205-2007

Association News:

“Vienesse Whirl”pages: 42

Association News:

“Vienesse Whirl”pages: 42

This issue carries the annual PDi Conrete Cutting Survey

“Major changes at Allu” p. 32

VOLUME 7 • NO. 5 DECEMBER 07 - JANUARY 08

CONCRETE CUTTINGFULL SPEED AHEAD

CONCRETE CUTTINGFULL SPEED AHEAD

pages: 8-30

Demolition:

Brokk 180 and CC 420operate togetherpage: 40

Demolition:The Fourth EmergencyServicepage: 46-47

Association News:

“Vienesse Whirl”page: 42

Reports:

“What a Journey”page: 12

Reports:

“Strong Foothold in USA”pages: 22-26

Reports:

Knowledge isPower...andProductivity

pages: 28-30

Reports:

Cutting inTornado Alley

pages: 34-36

Reports

Increased Focuson Construction

pages: 38-39

Demolition:

Brokk 180 and CC 420operate togetherpage: 40

Demolition:The Fourth EmergencyServicepage: 46-47

Association News:

“Vienesse Whirl”page: 42

Reports:

“What a Journey”page: 12

Reports:

“Strong Foothold in USA”pages: 22-26

Reports:

Knowledge isPower...andProductivity

pages: 28-30

Reports:

Cutting inTornado Alley

pages: 34-36

Reports

Increased Focuson Construction

pages: 38-39

Professional Demolition International Magazine

Address:P.O. Box 786, SE-191 27 Sollentuna, SWEDEN

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

Phone: +46 8 631 90 70

Telefax: +46 8 585 700 47

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.pdworld.com

ISSN Registration: ISSN 1650-979X

Editor-in-ChiefJan Hermansson, [email protected]

Assisting EditorAnita do Rocio Hermansson, [email protected]

Editorial staffEditor Global: Mikael Karlsson, [email protected]

Editor Demolition: Mark Anthony,[email protected]

Editor Recycling: Heikki Harri, [email protected]

Editor North & South AmericaJim Parsons, [email protected]

Editor Asia PacificSilvana Wirepa, [email protected]

Editor RussiaAndrei Bushmarin, [email protected]

PublisherJan Hermansson

International Sales OfficesSweden, Norway & DenmarkContact the Editorial OfficePhone: +46 (0)8 631 90 70, Fax: +46 (0)8 585 700 47E-mail: [email protected]

Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Liechtenstein/FinlandGunter Scheider GSM InternationalPostfach 20 21 06 - D-41552 KaarstAlma-Mahler-Werfel-Str. 15 - D- 41564 KaarstGermanyPhone: +49 2131 / 51 18 01E-mail: [email protected]

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

Rest of the worldContact the PDi head office.

The magazine PDI, Professional Demolition International is published fourtimes per year with a worldwide circulation of 13000 copies. The annualairmail subscription rate is US$ 45. All subscription correspondance shouldbe directed to: The subscription department, SCOP AB, P.O. Box 786, SE-191 27 Sollentuna, Sweden. PDI is mailed by second class postage paidat Stockholm, Sweden.

© Copyright SCOP AB 2007

CONTENTSPDi • issue no. 5 Nov 07 - Jan 08 • volume 7

REGULARS

NEWS

Editorial4 Upturn, downturn or no change at all?

Future for Sawing and Drilling Contractors

Business6 CONEXPO Russia exhibition

announced by AEM

Bobcat Opens New European Plant

Don’t forget SAMOTER 2008

CONEXPO Asia 2007 Sets Records

LaBounty inventor and entrepreneur,dies at 89

Sawing & Drilling16 50 cm cuts in concrete lintels with

eurodima wall saw with thenew braxx control BC200

Reports12 “What a Journey”

22 “Strong foothold”

28 Knowledge is Power . . . and Productivity

34 “Cutting in Tornado Alley”

38 “Increased focus on construction”

Demolition46 The Fourth Emergency Service

Association News42 Viennese Whirl

50 SDA & OSHA alliance produce best practicefor reducing silica exposure

CSDA adds 21 courses toonline training website

Nascars Kyle Petty keynote speakerat 35th anniversary convention of USDemolition Association

Hydrodemolition44 Conjet to the rescue in tunnel fire repairs

New solutions from Aquajet Systems

Special Survey

11 VIC International announces first ’Green Spec’dry polished certification programme

Toolgal UK partner with majordiamond supplies (MDS)

EDCO offers CONTRX Polishing Systems

GDM introduces Turbo Air Powerwith new model 24GT Air Wall Saw

Vibration testing by DTAS at OPERC

8 PDi Concrete Cutting Survey 2007:Flash back of 2007

14 ICS appoints two new managers

Diamond Products unveils expandedconcrete polishing tools and brochure

Diamond Products Keith Ripley promoted

Diamond Products introduces new PremiumGrade Dry Hole Saw Diamond Core Bit

Diamatic joins the Nimbus range

Diamond Vantage appointsnew President and CEO

ICS launches gas powered concrete chain saw

D-Drill Six

Hellcat’s new CSN-3AH variablespeed core drill

Duro Ultra Shoxx Ticks all the boxes

15 FORCE4™, new diamond chain technologyfrom ICS

18 New wallsaw blades from Hilti

20 Atlas Copco extends Bulk Pulverizer Range

New Top-of-the-Range Bobcat® Breaker

32 Major changes at Allu

Extec Crushers Breezeinto Scottish Windfarm

Correction concerning the articleabout the global floor grinding industrypulblished in PDi 4-2007

40 BROKK 180 and CC 420 operate together

48 Doosan Infracore completesacquisition of Bobcat

49 Conjet Robot 322 at World of Concrete 2008

ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008 • PDi 3

4 PDi • ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008

Words from O’BrienUpturn, down-turn or nochange at all?Dear readers

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

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

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

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

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

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

the world for the industry sectors covered by PDi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

its position.

Many building and construction projects have started during 2007 and many

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

a great 2007. I hope you enjoy reading PDi

as much as PDi staff enjoys producing the

magazine. We have been publishing PDi

for 7 years and we intend to continue for

many more years reporting about these

inspiring industries and its participants.

Jan HermanssonEditor-in-Chief

[email protected]

In my last column, concrete surface pre-

paration and polishing were discussed as

an emerging new business service for

contractors. That column resulted in a

surprising number of acknowledgements.

But is this a singular opportunity, or part of

a change in the future for sawing and dril-

ling contractors?

Sawing and drilling with diamond tools

has been an established segment of the

construction industry for over 50 years.

While there have been, and will continue

to be, improvements to the equipment and

diamond tool technology, the business

model has changed relatively little. Today

many of the entrepreneurs that helped

establish the sawing and drilling industry

have retired and a younger generation is

looking to improve on past practices and

create a better business model that will

allow them to thrive in the competitive

construction environment.

There are several areas in which sawing

and drilling businesses can change. First,

newer technology and improved

performance will result in performance

efficiencies to allow contractors to perform

far more work in a given time period. Newer

technologies like hi-cycle power and

remote control are lighter and more

powerful and diamond tools now last longer

and cut faster at lower unit costs. These

factors play a part in fully understanding

the cost structure to ensure a bottom line

profit.

But advances in the equipment and

tools need to be supplemented by other

advancements such as adding services

beyond the traditional sawing and drilling

business to grow revenue. Surface prepa-

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-tra ined

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 profita-

bility, improved employee retention and

higher morale.

Today’s sawing and drilling contractors

are learning from past and taking adv-

antages of new resources and business

opportuni t ies to ensure that their

businesses will thrive in the future.

Best regardsPatrick O’BrienPresident IACDS

Future forSawing andDrillingContractors


CONEXPO RussiaExhibitionAnnounced by AEMThe North American-based international tradegroup for off-road equipment manufacturers,Association of Equipment Manufacturers is tostage a new exhibition called CONEXPO Rus-sia in response to manufacturers seekingimproved opportunities to showcase theirproducts and technologies to the growing Russ-ian marketplace.

The inaugural show wi l l be heldbetween15-18 September 2008 in Moscowand will focus on construction, forestry and utilityequipment and will be organised in conjunctionwith the Exhibition and Marketing Centre, aMoscow-based exhibi t ion organiser ofDORKOMEXPO.

The Russian Association of RegionalHighway Administrat ions (RADOR) hasendorsed CONEXPO Russia. Russianmanufacturer associations such as NEDRA arealso endorsing the show and leading contractorassociations, such as the Russian Builders Unionand the Russian Builders Association, will besupporting this exhibition through assistancewith educational programmes and promotionto their members.

Some manufacturers have alreadycommitted to exhibiting in the inaugural showand include Blount, Caterpillar, Chetra, Finval-Stroy Company, GOMACO, JCB, Komatsu,KOMINVEST AKMT, Manitowoc, RemTechStroy,SZLK/Astec/RoadTec, SANY, Sermac Com-

Roy LaBounty - inventor, businessman, pilot and founder ofLaBounty Manufacturing in Two Harbors has died ofcomplications from a broken hip. He was one day short of his90th birthday.

LaBounty, who learned to innovate and inventduring his make-do-or-do-without farm upbringing,began LaBounty Manufacturing in 1973 afterdesigning and building a contractor’s grapple that canmove heavy materials and quickly tear structures apart.He built the grapple while running his construction bu-siness. From 1969 to 1972 he manufactured it in hismaintenance shop for other contractors during thewinter.

LaBounty Manufacturing assembler ChrisSauer of Two Harbors uses an air wrench to assemblehydraulic shears at the LaBounty plant in Two harbors, Minn.

His inventions are credited with changing the demolitionindustry, providing safer, faster and more efficient ways tooperate at lower costs. LaBounty’s mobile shears,introduced in 1981, brought the company notice fromthe automobile and metal recycling industry. Pieces ofLaBounty Manufacturing equipment were made in TwoHarbors and sold all over the world. LaBounty held atleast 25 patents.

LaBounty grew up on a farm in Two Harbors. During

LaBounty inventor and entrepreneur, dies at 89World War II, he served in the U.S. Army in the Europeanand Pacific theaters. He began his work life wiring housesand then went into the logging business. Eventually he started

LaBounty Construction, a company that built roadsand bridges in Lake County and elsewhere. The com-pany also built Two Harbors Municipal Airport.

The success of the tools LaBounty invented andmanufactured for his own business led to theestablishment of LaBounty Manufacturing.

His interest in aviation was strong throughout hisadult life. He was on the Two Harbors Airport Com-mission from the time it began in the 1960s andcontinued to serve until the end of his life, his sonCurt LaBounty said Tuesday. Roy LaBounty learned

to fly after World War II.In 1992, LaBounty Manufacturing was sold to Stanley

Hydraulic Tools and the Two Harbors plant now is known asStanley LaBounty. Roy LaBounty stayed on as a consultant butin 1995 retired from day-to-day operations.

LaBounty was a modest man, Curt LaBounty said. ”He’snever been anybody to go out and seek recognition for himself,”he said. But others recognized him and his achievements anyway.

In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievementrecognition as part of the University of Minnesota DuluthJoel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards. Last winter,

the Two Harbors airport’s administration building was namedfor him.

LaBounty also was a philanthropist. Although he neverearned a college degree, ”he recognized the value of a goodeducation,” Curt LaBounty said. He donated generously tothe UMD Swenson College of Science and Engineering andthe Labovitz School of Business and Economics. He esta-blished the LaBounty Family Fund with the Duluth-SuperiorArea Community Foundation, designating his gift for economicdevelopment-related projects for the Two Harbors area.

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

His family was planning a party for him on Sunday, afew days after his 90th birthday, which would have beentoday. However, he fell and broke his hip recently, had surgeryand was a patient at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth. He wasunable to recover from the trauma of the broken bones,according to his son. Roy LaBounty’s wife, Viola, died about10 years ago. He leaves behind sons Curt and Ken anddaughter, Linda, and their families.

Source: Jane Brissett Duluth News Tribune. Published Wednesday, No-vember 21, 2007

Roy LaBounty.

pany, Techstroykontrakt (Hitachi), Terex andVolvo.

The new CONEXPO RUSSIA wil l bedirected by the industry and for the industry,with a manufacturer led managing committeeof exhibitors. This committee will guide the stra-tegic direction of the show to focus on deliveringreduced costs, improved return on investmentand a high-quality event that meets the industryneeds of exhibitors and attendees.

www.aem.org

Bobcat Opens NewEuropean PlantBobcat has opened the company’s first newlybuilt manufacturing plant outside the USA atDobris, about 35 km southwest of Prague, toserve markets in Europe, the Middle East andAfrica. Together with the establishment of adesign and engineering facility in Dobris, thenew plant, covering an area of more than20,000 m, will be used for the fabrication,welding, painting and assembly of Bobcat small

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

The total initial investment of nearlyUS$32M includes a new training centreadjacent to the plant, with four rooms covering380 m, a workshop, and outdoor training areacovering 5,000 m. The new plant frees upmanufacturing space in the Bobcat compactequipment plants in Gwinner and Bismarck,North Dakota, USA needed for production oflarge-frame loaders, the mid and large size mini-excavators, as well as new products, such asthe Toolcat Utility Work Machine.

www.bobcat.com

Don’t forgetSAMOTER 2008Samoter, the three-yearly international exhibitionof earth moving, site and building industrymachinery will be held in Verona, Italy between5-9 march 2008. Numerous activities arescheduled, including Samoter specials, pressdays, seminars and round table talks and

discussions bringing markets and companiescloser together.

www.samoter.com

CONEXPO Asia 2007Sets RecordsThe CONEXPO Asia 2007 exposition held on4-7 December 2007 at the Chinese Importand Export Fair Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou,China, was a great success, setting records fornumbers of visitors, exhibition space and thenumber of exhibitors.

About 28,000 visitors from about 100countries attended CONEXPO Asia 2007, whichmore than doubled in size compared to 2006,with about 450 Chinese and internationalexhibitors and more than 100,000 m2 of space.The success of CONEXPO Asia 2007 reflectsthe construction industry boom in the AsiaPacific region. The next CONEXPO Asia will beheld in 2009

www.conexpoasia.com


As usual the December/January issue of PDi alwayscarry the Concrete CuttingSurvey which is sort of asummary of what has happe-ned in the Concrete Sawingand Drilling Industry during thepast year. Of course we are faraway from covering everythingbut you, our readers, can helpus with that by sending us asmuch information as possibleduring the year.

