Archives

Cutting and removing concrete would sound like a very formidable task to do. This is true especially with those involving street pavement being broken and demolished to give way to a new concrete pavement. These kinds of construction jobs are usually done by big-time contractors.

But as uncommon as concrete removal may look in the domestic sense, there are actually many household situations where we may find ourselves being confronted by a need to cut and remove concrete. It may be a repair of water or drain leak in your house or yard or a plan to replace the concrete covering in one part of your garden with decorative grasses and plants. In any case, it pays to know what and how to do it, even if you have in mind to hire a contractor to do the job for you.

Below you will find the basic steps in the concrete cutting and removal job. These steps assume that you already have a clear purpose for the activity and that you have identified the area where cutting is to be made.

1. Prepare the Site

Concrete cutting and removal is difficult if surface is dirty and congested. If there are clutters restricting the movement of workers, ensure that the site is cleared of these barriers to movement. It is also important that items which may be damaged by dust or by chipped concrete fragments during cutting are covered with protective mats or sacks. Check also that the passage way for moving the rubbles is clear when the broken concrete is removed from the site.

2. Ready Your Tools

For most concrete cutting jobs in the home, the following are the most common tools needed:

• Electric circular saw with diamond or abrasive blade
• Sledgehammer
• Jackhammer
• Large pry bar or a pick
• Shovel
• Bolt cutters for wire mesh
• Demolition saw for rebars

3. Ready Your Safety Equipment

Concrete cutting and removal, by its very nature, is a dirty job as it means rousing dust from its compaction inside the concrete. Add water and you’ll have a mess of the mud that is created. It is also a job involving risks as tiny fragments of concrete may fly at different directions. Hence, you need safety tools and protective gadgets to keep you safe from harm. These include:

• Chalk for line marking
• Straight-edge piece of wood for guide
• Thick gloves
• Goggles
• Ear protective gear
• Dust mask or respirator
• Steel-toe boots or equivalent work shoes
• Clothes thick enough to cover you from the elements

4. Lay out the Area

Establish the demarcation enclosure using a straight-edge piece of wood long enough for the purpose. Use coloured chalks in lay-outing and make sure that the line marks are wider and will be readable enough even from a distance.

5. Start the Cutting

Set up your concrete saw to cut at 2 inches (50 mm) blade depth over the guide line. This line cut is for making sure that the edges of the remaining concrete are straight and smooth when the new covering is installed. At the same time, it prepares the line-enclosed area for the subsequent concrete breaking procedure. As the cutting is being done, spray the surface area around the blade with soft sprinkles of water. This is in order to lessen the dust and to prevent the blade from overheating. However, be warned not to sprinkle water on the electric saw. After completing the line cut, if you wish to deepen the cut to 4 inches (100 mm), adjust the blade in the cutting saw and repeat the steps.

6. Breaking the Concrete

After the line cut is completed, position the jackhammer to break the concrete starting from an inside corner of the line-enclosed slab. Put the jackhammer on and let it break the concrete. You don’t need to push down on the jackhammer as its weight and movement are enough to break the concrete. You may need to remove the first few broken pieces out right away to make room for the next pieces to fall off. You will find that after the first piece is broken, the next one comes off so easily.

You may find that the concrete is supported by a wire mesh. You may have to cut these wires using your bolt cutter to free the concrete that is stubbornly attached to these hard metals. Also, most concrete that is subjected to traffic would be reinforced with rebars. In such a case, you may also need to cut these but using a demolition saw.

7. Remove the Concrete Fragments

If the cutting site is inside a garden and you need to protect the plants along the way out onto a hired gravel truck, you would need thick gloves to manually load these concrete pieces into carry-able sacks. For the smaller pieces which would be impractical to pick out one by one, use your shovel to scoop these tiny ones into the sacks. If your hired truck is not yet available, you may arrange the sacks abreast of each other in one area close to the pick-up point.

8. Check the Work Done

If you are not satisfied with the depth of your cutting after the area is initially cleared, you may level the area by using the jackhammer again on protruding and unbroken concrete. Repeat this procedure until you are satisfied.

