All construction projects will require saw cutting and coring. The risk involved with these activities can vary depending on the location, phase in the project and scope of the actual work. This article will walk you through some of the best practices for saw cutting and coring in construction that we\u2019ve picked up.<\/p>\n
As a formality let\u2019s first get you up to speed on the different teriminology that we\u2019ll be referencing throughout this article.<\/p>\n
Sawcutting<\/strong> – is the act of removing structure or material by way of a mobile saw system.<\/p>\n Coring<\/strong> – the act of drilling out a hole or section of a slab in the structure or building. Holes are typically round in nature.<\/p>\n X-Raying<\/strong> – the use of an X-Ray machine in order to scan underlying or materials within a wall or slab.<\/p>\n Scanning<\/strong> – the act of using a scanner to identify materials inside or underneath of a wall or slab. Sometimes done with GPR.<\/p>\n There are a number of best practices to follow when preparing for the work.<\/p>\n The first step you need to take is identifying what exactly is the new opening going to be required for. If the opening is for a duct and is large, you will need to saw cut. If the opening is for a smaller penetration such as conduit or piping coring may be the best approach.<\/p>\n Once you have the scope of work defined you need to determine the location. When reviewing the location make sure to review it on site and on the drawings. Look for some of the following issues or concerns:<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve identified what the work is, it\u2019s time to get a professional engaged. You\u2019ll be able to find local saw cutting and coring contractors in your yellow pages or online (consider checking out our business directory<\/a>). At this point we\u2019d recommend bringing someone out to do an initial review of the site conditions and prepare a quotation for your work.<\/p>\n Your contractor that you engage will likely have the recommendation to scan or X-Ray. We\u2019d recommend doing one or the other but both are very site specific. In general scanning is the \u201clighter\u201d option of the two. Often times it won\u2019t be able to pick up everything in a slab or structure.<\/p>\n If X-Raying is required there are a number of precautions you should be aware of. X-Raying requires the use of an x-ray machine and the waves it emits can be detrimental to people\u2019s health. In Ontario best practice is to clear the area from people within a 100\u2019 sphere surrounding the work. As you can guess this can be quite challenging to do if there is alot of work ongoing nearby so planning this work out well in advance is important.<\/p>\n With either option you need to have this completed before the work commences in order to ensure the work is being performed safely.<\/p>\n Once you have a proper plan it\u2019s time to commence the actual work, below are a few rules for you to follow on the day of the cutting.<\/p>\nPreparing For The Coring and Saw Cutting<\/h2>\n
Identify The Work<\/h4>\n
Determine The Location<\/h4>\n
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Engage a Sawcutting and Coring Contractor<\/h4>\n
Scanning or X-Raying<\/h4>\n
Completing the Sawcutting and Coring Work<\/h2>\n
Rule 1 – Have a Pre-Job Orientation and Safety Meeting<\/h4>\n