in 2ft (610mm) wide 5ft (1524mm) high patches every 50ft (15.24m) from the walls. This enabled Caltrans engineers to see the difference in concrete condition, and together with core samples, allowed them to assess and verify the damage and develop the scope of work for the overall repair. We also did a test at 19,000psi (1,290bar) using a nozzle with a narrow fan jet pattern instead of the normal straight jetting nozzle. This was great, especially in those areas where they just wanted to roughen up the existing concrete surface to get a bond for the

new overlay.”

From the initial tests Caltrans opted to remove concrete from the entire area of both walls, equivalent to about 30,180ft2 (2,803m2) on the walls of the tunnel and an additional 2,600ft2 (242m2) on the wing walls. In the undamaged areas removal depth varied from about 0.5in to 1.25in (25mm to 31.25mm) and in the damaged areas the removal was from 2in to 4in. (50mm to 100mm) and in some isolated spots it was up to a maximum of 6in (150mm). “The day after testing we started on the main removal, which overlapped and extended from the initial emergency repair cleanup contract under Chumo Construction with the main repair contract under prime contractor Security Paving,” adds Paul Phelps. “To complement our Conjet 322 for the project we brought in a larger Conjet 363 Robot and 500hp (373kW) Hammelmann HDP-353 pump capable of 32 gpm (121litres/min) at 21,000psi (1,428bar) from Conjet’s US agent National Hydro, based in Fowlerville, Michigan. Using the fan jet nozzle on the Conjet 363 Robot we were able to prepare 730ft2/h, (68m2/ h) equivalent to concrete removal of 1.7yd 3/hphour (1.3m3/hphour). In the initial emergency repair contract with Chumo we removed about 6,400ft2(595m2). But in our contract with Security Paving we had about 26,400ft2 (2,452m2) of surface preparation and concrete removal on the tunnel walls, which we did amazingly fast. Working two 12 hour shifts we were finished in just four days and there’s no way we could have done that in that time without the Conjet 322 and 363 Robots.”

New solutions from Aquajet Systems Sweden’s hydrodemolition equipment manufacturer Aquajet Systems has launched new innovative solutions, which contribute to increased efficiency and profitability, including, for example, EDS Equal Distance System and ISC Intelligent Sensing Control. The company has also entered new markets such as Poland, India and Spain where the interest in hydrodemolition has increased significantly.

“More and more markets prescribe and recommend the hydrodemolition method and our design department is working on new

product improvements, which correspond directly to the markets’ demands and expectations,” says Aquajet managing director Stefan Hilmersson. “We try to present the interest in the market at Aquajet by using our new Internet home page. The importance of the Internet as a meeting place has clearly increased as more and more people use the web to search for information. Therefore, it is important to keep our home page as informative as possible.”

www.aquajet.se

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The Fourth Eme It is 12 months since the bombing of Madrid’s Barajas Airport rocked the Spanish nation in the middle of the country’s Christmas and New Year celebrations. It was an event that tested the resolve and professionalism of one of the country’s foremost demolition contractors, as Mark Anthony reports.

46

ON THE MORNING OF 30 DECEMBER 2006, an explosion shook Terminal 4 of Madrid’s Barajas Airport. The cause of the explosion was around 500 kg of explosives that had been packed into a van and parked in the adjacent airport car park. The bomb, responsibility for which was later claimed by Basque separatist organisation Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), had been designed to cause maximum damage and disruption to Europe’s fifth busiest airport.

It had also been timed to coincide with the high level of airport activity around the post-Christmas and pre-New Year period and the religious festival of Epiphany. It achieved its aim. The resulting explosion demolished around 60 percent of the Terminal 4 car park, caused irreparable damage to the terminal building, and left more than 20,000 people unable to travel. Worse still, the atrocity was to leave two people dead and a further 26 injured.

Into the midst of this carnage stepped Spanish demolition contractor Detesca. Originally contacted by the airport manager to help clear the bomb debris and make safe the remaining structures, Detesca would ultimately become an integral part of the search and rescue team. ”We received the first phone call around two hours after the explosion,” says Detesca’s Francisco Cobo. ”Just four hours later, we had assembled a specialist team of men and equipment at the airport and were beginning to remove concrete and bomb damaged cars to make way for the state rescue and medical teams who were searching for missing people.”

As Cobo explains, this was no ordinary demolition contract, however. The company’s demolition team were required to work alongside teams of search and rescue dogs, forensic scientists gathering chemical samples and other evidence, and ambulance teams attending to the injured.

Time, was of the essence. It had become clear that two people, Ecuadorians who had been scheduled to collect members of their family from the airport, were missing. ”With two people feared trapped below the wreckage of the cap park, we instigated a 24 hour working schedule with each of our teams working 12 hours before being replaced by another team member,” Cobo continues.