While it is true that the concrete has been removed after the eighth step, you need to complete your job for your own satisfaction. You are not finished until you have cleaned the site, the power tools and the safety equipment. Restore the items that were displaced temporarily. Remove the protective covering on the plants. Clear the site of dust using damp cloth. Remember not to wet electric-powered tools. Clean the gadgets that are washable with water. When you are done, you are now ready to pack up leaving the site ready for the next activity.

Cutting a concrete slab can be a complex task that requires proper skills and equipment. It isn’t a job where short cuts can be taken. Ideally, it should be done by those who have the proper experience and expertise. Highlighted below are some information and tips in using power tools for cutting a concrete slab.

Tip #1: Choosing the Concrete Cutting Equipment

It all begins with the right tools and accessories. The quickest, easiest and safest tools for this job are power tools that are capable to tackle the job at hand.

The Right Saw

The type of cut you will be making determines which saw to use. If you only need to make small rough cuts, you can do this manually with a sledgehammer and chisel. The much faster and more effective method is to use a circular saw with the right choice of blade.

The Right Concrete Cutting Blades

Quality is the key here. You may find some great prices on some of the blades that can cut through this type of material. You need to determine though, what is the cost per cut. If you are only going to get half the cuts completed before having to replace them, then you are wasting time and money.

Many professionals like to use the diamond blades when cutting a concrete slab. If this isn’t a job you need to do all the time, then you can rent these types of blades. You will likely be charged according to the number of inches used on the blade. Some of the inexpensive blades tend to slow down the cutting process. This is because they only allow for shallow cuts during each pass. With constant use, they can create an odour, fine dust and get really hot. When making the choice to use the diamond blades, you will have to choose the appropriate one.

The dry cutting blades are used when you want to make gradual deeper cuts. The blade won’t heat up, but you will create a lot more dust with a dry cut. You can also choose to use a wet cutting diamond blade. This means you will need to use a saw that is able to distribute the water that the blade needs to operate efficiently. This is a great blade for speed and efficiency as well as in keeping the dust down.

Tip #2: Techniques for Cutting a Concrete Slab

In some areas, there are regulations regarding the depth that you can cut a joint. You need to check this out first. The normal cut is at the minimum ¼ of the thickness of the slab. Keep in mind that the deeper the cut, the bigger the chance of cracking in the control joint. Don’t cut down to the level of the steel reinforcement, which should be in the middle of the slab.

Grooving

You need to determine the best time for making the cut. This is determined by the size of the slab. To help you make a straight cut, draw a chalk line on the concrete slab. Or you can use a 2×4 as your guide. Before the concrete becomes hard, groove the control joints. Use a grooving tool that has a blade capable of cutting through a semi solid concrete.

Tip #3: Proper Placement of Joints

Where you place the joints will depend on the purpose the concrete slab is being used for. Sidewalks do well with joint placement with cuts made the same distance as what the width of the walk is. Large slabs are best done by determining the thickness of the slab then double this in feet.

Tip #4: Cutting Concrete Slabs with a Saw

If you don’t want to take the time to hand groove or the concrete has become too hard for this, you can still complete the job with a saw. The concrete should still look a little damp and dark in colour. You should be able to walk on it. If the concrete slab is fairly small, you can use a heavy duty circular saw, fitted with the proper blade. For larger concrete slab cutting, you may want to use a walk behind concrete saw.

Concrete Cutting

You may be faced with the task of cutting through concrete to get at some faulty plumbing or other repairs needed beneath the concrete. These are normally slab foundations and are far thicker than slabs used for sidewalks and other outdoor venues. For this type of job, you would need to rely on the use of commercial concrete saws.

Other Considerations

Personal safety when cutting a concrete slab using power tools is something that must be made a priority. The proper safety gear must be worn. Keeping the dust under control is another issue. Using power tools with the proper skills to avoid personal injury is a must. You must also be aware of the environment around you when taking on the job of cutting concrete slabs.

