It’s an unfortunate fact that concrete and asphalt can crack when they dry. This can be caused by the excessive water content of the concrete mix, drying too fast, thermal expansion and contraction, among other causes.
For homeowners, cracks in concrete can be an eyesore. What’s more, it can also deteriorate the concrete which can become very costly and inconvenient to rectify.
If you do have cracks on your driveway, or worse, your walls, you will have to use fillers and paint to fix the problem.
For a commercial building, cracks on your walls, floors, and driveways can be a safety concern. Fixing them can cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Therefore, prevention is better than cure.
Concrete Sawing
Concrete sawing helps control cracking and will save you from expensive repairs and maintenance however, timing is very important in cutting. If you saw-cut too soon, you will spoil the integrity of the concrete. If you cut too late, it will defeat the purpose of cutting.
For concrete, depending on the local weather conditions, cutting can be done within four to 12 hours after the concrete is poured. In hot weather, cutting can be done within one to four hours after the concrete is poured.
Cuts should be about one third the depth of the concrete. Once you start cutting, you must make sure that you continue the process and finish as soon as possible before the concrete temperature falls.
It should be done when the concrete has set enough to tolerate the sawing but not set too long that it cracks even before cutting.
Asphalt Sawing
Cutting asphalt is necessary for fixing cracks, asphalt replacement, repairs, and maintenance. Asphalt deteriorates because of soil movement, wear and tear, and many others.
Unlike concrete, asphalt requires a specific saw blade for cutting. Asphalt is softer compared to concrete, so soft-bonded blades will not cut it. A diamond blade with a hard bond is more effective.
Two types of blades are used for cutting asphalt – wet and dry blades.
Megasaw Services
If you are looking to have some concrete cutting done, it’s important to use a reputable and experienced company such as Megasaw. At Megasaw, we provide the following services:
- HAND SAWING – Using primarily Husqvarna Hand Saws, our concrete hand sawing is a versatile cutting process that will save you time and money. We can cut through bricks and concrete depending on what your requirements are.
- RING SAWING – we provide cutting of up to 300mm deep using top quality tools and equipment that are handled by our highly-trained cutting experts.
- WALL SAWING – we provide cutting of up to 725mm in depth. We usually use a road saw for wall sawing using only the most trusted brands for quality services and safety of our team.
- ROAD SAWING – this is perhaps one of the most important steps in the construction of pavements, roads, walkways, bridges etc. We have a team of professionals who are experts in road sawing, cutting and drilling.
- WIRE SAWING – we use top of the line diamond wire saws to help you remove large concrete structures and save you time and money by cutting thick layers of concrete for your business or residential structures.
- DIAMOND GRINDING – this is a cost-effective way of restoring and maintaining pavements and other concrete projects.
- CONCRETE REMOVAL – we specialise in demolition and concrete removal from residential to full-scale commercial projects.
- CONCRETE SCANNING – we provide high-resolution concrete scanning services to ensure the structural integrity of your projects.
- PERCUSSION DOWELL BAR DRILLING – we drill dowel bar holes into concrete slabs or on the sides of bridges. We use only the latest in technology and the best air powered rock drill for your drilling needs.
Cracking on concrete and the deterioration of asphalt is unavoidable. This is why saw-cutting is essential so you can anticipate and control where the cracking will happen and ensure the structural integrity of your building or structure.
From a visual perspective, cracks should be avoided. This is where integrating the cuttings into the design can be a creative way of combining smart engineering and creative design and is something that should be considered.
If you are looking for a specialist concrete cutting company who uses only the best practices to get the job done right, then please call us at Megasaw on 1300 920 419 or contact us through our website.