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”Despite the fact that this took place close to the New Year and Epiphany festivities, our teams were incredibly determined. We knew the chances of finding the missing people alive diminished with each passing minute.”

Each Detesca team consisted of a master worker, a skilled worker and two helpers. These were supported by two teams of two specialist cutters, a pair of site co-ordinators, and a clerk of works. Supporting the demolition work was an array of demolition equipment including a Liebherr 954 and a Komatsu PC340, both equipped with high reach demolition booms. A Fiat 255 and New Holland 385 and several threeaxle trucks were also in attendance, along with a pair of tracked loaders that were used to move the bomb damaged cars.

Cobo says that there was only one small and poignant break in the rescue work. ”At midnight on 31st December, a fire truck sounded 12 blasts on its claxon to mark the beginning of the New Year,” he says. ”The teams paused for a short time but then it was straight back to work.”

For six whole days and nights, the Detesca teams worked around the clock in the fast-diminishing hope that they would find the two missing people alive. But it was not to be. On the sixth day, the bodies of the two missing people were discovered deep inside the tangled wreckage of the airport car park. They had been sleeping in their car while their relatives were in the airport terminal meeting other members of the family arriving in Spain from their native Ecuador. ”It was a very emotional time for everyone at Detesca and among the search and rescue teams,” Cobo says. ”Everyone was tired but the hope that we might find these people alive had just kept us going.”

rgency Service Material from the bomb blast area was collected and deposited in a nearby square where police forensic teams were able to analyse it, and to identify what remained of the cars. As soon as personal belongings recovered from these cars had been identified, it was moved to a car park area controlled by Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navagacion Aerea (AENA) where it could be collected by their original owners.

With the police investigation and forensic checks over, Detesca then set about recycling the heaps of rubble and waste it had amassed during the contract, a mobile crushing plant rounding off the company’s on-site equipment fleet.

The Barajas Airport contract is a tribute to everyone at Detesca, and to the Spanish state emergency teams. In many ways, the bombing could not have taken place at a worse time or a worse place. Yet, despite the emotional challenge of searching for missing people and having to work around the clock at a time when most people are with their families, the Detesca teams’ work is a testament to the commitment, professionalism and bravery of the company.

Having unearthed the two missing people, work returned to some sense of normality. The 24-hour, non-stop work was replaced by standard working schedules, and the delicate dismantling methods were replaced by more traditional demolition techniques.

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Doosan Infracore completes acquisition of Bobcat adding compact construction equipment to our existing medium and large-scale construction equipment product lines. With operations in China, Belgium, France and the Czech Republic and across the United States, the addition of these businesses will expand and strengthen our global manufacturing and sales networks, enabling us to reach more customers with a broader product portfolio than ever before,” said Yongmaan Park, Vice-Chairman of Doosan Infracore.

David Rowles, CEO of Doosan Infracore International, said, “We will focus on growing these businesses by utilizing the great capabilities and talents of our combined organizations to deliver superior value to all of our stakeholders.”

As announced on July 29, 2007, Doosan Infracore has paid $4.9 billion for Bobcat, Utility

Doosan Infracore has announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Bobcat, Utility Equipment and Attachments businesses from Ingersoll Rand Company, Ltd. Doosan said that the three entities will operate as individual businesses of Doosan Infracore International, a US-based subsidiary of Doosan Infracore, and will be known as Bobcat, Doosan Infracore Portable Power (formerly Ingersoll Rand Utility Equipment), and DII Attachments (formerly Ingersoll Rand Attachments).

“With the completion of this transaction, Doosan is extremely well-positioned to become a true global leader in the construction equipment sector. These three businesses each have superior operations with high quality products that will enhance Doosan’s overall product portfolio by

Equipment and Attachments businesses in the largest overseas acquisition in Korea’s history.

With the completion of this transaction, Doosan Infracore becomes one of the top ten global manufacturers of construction and utility equipment and related attachments in terms of

pro forma sales, which will be approximately $7.5 billion. The Company will now have a combined network of over 3,500 dealers worldwide and 20 manufacturing plants in the U.S., Europe and China.

www.bobcat.com www.doosan.com

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Concrete cutting General demolition Demolition by explosives Highrise demolition Hazardous materials Landfill Re-use of demolition waste Recycling services General contractor Floor gridning Hydrodemolition Insurance Safety and project planning Architect Engineer Distributor/sales representative Other, specify ________________________ 2. What is your function?

