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Saw cutting concrete

FastEddie | Posted in Photo Gallery on February 15, 2008 03:42am

Doing a remodel of a bank, and we need to remove parts of the old cast in place vault.  We are actually removing most of the vault, except one wall.  It is 12″ thick, and fortunately only has two layers of rebar … should have four or more.

One picture shows a section through a previous cut from a couple of years ago.  You can see the widely spaced rebar.

View Image

 Two of the pics show the business end of the machine.  In these pics they are sawing the ceiling.  First they bolt some stand-off brackets to the ceiling, then attach a geared rail, then mount the cutter head to the rail and start cutting.  There are three hoses going to the head, one for cooling water and two for hydraulic oil to spin the motor.  There is a 4 cylinder Wisconsin engine on the trailer driving the hydraulic pump. 

View Image

 The cutter head is amazingly quiet, except for the very shrill sound of the blade zinging against the concrete.

For this job they are cutting about 60-65 feet of 12″ concrete.  They started with a new blade, and it will be almost worn out when they finish.  It cost about $1,000 and they throw it away.   You can see a blade guard that is much bigger than the blade.  They had one of the full size blades on the trailer .. impressive.  Because they are cutting upside down, they left off the other half of the guard, so it wouldn’t fill with water.  The water hose connects to the first half of the guard and sprays the blade.  There wasn’t a whole lot of excess water on the floor.

This picture shows the first pass, about 3″ deep. 

View Image

And this is operator side of the same cut.

View Image

This pic shows the last pass.

View Image

 

“Put your creed in your deed.”   Emerson

“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.”  T. Roosevelt

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Replies

  1. john7g | Feb 15, 2008 04:02pm | #1

    What drives the motor?  Volts or Air?

    1. FastEddie | Feb 15, 2008 04:15pm | #2

      The engine on the trailer is gasoline powered, it sends hydraulic oil through the hoses to turn the cutterhead.  And the operator can bleed off a little hydrailuc fluid to turn the gear that pushes the head down the track."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

      "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

    2. gordsco | Feb 15, 2008 04:16pm | #3

      It's hydraulic, read the post.

      Edit. Wow, never mind, they don't call him Fast Eddy for nothin!

                              

       

       

      Edited 2/15/2008 8:18 am by gordsco

      1. john7g | Feb 15, 2008 04:21pm | #4

        wy read when there's pictures?  :) 

  2. User avater
    ToolFreakBlue | Feb 15, 2008 05:09pm | #5

    How are they going to catch that chunk of concrete?
    I've had wall cut and it laid over onto some old tires,
    but straight down?, hopefully straight down I would think.

    TFB (Bill)
    1. FastEddie | Feb 15, 2008 06:21pm | #6

      I left before they finished, had to get back to the office and out of the way of falling concrete.  I think this is one of those times when it's better to be somewhere else."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

      "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

      1. User avater
        ToolFreakBlue | Feb 15, 2008 06:33pm | #7

        "Somewhere else"no doubt. Or at least in the next room with your fingers in your ears.TFB (Bill)

        1. eleft | Feb 16, 2008 06:02am | #8

          This is a "Ring Saw", 25 horse hydraulic power pack driven. Other than a lot of water mess it cuts concrete like it were wood. this foundation is over 8" thick.

          The chain is to pick the slab out with my backhoe, slick, one piece.

          al

          1. User avater
            ToolFreakBlue | Feb 16, 2008 06:16am | #9

            kewl
            TFB (Bill)

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