Gas Cut-Off Saws
MultiPurpose Tools
Side Winder gas cut-off saws are designed for concrete and masonry cutting applications. They also can be used to cut through piping and ceramics, the maker says. Both models feature 12 and 14-in. blade capacities and are powered by EPA-approved two-cycle gasoline engines. Additional features include an infinitely adjustable blade guard, reversible cutting arm for close-in cutting and a sturdy roller bar assembly. Multiquip: 800/421-1244; www.multiquip.com

Paving Reconstruction Package
High-Drive Track
Manufacturer introduces a reconstruction package for the four-track new generation Commander III slipform paver. The package gives contractors another option to save time and money on jobsites, says the company. Features include a high-drive track designed specifically for reconstruction and half-width paving. It can be used for minimum clearance situations when adding lanes to ramps and highways or replacing streets in residential areas. The reconstruction package also is available with an additional standard-sized track to use when not in minimum-clearance situations. Gomaco Corp.; 712/364-3347; www.gomaco.com

Concrete Pump Addition
Special Boom Configuration
The latest addition to the manufacturer’s line of Multi-Z booms is the 38Z-Meter. This new truck-mounted concrete pump is in the 125-ft class and features an outrigger spread of 20 ft, 10 in. in the front, and 23 ft in the rear. The unit’s special Multi-Z boom configuration allows the four-section boom to maneuver in, over and around obstacles to efficiently place concrete in difficult-to-reach places. The design also helps deliver a fast and more efficient setup because the boom does not have to be completely unfolded to begin the pour. The operator can immediately place concrete. Putzmeister America; 262/886-3200; www.putzmeister.com

Telescopic Handler
Redesign
Model 842-D Reach is a completely redesigned telescopic handler designed for use in the framing, masonry, general construction and rental markets. With the Pro-Attach system, the unit can use standard carriage, buckets, truss jibs and other attachments. The 842-D offers 360Ê visibility when in the load carry position and an overall lowered height when compared to model 842-C. It also has a maximum reach of 28 ft, 3 in. and a 42-ft lift height. Power is provided by a 109-hp Perkins turbocharged engine and an optional 122-hp Perkins TW engine. Load Lifter Manufacturing; 888/265-5438; www.load-liftermfg.com

Vapor-Shield
Helps Reduce Moisture Emitting From Concrete Slabs
Dex-O-Tex Vapor-Shield is a polymer-modified trowel-applied compound designed for use under finished flooring. It dissipates vapor transmission and allows the installation of vinyl, wood or epoxy flooring on concrete slabs testing as high as 10.4 lb as measured by the Calcium Chloride Test Procedure in accordance to ASTM D 1869. Vapor-Shield contains no hydrocarbon solvents and meets all volatile organic substance regulations. Dex-O-Tex, a division of Crossfield Products Corp.; 310/886-9100; www.dexotex.com

Concrete Panel
Highly Retroreflective Stripe
Visi-Barrier is a high-visibility precast polymer concrete panel that is available for a variety of applications. These include median barriers; tunnel panels for use as bench wall, corrosion and impact protection; bridge parapets and rails. The panel features a high retroreflective safety strip that offers high visibility in all weather conditions, says the manufacturer. The continuous visi-strip is an integral part of each panel consisting of highly retroreflective glass beads placed in a wide vertical stripe. In addition, the panel has a bright, white surface and is resistant to salts, chlorides and corrosion. The Visi-Barrier panel is available in various standard safety shapes and can be custom designed and colored to fit a wide variety of sites. It also acts as a permanent, stay-in-place barrier form. Castek Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transpo Industries Inc.; 914/636-1000; www.transpo.com

High-Performance Pavement: RCC Roll-Out in Alabama By Tudor Hampton Roller-compacted concrete, a drier, denser mix than conventional concrete, is widely used in dam construction, but now is appearing on high-performance road surfaces that surround industrial and manufacturing plants. About 90,000 cu yd of RCC is being laid down at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama’s assembly facility in Lincoln, Ala. It is part of a 1.1-million sq-ft plant addition for a second Odyssey minivan line and engine assembly line. The new lines will double the plant’s capacity from 150,000 vehicles annually to 300,000. When the $425-million addition to Honda’s existing 1.7-million sq-ft assembly plant is completed in early 2004, RCC material will cover about 1 million sq yd across the 1,350-acre site. Major construction began last October. "This is a large RCC paving project" and may be one of the biggest in the U.S., says Will Gray, project manager for specialty paving contractor A.G. Peltz Group, Birmingham, Ala., an RCC specialist that also provided pavement consulting services to the plant’s design partners, BE&K Engineering Co., Birmingham, and Toronto-based Giffels. Less expensive than regular concrete, RCC is competitively priced against heavy-duty asphalt and is "an innovative approach" for the Honda site’s traffic loads, says Rich Moses, civil-structural-architectural manager for project program manager HHG, a joint venture of Birmingham-based Bill Harbert Construction, Atlanta-based Hanscomb Faithful & Gould and Greenville, S.C.-based Global Performance. According to Gray, RCC pavement costs 20% less than conventional concrete, or between $16 and $20 per sq yd. Contractors can apply the material with traditional asphalt paving equipment. Project team members believe the RCC pavement at the Honda plant is saving construction costs by allowing them to use a lower-profile 4-in. gravel base under the 7-in.-thick concrete surface. Moses also says the RCC "gave us the ability to pave quickly behind the graded and prepared areas."