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

“A great year”2007 was a very good year for the global concretesawing and drilling industry. The majority of marketsthat have an established concrete sawing and drillingindustry have shown a clear upturn. Australia and NewZealand have strong and well functioning associationsand increased their numbers of members, which alsoapplies to Japan. Statistics from China are unclear,but among the vast number of contractors severalgroupings are taking place, which has created a numberof larger concrete cutting contractors, which work, ifnot nation wide but on larger territories throughseveral branch offices. There is also an even increasedinterest for export from professional Chinese diamondtool and concrete cutting machinery manufacturers.Russia and neighbouring markets are not showing anyslow down in business and the number of professionalcontractors is increasing. During Bauma in April 2007,the first Russian Concrete Sawing & Drilling Asso-ciation was founded gathering around 10 membercompanies. Also the use of Russian diamond tools andmachinery has increased in most of the Eastern Euro-pean countries.

In the USA the numbers of professional concretecutters has increased and the average age of employeesis low as younger people are entering the industry.The US concrete cutting business has been somewhataffected by the economical instability within theprivate residential housing sector but figures areexpected to remain at about the same level as in 2006.The commercial construction sector is still strong in

including several new tools and machines. In generalterms the complete product range has been dividedin two groups, Standard and Premium where the Pre-mium brands are focused on the professional andeveryday users. The company has released a new toolseries for wall, floor, wire and bench sawing as well assurface preparation.

Spanish manufacturer Solga Diamant during2007 released a new series of wall saw blades and anew core drill series. In addition the new drill systemSDR 600, with drill stand also made its debut. Solgaalso showed a new compact convertible wall saw fromSwiss manufacturer Demco. The wall saw, which alsocan be used as a wire saw, has been developed primarilyfor use with the Solga diamond tools.

Solga Diamant has established itself on the worldstage during the past decade and distribution isthrough dealers in 50 to 60 countries. The companyhas also been in a joint venture for many years withSumitomo Group called Solgallied, which focuses onthe manufacture and sales of diamond wire throughoutthe world. Countries where Solga has strong presenceare Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Sweden,Norway and Finland.

The British supplier of diamond blades and coredrills, Nimbus Diamond Products, continues its new-technology boost for its product range. At Bauma thecompany presented its new wall sawing blades withthe second generation of the patented “V-Max design”to increase cutting power and resistance in toughapplication with “V” shaped segments that increasethe points of attack by up to three. The sandwich seg-ments protect side clearance and the segment heightis 15 mm for longer life. The diamond section is only9mm, which reduces side friction. The blades havethe unique multi slots and expansion gullet design toaccelerate the evacuation of slurry and cool down theblade. The centre part of the blade is made of copperto better absorb shocks to the diamond.

The Belgian diamond tool manufacturer,Carbodiam, has promoted its new products theSharkor drilling segments and the Alligator and Pre-dator cutting blades. The patented Sharkor segmentsare used for drilling with a diameter from 50 to 1000mm and have a unique geometry and increaseddiamond concentration without needing extra power.The patented alligator segments, with turbostarttechnology, ensure a very fast cut. This is partiallyachieved by reducing the frontal contact with thematerial. The blades have a diameter from 450 to 1200mm and a segment height of 10 mm. The Predatorblade has a unique geometric pattern for high-speedcutting on any type of construction material,reinforced concrete, granite and more. The specialand patented drop shaped segments ensures a fine cutand a very high cutting speed. The diamond height is11 mm and the blades are available in 125, 230, 300,350 and 400 mm diameter.

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

the US and US manufacturers PDi has contacted arenot showing any signs of a further recession in themarket.

Markets in Europe have shown a clear and strongupturn and several are booming. The large Germanmarket is growing, but has still a way to go until itcan be described as having a booming concrete sawingand drilling industry.

Also in several European countries withprofessional concrete sawing and drilling associationsthe number of new and younger concrete cuttingoperators has been increasing. We hope that this trendcontinues and that respect is shown from both olderand more experienced operators as well as young newcomers. In the way this industry develops both areneeded.

A steadily growing trend is the increase ofcomplexity. The demands on today’s professionalconcrete cutters are far higher then in earlier days.Behind these stronger demands lie several factors.Structures are much more complex, but the complexityhas not resulted in lower efficiency and quality. Themore complex applications have combined with higherefficiency and quality. But this scenario brings evenhigher importance to increased and better training andeducation from our associations and manufacturers.But in the end it is the concrete sawing and drillingcontractors that have the choice to further educatethemselves. In order to compete and survive as well asnot jeopardise their own or employees’ health the bestrecommendation for concrete cutting contractors isfirst to become a member in a branch associationwhich gives excellent guidance. Unfortunately not allcountries have their own association and in theseterritories the responsibility lies even more with therepresentative manufacturers or distributors. Guidancecan also be given by the international umbrella asso-ciation the International Association for ConcreteDrillers & Sawers. IACDS is organised by nine of theworld’s largest concrete sawing and drilling associationsand can give excellent guidance for contractors toachieve appropriate information about all sorts oftasks, like working methods, safety and technicalaspects, training as well as information about settingup a national branch association. More informationabout IACDS can be found on HYPERLINK ”http://www.iacds.org” www.iacds.org.

New demands from the end clients and theprofessional contractors puts greater pressure on theindustry’s manufacturers of diamond tools andconcrete sawing and drilling equipment. And 2007saw in particular a whole bunch of new equipmentlaunched on the market. In hall A1 at the Bauma showmost of the manufacturers were present and animpressive range of new diamond tools and equipmentlaunched.

New diamond toolsIn this feature we have divided new diamond toolsand machinery for concrete cutting in two groups.Austrian manufacture Tyrolit with its brandHydrostress made an extensive face lift of their range

Flash back of 2007PDi’s Concrete Cutting Survey 2007

Flash back of 2007


and construction materials. The new X20 SHOXXblades, with a diameter of 230, 300 and 350 mm,incorporate a completely new and patentedmanufacturing technology, where they use high qualitybonds developed in the automotive industry and aremuch more resistant.

With the new method and materials, Samedia hasmanaged to give the new blades the highest segmentheight currently available of 20 mm. The segmentsare conical, which reduces the space between themreducing vibration during cutting. The new bladeshave a steel core with a thickness of 2 to 2.2 mm andthe diamond grains are coated with titanium, whichincreases diamond retention by 25%. “It has taken ussix years to develop this new manufacturing methodand the SHOXX blade to get the very best results forthe end users,” says SHOXX product developmentmanager Uwe Neidhardt.

Samedia promises that X20 SHOXX blades arethe fastest tools on the market and cut hard materialstwice as fast as standard blades. At a special productdemonstration in the French city of Le Mans earlierthis year, hundreds of invited guests witness a demon-stration. The company also says that with quality andhardness tested to a much higher level than requiredby EN 13236 standards, the new blades have a life-time that is twice as long as other top quality blades.

The manufacturer Husqvarna ConstructionProducts has released a long line of new productsduring 2007 but most of them are on the equipmentside. But there are also new diamond tools like newtypes of blades and segments in the well-known Kiteseries as well as the new core drill qualities B345,AS25B and A54B.

At the beginning of 2007 the company SandvikNora released a new series of diamond blades calledArix. The Arix blades were developed according to therevolutionary new way of structuring the diamondsin the segment to achieve a much higher cuttingperformance and developed by Korean ShinhanDiamond.

New concrete cutting machineryThe big amount of new products for 2007 is on themachinery side. To cope with its new diamond toolseries Tyrolit has also launched new and upgradedmachines for all concrete cutting applications as wellas surface preparation. Tyrolit’s marketing manager forthe construction division, Mr Keckeis, said that thisis just the beginning of an array of new products fromTyrolit in the nearest future.

The big news from Hilti in 2007 was the newcompact drill system DD120. The drill machine andstand fits in the traditional “red box” from Hilti. Thedrill machine has a 1600 W motor and the completeset weighs only 9.8 kg and measures 600 mm in height.The DD 120 system is easy to use and can be usedboth for dry and wet coring in diameters up to 162mm, even in strong reinforced concrete. The machinehas two speeds and the Hilti LED system makes surethat the machine always works at full capacity. Hiltihas also recently released the high cycle wall saw DS-TS 20-E which was also on display at Bauma as wellas the new Combi hammer TE 40-AVR and new lasermeasurement equipment PD40/42 and PR25.

Another manufacturer that also has releasedseveral new interesting products recently is AustrianEDT Eurodima. At Bauma the manufacturer showeda new floor saw called FS450. The saw is powered bya 3-cylinder Deutz motor and has a very largeproduction capacity. It is easy to manoeuvre as well asmaintain and service. EDT Eurodima has also released

a new wall saw called Tornado sb 320 that has showngreat success in both Europe and USA. The 32 kWhigh cycles saw is developed for diamond blades from800 to 2000 mm and has a total weight of only 35.8kg.

Austrian Braun Machinenfabrik has launchedtheir new HF Titan wall saw that has a new grip andintelligent automatic control system. Titan weighs 38kg with motor and drill head and has a cutting depthof 680 mm.

The popular Pentruder, manufactured by Swedishcompany Tractive, also delivered several new productsduring 2007. The HF motor assortment now alsocontains 18 and 27 kW motors. Pentruder 8-20HFhas been updated to serve even tougher applicationswhere larger blade diameters are needed for cutting inheavily reinforced concrete and then the 27 kW mo-tor comes in handy. The new Pentruder 8-20iQ with4 speeds and the 27 kW motor has a 20% highertorque on each gear, which means a lot more powercompared to Pentruder 8-20HF and a 20 kW motor.The saw head weighs only 20 kg and this cuttingcombination offers a production rate comparable withreally large wall saws.

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

US manufacturer ICS has shown an increasedpresence in the market recently, particularly in Eu-rope. One reason is a strengthening of the sales orga-nisation in Europe with Joe Taccogna responsible forthe European market. Recent new products are theICS concrete chain saw ICS 603GC. The 603GC isthe lightest gas-powered, concrete cutting chainsawon the market. Weighing less than 8 kg, this new sawwill plunge cut to 250 mm and make square cornerswith no over-cuts. With a powerful, 64 cc, 4.2 hpengine and advanced, rear-port, multi-chamber air filt-ration the 603GC is dependable and powerful enoughfor a wide range of concrete and masonry cutting jobs.Also the ICS 633 has been up-graded and is now calledICS 633GC.

The machine is equipped with a 6.5 hp motorand has a cutting depth of 400mm. The new modelhas been equipped with several new technicalimprovements like better air filtering, better waterprotection of sensitive electric parts, less vibration inthe handle and new start mechanism. ICS also recentlyintroduced the diamond chain saw ICS 853PRO-FLwith straight cutting function which makes it easy tocut straight along a wall or a floor where over cuts arenot allowed. The machine has been built on the 853PRO series and uses the same type of diamond chain.The ICS 853PRO-FL allows the operator to shortenset up time as the handheld saw simply do not needany set up compared to stationary chain and swordsaws. The saw can cut up to 600 mm thick materialand cuts as close as 4.5 mm to a wall, roof or floor.The model has been field tested over six months bythe US concrete sawing and drilling association beforelaunch.

Husqvarna Construction Products is probably themanufacturer that has delivered the broadest range ofnew products during 2007. Most of them wherelaunched during World of Concrete and Bauma andincluded two new electric drill motors, DMS 160 andDM 230, three new floor saws, FS 300, 400 and 500,

two new drill stand systems, DS 50 Gyro and DS70AT, the new power cutters K650 Cut-n´- Break andK960 with Air Head technique as well as K750 withOilGuard function. HCP also acquired Australianfloor grinder manufacturer King Concepts as well asUS Soff-Cut that produces machinery for freshconcrete floor treatment.

Two strong trendsThere were two particular trends in 2007. One is thefact that high cycle equipment maintains its strongposition without any signs of cutbacks. The other isthat concrete floor preparation equipment is boomingand becoming a more and more common serviceamong concrete cutting contractors. HTC Sweden ABis the biggest supplier and has ploughed the path bybuilding up a completely new market, new methods,new machinery as well as diamond tools. Now severalother players are trying to enter the market in astronger way then before.

During 2007 HTC Sweden launched a completeupgrade of their product range. And among othersthe HTC 650 and 800 Classics have been equippedwith a new Hub system which makes the two machineseasier to handle as well as safer. A new version of theHTC 420 has been released. Several new technicalfeatures have been incorporated in all the HTCexisting models like new chassis, upgraded start mo-tors, new ergonomic features, easier access to diffe-rent part of the machines and easier handling of themachines.

The main news from HTC in 2007 was thecompletely new HTC 1500iT, which is the secondlargest machine in the range offering a grindingwidth of 1.5 m. It is self-propelled and has two grin-ding heads with room for six 340 mm grindingdiscs. The machine completes the HTC heavy-dutyrange where the HTC 2500iX is the biggest with agrinding width of 2.5 m. Besides the machines HTChas also launched new and upgraded tool systemsas well as dust extraction systems. The well-knownconcrete polishing system Superfloor as well as thecleaning and maintaining system Twister has beengained a stronger presence during 2007.

German manufacturer Schwamborn has releaseda new floor grinder called DSM 430 SL, the patentedchisel system OMF-250 and the new SB-Crystal sys-tem, which is a new concept for grinding and highgloss polishing.

Blastrac has reinforced the activities of the floo-ring machine manufacturers, which is a major forcein machines for concrete surfaces. Blastrac considera-bly extended its product range with the acquisition ofthe Dutch manufacturer Diamatic some years ago.Blastrac has released the new floor grinder BlastracBMG835 with a grinding width of 835 mm and theself propelled giant grinder BMR85D, which can beequipped with many different types of attachments,including floor grinding and polishing heads. It hasalso a large integrated dust extractor and a water tank.

Swedish manufacturer Scanmaskin has extendedits range of Scan Combi Flex floor grinders with theintroduction of the patented remote controlled ScanCombiflex 700 RC. For a more detailed update of thefloor grinding industry see the floor grinding featurein PDi issue 4-2007.