Time and money has to be taken into account as well. Purchasing the proper concrete cutting power tools can be expensive. They are not cost-efficient unless they are going to be used on a constant basis. Renting them is equally as expensive and there is the risk of improper use. Make sure that the individual who is going to take on the concrete slab cutting job has the proper skills and training in the use of the power tools.

Looking at a concrete cutting slab job at first appears straightforward. However, there are a lot of potential problems that can arise. If an error is made during the cutting process, correcting them may not be easy. A much better alternative to taking on this job yourself if you are in Melbourne or the surrounding areas would be to bring in the experts like those at MegaSaw.

They have the right equipment for every type of concrete cutting task. They also have the expertise in being able to use the different types of hand saws. These are often needed for hard to get at places or when time is of the essence. Concrete hand sawing requires precision working and takes time to be done properly. You also have to consider the cost factor required for this task. Determine the most cost-effective solution. Will it be either buying this type of equipment yourself and then developing the proper skills to use it or using the alternative of being able to rent such equipment and services from reputable providers like MegaSaw.

A lot of the times whole concrete blocks will not fit into the place where they are intended to fit. Because of this, you are going to have to cut them down to the appropriate size. There are a few ways in which you can go about cutting these types of blocks. The method that you ultimately choose will likely depend on how smooth or rough you want the cut to be. Also, it is going to largely depend on the type of tools that you happen to have at your disposal. Below we will discuss some of the most frequently used tools for cutting these types of blocks.

Frequently Used Tools:

1. Hammer and Chisel

One of the most frequently used tools is the hammer and chisel. In order to utilise this tool effectively, you are going to need to be sure that you have the appropriate safety gear. You will want to wear goggles in order to protect your eyes. You will also need to wear gloves to protect your hands.

Below we will discuss the steps that someone is going to need to take in order to successfully cut concrete blocks with a hammer and chisel.

a.) Mark the layout

The first thing that you are going to have to do is mark the layout of the actual cut that you are going to perform. You will want to make the layout all the way around the actual concrete block by using a straightedge in order to keep the line as straight as possible. You should also use chalk in order to make the line visible enough to see in different lighting conditions.

b.) Safety glasses and gloves

As noted previously, you are going to want to be sure that you have the necessary safety gear. For cutting concrete blocks with a hammer and chisel you will need; gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask to keep dust out of your face and your lungs.

c.) Score the block

You will need to score the blog along the line that you created with the chalk. You will want to do this with the chisel tool, as well as a strong hammer. In order to do it effectively, you need to apply strong and swift blows to the concrete. This will ensure that the concrete is penetrated and that it breaks. You should make a score around 1/8 of an inch deep to start.

d.) Strike

The next thing that you have to do is strike along the actual scored line. You need to use the same chisel and hammer that you used in the previous step. This time, you will need to apply strong and swift hammer blows to the line. If done properly, the block should then break into two different pieces with a rough cut along the line that you had previously scored.

2. Power Saw

The next tool that you should use is a power saw. This is an excellent tool that is extremely powerful and versatile and you can find at just about any hardware store. If you are in need of efficient, effective, and accurate cuts, this is going to be one of your best options available on the market. Below we will discuss some of the steps that you need to take to ensure that you do it properly.

a.) Choose a circular or power masonry saw

The first thing that you need to do is choose either of the saws mentioned above. You will want to carefully look at each option and consider the pros and cons of each. Consider what you are going to be doing with the saw and what features you care most about. Once you have chosen one, you are then going to want to be sure that you outfit the saw with a masonry or diamond blade according to whichever is appropriate.

