Difference between sawing asphalt & sawing concrete
Is sawing asphalt similar to sawing concrete? This is a common question that's asked by many people who are interested in DIY projects related to construction, home improvement, renovation.
Did you know that cutting asphalt and concrete have different processes? This article talks about the differences in method and handling. Learn more!
Electrical Equipment
Asphalt is the material used in the making of pavements and roads. This material is sometimes cut or removed for various reasons such as repair or excavation.
Similarly, concrete is another construction material that may be cut or sawed for various reasons such as to create joints in concrete slabs and blocks as well as splitting huge concrete blocks into different segments.
However, sawing through these two materials is not the same and there are some significant differences in how you should go about it.
Sawing Asphalt
Sawing Asphalt
Sawing asphalt is different from sawing other materials such as granite, marble or concrete.
This is because asphalt is not as sturdy as many of the above-listed construction materials.
Asphalt is considerably softer, which means you cannot use the same blades you use to cut concrete to cut through asphalt.
In order to successfully cut through asphalt, you'll need to have the right equipment.
Some people may assume that a simple jackhammer will do the job, but this is not the case as such crude tools can ruin huge sections of asphalt that were not intended for cutting.
To saw asphalt, you'll need to have an asphalt cutting blade in order to get the job done right.
An asphalt cutting blade must have a hard bond. Any blade with a soft bond does not qualify to be an asphalt cutting blade.
A typical asphalt saw should have a hard bond diamond cutting blade that is adequately exposed for best results.
You can choose between dry and wet cutting blades depending on your specific needs and weather conditions.
However, wet blades tend to have harder bond than dry blades.
Also, wet blades need lubrication or water during cutting in order to prevent excess friction and overheating.
In order to successful saw through asphalt, there are specific steps you'll need to follow.
First, you'll need to sweep the area of the road or pavement you wish to cut.
Sweeping clears away any dirt, rocks and debris that may interfere with the cutting. Next, you'll need to mark the asphalt accordingly using chalk.
With asphalt, you'll need to cut out the damaged sections using box-like shapes. You should make sure that you have very solid edges for best results.
The next step involves making the actual cuts. You should begin by setting the depth of the blade to match the thickness of the asphalt.
You can determine this thickness by going to the furthest edge of the pavement and digging to establish how deep it goes.
You can then proceed to make your cuts while being very careful not to turn the saw as this can damage your saw.
Sawing Concrete
Sawing Concrete
When it comes to concrete, sawing is done a little bit different as there are numerous considerations that need to be made.
First and foremost, you'll need to establish what type of concrete you intend to saw.
Different types of concrete require different methods and equipment for sawing.
Choosing the wrong methods or equipment can lead to undesirable results which can be quite costly and time-consuming.
Also, when cutting concrete, you'll need to take into consideration the prevailing weather conditions.
Weather affects the rate at which concrete dries. Concrete is typically cut or sawed hours after it has been poured.
Concrete can only be cut when it's sufficiently dry but not too dry.
As you can already tell, sawing concrete involves more planning and preparation than sawing asphalt.
Another major difference between asphalt and concrete sawing is the reason for cutting.
The main reason why people cut asphalt is to carry out repairs on roads and pavements.
On the other hand, the main reason why people saw concrete is to create joints that prevent cracking of the same due to expansion and contraction.
These two reasons are not related at all. Another major difference is how the actual cuts are done.
Concrete
In asphalt cutting, the cuts are made in box-like shapes around pot-holes and other damaged sections of a road or pavement.
On the other hand, in concrete cutting, the cuts are positioned and spaced according to where the joints are intended to be made.
The depth of the cuts can vary in concrete cutting depending on the desired effect while the depth of the cuts in asphalt cutting are constant and depend on the thickness of the blacktop surface.
Last but not least is the equipment used.
Different types of concrete cutting tools, saws and blades are used in sawing concrete slabs and blocks, while only one type is used in sawing asphalt (a wet or dry hard bond diamond cutting blade).
As you can tell, sawing asphalt is not the same as sawing concrete. Hopefully, this article has explained these differences so that you now understand the differences.
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Last update on 2023-11-01 at 11:38 using Amazon Product Advertising API