On the following pages are a number of shortnotes published during 2007 in the magazine“Concrete Openings”, which is published by the USConcrete Sawing & Drilling Association as well as themagazine “Concrete Cutter”, published by UK’sConcrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

VIC Internationalannounces first’Green Spec’ drypolished certificationprogrammeVIC International announced the first “green”concrete polishing certification programme at theWorld of Concrete 2007. This polishing system isnow certified as a ”green” process by Green Specand is listed in the Green Spec Directory.

“The rationale for launching this programmeis two-fold, says VIC International surface prep di-vision director Dill Beres. “The demand for qualitystandards for concrete polishing contractors isimmediate and the opportunity for working witharchitects and designers with the ”green”environmental umbrella has never been morepositive than right now. To become a VIC-certified,green applicator, a contractor must haveprofessional experience in polishing a minimumnumber of square feet of concrete, a his-tory of working with largercustomers, a truck, trailer, grindingequipment, generator andmanpower, credit approval and atleast five references. In addition, thecontractor must attend quarterlyapplicator meetings held andcatered by VIC International atlocations to be announced.”

Toolgal UK partnerwith major diamondsupplies (MDS)Tool manufacturer Toolgal UK has teamed up withmarketing and sales operation MDS to form anefficient sales and after sales service in support oftheir products.

The synergy between Toolgal and MDS off-ers the UK construction market the best productand the best service. The emphasis is on costeffective and reliable tools which will perform toprofessional standards and which have an inter-national brand behind them. This will servecustomers’ best interests in ease of supply, after-sales service and support and tool design andspecification. MDS will also provide accreditedtraining conforming to industry standards and le-gal requirements, making Toolgal/MDS a completediamond products and service provider in the UKfor the professional user.Source: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling andSawing Association.

EDCO offers CONTRXPolishing SystemsEquipment Development Company, Inc. (EDCO)has introduced the CONTRX Polishing System forpolishing concrete. The single and dual discsystems are ideal for contractors polishing areasup to 930m2.

www.contrxsystems.com

Vibration testing byDTAS at OPERCThe UK Drilling and Sawing Association is aware ofthe risk of Hand Arm Vibration associated with the useof power tools fitted with diamond blades and onesupplier member records the steps to deal with thisproblem. The management of hand-arm vibrationhealth risks for construction workers is under the spot-light after the influential Major Contractors Group (MCG)announced that in future its members, the UK’s largestconstruction companies responsible for over £20bnworth of construction work each year, would seek touse only hand powered tools listed on the HAVTECregister. To qualify for inclusion on the register, powertools are required to undergo independent assess-ment at the Off-highway Plant & Equipment ResearchCentre at Loughborough University, with the registerfreely available through the OPERC website,www.operc.com. Fully qualified experts conduct tes-ting, which involves measuring the vibration emittedby each tool under normal use. The readings arecategorised in two ways:

* Exposure Action Value (EAV). Based on an 8 hour workingday, the EAV at which preventative action should be considered is set at 2.5m/s2.

* Exposure Limit Value (ELV). Again based on an 8 hourworking day the ELV is set at 5.0m/s2.

New DSA member and diamond tool specialist, DTASof Sheffield, tested its latest Duro Ultra SHOXX 300mmblade at OPERC on three different power saws, theStihl TS400, Stihl TS410 and the Husqvarna K750.Results showed slight variation with the lowestmagnitude of vibration consistently achieved by theStihl TS410. As a result, visitors to the OPERC websitewill find SHOXX is registered on HAVTEC with an EAVlevel of 2.8 m/s2, the lowest yet achieved by anydiamond blade, which equates to a continual usagetime of 6hr 24min, and an unlimited usage time onthe ELV scale, similarly the best performance to-date.MCG and OPERC hope that by providing an indepen-dent assessment of HAV exposure and the applicationof a consistent benchmark for performance valueswill accelerate development of safer hand-held powertools and accessories. The testing regime at OPERCwill be used to enhance the existing traffic-light schemeco-sponsored by the Construction Confederation andthe Hire Association Europe. ”As a supplier to theindustry, we were keen to have our diamond toolsassessed at OPERC,” says DTAS managing directorPaul Morewood. “Hand-arm vibration is a serious pro-blem and we support MCG in its initiative. The excel-lent results we’ve achieved at OPERC are in themselvesproof that better design leads to better performanceand a safer environment for construction workers.”Source: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling and SawingAssociation.

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

GDM introduces TurboAir Power with newmodel 24GT Air WallSawGDM’s new turbo powered 24GT pneumatic wall

saw uses air to produce up to 25 hp.Weighing less then 23kg the saw caneasily run blades ranging from 610mmto 1220mm diameter. The Model 24GTpneumatic wall saw package includeswall saw with motor, tracks, blade guard,

small parts and manual. A 2-boltconversion kit is availableallowing current GDM wall saw

owners to have the power of two saws in one.www.gdmsaw.com


ICS appoints two newmanagersThe US company ICS has appointed Ron Som-ers as the new heavy regional sales manager forthe south central US re-gion. Somers joined theICS heavy user channelin March 2007 after 14years of experience in thediamond tool retailmarket, and working 9years for a generalcontractor where he ran all phases of theoperation.This blend of retail and end userexperience makes Som-ers an excellent asset toserve the pro-cuttermarket.

In addition, ScottBrown has beenappointed regional salesmanager for the PacificNorthwest and westernCanadian territories. Brown joined the ICS heavyuser division in March 2007, after 18 years ofexperience with a local market concrete cuttingcompany, serving in many capacities including wallsaw operator and subsequent progression intosales and estimation. Brown brings a new level of

user-need understanding to ICS that can be directlytranslated to business improvement for customers.Not only is he fully versed in all cutting methods,he has over five years of job estimating experiencewith ICS products.

www.icsbestway.comSource: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the ConcreteSawing & Drilling Association.

Diamond Productsunveils expandedconcrete polishingtools and brochureDiamond Products line of concrete polishingequipment and tools has been expanded. The newline has been designed to make concrete countertops and floors shine and help distributors takeadvantage of the growing decorative concretemarket. In the fall off 2006, the companyintroduced the DS175 and DS 301 hand heldpolisher units along with the DSDS302 single headwalk behind polisher and DS602 and DS605 dualhead units. They joined an initial selection of dryand wet resin polishing pads and cup grindingdiscs. The equipment line has now been expandedto include a more powerful version of the DS301,the DS301 HD, and the Edge Pro counter topedging machine. Other new product items includean expanded selection of wet grinding discs aswell as polishing pads for concrete, marble, graniteand hand pads. Router bits are available to workwith the Edge Pro edging machine.

www.diamondproducts.comSource: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the USConcrete Sawing & Drilling Association.

Diamond ProductsKeith Ripley promotedDiamond Products in the US has promoted KeithRipley to Northeast regio-nal sales manager. Ripleywill be responsible formanaging the sales forcein the Midwest, Mid At-lantic and North-easternUS and he will also serveas company nationaltraining manager. Ripleyhad most recently been working as a salesrepresentative covering Ohio, West Virginia, wes-

ISSUE 5 - NOVEMBER 2007 - JANUARY 2008 • PDi 11Continues on page 14.


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

To allow maintenance on three 38 ft (11.6m) high structuresthat 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, alsocalled ”fondue fire.” The material is welded to the structureswith metal pins and a steel grid. Because the structures’ heightand 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). Thisapproach 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 bythe history and technology of the space programme,” recallsVandermey. “But once we began working, it was just anotherbig and challenging concrete cutting job.”

So too was CCB’s assignment in the $12 billion “Big Dig”project in Boston, Massachusetts. Here, workers ventured un-derground to remove a 400ft (122m) section of an existing east-west subway tunnel to make way for a new platform, and allowa 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 oppositesides of the track, creating 35ft (10.67m) sections that could beremoved when subway service was shut down on weekends.CCB also threaded wire through core holes at each cut location tosaw horizontally through the walls at the new platform elevation.

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

Keeping currentRecent months have found CCB with a more routine mix ofprojects that range from routine highway maintenance work inthe Great Lakes to core drilling piers for bridges along the USGulf Coast, to a railroad structure expansion project in Con-necticut.

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

The cost of doing business has changed as well, particularlywith the substantial insurance that firms like CCB now need topursue large projects. ”That’s created a gap between large andsmall 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 expectto be a part of the market, no matter which way it goes.”

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.

“What a Journey!”WORKING AT SUCH HIGH-PROFILE venues was hardly on DanVandermey’s mind when he began Concrete Cutting & Brea-king Company (CCB) at his Grand Rapids, Michigan home in1974. The 21-year-old accountant was simply looking for amore interesting, hands-on career.

Attracted to construction“I was attracted to construction because it was outdoors andrapidly changing,” recalls Vandermey. ”My uncle providedfinancial backing and expertise, and we did pretty well in ourfirst year. We kept finding new opportunities, and that kept thecompany growing.”

More than 30 years later, CCB has become one of the mostdiversified demolition contractors in the US, providing a widerange of diamond cutting, sawing, breaking, drilling, and relatedservices from 13 offices spanning the Great Lakes Region, NewYork, and Florida. Appropriately for a company built largely oninfrastructure work, CCB’s journey has included some interes-ting twists and more than a few potentially daunting challenges.When the recession of the early 1980s forced drastic cutbacks inMichigan’s roadway programmes, for example, Vandermeylooked to adjoining states for opportunities that would sustainthe company.

“Nobody had much money to spend on roads at the time, butit was enough to keep us going,” he says. “It paid off, because whenthe economy began to pick up, we had developed good relationshipswith highway contractors in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and we weredoing 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, whichprovided a more efficient logistical base for the firm’s services.But to compete for those coveted low-bid highway projects, CCBneeded an edge in equipment. Along with adopting the thennew wire saw technology, the firm began developing its owntools.

“Our most notable inventions were a deep cut saw that iscapable of cutting through a 30-in. slab and a 120-hp saw that isstill the most powerful saw on the market,” says Vandermey.“We also developed a curb cutter that cuts horizontally on acontinuous basis, and a truck-mounted power unit that prov-ides hydraulic and electric power simultaneously, and runs manydifferent types of tools. We also made a remote-controlled, high-powered wire saw built on rubber tracks.”

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

Vandermey also discovered that too much of a good thingcan be dangerous. CCB’s first venture of its base Great Lakes

market was the 1990 acquisition of a Florida-based concretedemolition business and was followed by a flurry of newbranches up and down the East Coast. Although theexpanded operations generated sizeable revenue,Vandermey sensed that the company’s infrastructure wasfar from stable. By reducing the number of branches and

centralizing operations, he also shrank the company’sbalance sheet. ”But we became a much stronger com-

pany financially,” he says.

Extreme experienceOne critical aspect that was not compromised wasCCB’s expertise in tackling unusual concretedemolition challenges. That enabled the company

to be a part of numerous landmark projects suchas the “face-lifting” of Cape Canaveral’s Launch

“What a Journey!”


tern Pennsylvania and western New York. He hasalso covered Missouri, Kansas, Iowa andOklahoma. He began his career in the company’scustomers service department.

www.diamondproducts.comSource: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US ConcreteSawing & Drilling Association.

Diamond Productsintroduces new Pre-mium Grade Dry HoleSaw Diamond Core BitDiamond Products has announced the addition ofits new Core Bore brand premium black gradedry hole saw diamond core bit. Dry diamond holesaw bits are used to drill quickly through blockand brick without water. This savestime, with cleanup being mucheasier. Diamond Productswas the first company tointroduce the dry hole sawcore bit.

The Premium bit features h i g h e rquality diamond for long life when dry coring inbrick and block. It also has wider segments andthicker-walled tubing for heat resistance and harduse. It is available in diameter sizes ranging from22mm to 150mm and has a 230mm maximumdrilling depth with a 150mm diameter bit.

www.diamondproducts.comSource: Concrete Openings, Magazine of the US ConcreteSawing & Drilling Association.

Diamatic joins theNimbus rangeMay 2007 saw the beginning of a new alliancefor Nimbus Diamond Products. As sole UKdistributors for the Dutch floor preparation systemDiamatic, Nimbus is able to offer a full range ofmachines to cover floor grinding and polishingrequirements.

“With the versatility of the Diamatic rangebehind us we will provide a cost-effective answerfor every application from a simple ’ironing out ofbumps’ to a multi-stage, top quality decorativefloor,” says Nimbus national sales manager PeterWorsley.

The company behind the patented Diamatictechnology, Holland Industriele Diamantwerken, isa leading name in floor preparation systems andspecialises in the design, development andmanufacture of state-of-the-art planetary-drivenmachines. As sole UK agent Nimbus becomes part

of Diamatic’s worldwide distribution network.www.nimbus-diamond.uk.co

Source: Journal of the UK Drilling & Sawing Association.

Diamond Vantageappoints New Presi-dent and CEOGraeme Gilmour has been appointed presidentand chief executive officer of the US diamondsaw blade and drill bit manufacturer Diamond Van-tage Incorporated. Gilmour has over 30 yearsexperience within the civil construction industryand brings extensive field and business manage-ment knowledge to the company. He will continue

to lead the company through its recentgrowth phase and expand its existingmarkets with the introduction of newproducts such as the Zones patterned

diamond blade recently launched byDiamond Vantage, and participation in industryassociations. Gilmour succeeds Carl Roemmelewho retired as president and CEO after a long andsuccessful career with General Electric, Target andmost recently Diamond Vantage.

on the project Ian Osborne. “ We even madechanges to the air filter cover, eliminating knucklescrapes when starting.”

Weighing in at 9.5kg, the 680GC is portableand requires only standard garden hose waterpressure for its wet-cutting system. Its 80cc 2-stroke engine generates nearly 6 hp and like allICS gas powered concrete chainsaws, it featuresspecial seals and filtration to protect keycomponents from the harsh environment ofconcrete cutting. Available with either 300mm or610mm guide bars and ICS’s full line ofTwinMax™ diamond chain, the 680GC is able toplunge cut to 610mm and make square cornerswith no overcuts in reinforced concrete, naturalstone, and masonry. It is scheduled for worldwidedistribution early January 2008.

www.icsbestway.com

D-Drill SixFollowing months of exhaustive field-testing andevaluation, Peter White of the UK company D-Drillhas purchased six new ICS Hydraulic Chain Saws.”We have proven that with the new lower pricesfor consumable diamond chains, this is the bestway to cut small openings,” says Peter White, whonow has a saw at every one of his eight depots inthe UK. “The 853PRO Hydraulic Saw completewith the new PRK(tm) system is becoming everpopular right across the globe,” said ICS Presi-dent VanderZanden. “Peter and D-Drill have alwaysbeen quick to exploit the advances in ourtechnology and lead in innovative methods.”

www.icsbestway.comSource: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling andSawing Association.


