Concrete cracks are a natural part of handling concrete, but they can be a nightmare for contractors.  Fortunately there are ways to get ahead of the cracks and reduce the potential for unsightly cracks.  Predetermining the location of intentional cracks, or control joints is the best method to ensure the crack is managed and aesthetically pleasing for the project owner.  It is crucial that these control joints are placed before the concrete is fully hardened.  While a contractor may saw through hardened concrete, cutting a straight line may prove difficult, and as time passes, unintentional cracks may also form.  Many contractors choose to cut control joints within the first six to eighteen hours, but early entry saws allow contractors to get an early jump on control joint cutting as these saws allow the cuts to occur just a couple of hours after the concrete has been placed.

Early Entry Saw Cutting

Early entry saws are a game changer in the concrete industry, and U.S. SAWS is a leader in the industry.  The U.S. SAWS SRX-2000 Early Entry Saw is a top choice for cutting control joints in freshly placed concrete.  After letting the concrete cure for a few hours, use this saw to place predetermined control joints to ensure the inevitable concrete cracking is under control and precisely where you want it to occur.   Once the control joint is cut, the crack will follow along that line.  One great feature provided by U.S. SAWS for their early entry saws is a skid plate.  The skid plate attaches to the saw and helps produce a smooth, straight, clean cut without any spalling.  The SRX-2000 is equipped with upcut blade rotation.  This rotation pushes the debris out of the joint a it cuts.  In order to ensure the saw does not leave any marks on the green concrete, this saw has 4-inch wide polyurethane wheels.  Easily transportable and quickly stored, this saw is a great addition to every concrete contractor’s warehouse.

Dry Cut with the Right Early Entry Saw Vacuum System

While the goal with early entry saws is to cut the control joints while the concrete is still “fresh,” sometimes the concrete has dried more than expected.  When dry concrete is cut with a saw, debris is expelled in the form of silica particulates.  These particulates are not only time consuming to clean up after dry cutting, they also, when inhaled, may cause grave damage to the lungs of anyone who has inhaled the debris.   Keeping the debris from dry cutting under control and protecting workers handling the saws is a crucial final touch in cutting control joints.  Thankfully the U.S. SAWS has developed the Ultra Vac 1250-G, a heavy duty vacuum that works well with early entry saws to ensure all of the dust and debris created by the dry cutting of concrete control joints is collected before it can cause any messes or health problems for the saw users.  This vacuum will attach to early entry saws near the blade guard for efficient collection of debris.  It is even equipped with wide tires to reduce any marks on the fresh concrete and has front and rear handles for easy stowing.

Control joints are a necessary component of concrete work and U.S. SAWS is an industry leader in providing all of your concrete finishing needs. Contact U.S. SAWS today to add an early entry saw to your workspace and to not only ensure you have the right vacuum system for your saw, but that it is also OSHA certified.