3. Safety Materials/Tools

The next thing that you are going to need to do in order to ensure that you cut the concrete safely is wear safety glasses, ear protection and a good dust mask. All of these are necessary for the safe operation of a power saw because you are going to have a lot of debris flying around and it is also a very loud machine. These safety essentials are going to help ensure that you do not suffer any type of injury that could have been easily prevented.

a.) Set the measurement

The next thing that you must do is set the measurement of the actual saw blade. This is an important step. This is a step that you must do correctly in order to get an accurate cut. Always figure out how deep you want the cut before actually doing it. You should generally use either 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep of a cut.

b.) Cut around the block

Once you have cut around 1/4 to 1/2 deep, you are then going to want to cut around the entire block. You should adjust your blade so that it will cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch deeper than you previously cut. You will be required to make a number of passes through the block until you have actually cut through the entire block. In this case a power saw will be able to produce a much cleaner and accurate cut than chiseling can produce.

4. Block Splitter

A block splitter is another type of tool that you could use in order to cut concrete. You can use this type of tool if you want a very powerful machine that will get the job done fast. Below we will discuss some of the things that you are going to need to do in order to successfully use this type of tool for block cutting.

a.) Rent or purchase a concrete block splitter

Most people are likely to need to rent this type of tool from their local hardware or tool rental store. This is likely to be the case because these tools are fairly expensive. Therefore, it is not really in your best financial interest to invest in one if it isn’t going to be used frequently.

b.) Place the concrete

The next thing that you are going to want to do is place the concrete in the right location. You will need to ensure that the concrete is placed on the platform that is directly located beneath the actual blade for cutting. This will ensure that the blade will slice into the block when it is cutting. In order to ensure an accurate cut, you need to be sure that the block is placed in the exact location of where you want the cut to be made.

c.) Secure the block

The next step involves securing the actual block in place by spinning the wheel that is used for tightening. You should spin the wheel in a clockwise direction in order to tighten it.

d.) Pull the level

The next step involves pulling the splitting level downward and applying enough pressure on the actual level in order to effectively split the concrete. You will know you did this correctly if the tool effectively splits the concrete. The cut is likely to be very precise in terms of cutting it where it was supposed to be cut. However, the cut is likely to be just as jagged as a cut that is made by hand with a chisel.

In order to effectively get your concrete cut in a professional way, you will likely need to hire the job out to a third party. Cutting concrete is something that takes a lot of power and experience to do effectively. For this reason, you are going to want to hire an experienced team that has access to the latest and greatest tools and machinery. This will ensure that you find someone that is going to be able to really deliver the best possible results on your job.

You will also want to ensure that the job is completed on time. Nothing is worse than hiring a company only to see them miss their deadline. In order to find a reputable company in this industry, you need to ensure that you do the necessary research in order to find one that has a good and solid reputation within the industry. You will also want a company with competitive rates in order to get the job done efficiently.

If you are looking for exceptional block cutting services in Australia, look no further than MegaSaw. MegaSaw is going to be one of the best options for block cutting services in Australia. Below we will discuss exactly why you should consider hiring MegaSaw for your block cutting services.

Why Hire MegaSaw?

1. Best Tools and Machines

By far, the number one reason to hire MegaSaw is because we are a company that invests in the top-of-the-line machinery. Block cutting is all about having the right tools and machinery in order to get the job done. Even the most experienced and best cutters are going to have a hard time producing the results that a good power saw can produce.

2. Experience

Another reason why you are going to want to hire MegaSaw is because we have extensive experience in this industry. In fact, we have been supplying concrete cutting and drilling services for over 40 years.

3. Customer Satisfaction

Another reason to hire MegaSaw is because we take pride in our ability to satisfy every client. We have numerous satisfied clients and customers that have left overwhelmingly positive testimonials on our website. You can check them out for yourself.

4. Pricing

We offer some of the most competitive rates in the entire industry.

5. Deadlines

We know how bad it can be to have a company miss deadlines. We pride ourselves on our ability to hit every single one of our deadlines. We are 100% committed to our customers’ deadlines whenever we accept a job. No matter what, we will complete the job that we take on within the given timeframe.

6. Quick Quote

We also offer a 24-hour turn around on a quote for your specific job.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to choose us for your block cutting needs. Not only are we experienced in this field, but we also offer competitive prices and rates. We are 100% committed to our customers and we will strive to ensure their satisfaction. We offer quick quotes so we can get started on your job right away. We also ensure that we will finish the job within a given timeframe. If you are ever in need of concrete cutting or drilling, you know who to call. We will take pride in having you as a customer and we look forward to being able to help you solve your problems.

