For this project, our client had unfortunately been let down at the last minute by another cutting company. Here at DP Diamond Drilling, we understand that construction deadlines can often be quite tight, which is why we pride ourselves on the fact that we always provide a reliable service to our clients. We accepted this Midlands-based job at extremely short notice as we knew that the job needed to be done in order for them to avoid any serious construction issues occurring and delaying the project further.
From the client’s drawing alone, we managed to complete 5000m of expansion cutting on a brand new concrete warehouse floor. Working from a drawing meant that we needed to precisely measure all of the required lines ourselves and mark these out using chalk to guide our cutting. The 1mm of allowance by the client meant that each line needed to be perfect, so we used chalk to mark where the required cuts needed to go.
However, when floor sawing, it’s essential to use water as a coolant to avoid excessive amounts of dust, friction and heat that can impact the safety of the machine and its operator. We sprayed a heavy-duty clear gloss over the chalk to allow for the usage of water without washing away the markings which were key for the accuracy of the project.
Whilst using concrete as a construction material has numerous benefits, unfortunately, unwanted cracks can occur due to weather conditions, shifting of the base material and a variety of other factors. Any sort of cracked concrete isn’t ideal, but it’s particularly important to prevent cracks from occurring in places that are pivotal to the structural integrity of a building. The way to avoid these unwanted, harmful cracks is through expansion cutting, which is what our client required in this instance.
Our client was desperate to avoid their concrete cracking where possible, and this proved to be quite a time-sensitive job due to the relatively small window in which it’s best for relief cuts to be made. Ideally, the expansion cuts need to be made when the concrete is sufficiently durable to withstand the cutting, but prior to any internal cracking starting. This can be checked by creating trial cuts and checking for any ravelling, which occurs when cuts are made too early. Ravelling can affect both the blade and the concrete, so these trial cuts are an essential part of the process.
With the previous cutting company they’d hired letting them down, it’s understandable that the client was keen to get this urgent job completed in a timely manner, which we managed to achieve.
After completing the expansion cuts, we cleaned all of the slurry and debris into the correct waste skips to leave the area nice and tidy ready for the next phase of construction. The client was pleased with our work, and we were happy to have helped them avoid any major construction issues or delays to their project.