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Concrete Cutting Wire saw Wall saw Flat/Floor saw Diamond chain saw Core drill Diamond blades/ bits or wires Other_________________________ Demolition Excavator/carrier for demolition Long reach demolition boom Compact equipment Loading equipment Hydraulic breaker Concrete crusher Pulveriser Sorting grab Steel shear Other_________________________ Recycling Mobile recycling equipment Stationary recycling equipment Screens Screeders Crushing buckets Other equipment Floor grinding equipment Dust extractor equipment Wet vacuum equipment Air cleaning equipment Hydrodemolition equipment Implosion appareal Other__________________________

Conjet Robot 322 at World of Concrete 2008 Conjet AB will use the World of Concrete Exhibition on 22 – 25 January 2008 in Las Vegas, USA to display the company’s latest compact hydrodemolition Conjet Robot 322. This is the smallest unit in the Swedish company’s comprehensive range of high pressure water-jetting equipment, which selectively removes weakened and damaged reinforced concrete from numerous structures.

The compact, lightweight Conjet Robot 322 is exceptionally manoeuvrable and ideal for working in confined spaces and areas inaccessible to larger equipment. It is very narrow and can pass through an 0.8m to 1m wide opening, depending on attachment tool. This makes the Robot 322 ideal for operating in tunnels as small as 1.7m diameter with rotor attachment or single nozzle, culverts, inside concrete box girder bridge decks and under bridge and quay decks. The Robot 322 is also exceptionally efficient for use in numerous industrial cleaning applications and has been designed to operate with a reaction force from the water jet of 1,400N. The Robot 322, which will be displayed on the Conjet stand S10555 in the south hall. Consists of a self-contained, crawler-mounted undercarriage, electrically powered with an integral control system. This allows progress of the hydrodemolition process to be remotely and safely controlled and monitored away from the hazardous cutting area. The Robot 322 can adjust the width of its undercarriage to improve stability when operating and is equipped with a single oscillating nozzle.

The nozzle, set at a predetermined angle of attack, is mounted on a traversing cradle running back and forth along a 1.5m long feed beam.

Safety is paramount and a protective shroud covers the entire nozzle assembly. The feed beam is attached to an arm mounted on a rotating turntable fixed to the Robot’s crawler based undercarriage.

The feed beam and oscillating nozzle can be replaced with an optional hydraulically driven rotor for cleaning and scarifying concrete surfaces.

The Robot 322 is very easy for the operator to use and optimise production. This ensures that only weak and damaged areas of concrete are selectively removed in a continuous, uniform and safe operation to a predetermined “quality depth” above or below any steel reinforcement, which, if exposed, is also cleaned of rust.

The robot can be controlled from a remote control box connected by a cable or by a wireless control unit. The wireless control unit, also available on other Conjet Robots, has the advantage of allowing the Robot operator to move freely without being obstructed by a normal control cable. The unit provides enough reach for all possible hydrodemolition applications. If the robot loses

contact with the remote wireless control unit the equipment’s emergency stop is automatically activated and the robot and the pump will shut down. The wireless control unit is available as a retro fit option for all Conjet Robot.

The robotised 322 tool carrier is easily adaptable to take a variety of hydrodemolition tools.

It also enables hydrodemolition contractors to mechanise and replace the far less efficient and less productive hand lancing and jack hammering techniques. Hand held methods are known to be exceptionally tiring, stressful, noisy and dangerous for operators to use. Removal of concrete with a jackhammer or hand lance is also much slower and not as selective as a Robot. In addition hand lances are very inefficient with their use of water and need far greater quantities than more effective and environmentally friendly Robots to remove a specific amount of concrete.

www.conjet.com

The compact Conjet Robot 322, here fitted with a rotor head, is ideal for working in small tunnels or similar structures with restricted access.

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EVENTS CALENDAR World of Concrete 2008 22 - 25 Jan, 2008 Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.worldofconcrete.com German Demolition Association Convention 29 of Feb - 1 of March Berlin, Germany www.asco-abbruch.de SAMOTER 2008 5-8 March, 2008 Verona Exhibition Centre Verona, Italy www.samoter.it CSDA Convention 2008 36th Annual CSDA Convention 4-8 March, 2008 Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa Las Vegas, Nevada www.csda.org ConExpo Con/Agg 2008 11-15 March Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.conexpoconagg.com IACDS Annual Meeting 2008 2-5 of May, 2008 Valencia, Spain www.iacds.org ire 2008 International Rental Exhibition 3-5 of June, 2008 Amsterdam RAI Centre The Netherland www.ireshow.com Conexpo Russia 2008 September 15-18, Moscow, Russia www.conexporussia.com

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SDA & OSHA Alliance Produce Best Practice for Reducing Silica Exposure The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA) and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) have worked together on safety and health issues for the country‚s concrete sawing and drilling industry for almost two years.