Duro Ultra ShoxxTicks all the boxesA new generation of diamond blades developedusing a revolutionary, new manufacturing processand promising a step-change in performancelevels has been introduced in the UK by Sheffieldbased specialist DTAS. The thermo-electricmanufacturing process, incorporating high qualitybonding technology borrowed from the automotiveindustry, produces high density segments, whichare then laser welded onto a low carbon steelcore. The blades are being marketed under theDuro Ultra SHOXX brand. The unique productionprocess, coupled with a 20mm segment heightgives Duro Ultra SHOXX blades a 20-30% life-time advantage over other top branded products.”SHOXX delivers easily the fastest cut of any bladewe’ve ever tested,” says DTAS managing directorPaul Morewood.

Due to a conical design and reduced spacebetween segments, SHOXX provides exceptionallysmooth cutting to deliver a major reduction in HAVexposure. Controlled testing conducted by OPERCin Loughborough, and using a Stihl TS400 petrolsaw, shows a 3.9 m/s2 magnitude of vibration,the lowest recorded. In side-load tests, the bladeachieved 1000N/m2, which is far in advance ofthe EN13236 standard. SHOXX, manufacturedto ISO9001 and EN13236 European Safety Stan-dard, is also oSa approved and has been patentedworldwide. Initially available in three sizes, 230mm,300m and 350mm, authentic Duro Ultra SHOXXblades can be recognised by the logo stampedinto one of the segments.

”We’re very excited by the potential for SHOXXbecause in terms of performance and safety it’s on adifferent level to anything else on the marked,” says

Paul Morewood. “Until now, alldiamond segments have been

manufactured using a sinte-ring process and SHOXXchanges all of that. Althoughthe new blades are desig-ned for use on construction

materials, the uniquetechnology has the flexibility for the

future development of diamond bladesfor any application.”

www.samedia.frSource: Concrete Cutter, Journal of the UK Drilling andSawing Association.

ICS launches gaspowered concretechain sawThe US Concrete chain saw manufacture ICS®has introduced the 680GC gas powered concretechainsaw that is a big leap ahead in durability andreliability. Improvements to carburetion, the star-ting system, and airflow combine to create aproduct that the company hopes will change theattitude of the general construction market towardsgas-powered concrete chain saws. “The generalcontractor is beginning to understand that DiamondChain Technology™ comes with a lot of adv-antages and is inherently safe. A past concern hasbeen reliability. The 680GC is about to changethat,” Says ICS President Jake Vanderzanden

Under development for five years, thereplacement for the 80cc 613GC, is wrapped inan all black housing and features severalimprovements including:Redesigned airflow keeps engine running 100F (38C)cooler. A benefit that will greatly increase engine life.

Altitude-friendly carburetion for reliable operation atany jobsite, regardless of elevation

Coarser idle adjustment for easier tuning

Large diameter rope, stronger recoil spring, and digi-tal coil for more reliable starts

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

Hellcat’s new CSN-3AH variable speedcore drillHellcat Power Tools has introduced its latest 75mmHellcat variable speed core drill. Designed for fastdrilling, the dual speed CSN-3AH Hellcatmotor drills holes up to 75mm diameterat 1,400/2,100 rpm. The CSN-3AHHellcat frame features the US patentedangle column base that allows the userto control the angle of drilling to 120°(±60°) with a gauge showing the angleof drilling. The CSN-3AH Hellcat core drillboasts a spring-loaded feed handle with a onetouch switch that can be released or attached bythe push of a button and a convenient ceiling jackfor easy setting and removal of the motor.

www.hellcatpowertools.com


FORCE4, new diamondchain technology from ICSICS®, the inventor of Diamond Chain Technology(DCT™) for cutting concrete and other aggregatematerial announces the release of FORCE4™, anew diamond chain with tensile strength 50%greater than previous chains and anti-stretchengineering that significantly increases chain lifeand reduces maintenance. Aimed at theprofessional concrete cutter, FORCE4 is scheduledto hit dealer shelves across the globe early January2008 along with its companion product, the880F4 hydraulic concrete saw. Designed to handlethe stronger forces the FORCE4 chain is capableof, the 880F4 features a strengthened drivesprocket and a specially designed guidebar thataccepts FORCE4’s deep engagement drive links,a combination said to help keep cuts straight.

“The pro market has been quick to see thebenefits of DCT,” said ICS President JakeVanderzanden. “What has been missing was adiamond chain that could really stand up to theday-in, day-out use they put their equipment

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

In addition to its greater strength, FORCE4diamond chain has many other features thatICS hopes will make it the choice ofprofessional cutters:

Patent pending pitch design of the chassis elementsdesigned to create the optimal combination of weightand strength

Water distribution feature that allows for betterlubrication and less clean-up

Inclusion of patented SealPRO® o-ring and bumperdesigns for smoother cutting performance andincreased chain life.

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

industry standards of design and ergonomics. Ableto plunge cut to 24 inches and make perfectlysquare corners with no overcuts, it offers all of theversatility of this unique approach to cuttingconcrete, but with what Vanderzanden states will

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

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, ICSis a division of Blount Interna-

tional, Inc., a diversi-fied manufacturingcompany with glo-bal distribution. ICSintroduced the

world’s first concretechainsaw in 1992 and sells a large line of concretecutting chainsaws, diamond chains, and relatedproducts through a worldwide distribution network.

www.icsbestway.com


For their members, the volunteer fire brigades in Bavariaoperate the recreation home St. Florian in BayerischGmain, bordering Austria. The members of Bavarian firebrigades within the associat ion Bayer Feuer-wehrerholungsheim e.V. can take holidays close to theAlps and Salzburg. Due to the great demand, the homewas enlarged and during reconstruction 500mm thickreinforced concrete lintels had to be cut.

The concrete drilling and sawing contractor SeidlGmbH from Obertrum am See was commissioned forthe task and used a EDT EURODIMA wall saw WM50with a new braxx control BC200 and 20kW braxx EB200electric motor. The WM50 was equipped with EDT

50 cm cuts in concrete lintelswith eurodima wall saw withthe new braxx control BC200

EURODIMA wall saw blades 825 mm WS40X/46X with4.7 mm and 1200mm WS40X/46X with 4.4 mm seg-ment width.

The operators at Seidl had previously worked withthe WM50 driven by a hydraulic unit HA150 andpreferred the new higher performing braxx system. The96% efficiency factor of the electric direct drive saves upto 35% energy. The considerable higher tool performanceenables a faster drilling and sawing progress. The infinitelyvariable revolution setting permits the optimal cuttingdata and highest tool life.

www.eurodima.com

The concrete drillingand sawing contractorSeidl GmbH chooseeurodima equipmentdue to among othersthe 96% efficiencyfactor of the electricdirect drive that savesup to 35% energy.

Although a diamond segment specification can be optimizedrelatively easily for top performance and efficiency on just onetype of material, the task of fine tuning cutting performanceand segment life to meet the wide variety of conditions presentsa much greater challenge. This demands a precise knowledge ofthe types of concrete encountered in various regions and an in-depth understanding of the interaction between the material tobe cut and the motor power available.

New wallsaw bladHilti from Liechten-

stein is using their

common slogan “Hilti.

Outperform. Outlast”.

And this is certainly no

idle claim when it

comes to the Hilti

diamond systems and

especially the cutting

characteristics of Hilti

wallsaw blades.

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

These new blades let concrete sawing and drillingcontractors achieve higher productivity and will thus make asignificant contribution toward improved competitiveness. Longbefore the new blades reach the market Hilti and independentspecialists subjected them to an extensive series of tests. Thesenew wall saw blades have been required to prove that they meetthe demanding requirements of users under the real conditionsencountered in the construction business.

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

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

Polished cut image “soft” concrete.

Polished cut image “flint” concrete. Hilti wallsaw blade production.

Job-site suitability test.

Having studied and researched this subject in greatdetail, Hilti’s diamond systems engine-

ers have now introduced furthersignificant improvements to

the cutting characteris-tics of the existing

range of Hiltiwall saw bla-

des. Theresulting

n e w ,

Below the newHilti wallsaw blades.


New wallsaw blad

Computer simulation – slot design

des from Hilti

mum. These low-noise blades are capable of reducing theperceived noise level by approximately 50%, compared to stan-dard blades.

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

Saw blade tension certificate

Above theHilti new

segment design

From left to right the Hiltihigh frequency wallsaws DS TS5-SEand DS TS20-E

To the leftthe Hilti

hydraulicwallsaws

DS TS22 andDS TS32

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 thesupply of cooling water. A smaller area of surface contact betweenthe segments and the material being cut also ensures quick star-ting.

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

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

des from Hilti


Dust Controlearns CEcertificationOne of the world’s leading suppliers of dustsuppression equipment has announced itssuccessful CE Certification, confirming that thecompany’s products meet all establishedstandards for health and safety in the EuropeanEconomic Area (EEA). Upon receiving theDeclaration of Conformity from a certified in-dependent auditor, Dust Control Technology hasearned the right to market its products in theEU and to display the CE Mark as an indicationof its successful compliance.

“This certification confirms the essential healthand safety of our equipment, so customers canbe assured that it has been well engineered andproperly constructed,” commented DCT PresidentEdwin Peterson. “The CE Mark also avoids theneed for re-testing when a product is introducedto different markets within the Europeancommunity,” he said. The company’s Dust Boss“

product line was tested and certified compliant byF Squared Laboratories of Burton, OH.

CE labeling is a mandatory conformity markon many products intended for sale in the EEA.By affixing the CE mark, a manufacturer assertsthat the item meets all the essential requirementsof all applicable (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_directive” \o ”European Uniondirective”) EU directives and that the appropriateconformity assessment procedures have beenapplied. Examples of European Directives requiringCE marking include toy safety, machinery, medi-cal devices and communications equipment.There are about 25 different directives requiringCE marking.

Dust Control Technology is a leader in effectivedust control solutions for demolition, construction,transfer stations, composting facilities, mining ope-rations, steel making, wood processing andrecycling industries. The company’s Dust Boss“

product line helps reduce labor costs, freeing upmanpower for more important tasks, whileeffectively knocking down airborne particles to helpminimize dust and odor.

While some suppliers modify existingequipment designs for dust control applications,each Dust Boss model is developed specificallyto achieve optimum droplet size, velocity anddistribution. The nozzles, plume, spray anglesand throw are all designed to work together tocreate the optimum conditions for effectivesuppression, with large units capable of blanke-ting more than 20,000 square feet of area.The company’s high-efficiency units also useless water than hoses and sprinklers, withcustomers frequently realizing payback in lessthan six months and netting an annual costsavings of more than $50,000.

www.dustboss.com


Intended for trenching, concrete demolition,secondary breaking and general excavation work,the HB2380 hydraulic breaker from Bobcat is thenew top-of-the-range model in the company’s 80Series breakers range. The new HB2380 breakeroffers versatile mounting allowing it to be mountedon both the 7 to 12 t Bobcat® excavators and theBobcat range of large frame, compact loaders.With an ability to work with flow rates from 75-125 l/min, the HB2380 maximises efficiency byproviding a match of hydraulic capacities,performance and dimensions with a wide rangeof Bobcat carriers from the 442 and 444 midi-excavators; S220, S250 and S300 skid-steers;T250 and T300 compact tracked loaders to theA300 all-wheel steer loader. The HB2380 sharesvarious aspects with the other models in the 80Series range, including less moving parts for easyand minimal maintenance, automatic pressure re-

New Top-of-the-RangeBobcat® Breaker

gulator ensuring optimal operating pressure on allapproved carriers and standard silencing. TheHB2380 hydraulic breaker retains the cylindricalframe of the 80 Series range, providing improvedaccess to jobs in confined areas. The breaker isequipped as standard with a special shield toprotect hoses and fittings from being damagedwhen working close to the ground or in tight spots.As well as fewer moving parts, the internal designof the HB2380 breaker also excludes tie rodsand can be quickly dismantled without the needfor special tooling. The automatic pressure regu-lator ensures the HB2380 breaker delivers a cons-tant energy per blow. The HB2380 breaker alsoincorporates a very effective soundproofing sys-tem. Another innovative feature is a patented steelring clip system, which retains the bushing ofthe tool and protects the greasing system.

www.bobcat.com

Atlas Copco extends Bulk Pulverizer RangeAtlas Copco is extending its range of hydraulicbulk pulverizers presented at Bauma 2007 withthe latest BP 2100, which weighs 2115 kgand is suitable for carriers in the 18 to 27 tclass.

The wide angular pulverizing jaw easilypicks up debris and offers a productivity benefitduring the separation of rebar and concrete andduring the subsequent crushing of the concrete

elements into grades suitable for crushing andbackfilling. The wear elements such as crushingteeth, crushing plates and cutter blades can beturned and/or replaced on site using on-boardequipment. The standard hydraulic rotation unitallows the BP 2100 to be easily and rapidlypositioned so that it can also be used for aprimary demolition of ceilings and walls.

www.atlascopco.com


PDi visited two of the HCP plants in the US at Olathe andColumbia. What is surprising is the low average age of theemployees. Those PDi talked to at the development and marke-ting departments and in production indicated great optimismfor the future. The economic instability in USA has not yetaffected the building and construction industry.

Optimism despite recessionThe HCP head office in North America is located in Oltahe,south west of Kansas City. In Oltahe about 200 employeeswork in manufacturing and sales of concrete cuttingmachinery. Olathe produces machinery while anotherfactory in Columbia, South Carolina makes diamond toolsfor the construction industry and one in Princeton, Illi-nois, produces diamond tools for the stone industry. HCPalso has a smaller factory in Torrence, California and anassembly plant in North Bay, Canada. Head of the opera-tions in North America is Anders Berggren who has workedin the US for many years.