Construction workers are exposed to dust when dealing with concrete that might be harmful to their health. The three main types of construction dust are:

Silica dust

Usually present in sand, granite or sandstone, Silica is a natural mineral. It’s also found in other materials used for construction such as mortar or concrete. During the cutting, grinding or drilling process, the mineral is broken into fine dust which is referred to as silica dust.

Non-silica dust

Although silica is the main component of most materials used for construction, there are a few that don’t contain the product or the content is very little. These compounds include limestone, cement and marble. There is a chance that these compounds could get mixed with those containing silica so in the end, the fine dust contains silica.

Wood dust

During construction, wooden bars may be used for support for other users. The wood might either be used as softwood or hardwood depending on the type of construction. There are also wood-based compounds often used during the construction process. As such, when the wood is cut using saws, the wood dust is likely to cause harm to the construction workers if preventive measures are not in place.

Health Effects

If you’re not properly protected when handling these types of dust, you need to know the type of damage they are likely to cause. There are many construction workers who have fallen ill due to lung cancer, silicosis, asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

For health risks such as silicosis, a form of lung disease, there is a chance that a few construction workers might experience the side effects later on. However, for those without proper protection, the symptoms set in when the contractor breathes in too much silica dust. When diagnosed at an advanced stage, silicosis is hard to treat but can be managed effectively.

There are recent studies that have estimated that silica dust has resulted in the death of over 500 construction workers each year. Also, COPD has resulted in the death of 4000 construction workers every year. Anyone who works in construction falls into the risk category because of the concrete dust they breathe in when working.

Construction Tasks that Create the most Dust

If you’re a construction worker, you’re likely to experience more levels of dust during the following occasions;

• When using construction equipment that operate using high energy such as wall chasers, cut-off saws, grit blasters or grinders, which produce lots of concrete dust within the shortest time possible.
• When clearing the dust using dry sweeping rather than wet brushing or vacuuming, you’re likely to inhale more dust.
• Also, if you’re working in an enclosed construction space rather than an open air one, the concrete dust is trapped in the space forcing you to inhale it.
• If you take longer when handling concrete cutting tasks, you will inhale more dust than the people who work for shorter times.

How to Control Exposure to Concrete Dust

1. Legal requirements

There are workplace regulations in place to prevent exposure to any dust during construction. Other than wearing protective clothing or equipment, there should be control measures in place to reduce the amount of dust. One of the most effective ways to do so is capturing the concrete dust at the source before it spreads into the air. Also, there are environmental regulations in place to prevent dust emissions or to control their contamination using the best possible means.

2. Wet control methods

Concrete cutting saws that are powered by compressed air or combustion engines might use wet systems to prevent further contamination of dust. However, it’s impractical to use these systems on electrical saws. Water is sprayed into the rotating disk used for cutting concrete to reduce emissions. Water can be supplied using a pressurised tank which is portable or from the water mains.

Portable pressurised tanks are supplied by many manufacturers of concrete cutting saws. It’s a simple bottle (made out of polypropylene) that contains at least eight litres of water. Using a narrow tube, the bottle is attached to two jets on each side of the guard. To control the water supply, there is a valve attached to the container. When the construction worker pressurises the tank using his hand, the water is released.

To guarantee dust suppression, the minimum rate of water flow should be about half a litre each minute. Therefore, rates lower than that will ultimately reduce overall performance. On the other hand, higher rates will not guarantee proper suppression of concrete dust rather the portable water tank will need to be refilled frequently.

To maintain the proper rate of water flow, the portable tank should be pressurised regularly. This is the most preferable method since it’s flexible to carry around the site as long as there is a water source for any refills required. On the other hand, when using the water system from the mains, the water flows through the hose to the water jets to allow for dust suppression when cutting concrete.

