Saw Cutting Concrete Requires More Than Just An Eye On Safety

Modern engineering produces amazing results.  You can see these on the roads, the homes and buildings, the utility poles, and the vehicles going to and from your community. These are all products of people’s efforts and the tools in their hands.

bioluminescent bridge

Even though most will not know how these are built, the beauty of it is that consumers don’t really need to know that.

But behind the mystery and marvel, those in the know of the concrete saw cutting, understand that architecture and structural engineering still boil down to basics like people using hammers and nails and doing cutting with the use of a saw to come up with the needed materials.

The use of saw to cut is typically associated with nature and with sawing wood for campfires, make-shift shelters, walking sticks, concrete and shelters.

concrete saw cutting

But besides these, saw cutting is a must in several industries. For instance, there is metal saw cutting which is done from the framing of vehicles and automobiles to creating the mesh rebar that is used in the paving of many roads.

Concrete Saw Cutting

Concrete saw cutting is also done to deconstruct things. Law enforcement agents sometimes need to cut through fences or even vehicles. Power saw cutting is used to get past locks of rental storage units so that the abandoned goods inside can be taken and auctioned off.

RELATED: What is Concrete Cutting?

But no matter the purpose, remember that using a saw is dangerous. If used improperly, it can damage what is being cut and hurt or even kill people. Safety goggles are a must with any power saw, and the person handling the saw must have the proper training.

RELATED: Tips on Safe and Efficient Concrete Cutting

Given the risks, a person must know how to use the saw safely. Good thing that this skill, coupled with experience can be useful and profitable.

Note that working with concrete is an art form and there’s definitely a market for concrete furniture,  carvings, and other products.

Besides this, you’ll also have employment opportunities in the construction industry, particularly if you know how to saw cutting a concrete.

RELATED: Detailed Concrete Cutting Pros and Cons

The Benefits Of Grinding Concrete

Concrete grinding preserves pavements by removing any surface imperfections and irregularities. In some cases, concrete needs to be leveled to make the surface more durable. Or you may also need concrete grinders that smooth out rough surfaces.

concrete roads

Note that roads are subject to a lot of stress that weaken and eventually damage them — constant vehicles at a high speed, heavy traffic and extreme weather. These are in addition to the defects that come from poor materials and practices in constructing the road.  

This is where concrete grinding comes in. It repairs cracks and remedies imperfections on pavements and roads to make them safer.

Concrete Grinding Benefits

Concrete grinding is done to make roads smooth by grinding and polishing them. These are the benefits when grinding is done

concrete grinding

1. Concrete becomes more durable

2. Low Maintenance because of increased durability, you have to do less to maintain the concrete surface. For example when food or chemicals get spilled, the surface is easier to clean.

3. Gives a smoother ride – this translates to less fuel cost and travel time

4. Surface is good as new – surface is smooth, comparable to newly laid pavement.

5. Helps reduce noise – surfaces with longitudinal texturing offers a driving surface that is far quieter.

6. Improved Skid Texture- better texture results in increased skid resistance. This makes roads safer.

7. Grinding does not affect material durability

road

The integrity of road surface does not get affected no matter how many times the concrete has been grinded. Thus, you don’t need to replace road surfaces often, ensuring there would be less downtime on road usage and minimising the hassle for the road users.

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Rock Drilling And Drilling Fluids: What You Should Know

Drilling fluid properties when it comes to rock formations are typically straight forward. Lubrication and carrying capacity are important in this activity.

The fluids have to carry the cuttings from a borehole and serve as lubrication so that the tool won’t get damaged.  Maintaining the viscosity level is enough to carry the cuttings from a bore. This is very important in keeping the penetration rate. Let us help you as being Rock Drilling Expert.

If the viscosity is too low, the cuttings will fall from the area of the slurry to the area behind the drill head. But if the viscosity is too high, it will increase the pumping pressure which limits the flow properties. This will decrease penetration rates.

Typically, the marsh-funnel that has a viscosity between 50 to 60 seconds and even slightly higher works well. Rock drilling fluids when it comes to HDD (horizontal directional drilling) applications are typically bentonite, fresh water based. The extended sodium-betonites that are high-yielding are the more common products in the HDD applications. The extended bentonites have been formulated to give high yields and fast hydration at lower concentrations typically at around 3%.

Typically expressed as the “barrel yield” the products would be categorized in the 200bbl/ton.

The term “barrel field” is the oilfield term that measures viscosifying capabilities of the bentonite clay. This is defined as a number of oil-field barrels which is 42 gal of 35-second mud which can be created from one ton of the bentonite. This means that one ton of 200bbl bentonite produces 8,400 gals off a 35-second slurry. Contractors have to know this so they can pinpoint other material types that can double these application rates easily.

The addition of a few polymer additives can aid lubrication along with the flow properties. These polymers are known as shear thinning and allow the pumping out of the higher viscosity fluids without the need to increase pumping pressure. What this means is that contractors can maximize flow patterns inside annular spaces and still maintain the higher viscosities and a reasonable pumping pressure.

However, note that “polymer” is just a generic term which is used to describe categories of products. Polymers exhibit entirely different properties, particularly when introduced with the bentonite drilling fluid. To achieve desired results you have to understand the properties of the elements, as well as the right polymer.

What is Rock Drilling?

Besides drilling into rocks, the rock drill can be used for a number of activities — preparing foundations, exploring minerals and digging wells.

There are various manufacturers of rock drills that offer a variety of models to meet specific needs. These rock drills are usually costly and the users need special training to operate one properly.

Drilling into rocks is usually challenging as the substrate is extremely hard. This tough task damages standard drills quickly.

rock drill bits

Rock drills usually have very hard bits that are usually made from a hard material such as industrial diamonds. These bits have cooling and lubrication systems in order to limit the stress caused by excessive friction.

These drills also act as an air blower that clears out drilling holes. The air present lessens the chances of the drill getting damaged because of particular materials and rock dust. A rock drill can also be attached to a drilling rig, in case there’s a need to drill at great depth.

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