International Construction previews next year's World of Concrete show

30 November 2009

The World of Concrete show takes place in February 2009.

Steve Skinner previews the event and looks at some of the products that will be launched.

Over 1500 exhibitors will cover an area of 90000 m² at the 36^th running of the World of Concrete show to be held over 1 to 5 February 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, US.

The show will feature several special product and action areas including a market place for materials and equipment, a stand-alone materials handling zone, a concrete repair and demolition area, a dedicated World of Masonry showcase and a specialist technology area.

Following interest in the green construction market, a ‘Greensite' exhibits area will be established in the Central Hall to show ecological build technologies and products along with interactive displays and video.

Also in the Central Hall, following its successful debut earlier this year, will be the ‘New Product' showcase, highlighting the industry's newest products and technologies.

Formwork

Peri will show a range of its latest innovations at World of Concrete including its Maximo panel formwork for walls. The joint and tie arrangement adopted with the Maximo system reduces the number of tie connections by -20%, therefore saving time and improving concrete finish.

Peri will also show its three-component Beamdeck aluminium beam slab formwork and its Variokit modular system for forming bridges and tunnels.

Italy's Faresin will exhibit its new aluminium Alugrix grid panels for slab formwork. The largest 1.5 x 1.1 m panel weighs just 20 kg, while the smallest of the five strong range measures just 750 x 375 mm and weighs 5.4 kg.

Doka will demonstrate its robust Framax Xlife framed formwork alongside its ergonomic Frami framed system that lifts easily on site without a crane. The Austrian manufacturer will also show its Staxo 100 load-bearing tower and a fully pre-assembled Dokamatic table.

Also on view at the show will be Doka's new box culvert formwork comprising rentable steel waling and telescopic spindles that can be sheeted with Framax Xlife, Frami and Top50 beam-formwork panels. Designed for box culverts of between 1.8 and 3.6 m in height and with a span of between 2.4 and 3.3 m, the new system features built-in temporary props to enable early stripping.

Gamco will demonstrate its Dropshore shoring system constructed form lightweight aluminium beams and post shores. The aluminium beams interlock for on-site versatility and the entire system can be stored and transported in stackable racks.

Gamco will also show its barrier forms based on an engineered rib frame that maximises strength while minimising weight to the extent that it can easily be handset by two people. Along with its formwork, Gamco will exhibit its reusable, adjustable joist hanger for the temporary hanging of joists to shore bridge decks, box culverts and other elevated concrete slabs.

Demolition

Husqvarna will launch its compact DXR 250 demolition robot, a smaller version of its existing DXR 310. The lightweight 1630 kg robot with a 4.8 m reach fixed arm is equipped with a 18.5 kW electric motor and is delivered with a multi-purpose dozer blade as standard.

The unit's remote control is mounted on a curved aluminium bar that the operator wears over the shoulder and features a 89 mm colour display with Bluetooth connectivity.

Aquajet will unveil its new generation Aqua Cutter HVD ISC hydrodemolition robot. The width of the new power head can be increased and the traverse can be extended to give an operating width of 4 m. The most significant advance with the new robot is the removal of all sensors and electric cables from the front of the machine using the company's intelligent sensing control (ISC).

The new generation machine also features a new oscillation system, an easy to set lance angle and an improved and extended equal distance system (EDS) lance control to keep the jet close to the demolition surface.

Hilti will debut its TE 1000-AVR breaker featuring low vibration and 21.7 Nm of energy from its 1600 W motor. An active cooling system reduces wear and a three chamber sealing helps to keep dust out of the tool .

The TE 1000-AVR is compatible with an array of Hilti chisels including its pointed, narrow, flat, tamping, spade and TE-SP self-sharpening models.

Manoeuvrability

Power Curbers will celebrate the 25^th anniversary of its 5700 series by unveiling an optional ‘Max package' for its 5700-C model. The package equips the machine with larger crawlers, all crawler steering and the facility to reposition the right post for pouring large variable barrier up to 2.4 m high as well as paving to a width of 3.65 m.

The crawlers on the 5700-C-Max are 305 mm longer, are heavier duty and feature four rollers for increased stability. New low-speed crawler torque hubs keep the machine pouring at a steady crawl when handling large offset moulds. Further options include dual side pouring and a manifold for additional vibrator circuits.

Case will launch its lightweight 650L crawler dozer at the show. The 55 kW tracked dozer has been designed for residential sites and confined work areas and features a compact design, isolation-mounted dual path hydrostatic drive and two undercarriage options in the shape of the company's sealed and lubricated Case Lubricated Track (CLT) or its Case Extended Life Track (CELT), featuring a large diameter hardened bushing.

The 650L's light weight makes it suitable for work in soft soil conditions, while its short track improves manoeuvrability and simplifies transportation. The optional cab is mounted in isolation from the main chassis to cushion against noise and vibration and an air suspension seat is available as an option.

Caterpillar will debut its 907H wheeled loader to join its existing 906H and 908H models. The 52 kW variant features a skid steer style coupler, an auxiliary hydraulic system, two speed hydrostatic drive, differential locks on both axles and a parallel-lift Z-bar loader linkage.

The 907H also features articulated steering for precise manoeuvrability and axle oscillation for traction in rough terrain. Available with a canopy, comfort cab or deluxe cab, the new model benefits from enhanced all round and work tool visibility.

Alongside the debut appearance of its new generation 3.2 tonne, 25 kW E32 conventional tail swing compact excavator, Bobcat will show its two newest grader attachments in the shape of its 2.4 and 2.7 m tools for large-frame loaders.

The new graders have been designed for use with the company's S250 and larger skid-steer loaders, the A300 all-wheel steer loader and the T250 and larger compact tracked loaders. The new attachments can be easily converted into laser graders through the mounting of receiver poles and laser receivers, which connect to the operating platform via CAN-bus.

To compliment the new attachments, two new laser transmitters from Trimble/Spectra Precision will also be on show. The GL412 single-slope model replaces Bobcat's current 1242 model, while a GL422 dual slop transmitter with a handheld CR600 receiver as standard, will be available as a simplified option over Bobcat's existing GL722, which will continue to be available as a deluxe option.

Ditch Witch will launch its RT80 fully hydrostatic trencher designed for operation in tight spaces. Featuring a compact design and narrow wheelbase in combination with a 62 kW turbocharged diesel engine the RT80, which replaces the company's RT75 model, has a top speed of 15.9 km/h and four torque/speed combinations.

The new trencher is fitted with cruise control as standard, an easy-to-read control panel and an operator seat that swivels through 90⁰ to enhance visibility. Rear steering is available as an option for a tighter turn radius and improved manoeuvrability.

Treatment

GMX will launch its environmentally friendly Ultra Shield single component fluid applied membrane designed for above grade vapour barrier and cavity wall spray applications. Curing to form a flexible, seamless barrier, the film provides exceptional elongation and water resistant capability over a wide variety of substrates including masonry block, concrete, stone and gypsum board.

Adastra Technologies will unveil its new portable UV curing products in the shape of its Circa 2000 UV floor curing machine and its Starlet 300 hand-held device. The Circa 2000 features omni-directional movement and is fitted with two 76 mm rotating lamps that spin under the machine, while the Starlet 300 weighs just 900 g and is ideal for countertops and for patch and crack repair.

This preview represents a brief glimpse of just some of the products that will be on show in Las Vegas. To see all that's new, visit the show from Tuesday 2 February.