Anders said, when PDi met him in Olathe that the Ame-rican concrete cutting contractors’ work varies from concretecutting contractors in Europe. In Europe and in particularin the more northern regions they often also offer floor grin-ding, light demolition and industrial cleaning besidesconcrete cutting services. “But there is a clear trend towardsNorth American concrete cutting contractors starting tooffer a wider spectra of services like in Europe. We can seeclear signs of that,” says Anders Berggren.

But HCP product range is not only sold to concretesawing and drilling contractors but to the big variety of

“Strong foothold”

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

Anders Berggren estimates HCP’s total market share to beabout 20% in North America and climbing. “If we studyparticular product segments our market share is even far higherthan that. But the market is very fragmented and the competitiontough. There are a few bigger and many smaller USmanufacturers in this large country and a lot of foreign brands,mostly different types of diamond tools from manufacturers inAsia,” says Anders.

But the biggest competition comes from Tyrolit throughits US subsidiary Diamond Products. Hilti has, from being moreanonymous, strengthened its position most of all when it comesto diamond tools. Another strong player in diamond tools isUS manufacturer Diamond B that also represents the Pentruderbrand in the US.

Hydraulic equipment still strong in the USFar back in the history of concrete cutting equipment the USAstarted to use high cycle equipment. At that time there was nointerest for such equipment in Europe. Now the situation iscompletely different. In Europe high cycle equipment domina-tes. In the US hydraulic driven systems dominate and have doneso for many years even though high cycle is becoming more andmore popular. In what way does this effect HCP that has notprofiled itself so strong in terms of high cycle equipment likefor instance other large manufacturers such as Hilti and Tyrolit?“First, it is correct. We don’t have so many high cycle systems inour range. But the plan is to widen it within the near future.But here in the US hydraulic equipment is still dominant and

Husqvarna Construction Products in the US:

Anders Berggren is heading the HCPoperations in USA and Canada.

HusqvarnaConstruction Productshas in a short timedramaticallystrengthened itsmarket presence andcreated a strongfoothold in NorthAmerica. Today thecompany has 500employees in the USAand Canada with anestimated marketshare of around 20%.The acquisition of anumber of Canadianand US companies hashad decisiveimportance for the fastexpansion, but thecompany is alsogrowing organicallyeach year and HCPnow has fiveproduction plants inthe US and Canada.

“Strong foothold”


Below from the left, Chris Noeth, VPMarketing, Jodie Klaus, MarketingCommunications Manager and Produc-tion Manager, Olathe plant, George Halseyat Husqvarna Construction Products, USA.

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

The US building and construction industry has had somereally good years but at the end of 2006 it started to change.The down sloop has continued during 2007 but there are signsof a slight upward turn. This is of course connected with thetotal economy in the country. GNP has increased a bit duringthe fall of 2007 but the private home market has droppeddramatically while the industry and commercial sector is stillgood.

Product development in short and long termWhen it comes to developing new products HCP works out ofa global platform. The company has development centres inEurope, China and USA. Development of flat saws and drillstands lies in Olathe, while development of new diamond toolsis located in Columbia. About 60% of the development workis related to the global market while the remaining 40% relatesmostly to the local markets in USA and Canada. For the past

three years HCP in North America has what they call anexperimental shop. This work has a lot of advance planningand a lot of the work is related to find and create moreenvironmentally friendly products or devices on existingproducts as well as safer and more powerful products.

In USA flat saws and road saws are used to a much biggerextent than for instance in Europe. At the plant in Olathesome 15 different models are produced. Most requested andsold, both in the US and Europe, is the Husqvarna FS 4800D which is a 48 hp saw. Almost half of the production isshipped to Europe. Service and after market is a prioritysector within HCP and today eight service centres operatein the US. The goal for end of 2009 is to have 14 servicecentres. “Our ambition is to increase this sector as fast aspossible but it is important to hire the right people. We wantto start in the right end by finding the right and skilled peoplefirst and then set up a new service centre instead of theopposite,” says Anders.

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

HCP’s market share in the US is about 20 % and theremaining 80 % is divided between international and natio-nal manufacturers and suppliers. To shed more light on thefigures the US concrete cutting industry contains around1000 contractors and some 300 of these are members of thebranch association CSDA. The US company Penhall is theworld’s biggest concrete sawing and drilling contractor andhas an annual turn over of around US$ 160 million. Forhandheld equipment, where the power cutter dominates, theGerman manufacturer Stihl and HCP are the biggest play-ers. In the US ICS are also a manufacturer that hasstrengthened its positions during recent years.

Mix of acquisitions and organic growthAnd what of the future for HCP in USA? Anders Berggrenhas a clear vision how they must proceed in order to increasetheir position even further and several of the strategic stepsin this vision have already been implemented. “In recentyears we have been growing a lot through strategicacquisitions and we are going to continue in this direction.We recently, for instance, acquired US manufacturer Soff-Cut. But we will also continue and improve our organicgrowth and we have the resources needed to do it,” he says.“Safety and environmental aspects are a priority within thewhole HCP Group and we are going to invest even moreenergy and money on these things in the future. Our salesmanager Ron Rapper is a delegate of the CSDA board andfollows and takes part in the discussions of these matterswithin the national association. He has a particular interestin safety and certification issues.”

In addition Ander Berggren also says that HCP willprioritise building up the service network, invest more moneyin customer training, and shorten production and deliverytime. “Our goal is also, to a bigger extent, to serve ourcustomers directly on the job site. We want to introducecredit card readers in each sales and service truck and eachsales man should carry a small stock directly in the truck.What the salesman is not able to deliver directly should bewith the clients within 24 hours. We will also improve andbuild up our Internet shop,” says Anders.

Diamond tool manufacturingin the peanut district

After our visit in Olathe we head on to the second biggest HCPplant in USA, which is located in Columbia, South Carolina.

First from above part of the Husqvarna ConstructionProducts headoffice and plant in Olathe and below theentrance of the Columbia plant.

Two pictures from the production inOltahe, Kansas.

Above production of diamond tool seg-ments in Columbia, South Carolina.

Jim McMenemy is responsible for the operations at the Colum-bia factory in South Carolina.

Here HCP develop and manufacture diamond blades for thebuilding and construction industry. Jim McMenemy,responsible for production in Columbia, says that theymostly produce tools for the professional users or “HeavyUsers” that HCP calls the client segment.

Diamond blades are produced in standard dimensionsbetween 100 mm to 1800 mm (4 till 72 inch) and coredrills between 9.5 mm to 1500 mm (3/8 till 60 inch). Mostpopular blades are between 100 to 400 mm (4 till 16 inch)and for core drills around 200 mm (8 inch). The productionof segments is done with modern machines and followscurrent standards. The segments are automatically mountedon the blades and laser welded with computerised weldingrobots. The majority of the diamond tools produced inHCP’s plants in the USA are sold in the USA and Canadabut 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”Jim is originally from Kansas and worked earlier at the plantin Olathe. He has been working with diamond toolproduction since the late 1980s and he has seen a bigdifference since then.

“During the 20 years I have been doing this the cuttingspeed has changed dramatically. Today’s diamond tools,anyway the ones we produce, are at least five times faster tocut with compared to the ones produced at the end of 1980s.Safety is also far more important, which is very good. WithinHCP there is a constant movement towards faster, moreefficient and safer diamond blades. But efficiency aspectsdon’t over run safety aspects. Safety aspects are veryimportant and almost more important then how fast theblades is cutting,” says Jim.

Pictures from the manufacturing ofdiamond segments and laser weldingof blades at the Columbia factory.


Knowledge is P. . . and Producti


AT FIRST GLANCE, DIAMOND B INC.’S catalogue may appear to be atextbook on diamond tools instead of a printed portfolio ofconcrete, asphalt and masonry cutting products.While thecatalogue does provide the requisite descriptions and prices forthe Santa Fe Springs, California based company’s extensive lineof diamond blades, core bits, equipment, and accessories, there isalso a wealth of information on the science of diamond tool de-sign, construction, and performance. Readers can also learn allabout the various combinations of diamonds and bonds, and howthey interact with a saw’s size and horsepower, the material beingcut, and other factors to determine the optimal tool for a particularapplication.

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

Sales and marketing manager Steve Garrison adds that’s whythere’s no one flagship product that embodies the Diamond Bphilosophy. “Quality has nothing to do with price and everythingto do with consistency,” he says. “Even our lowest priced gradeof saw blades is a high-quality product.”

Diamond B’s customers appreciate the added value of thisinformation. Since Burnett set up shop in 1984, the companyhas become a top U.S. manufacturer of diamond blades for high-horsepower walk-behind saws, pavement grinding, grooving, andtexturing equipment, wall mounted saws, hand-held saws, curb

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

“Now fuel, labour, andinsurance comprise the largest costs”

Headquartered in a 3,500m2 facility with more than 50employees, including two of Burnett’s sons and one grandson,the company stresses continual refinement of both its productsand processes in order to ensure that customers can keep pacewith the constantly changing dynamics of costs andcompetition. “It used to be that a diamond blade was anexpensive part of doing business for a cutting contractor,” says

Diamond B Inc in

Santa Fe Springs,

California, is probably

United States most

serious and presti-

gious 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 Incpremises in Santa Fe Spring, Califor-nia, USA.

Knowledge is P. . . and Producti

Powerivity

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

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

“The majority of interstate pavements have 230mm to254mm thick jointed concrete slabs that have often been utilizedmany times beyond their original design loads, resulting inextensive slab faulting at the joints,” says Garrison, noting thatspecial multi-blade diamond saws are used to cut slots for dowelbars that help transfer the load from slab to slab and dramatically

Maria Vargas at the Hot Press.

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

Picture to the right showing George Arellano at OD andSide Grinding.Picture below showing from left to right, Richard Brake-man, Financial Manager, Webb Burnett, President, BruceBurnett, Vice President - Manufacturing and SteveGarrison, Sales and Marketing Manager.

Kurt Burnett at tensioning

Powerivity



increase pavement life, especially when combined with slabpatching and diamond grinding. “This is a cost-effective wayfor highway departments to expedite repairs to these joints,and quickly restore the pavements safety and ride ability,” addsGarrison. “We actively support the International Grindingand Grooving Association, which has been very active in thepromotion of diamond grinding and other repair techniquesthat will help keep our country’s concrete pavements performingwell beyond their originally designed service life.”

Making it happenWhile construction practices and standards may be similaracross the country, aggregate compositions and cutting char-acteristics vary widely, even within relatively small regions. Thatis why Diamond B maintains an extensive collection of sampleaggregates from all corners of the US to complement its optionsof diamonds and bonding materials. “This enables us to bemore adept at coming up with the right diamond blade with acomposition that’s best suited to a specific situation,” saysGarrison.

A mix of both automated and manual manufacturingprocesses also provides Diamond B with the flexibility to meetcustomers’ needs. While approximately 90% of the company’sblades are produced using automated equipment, highlycustomized segments are still crafted quickly using thetraditional process. “We can have a manually produced bladeready in under three hours,” Garrison says. “If a customerrequests an item that is not in stock, chances are good we canstill 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 whohave worked in the cutting business. “It’s very important thatour 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 toolsand materials that other companies usually keep secret. Butsharing this information ensures our ability to examine andevaluate how the diamond segments are performing, what maybe needed to increase productivity and blade life, and workwith the contractor to implement any changes.”

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

The continuing shortage of experienced operators alsolooms over the industry’s future, which is one reason whyDiamond B actively supports training programmes sponsoredby the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association. “Anythingwe as an industry can do to help attract and train qualifiedoperators will help our customers and the industry as a whole,”says Garrison.

It is also why productivity will continue to be a point ofemphasis at Diamond B, both with its diamond blades andcores bits, and 400-Hz equipment offerings. “There are just somany advantages that 400-Hz equipment offers, includinglighter weight per horsepower, long-lasting reliability, and ofcourse dramatically increased production rates,” says Garrison.“These Diamond B products along with the Tractive 400-Hzsaws are ideally suited for the operational and competitivedemands today’s contractors face.”

Competition is also on Burnett’s mind, given the growingpresence of foreign-made diamond tools. While he freely admitsthat less expensive products may be a tempting way to preservea profit margin, customers soon find that the short-term savingsare hardly worth the long-term shortcomings. “Once again, it’sinformation, helping our customers become more aware of whatgoes into blades and other diamond tools, and how thosequalities help them get their jobs done,” says Burnett. “Thathelps them make better decisions about what to buy, whichleads to better results in the field and on the balance sheet.”

www.diamondbinc.com

Juan Mercado at the Granulator.

Above Cherry Moore at the Cold Press.

Picture below, Chris Giles at Brazing.

Pictures above, Kurt Burnett at tensioning.


Traditionally the corporate name of the company wasIdeachip Oy, although it was better known as Allu, which isthe product family name. Now the new corporate name isAllu Group Oy and also the names of the company’s manysubsidiaries in various countries have changed to Allu. Theold name of Ideachip is preserved in a separate Allu Groupcompany, called Ideachip Machine Oy, covering sales in Fin-land.

“The company was founded in 1985 and we thoughtthat this was the right time to make all these changes so thatwe can continue with a fresh start. Allu has been a globallyoperating company for many years and now we focus onexpanding our operations and consolidating our efforts un-der the new identity,” explains managing director KaukoPylväs.

Allu used to be located near Lahti in the south of Fin-land. The new office and factory building is also near Lahti,but about 30 km from the old location. The new buildingoffers 6,000m2 of space and the manufacturing facilities areequipped with the most modern machinery and tools. “Weare now geared towards the future with all the resources andtools we need,” saysPylväs. The new loca-tion also provides spacefor further expansion.

Rapid growthIn consecutive yearsAllu has experienced anapproximate 25% an-nual growth, and thetrend is bound to con-tinue, if not even morerapidly. “We expect toachieve sales of EUR 26M in 2007 but theforecast for 2010 isEUR 50M,” says Pylväs.Allu exports 85% ofproducts and the growth of sales is expected to come fromoverseas operations rather than from the relatively small homemarket.

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

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

Strong product developmentAllu’s expertise includes machinery and methods forenvironmental care, soil improvement, recycling and proces-sing of various earth compounds. The company has mademany innovations and one of the latest is the soil stabilisationsystem that has created a lot of interest and used in manyparts of the world. One particular project of this system isthe strengthening of the levees in New Orleans.