3. Personal protective measures

When using the wet systems or vacuuming to suppress the dust produced when cutting concrete, there are many things that can go wrong. Therefore, when this happens, it’s important to have some protective equipment such as masks to prevent further inhalation of dust. There are different types of masks for different tasks so it’s important to consult with your employer to get the best mask for the task in hand.

Note that, wearing masks or any other protective gear alone will not provide the protection you need. This is because:

• There are many tasks that can produce too much dust which clogs the filter making it hard to breathe.
• A mask only protects the wearer alone. Other individuals at the construction site are at risk of inhaling dangerous dust.
• There is a chance that you might choose the wrong mask which means that you’re not completely protected.

Therefore, regardless of whether you are wearing a mask or not, it’s important to include all the other protective measures to ensure you have the best chance of staying safe when working in this kind of environment.

The requirement to cut concrete is not something that comes up very often, and is an activity that is carried out normally only by builders or contractors. When such needs do come up, the right equipment to use is a concrete saw.

Concrete saws have the power and blades to cut through very dense materials and besides concrete, may even be used to cut stone or tile. Regular cutting tools will find it difficult to deal with these materials. Most concrete saws are power tools and will use pneumatic, hydraulic, electricity or gasoline-powered engines for the huge strength requirement of cutting through concrete. Concrete saws are available in many different sizes and can be hand held or table mounted, or may even have chain saws that facilitate very large and complex cuts. Some machines may be large enough to walk behind and guide while they perform the cutting operations.

Saw blades need to run very fast in order to cut through concrete, and this causes a lot of friction and heat. Most machines use water or other cooling substances to cool the blade, which can otherwise cause it to get damaged. A common accident while using concrete cutters occurs when blades break off due to the heat. These blades have tips made of hard substances like titanium, so that they can stand the constant abrasion caused by the cutting process.

Check your Blades

Before you start any concrete cutting, it is necessary to check the condition of the blades and replace them if they are worn out or have any segments missing. The core blade must not have any cracks. The blades must fit correctly and firmly into the blade holder. The saw should be run to ensure that the blade is properly aligned and there are no distortions in the movement. Raise the blade from the working surface before you do this, as otherwise you may find that you have started cuts you do not want to make.

If you are using gasoline powered engines, make sure that you have enough fuel so that the operation is not interrupted. Ensure that you put on all the necessary safety gear like goggles, dust masks, boots, ear protection and other gear. Make sure the blade faces away from you before you start the motor, and that you have firm control over the machine. Do not lower the blade onto the surface to be cut, unless the blade has reached its optimum speed.

Mark the cut that you want to make by using chalk or paint, so that it is visible to you at all times, while the sawing operation is in progress. Initially, before the cut commences, the surface of the concrete must be completely dry. Now you can lower the blade onto the surface that you want to cut, and make sure it is aligned to the cut line. There will be a lot of dust generated when you first start the cutting operation and also afterwards, and you must be prepared for this. Very large operations may use water or oil to cool the blade and also control the dust.

Tight Grip

 

The equipment must always be grasped firmly and pressure exerted on the cut, so that it bites into the concrete and progresses further. Constantly check on whether the cut is proceeding on the required alignment by raising the blade and examining the cut, after you clear it of the dust with a blower or water. All saws will have guards and you must never raise this, without stopping the engine or switching off the power. A concrete saw is just a sturdier version of any cutting tool, and all the precautions you need when you operate smaller cutting tools, like wood saws, have to be followed even more stringently. Some saws allow you to adjust cutting depths with the simple use of adjustable flanges which need to be set to the correct depth. These flanges are normally mounted on either side of the saw, and rest on the surface being cut, to serve as a guide to the cutting depth.

Once you have completed the cutting operation or need to stop work for the day, raise the saw blade before you cut off power or stop the engine. Allow the blades to cool down and examine them for any damage that may need to be rectified or corrected. Cutting of concrete surfaces must only be taken up after the surface is cleared of all loose material, as this can fly off the fast operating saw and cause injury to others. It always makes sense to ensure that large cutting operations are properly fenced off and unauthorized personnel kept away from the cutting site.