24 August 2010
Undeterred by the ash-spewing volcano in Iceland, members of the International Association of Concrete Drillers and Sawers convened in the medieval city of Salzburg for their regular annual meeting. Hilti, Anzeve, Nestag, Husqvarna and Cedima sponsored the gathering, which took place against the backdrop of Tyrolean scenery. PDi’s Andrei Bushmarin reports.
2009 and early 2010 was a time of challenge for the industry. Hardly any company, be it contractor or supplier, contrived to escape the recession that engulfed the global economy. For some, it had truly tragic implications. Earlier in the year PDi reported the death of Yury Mokin, the chied executive officer of the Russian company Olvex. The concrete sawing community was also dismayed by the news that Horst Wapler, the inventor of the popular Diamond Award, went down with a severe illness. And stories of members’ misfortunes did not end there. Pat O’Brien, long-serving ex-president of IACDS was, too, absent from the meeting through a skiing accident.
Over the thorns to the stars
On a brighter side, IACDS, which currently counts nine national associations and 13 individual members, is soon expected to welcome two newcomers into its fold. Manufacturing companies EDT Eurodima and HTC Sweden AB have recently announced their intention to join the association. Adding to the positive sentiment, IACDS’s initiatives aimed to promote concrete sawing techniques to a wider audience have met with a resounding success. The delegates were unanimous that the IACDS seminar on the latest trends in concrete sawing was an experience worth repeating. The event, sponsored and conducted by Hilti, Tyrolit, Husqvarna, and Tractive at Bauma, attracted so much interest that the seminar room was bursting with people. Eight 20-minute speeches, delivered either in English or German, were simultaneously translated into the other language.
The speakers covered a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from floor grinding to remotely controlled underwater wire sawing. With the pilot project proving so successful, the delegates decided to carry on with it and scheduled the next workshop for 2013. As a matter of fact, 2013 promises to be an action-packed year for the association, with the Diamond Award, seminar and annual meeting coming in a quick succession. Prior to that, the internationally recognized Diamond Award will announce its winners at the World of Concrete show in 2011. If the competition itself receives nothing but praise from the concrete sawing community, the decision to stage 2011’s award ceremony in Las Vegas again causes certain controversy.
Some delegates voiced the concern that Europeans might balk at the prospect of flying transatlantic which would result in an under attended and lacklustre ceremony. They might have a point here, but the assembly ruled to uphold the Dublin resolutions, and to keep the WOC as 2011’s Diamond Award host.
The importance of being visible
“IACDS, as a beacon for the concrete sawing industry, should invest as much effort as possible into making itself visible” was the gist of the speech by PDi’s editor-in-chief Jan Hermansson. He suggested that Demcon, a Stockholm biennale show dedicated to demolition, recycling, concrete sawing and surface preparation, could become a suitable vehicle to further IACDS’s cause. First seeds of cooperation between the show organizers and the association were sown at the meeting, with the parties agreeing to present the IACDS seminar’s materials at Demcon in September 2010. In another move aimed at bolstering IACDS’s profile in the international arena, the delegates voted to strengthen ties with other professional unions, first and foremost with the European Demolition Association.
“Market…what market???”
It is a safe bet to say that most market reports were as identical as segments on a new diamond blade. In 2009, the concrete sawing business worldwide was down by 30 to 50% depending on the country, with faint signs of recovery being noticed in the first quarter of 2010. Things seem to have bottomed out almost everywhere, with Germany, Austria and Switzerland showing others the way into a more sustainable future. The only exception is Spain where the situation remains dire. When asked to comment on the Spanish market, Anzeve’s Antonio Zerolo reacted with gallows humour: “market… what market???” The national associations reported no major changes in their membership, which is probably a good thing, considering the scale and gravity of the current economic landslide.
Update, upgrade, and … crossbow shooting
Tolerances and limits for construction drilling and sawing guidelines, first published by IACDS in 2004 and revised in 2006 are to be updated again. The reason for the update is slack tolerances for which the guidelines are often criticized. The delegates resolved that IACDS’s other essential release of basic parameters for concrete drilling and sawing equipment did not require a review, but a tighter control over their observance would be necessary. From now on, the association will issue an advisory letter to manufacturers, found to make substandard machinery. The long-standing issue of an IACDS website upgrade was floated this year again and with help from sponsors, the good intentions would be eventually translated into actions. The meeting finished with a feast of medieval proportions inside the walls of Festung Hohensalzburg Fortress, with Peter White presiding over the grand table, and his loyal subjects chanting “Long Live IACDS!” and
indulging themselves in horseshoe pitching and crossbow shooting. The medieval tradition will be continued in the Flemish capital of Bruges, which was chosen as a venue for the next IACDS meeting in early May 2011.
www.iacds.org
IACDS Diamond Award 2011
The International Association of Concrete Drillers & Sawers has announced the 2011 Diamond Award for outstanding performance on jobs using diamond sawing and drilling tools. Entries should be submitted of innovative jobs in the field of concrete drilling and sawing. Information can be found on the IACDS website; select Diamond Award, download the Flyer and the file containing additional information and a template. The direct link to the 2011 Award page is: www.iacds.org/diamond_award_2011. Entries in English must be received no later than 15 October 2010.
The three best entries will be awarded during a press conference at World of Concrete in Las Vegas, 17 21 January 2011. The date of the ceremony will be announced later. Each winner will be given a free flight to Las Vegas and accommodation for two people.
(as published in PDi magazine Volume 10 • No. 3 June – August 2010)
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