“One of Allu’s strong product lines is the screenercrusher, where we estimate to have 70% of the world market.On the other hand, many of our products really don’t haveany competition and we are the only global player in ourmarket niche,” says Pylväs. In the coming years, he expectsthe biggest growth to come from North and South America.

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

www.allu.com

Managing director Kauko Pylväs.

Extec CrushersBreeze into ScottishWindfarmA specialist Scottish plant hirer and earthworkscontractor is using a pair of Extec C 12 track-mounted mobile crushers in preparation forEurope’s largest onshore windfarm when itcomes online in 2008. Glasgow-basedearthworks contractor AB2000 is using twoExtec C 12 track-mounted mobile crushers tospearhead the project, known as MBK White-lee, and involves the construction of 140 windturbines, each 100 m high. Situated onmoorland at East Kilbride, 15 km south ofGlasgow, the 322 MW Whitelee windfarm ispart of Scotland’s goal to derive 40% of itselectrical power from renewable sources by2020.

www.extec.eu

Correction concerningthe article about theglobal floor grindingindustry published in PDi4-2007A few lines in an article published about play-ers on the international floor grinding arenacame out incorrectly in PDi issue 4-2007.PDi wrote that propane driven machines arestill very common and US companies in thissegment besides HTC are EDCO, EagleSolutions, VIC International, Ravan Enterprisesand Innovatech.” This is incorrect! None ofthe mentioned companies, except for EagleSolutions, manufacture propane poweredmachines. Eagle Solutions underlines thatelectricity adds 80% more CO

2 to the

environment than LP and LP engines per-form better and have increased power.Further LP engines have reducedmaintenance and wear and LP engines donot require high voltage sources, power cordsto trip over and can be used easily duringwet grinding, a superior process.

“Cutting in To“Cutting in ToIT IS EARLY MORNING in Wichita and M6 Concrete Cutting andCoring is preparing for another day of work. Concrete cuttersJake Myears and his colleague Darien Bergman are packingequipment to go to nearby Hayesville. The contractor was hiredto cut holes for ventilation and electrical connections and sewerpipes at the Campus High school. About 80 holes 610x910 mmwill be cut through 250 mm of heavily reinforced concrete.

In the middle of “Tornado Alley”In this area between the Rocky Mountains and the AppalachianMountains tornados are common and they hit fast and hard. Thelandscape in Kansas is rather flat and easy for a “Twister” to moveacross. On our way to Hayesville we drive along a street that issaid to be the USA’s most populated street of constructionmachinery retailers and rental firms. All the major brands areside by side as well all the bigger rental companies and also theparent company of M6 Concrete Cutting and Coring, M6Concrete Accessories.

US cities are normally known for their tall buildings but notin this area. “Tornados are very frequent here so constructing tallbuildings would be stupid. The strong winds and the Tornadoshook on to anything that is tall and the damage is often severe.All of us that live in this area have experienced that,” says JakeMyears.

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

Cutting for ventilationThe comparatively small Campus High school is undergoingextensive renovation and several different contractors are workingon the project. M6 Concrete Cutting & Coring has chosen touse handheld equipment to cut the 80 square holes. Starting withthe first hole the area is measured and a 50 mm hole is drilled inthe centre of the area for attaching a crane wire to lift out theconcrete section after it has been cut. The core drill used is thenew Husqvarna Construction Product (HCP) DM 230 core drill.Afterwards the rectangular hole is pre-sawed with a Core Cutplunge saw from Diamond Products and t he cutting is finishedoff with the HCP K 3600 ring cutter. When all sides are cut theconcrete block is lowered to the ground and it is estimated thatthe 80 holes will take about two weeks and the concrete will berecycled and reused.

In USA this method is a common procedure and handheldequipment is used to a much greater extent then in Europe. InEurope a contractor would probably have chosen to use alternativeequipment like a plunge saw, such as Zhorro or a diamondchainsaw like ICS, or a wall saw. But to use this type of equipmentwould 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 firmM6 Concrete Cutting & Coring is a young firm and was startedin the beginning of 2007. Jake Myears was first to be hired andcame from a concrete cutting company in Oklahoma. A coupleof months later two more joined and at the end of 2007 a fourthemployee joined the company. M6 has three self-contained ser-

Darien Bergman from M6 ConcreteCutting & Coring making a hole to liftup the concrete block when cutted. Heis using a Husqvarna DM 230 drillingmachine and a 50 mm core drill.

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

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 pro-

cess of cutting 80

holes for a new venti-

lation system in a

Campus High school.

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


ornado Alley”ornado Alley”vice trucks equipped with all kinds of concrete cuttingequipment and 830 litre water tank. “Our activities withinM6 Concrete Accessories are extensive. Through our shop inWichita we are selling and renting everything that a professionalbuilding and construction contractor needs. We arerepresentatives for several different brands including HusqvarnaConstruction Products. We are also selling brands like Makita,Honda Power Equipment and BMI. Besides that we produceand sell steel rebar to all Kansas. The steel rebar is produced atour plant in El Dorado, between Wichita and Kansas City,”says Concrete Accessories owner J.D. Munley. “But the idea tooffer concrete cutting and coring services came up a short whileago. The whole thing started as an idea a couple of year’s agoand the company was started in the beginning of 2007. At themoment we are quite alone offering concrete cutting servicesin the area around Wichita.”

The three concrete cutters in the company are all certifiedand each has about 10 year’s of experience. The company isalso a member of the US Concrete Sawing & Drilling Associa-tion and continuous training of the personnel is a priority inthe company. The company invests a lot and tries to use thelatest concrete cutting equipment. This is quite easy as the com-pany is a distributor for HCP’s equipment. The fact that aconcrete cutting contractor also sells equipment for concretecutting or vice versa is quite unusual in Europe but very com-mon in Russia for example.

Above Jake Myears (left) and Darien Bergman afterfinishing the first hole. Another 79 are remaining.Picture to the right showing Jake Myears going real deepwith a Husqvarna K3600 ring cutter.



Pictures showing the concrete blockand a finished ventilation opening. Flat sawing is dominant for M6 Concrete Cutting &

Coring. Some 50% is flat sawing and the remainder is dividedbetween core drilling, wall sawing and handheld equipmentjobs like the one in Hayesville. But flat sawing is not onlyrelated to building construction, but also road and bridgework.Concrete cutting competition in Wichita is not that hard butis tough in the whole state of Kansas. “We are looking for jobsat a longer distance as well and even though competition ishard I think we can offer something extra in terms of both ourpersonnel and equipment. Our key to success is that weconstantly improve ourselves. Our membership in CSDA isplaying an important role in this and I believe we can offersomething extra to our clients. Next step for us is to invest in ademolition robot and also take on lighter demolition jobs,”says J.D. Munley.

Easy shift from Target to HusqvarnaM6 Concrete Accessories has been selling concrete sawing anddrilling equipment and diamond tools for many years andpreviously sold the HCP products under the Target brand.M6 Concrete salesman Bob Heffley thinks that the shift fromTarget to Husqvarna was a smooth transition. “It was an easyshift and the best of all is that I can now offer my clients a lot

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

The visit to M6 Concrete Accessories was arranged by RyanWesselschmidt and Justin Hubbard, both stationed at theHusqvarna Construction Products plant in Olathe outside KansasCity. Ryan Wesselschmidt is Area Sales Manager for Kansas andMissouri and spends most of the time on the road. Justin isProduct Assistant for Handheld Cutters. “In Kansas and Mis-souri HCP have between 150 to 200 retailers. Most of them arerather small and about 20 of them account for around 80 % ofthe sales in the two states. Many of them also rent out equipmentbut the big volumes come from diamond blades and in particular350 mm diamond blades that fit all kinds of cutters,” says RyanWesselschmidt.

This confirms that handheld applications are much morefrequent in USA than in Europe. When Ryan Wesselschmidtspeaks about handheld cutters he mentions many types andnames that do the same work. A handheld cutter can be called alot even if it is a HCP K960, a ring cutter K3600 or anotherbrand it can be called Cut Off Saw, Hotsaw, High Speed Saw,Quicky Saw, Power Cutter or similar. Something we all can besure about is that a US concrete cutter never leaves the work-shop without a handheld cutter.

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.

“Increased focus “Increased focus


DUSTCONTROL IS A PRIVATELY OWNED company founded in1972 by Johann Haberl, Evert Krantz and Mirko Purar .Johann Haberl and family is the majority owner and Jo-hann is still the President and an important driving forcein the company. His wife Pirrko Haberl, son Stefan anddaughter Nina also work in the company.

A leading playerDustcontrol emerged during the 1970s when Swedishregulations concerning handling of asbestos and stone dustbecame much stricter. As Dustcontrol could offer efficientequipment the company quickly became one of the leadingplayers. What makes Dustcontrol different from othermanufacturers in this field is there ability to offer a verybroad range of products, including stationary, semi-mobileand mobile dust extraction and air cleaning systems. Atthe plant in Norsborg, just outside Stockholm, the diffe-rent products are assembled while the different componentsare manufactured in the Nordic region of Europe. About95 % of the parts come from manufacturers in the Nordiccountries.

Exports dominate Dustcontrol sales, but the Nordiccountries including Sweden, which should be consideredthe home market, are just over 25 %. Germany is also astrong market with another 25%. USA and Canadarepresents another 25% and the remainder is exported tovarious countries around the globe.

Demolition, concrete cutting, floor grinding and ren-tal are all important client segments and vary dependingon the market. In the Nordic countries building andconstruction clients are dominant, buying mostly mobileand semi-mobile equipment. About 60% of the sales inthe Nordic region go to the building and constructionindustry and more then half of these are taken by the ren-tal industry. The remaining 40% is stationary equipmentsold to different types of industries with a need of efficientdust extraction and air cleaning.

In Germany and USA stationary equipment still dom-inates, but the building and construction industry is pickingup and sales of mobile dust extractors, air cleaners and wetvacs is increasing among mainly contractors working withinlight demolition, concrete cutting and floor grinding. Ren-tal companies also represent part of the increase.

It is these groups of contractors, including rental firmsthat Dustcontrol is aiming at, not only in the Nordiccountries but also in other parts of Europe and USA.Dustcontrol’s total turn over for 2007 will be around EUR14 million (approx. US$ 20 million) and the company has

140 employees worldwide, including 70 at the head officeand plant in Norsborg. Besides Norsborg Dustcontrol havefive subsidiaries in Finland, Germany, Austria, United King-dom and USA. The US firm was founded about a year agoand has 17 employees and is the second biggest subsidiaryafter Germany with 26 employees. Besides the subsidiariesDustcontrol has about 20 distributors worldwide.

Good positioning for the futureIn the Nordic countries, including Sweden, client segmentslike rental companies and building and constructioncontractors are dominant, but Dustcontrol is selling to a bigvariety of client segments. Dustcontrol products are sold toall types of industries with requirements to extract different

Professionalmachinery andequipment forcollecting concretedust and slurry is animportant part of aconcrete cutting ordemolitioncontractor’s dailywork. There are only afew specializedmanufacturers of thistype of equipment andone of the biggest ormaybe the biggest ofmobile and stationaryequipment is theSwedish companyDustcontrol.

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

on construction”on construction”

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

PDi met with Dustconstrol’s marketing manager StefanHaberl and sales manager Lars af Klintberg who express agreat optimism for the future of the company. “We have avery strong economy in most parts of Europe right now andmany manufacturers share the fruits of a strong upturn. Butwithin Dustcontrol we have a strong base and a genuineworking tradition reaching from product development,manufacturing and customer support to after marketactivities. And this is an important factor both in good andbad times and we always had that,” says Lars af Klintberg.

Customer support, after market and delivery times are

priorities for the company. The philosophy is that a clientshould never need to wait for the products he has ordered.The whole company is run according to the Lean Productionprinciple, which has shown very good results both for thecompany and it clients. Dustcontrol is certified accordingto ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. “I think our recent successwas the result of a combination of good products, genuinecustomer relations, a well functioning production and deli-very system and a strong economy. 2006 was a great yearand this year is fantastic. We think that 2008 will remainon the same high level as in 2007,” says Lars.

Wide product rangeDustcontrol has a comprehensive product range and canbest be categorised in eight different groups. “We have 1and 3 phase dust extractors, wet vacs, mobile industrial dustextractors, air cleaners, pre-separators, stationaryinstallations, suction hoods and our accessories,” says Ste-fan Haberl. “Besides this each of our products is availablein different variations, depending on the application.”

Most common models among concrete cutters, lightdemolition contractors and floor grinding companies areDC 1800, DC 2800, DC 3800, DC 3800 Twin, DC 5800and DC 5800 PTFE. The two last models have beendeveloped for extracting high volume of dust from grin-ding concrete floors. “DC 2800 is also available as a wet vacand is called DC 2800 W. There is a strong demandfor this product from concrete cutting contractors asit handles slurry efficiently,” says Lars af Klintberg.“In cases when there is no electricity on a worksitewe can offer models driven by compressed air.”

Stronger focus onBuilding and Construction

The plan for the near future is to increase the focuson the building and construction industry; not onlyin the home market but also in all the marketsDustcontrol operates. “We focus heavily onconstruction clients. Be sure the competition willshiver,” says Lars. “We have done very well in thissegment in the Nordic regions and now we are goingfor Germany, England and USA. Our growth hasalways been organic and we plan to continue in thatway.”

Lars and Stefan are secretive about new productsand only hint there are some in pipeline but are notsaying what and when.

www.dustcontrol.com

Johann Haberl, his son and marketing manager Stefan Haberl asmarket.

Dustcontrol also manufactures slurryvacs.

Dustcontrol has a wide assortment ofdust extractors suitable for floor grin-ding purposes.



The light, compact and powerful tandemcombination of a Brokk 180 demolition robotfitted with a Darda CC 420 concrete crusherhas bitten off the roof of a busy hospital inGermany.

This was the scenario at the Katharine hos-pital in the centre of Stuttgart. The buildingneeded to be enlarged and one storey addedand to accomplish this the roof was first remo-ved. The wards one storey below were is useand there was a shopping street next to thehospital so damage to the building had to beavoided. Demolition using diamond technologywould have been possible, but the collection ofthe cooling water and the disposal of sludgewould have been difficult.