Through their partnership, CSDA and OSHA provide vital materials and education that help foster a safe work environment and advance the safety and training of sawing and drilling professionals. A major focus of the Alliance is to develop Best Practice tip sheets for the sawing and drilling industry. In an attempt to educate and prevent silicosis, a fact sheet entitled Reducing Silica Exposure Fact Sheet was developed and released.

Concrete cutting, coring, drilling, quarrying, and the production or laying of brick/block are jobs that can create an airborne exposure to silica and potentially cause silicosis. Cutting wet or using engineering controls such as ventilation are the most effective methods of reducing employee exposure to silica dust. Cutting wet is the preferred method. The new Alliance Best Practice on silica provides the best practice for employers and employees of concrete cutting companies. This is the second Best Practice developed under the Alliance. The first Best Practice covered highway work zone safety and was released at the World of Concrete 2007.

In conjunction with the CSDA/OSHA Alliance, Steven F. Witt, OSHA‚s Director of the Directorate of Construction, will provide an update regarding OSHA‚s current enforcement, cooperative programs and resources at CSDA‚s annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 6, 2008. In the past, the Alliance also worked on seminars and programs with CSDA at the World of Concrete exhibition and will continue this practice in years to come. OSHA will also share booth space with CSDA at the January 22-25, 2008 World of Concrete. Trade show attendees can visit CSDA and OSHA in booth S10521 in the South Exhibit Hall. ”Working with OSHA has been such a great benefit to our association, and to the concrete cutting industry as a whole. The need to help reduce injuries in our profession is great, and the Alliance with OSHA ˆ with training and awareness ˆ is vital in today‚s highly competitive market,” said CSDA President, Tom Stowell.

www.csda.org

CSDA ddds 21 courses to online training website The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association, which in 2007 introduced a new online training website, is pleased to announce that it has added 21 new online training courses. The new courses,

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covering health and safety and business subjects, were made available through CSDA‚s partnership with ProTraining.com. These courses supplement the very popular five initial courses that covered flat sawing, wall sawing, core drilling, hand sawing and wire sawing. ”Participation in the online training programs has exceeded our expectations since the site was established earlier in 2007,” said Patrick O’Brien, Executive Director. ”The 700 completed courses represent 50 percent of the total number of courses for the classroom training courses that began in 1993. The addition of new courses will quickly make the online training courses the top training resource for CSDA.” Eleven health and safety courses have been added covering topics such as Personal Protection on Equipment, Walking and Working Surfaces, Job Site Safety, Driver Safety, Lock Out-Tag Out and Hearing Protection. Ten business courses will cover topics such as Dealing with Difficult People, Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Communication, Sales & Marketing, Negotiating and more. Each of these new courses, which can be taken by any operator or employee in the privacy of their own home, at any time, day or night, is offered at a very reasonable price of is $49.00 per course.

A major factor in the success of the CSDA online training website is that all the testing, scoring and documentation for employees is handled by the site administrator and made available to owners, thereby simplifying the typical task that office managers face. In addition, the online training provides a solution for those companies that cannot afford the time off and expense of sending operators to classroom courses.

To access CSDA training courses on the website, simply visit www.csda.org and click on Online Training, or visit www.csdatraining.com.

Instructions for taking the courses follow.

Nascars Kyle Petty keynote speaker at 35th anniversary convention of US Demolition Association NASCAR driver Kyle Petty will be the keynote speaker at the National Demolition Association’s 35 th Anniversary Convention, February 24-27, 2008 at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

NASCAR will be the theme of the largest exhibition of demolition equipment and services in the world.

To accommodate

the growing number of exhibitors at the convention each year, the National Demolition Association has secured the entire 90,000 sq. feet of The Mirage’s Event Center. “With the healthy economy and strong scrap market, the demolition industry is booming and we expect a record turnout of both exhibitors and attendees this coming year,” said Michael R. Taylor, CAE, executive director of the Association.

The Association is offering one free delegate registration – a $650 value – to any new or existing member company which has never attended a convention before. The registration covers both the member and their spouse and includes all speakers and educational sessions, a cocktail reception, all breakfasts and lunches, a Monday night NASCAR Theme Party, and the Tuesday night cocktail reception and Annual Banquet. It does not include hotel, air fare, and other travel expenses. “We really want to encourage new and current member companies to take full advantage of the opportunity to see what’s new in the industry, benefit from our breakout sessions, and network with their colleagues,” Taylor said.

Kyle Petty, a successful driver and son and grandson of racing legends Richard and Lee Petty respectively, will speak on the topic “What a Ride: Life, Family, Community and the Race Track” on Monday morning. Other speakers will address topics such as safety and profitability; California’s diesel rule; C&D recycling and disaster debris management; lawsuits; marketing; and workforce development.

www.demolitionassociation.com

Nascar driver Kyle Petty.