Due to the heavy reinforcement removalof the beams by hand was impossible. Chiselswould have been too loud and would havecaused vibration. The only option was to try aconcrete crusher and a carrier vehicle.Conventional concrete crushers were too heavyfor the hospital floors so a CC 420 of Dardaconcrete crusher was chosen.

Compared to its size and weight it achievesa breaking force of 374 kN. It also has anopening width of 420 mm and can easily break

Roofless Hospital in Germany:BROKK 180 and CC 420 operate together

Picture to the right showing the DardaConcrete Crusher CC420 breakingconcrete with a thickness of up to400mm and cuts steel reinforcementswith a diameter of up to 28 mm.No problem with insufficient bearingcapacity: the Brokk 180 has a lowweight per unit area.

concrete to 400m. With a cutting force of aupto 1,420 kN it even cuts reinforcement up to28 mm diameter. The CC 420 only weighs 240kg and works independent of the workingpressure of the carrier vehicle. In the case ofthe Katharine hospital a Brokk 180 demolitionrobot was used, as it is ideally suited for opera-ting the CC 420.

After a scaffold with tin roof encased thehospital the old roof cover was removed by acrane, which also l i f ted the demoli t ionequipment to the attic floor. With the three-partmovable arm of the Brokk 180 it could easilyreach any place. The operator stood at a safedistance as he could comfortably operate thedemolition robot by remote control. Therefore,concrete parts, which the crane lifted off theroof, could be broken out fairly silently. Usingthe Darda–Brokk tool tandem the whole attichad been taken out in one week.

Contractor Storz based in Sindelfingencarried out the demolition work. “The majorassets of the Darda demolition equipment werethe low weight of the demolition robot and thehigh performance of the concrete crusher,” saidcompany owner Mr Storz. “Otherwise the useof this technique above the roofs of Stuttgart

would not have been possible.”www.brokk.com


ViennesViennesViennesViennesViennese e e e e With 25 guest

speakers over a two

day period, the latest

EDA Conference was

certainly never dull, as

Mark Anthony reports.

A presentation by the UK’s William Sinclair was also highlyprofessional and very detailed. The managing director of Scottishcontractor Safedem has gained considerable experience in theexplosive demolition of tower blocks in his native Glasgow inrecent years and this experience was used to good effect in a pre-sentation that recounted the simultaneous blow down of fiveseparate structures.

Interestingly, a large part of Sinclair’s presentation revolvedaround a video that was produced not by his company but by hisclient. It detailed the process of clearing the site, setting up safetyperimeters and even liaison with local residents before and duringthe demolition process. Sinclair also took the opportunity toexplain his preferred explosive sequence and his use of non-electrical explosive charges.

The prize for most poignant presentation would surely havegone to Francisco Cobo of Spanish contractor Detesca and itsinvolvement in the emergency demolition of a bomb-damagedsection of Madrid’s Barajas Airport. Details of this contract canbe found on Pages 46 and 47.

The most memorable part of the event, however, was a secondpresentation by the Danish pairing of Kristensen and Bonnesen,this time on the demolition of grain silos. Having extolled thevirtues of safety in their first presentation, they then revealedsomething of a double standard by demonstrating a method thatwould have UK health and safety officers creating a ticker-tapeparade of prohibition notices.

A 25t excavator had been removed from its undercarriagebelow the slew ring and been mounted instead on a steel skidunit. The excavator, which is equipped with a pulveriserattachment, is then craned onto the roof of the silo where itproceeds to munch its way down inside the building, effectivelyeating the structure from beneath itself. That this process helpedcontain dust and noise there can be little doubt. But what of theoperator who is lowered into place on the machine by a crane-mounted man-basket and is then required to crawl through anopening where the machine’s rear window once belonged?Without tracks, how does he react should the machine shift

ViennesViennesViennesViennesViennese e e e e

Henrik Bonnesen.

William Sinclair.

Massimo Baraldi.

IT IS EASY TO CRITICISE the European Demolition Associa-tion, which is perhaps why so many people choose to do so.The Association is run by people with little or no feeling forthe demolition industry; it is often badly organised; it hassummarily failed to include even half of the EuropeanUnion’s member states among its membership; it does notcommunicate with its members outside of seminars andconferences; and its attempts at lobbying the EuropeanParliament have been lamentable.

“A veritable feast of speakers”Despite these shortcomings, the association’s two annualconferences do provide the cream of Europe’s demolitioncompanies with a unique opportunity to meet, greet andshare information with like-minded individuals from acrossthe continent. And the latest conference, which took placein the Austrian capital of Vienna, was no exception.

Prompted by criticisms of overlong presentations atprevious events, the organisers laid on a veritable feast ofspeakers – 25 in all – to be crammed into just over a dayand a half. Many (perhaps, too many) of these guest spea-ker slots were seized by equipment manufacturers seeking asales opportunity. These manufacturers – Atlas Copco, JCB,Komatsu, Mantovanibenne, Socomec and Trevi Benneamong them – all paid for the privilege to speak at the eventand their financial contributions were, no doubt, welcome.It is unfortunate, therefore, that none took the opportunityto teach the assembled demolition experts anything new,preferring simply to claim sector supremacy or to announcethat their equipment was bigger, better, stronger and moredurable than anyone else’s. It was unfortunate, also, becausethese glorified sales talks served as an unwelcome interruptionamong some truly excellent presentations from contractors.

The first presentation came from Richard Kristensenof Kingo Carlsen A/S and Henrik Bonnesen of COWI A/Swho explained how they had used a complex Site AuditScheme to improve safety on the demolition of a BASF plantin Grenaa. Requiring daily site inspections, the scheme’straffic light system (green for good, amber for look out andred for stop) was used to excellent effect, even though thesite retained a high degree of chemical contamination.

Equally impressive, although for markedly differentreasons, was a presentation by Massimo Baraldi of Italiancontractor Fratelli Baraldi on a simple overnight possessioncontract to remove a cable-stayed bridge over the busy EmilliaRomagna stretch of Italy’s A1 motorway. Overnightpossessions are not unusual and while the demolition of acable-stayed structure is not exactly the norm, this is notunique either. What made the contract and the presenta-tion worthwhile, however, was the incredible quality,planning and professionalism demonstrated by thecontractor.

The contract was carried out with military precision;the equipment used had been maintained to an incrediblyhigh level; and the liaison with the local and national roadsauthority was thorough in the extreme. The result was acontract that was a lesson in professionalism. In a period ofjust seven and a half hours, the company took down the220m long bridge, creating and removing 3,500m3 of debristogether with a 400m3 bed of sand scattered on the maincarriageway to protect it from damage during the demolitionprocess.

eeeee WhiWhiWhiWhiWhirrrrrlllllsuddenly or unexpectedly; how does he go to the toilet; whathappens if the concrete below the machine collapses? And, mostimportantly, what of the standardisation of safety legislation acrossEurope?

Next EDA meeting in RomeWith everything taken into consideration, the latestEDA conference was a considerable improvement onprevious events. Sure, attendees were left wonderingabout the latest state of play with the association’slobbying partners who should surely have been inattendance. And yes, the feedback form handed tomembers at the close of the seminar had clearly beenhandwritten and photocopied just moments before,clearly demonstrating that the Association still hasmuch to learn about event organisation.

But minor gripes aside, the true test of anyconference or seminar is whether or not the attendeesgained any value or education from the event. Thanksto some excellent presentations by the Danish, Italian,Spanish and UK representatives, there can be littledoubt that the latest EDA conference succeeded inits aim. And with the return of the German DeutscherAbbruchverband association to the EDA fray possiblyimminent, the Spring 2008 conference, almostcertainly to be held in Rome, should be well worth avisit.

www.eda-demolition.com

eeeee WhiWhiWhiWhiWhirrrrrlllllBelow from top tobottom; YvesCanessa, RichardKristensen andFrancisco CoboValero.

The grain silo demolition project.



Sweden’s hydrodemol i t ion equipmentmanufacturer Aquajet Systems has launchednew innovative solutions, which contribute toincreased efficiency and profitability, including,for example, EDS Equal Distance System andISC Intelligent Sensing Control. The companyhas also entered new markets such as Poland,India and Spain where the interest inhydrodemolition has increased significantly.

“More and more markets prescribe andrecommend the hydrodemolition method andour design department is working on new

The fast response from the US specialisthydrodemolition contractor and rental companyHydroPressure Cleaning Inc has contributed to therapid repairs to a strategic road tunnel in the New-hall Pass on the major I-5 Interstate near SantaClarita, California about 30 miles (48km) northwest of Los Angeles. The California Departmentof Transportation instigated the approximate $19Mrestoration, which included the removal of the entireconcrete skin from both walls of the fire damagedtunnel by HPC with its two Conjet hydrodemolitionRobots, followed by reskinning with a new sprayedconcrete lining.

The approximate 600ft (183m) long, two lanerectangular box shaped reinforced concrete tun-nel, known locally as the truck by pass tunnel,takes south bound traffic only. It runs under a por-tion of the south bound sections of the highwayand is near the main intersection of the I-5 Gol-den State Freeway, and Antelope Valley Freeway.A massive fire erupted in the 40ft (12.2m) widetunnel after a collision of several trucks and cars.Wind whipped up the flames from one end to theother, and the searing heat from the raging in-ferno, with temperatures up to 1,400ºC (2550ºF),caused concrete to split. The accident, involvingaround 31 vehicles, occurred late on the night ofFriday 12 October and entry to the tunnel wasimpossible as the fire raged. It was allowed toburn itself out before emergency services wereprovided, and engineers from Caltrans could startinspecting the damage in the late afternoon of thefollowing day.

HPC saw the accident on the local TV newsand immediately contacted Caltrans and its initialemergency repair and clean up contractor ChumoConstruction Inc. HPC, based in Camarillo, about50 miles (80km) from the tunnel, explained thebenefits of using the hydrodemolition techniqueof high pressure water jetting to selectively removeonly damaged or unsound concrete. “We went tosite a week after the accident and removal of thedebris from the tunnel and had a meeting onSaturday morning and were given the go aheadto start with concrete removal tests with our Con-jet 322 hydrodemolition robot,” says HPC gene-ral manager Paul Phelps. “We initially used diffe-rent water pressures of 20,000, 15,000 and12,000psi (1,360, 1,020 and 816bar) with theConjet 322 Robot and our 500hp (373kW) highpressure pump and removed concrete in 2ft(610mm) wide 5ft (1524mm) high patches every50ft (15.24m) from the walls. This enabledCaltrans engineers to see the difference inconcrete condition, and together with coresamples, allowed them to assess and verify thedamage and develop the scope of work for theoverall repair. We also did a test at 19,000psi(1,290bar) using a nozzle with a narrow fan jetpattern instead of the normal straight jettingnozzle. This was great, especially in those areaswhere they just wanted to roughen up theexisting concrete surface to get a bond for the

Conjet to the rescue in tunnel fire repairs

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 thewalls of the tunnel and an additional 2,600ft2

(242m2) on the wing walls. In the undamagedareas removal depth varied from about 0.5in to1.25in (25mm to 31.25mm) and in the damagedareas the removal was from2in to 4in. (50mm to100mm) and in some isolatedspots it was up to a maximumof 6in (150mm). “The dayafter testing we started on themain removal, whichoverlapped and extendedfrom the initial emergencyrepair cleanup contract underChumo Construction with themain repair contract underprime contractor SecurityPaving,” adds Paul Phelps. “Tocomplement our Conjet 322for the project we brought ina larger Conjet 363 Robotand 500hp (373kW)Hammelmann HDP-353pump capable of 32 gpm(121litres/min) at 21,000psi(1,428bar) from Conjet’s USagent National Hydro, basedin Fowlerville, Michigan. Usingthe fan jet nozzle on the Con-jet 363 Robot we were ableto prepare 730ft2/h, (68m2/h) equivalent to concrete rem-oval of 1.7yd3/hphour(1.3m3/hphour). In the initialemergency repair contractwith Chumo we removedabout 6,400ft2(595m2). Butin our contract with SecurityPaving we had about26,400ft2 (2,452m2) of sur-face preparation and con-crete removal on the tunnelwalls, which we did amazinglyfast. Working two 12 hourshifts we were finished in justfour days and there’s no waywe could have done that in thattime without the Conjet 322 and363 Robots.”www.conjet.com

New solutions fromAquajet Systems

product improvements, which corresponddirect ly to the markets’ demands andexpectations,” says Aquajet managing directorStefan Hilmersson. “We try to present the inte-rest in the market at Aquajet by using our newInternet home page. The importance of theInternet as a meeting place has clearlyincreased as more and more people use theweb to search for information. Therefore, it isimportant to keep our home page as informativeas possible.”

www.aquajet.se

The Fourth EmeIt is 12 monthssince the bombing ofMadrid’s BarajasAirport rocked theSpanish nation in themiddle of thecountry’s Christmasand New Year cele-brations. It was anevent that tested theresolve and professio-nalism of one of thecountry’s foremostdemolition contrac-tors, as Mark Anthonyreports.

”Despite the fact that this took place close to the New Yearand Epiphany festivities, our teams were incrediblydetermined. We knew the chances of finding the missingpeople alive diminished with each passing minute.”

Each Detesca team consisted of a master worker, a skilledworker and two helpers. These were supported by two teamsof two specialist cutters, a pair of site co-ordinators, and aclerk of works. Supporting the demolition work was an arrayof demolition equipment including a Liebherr 954 and aKomatsu PC340, both equipped with high reach demolitionbooms. A Fiat 255 and New Holland 385 and several three-axle trucks were also in attendance, along with a pair of trackedloaders that were used to move the bomb damaged cars.

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

For six whole days and nights, the Detesca teams workedaround the clock in the fast-diminishing hope that they wouldfind the two missing people alive. But it was not to be. Onthe sixth day, the bodies of the two missing people werediscovered deep inside the tangled wreckage of the airport carpark. They had been sleeping in their car while their relativeswere in the airport terminal meeting other members of thefamily arriving in Spain from their native Ecuador.

”It was a very emotional time for everyone at Detescaand among the search and rescue teams,” Cobo says.”Everyone was tired but the hope that we might find thesepeople alive had just kept us going.”

The Fourth EmeON THE MORNING OF 30 DECEMBER 2006, an explosionshook Terminal 4 of Madrid’s Barajas Airport. The causeof the explosion was around 500 kg of explosives that hadbeen packed into a van and parked in the adjacent airportcar park. The bomb, responsibility for which was laterclaimed by Basque separatist organisation Euskadi Ta Aska-tasuna (ETA), had been designed to cause maximumdamage and disruption to Europe’s fifth busiest airport.It had also been timed to coincide with the high level ofairport activity around the post-Christmas and pre-NewYear period and the religious festival of Epiphany. Itachieved its aim. The resulting explosion demolished aro-und 60 percent of the Terminal 4 car park, causedirreparable damage to the terminal building, and left morethan 20,000 people unable to travel. Worse still, theatrocity was to leave two people dead and a further 26injured.

Into the midst of this carnage stepped Spanishdemolition contractor Detesca. Originally contacted bythe airport manager to help clear the bomb debris and makesafe the remaining structures, Detesca would ultimatelybecome an integral part of the search and rescue team.

”We received the first phone call around two hoursafter the explosion,” says Detesca’s Francisco Cobo. ”Justfour hours later, we had assembled a specialist team of menand equipment at the airport and were beginning to removeconcrete and bomb damaged cars to make way for the staterescue and medical teams who were searching for missingpeople.”

As Cobo explains, this was no ordinary demolitioncontract, however. The company’s demolition team wererequired to work alongside teams of search and rescue dogs,forensic scientists gathering chemical samples and otherevidence, and ambulance teams attending to the injured.Time, was of the essence. It had become clear that twopeople, Ecuadorians who had been scheduled to collectmembers of their family from the airport, were missing.

”With two people feared trapped below the wreckageof the cap park, we instigated a 24 hour working schedulewith each of our teams working 12 hours before beingreplaced by another team member,” Cobo continues.


rgency Servicergency Service


Having unearthed the two missing people, work retur-ned to some sense of normality. The 24-hour, non-stop workwas replaced by standard working schedules, and the delicatedismantling methods were replaced by more traditionaldemolition techniques.

Material from the bomb blast area was collected anddeposited in a nearby square where police forensic teamswere able to analyse it, and to identify what remained ofthe cars. As soon as personal belongings recovered fromthese cars had been identified, it was moved to a car parkarea controlled by Aeropuertos Espanoles y NavagacionAerea (AENA) where it could be collected by their originalowners.

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

The Barajas Airport contract is a tribute to everyone atDetesca, and to the Spanish state emergency teams. Inmany ways, the bombing could not have taken place at aworse time or a worse place. Yet, despite the emotionalchallenge of searching for missing people and having towork around the clock at a time when most people are withtheir families, the Detesca teams’ work is a testament tothe commitment, professionalism and bravery of the com-pany.

Even though the internet is an incredible channel for communicationbetween manufacturers/suppliers and users PDi Magazine is nowlaunching its PDi Reader Service Centre.

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� Yes, I wish to receive PDi MagazineSignature Date _________1. What is your company´s primary business activity?� 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 ________________________

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4. Reason for inquiry?� Immediate need� Future job� General information

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8. Do you recommend, specify, approve or perform recycling services?� Recommend� Specify� Approve� Perform� None

9. Do your company plan to buy any of the following in the next 12 months? 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__________________________


Doosan Infracore has announced that it hascompleted the acquisition of the Bobcat, UtilityEquipment and Attachments businesses fromIngersoll Rand Company, Ltd. Doosan said thatthe three entities will operate as individualbusinesses of Doosan Infracore International, aUS-based subsidiary of Doosan Infracore, and willbe known as Bobcat, Doosan Infracore PortablePower (formerly Ingersoll Rand Utility Equipment),and DII Attachments (formerly Ingersoll RandAttachments).

“With the completion of this transaction,Doosan is extremely well-positioned to become atrue global leader in the construction equipmentsector. These three businesses each have superioroperations with high quality products that willenhance Doosan’s overall product portfolio by

Doosan Infracore completesacquisition of Bobcat

adding compact construction equipment to ourexisting medium and large-scale constructionequipment product lines. With operations in China,Belgium, France and the Czech Republic andacross the United States, the addition of thesebusinesses will expand and strengthen our globalmanufacturing and sales networks, enabling us toreach more customers with a broader productportfolio than ever before,” said Yongmaan Park,Vice-Chairman of Doosan Infracore.

David Rowles, CEO of Doosan Infracore In-ternational, said, “We will focus on growing thesebusinesses by utilizing the great capabilities andtalents of our combined organizations to deliversuperior value to all of our stakeholders.”

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

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

With the completion of this transaction,Doosan Infracore becomes one of the top tenglobal manufacturers of construction and utilityequipment and related attachments in terms of

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

www.bobcat.comwww.doosan.com


Conjet AB will use the World of Concrete Exhibitionon 22 – 25 January 2008 in Las Vegas, USA todisplay the company’s latest compacthydrodemolition Conjet Robot 322. This is thesmallest unit in the Swedish company’scomprehensive range of high pressure water-jet-ting equipment, which selectively removesweakened and damaged reinforced concrete fromnumerous structures.

The compact, lightweight Conjet Robot 322is exceptionally manoeuvrable and ideal for workingin confined spaces and areas inaccessible to largerequipment. It is very narrow and can pass throughan 0.8m to 1m wide opening, depending onattachment tool. This makes the Robot 322 idealfor operating in tunnels as small as 1.7m diame-ter with rotor attachment or single nozzle, culverts,inside concrete box girder bridge decks and un-der bridge and quay decks. The Robot 322 isalso exceptionally efficient for use in numerousindustrial cleaning applications and has been de-signed to operate with a reaction force from thewater jet of 1,400N.

The Robot 322, which will be displayed onthe Conjet stand S10555 in the south hall. Consistsof a self-contained, crawler-mountedundercarriage, electrically powered with an inte-gral control system. This allows progress of thehydrodemolition process to be remotely and safelycontrolled and monitored away from the hazardouscutting area. The Robot 322 can adjust the widthof its undercarriage to improve stability whenoperating and is equipped with a single oscillatingnozzle.

The nozzle, set at a predetermined angle ofattack, is mounted on a traversing cradle runningback and forth along a 1.5m long feed beam.Safety is paramount and a protective shroud coversthe entire nozzle assembly. The feed beam isattached to an arm mounted on a rotating turntablefixed to the Robot’s crawler based undercarriage.The feed beam and oscillating nozzle can bereplaced with an optional hydraulically driven ro-tor for cleaning and scarifying concrete surfaces.

The Robot 322 is very easy for the operatorto use and optimise production. This ensures thatonly weak and damaged areas of concrete areselectively removed in a continuous, uniform andsafe operation to a predetermined “quality depth”above or below any steel reinforcement, which, ifexposed, is also cleaned of rust.

The robot can be controlled from a remotecontrol box connected by a cable or by a wirelesscontrol unit. The wireless control unit, also availableon other Conjet Robots, has the advantage ofallowing the Robot operator to move freely withoutbeing obstructed by a normal control cable. Theunit provides enough reach for all possiblehydrodemolition applications. If the robot loses

Conjet Robot 322 atWorld of Concrete 2008

contact with the remote wireless control unit theequipment’s emergency stop is automaticallyactivated and the robot and the pump will shutdown. The wireless control unit is available as aretro fit option for all Conjet Robot.

The robotised 322 tool carrier is easilyadaptable to take a variety of hydrodemolition tools.It also enables hydrodemolition contractors tomechanise and replace the far less efficient andless productive hand lancing and jack hammeringtechniques. Hand held methods are known to beexceptionally tiring, stressful, noisy and dangerousfor operators to use. Removal of concrete with ajackhammer or hand lance is also much slowerand not as selective as a Robot. In addition handlances are very inefficient with their use of waterand need far greater quantities than more effectiveand environmentally friendly Robots to remove aspecific amount of concrete.www.conjet.com

The compact Conjet Robot 322, herefitted with a rotor head, is ideal forworking in small tunnels or similarstructures with restricted access.

EVENTSCALENDAR

World of Concrete 200822 - 25 Jan, 2008Las Vegas Convention Center,Las Vegas, Nevada, USAwww.worldofconcrete.com

German DemolitionAssociation Convention29 of Feb - 1 of MarchBerlin, Germanywww.asco-abbruch.de

SAMOTER 20085-8 March, 2008Verona Exhibition CentreVerona, Italywww.samoter.it

CSDA Convention 200836th Annual CSDA Convention4-8 March, 2008Red Rock Casino, Resort & SpaLas Vegas, Nevadawww.csda.org

ConExpo Con/Agg 200811-15 MarchLas Vegas Convention Center,Las Vegas,Nevada, USAwww.conexpoconagg.com

IACDS AnnualMeeting 20082-5 of May, 2008Valencia, Spainwww.iacds.org

ire 2008InternationalRental Exhibition3-5 of June, 2008Amsterdam RAI CentreThe Netherlandwww.ireshow.com

Conexpo Russia 2008September 15-18,Moscow, Russiawww.conexporussia.com


SDA & OSHA AllianceProduce Best Practicefor Reducing SilicaExposureThe Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association(CSDA) and the Occupational Safety & HealthAdministration (OSHA) have worked together onsafety and health issues for the country‚s concretesawing and drilling industry for almost two years.Through their partnership, CSDA and OSHA prov-ide vital materials and education that help foster asafe work environment and advance the safetyand training of sawing and drilling professionals. Amajor focus of the Alliance is to develop BestPractice tip sheets for the sawing and drillingindustry. In an attempt to educate and preventsilicosis, a fact sheet entitled Reducing SilicaExposure Fact Sheet was developed and released.

Concrete cutting, coring, drilling, quarrying, andthe production or laying of brick/block are jobsthat can create an airborne exposure to silica andpotentially cause silicosis. Cutting wet or usingengineering controls such as ventilation are themost effective methods of reducing employeeexposure to silica dust. Cutting wet is the preferredmethod. The new Alliance Best Practice on silicaprovides the best practice for employers andemployees of concrete cutting companies. This isthe second Best Practice developed under theAlliance. The first Best Practice covered highwaywork zone safety and was released at the Worldof Concrete 2007.

In conjunction with the CSDA/OSHA Alliance,Steven F. Witt, OSHA‚s Director of the Directorateof Construction, will provide an update regardingOSHA‚s current enforcement, cooperativeprograms and resources at CSDA‚s annualconvention in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 6,2008. In the past, the Alliance also worked onseminars and programs with CSDA at the Worldof Concrete exhibition and will continue this practicein years to come. OSHA will also share booth spacewith CSDA at the January 22-25, 2008 World ofConcrete. Trade show attendees can visit CSDAand OSHA in booth S10521 in the South ExhibitHall.

”Working with OSHA has been such a greatbenefit to our association, and to the concretecutting industry as a whole. The need to helpreduce injuries in our profession is great, and theAlliance with OSHA ˆ with training and awarenessˆ is vital in today‚s highly competitive market,” saidCSDA President, Tom Stowell.

www.csda.org

CSDA ddds 21 cour-ses to online trainingwebsiteThe Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association,which in 2007 introduced a new online trainingwebsite, is pleased to announce that it has added21 new online training courses. The new courses,

covering health and safety and business subjects,were made available through CSDA‚s partnershipwith ProTraining.com. These courses supplementthe very popular five initial courses that coveredflat sawing, wall sawing, core drilling, hand sawingand wire sawing.

”Participation in the online training programshas exceeded our expectations since the site wasestablished earlier in 2007,” said Patrick O’Brien,Executive Director. ”The 700 completed coursesrepresent 50 percent of the total number of cour-ses for the classroom training courses that beganin 1993. The addition of new courses will quicklymake the online training courses the top trainingresource for CSDA.”

Eleven health and safety courses have beenadded covering topics such as Personal Protectionon Equipment, Walking and Working Surfaces, JobSite Safety, Driver Safety, Lock Out-Tag Out andHearing Protection. Ten business courses will covertopics such as Dealing with Difficult People, SexualHarassment in the Workplace, Communication,Sales & Marketing, Negotiating and more. Eachof these new courses, which can be taken by anyoperator or employee in the privacy of their ownhome, at any time, day or night, is offered at avery reasonable price of is $49.00 per course.

A major factor in the success of the CSDAonline training website is that all the testing, scoringand documentation for employees is handled bythe site administrator and made available toowners, thereby simplifying the typical task thatoffice managers face. In addition, the online trainingprovides a solution for those companies that can-not afford the time off and expense of sendingoperators to classroom courses.

To access CSDA training courses on thewebsite, simply visit www.csda.org and click onOnline Training, or visit www.csdatraining.com.Instructions for taking the courses follow.

Nascars Kyle Pettykeynote speaker at35th anniversaryconvention of USDemolitionAssociationNASCAR driver Kyle Petty willbe the keynote speaker at theNat ional Demol i t ionAssociat ion’s 35th

A n n i v e r s a r yC o n v e n t i o n ,February 24-27,2008 at The Mi-rage in Las Vegas.NASCAR will be thetheme of the largestexhibition of demo-lition equipment andservices in the world.

To accommodate

the growing number of exhibitors at theconvention each year, the National DemolitionAssociation has secured the entire 90,000 sq.feet of The Mirage’s Event Center. “With thehealthy economy and strong scrap market, thedemolition industry is booming and we expecta record turnout of both exhibitors andattendees this coming year,” said Michael R.Taylor, CAE, executive director of the Associa-tion.

The Association is offering one free dele-gate registration – a $650 value – to any newor existing member company which has neverattended a convention before. The registrationcovers both the member and their spouse andincludes all speakers and educational sessions,a cocktail reception, all breakfasts and lunches,a Monday night NASCAR Theme Party, and theTuesday night cocktail reception and AnnualBanquet. It does not include hotel, air fare,and other travel expenses. “We really want toencourage new and current membercompanies to take full advantage of theopportunity to see what’s new in the industry,benefit from our breakout sessions, and networkwith their colleagues,” Taylor said.

Kyle Petty, a successful driver and son andgrandson of racing legends Richard and LeePetty respectively, will speak on the topic “Whata Ride: Life, Family, Community and the RaceTrack” on Monday morning. Other speakerswill address topics such as safety and profita-bility; California’s diesel rule; C&D recycling anddisaster debris management; lawsuits; marke-ting; and workforce development.

www.demolition-association.com

Nascar driverKyle Petty.

205-2007

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