Concrete Coring Miami and South Florida Trust from Safe2Core Miami
The average construction site is riddled with hazards both seen and unseen. Rebar, post-tension cables, utility lines, and services such as plumbing, gas, electrical, and dedicated fiber optic cables and conduits are often impregnated into walls, floors, driveways, and sometimes even parking lots by incorporating them into the wet cement or hot asphalt at the pour or placement phase. This makes being able to properly locate, identify and avoid these obstructions during selective concrete sawing, coring, and drilling operations more important than ever before.
You probably already know Safe2Core Miami serves South Florida from Miami Beach to Pompano Beach FL and beyond with X-ray and GPR scanning of asphalt, brick, concrete, and other surfaces, using the latest technology to enable contractors and pavers to quickly and easily see what lies below or behind the surfaces they need to cut and core.
This technology is easy on a contractor budget and aids cutting and coring projects by increasing accuracy, efficiency, and safety while helping operators prevent damage to underground or in-wall utilities, support structures, electric conduit, and other hazards.
But did you know Safe2Core Miami also offers concrete coring, cutting, and drilling?
It’s true! Many contractors don’t have the specialized coring equipment they need to safely and precisely cut or core concrete, asphalt, and masonry when they need to pull in situ testing samples or to create new pathways for utilities, manholes to access sewer lines, and underground utility control vaults. This means they have to dip into their budget to rent this equipment or hire a third party to do the work for them. But if Safe2Core Miami is already onsite, why not let us do it for you?
Safe2Core’s skilled, trained, certified operators are adept at serving and assisting your crew with GPR scanning to locate, identify and avoid obstructions in the concrete matrix. We also have the capability to provide the actual coring work, including:
- cement coring
- chain sawing
- concrete cut operations
- concrete demolition
- concrete removal
- concrete sawing
- core drilling and in situ sampling
- excavation
- grinding
- hand sawing
- restoration
- slab sawing
- track sawing
- wall sawing
- wire sawing
- and more!
To learn more about how Safe2Core Miami can help your contractor in the 305, Brevard County, or the West Palm Beach area with your concrete coring, sawing, drilling, and coring needs, keep reading for our FAQs about concrete coring!
Frequently Asked Questions About Concrete Coring Miami Contractors Ask
Safe2Core makes coring, cutting, and sampling cured concrete, asphalt, and masonry easier and safer than ever before!
Question: Why would we need concrete coring services in Miami? –Miguel, Pompano Beach, FL
Answer: Depending on the type of project, there are all sorts of reasons concrete coring miami might be needed. For a residential patio slab on grade, you may not need it. Likewise, if you’re doing a much older residential home demolition, where there’s unlikely to be much if any foreign matter in the foundation.
But for just about any home or commercial space built within the last 30 years or so, having a specialized concrete cutting service who can identify and avoid obstructions within the foundation and walls is invaluable for CSI-style concrete sampling and forensic testing, drilling to set epoxy bolts, access damaged or compromised utility lines, or create raceways for conduits and piping.
Even more importantly, it can save your crew time, money and risk by ensuring you’ve got properly trained personnel doing the cutting, so you know it’s done right the first time, every time, with less worry about inadvertently damaging underlying structures and conduits while giving you the quick results you need!
Question: Do you need a license to core or drill concrete in Miami? –Ruth, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Answer: Yes. Any time you do concretecoring, drilling or cutting on a structural member of the area where cuts are needed, you need a licensed and certified contractor onsite working under the supervision of the general contractor and professional engineer for the project. This is to ensure compliance with applicable building codes and that the work is done properly and in the correct location. This applies to concrete, asphalt and masonry. For more info on this, click here to view the requirements for a Miami-Dade contractor license to saw and core concrete. Safe2Core Miami is properly certified, licensed, bonded and insured to take care of all your concrete coring, including the specialized saws and drills necessary to get the job done quickly, correctly, smoothly and safely!
Question: I’m trying to keep an eye on my budget and make sure my overhead stays low. What does Safe2Core Miami’s pricing include? –Merlyn, Ft. Myers, FL
Answer: Safe2Core’s pricing is based on the size of the job, the anticipated length of the site visit and any equipment we need to bring. A simple scan of a residential slab on grade will obviously take less time and equipment than scanning a 100,000sq.ft. warehouse building pad and drilling core samples at multiple locations. In addition, an electric or hydraulic hand saw may use different blades and have different wear and tear concerns than track saws or wire saws. To learn more about our pricing for your specific project, we invite you to contact our friendly sales and scheduling department so we can get the information we need to ensure you get the best possible price and value for your concrete cutting needs.
Question: Do we really need to have the concrete scanned and cut on a demo job, or can we just go in with a Bobcat and hog it out? –Billy, West Palm Beach, FL
Answer: Generally speaking, yes. A lot depends on what the demolition permit stipulates as required removal protocol for the specific type, size, and age of the structure in question. Your general contractor, civil engineer of record for the project and/or your project manager should all have this information, as well as the city or county building department. If you’re unsure, it’s always better to make sure you have a properly skilled, certified contractor in place than to find out the hard way that you needed one when a hidden obstacle becomes a major hazard or worse, leads to a fatality. For more information about specifics for your project, contact Safe2Core Miami today!
Question: Why does it matter if we have a core drill or specific concrete cutter? Aren’t they all the same? –Quinn, Miami Beach, FL
Answer: A core drill is a specially designed hollow drill that creates a nearly perfect round hole of a specified dimension. Concrete and masonry saws and drills are equipped with specially hardened bits. Many of these are made of carbide steel impregnated with industrial-grade diamonds, which helps them keep their shape and cutting capability longer under the temperatures and forces inflicted upon them with heavy use. In addition, unlike a conventional drill or saw which is cooled by air, core drills and masonry cutting equipment typically use water, which helps both to lubricate and cool the blade or bit as it bites down into the material. These are specifically designed to create smooth, clean cuts and not bind or warp in the material or deform the cores they extract, which is important for forensic testing purposes such as mix design compressive verification and conduit running.
All of this is the long way of saying no, all drills and cutters are not the same. If you try to use the wrong bit, blade, or tool for the job, you’re more likely to damage the equipment, the material, and possibly the person using it than you are to get the results you need. Safe2Core Miami has a wide range of masonry cutting saws, coring, and drilling bits, each one designed for maximum life and performance, and the trained, certified personnel to use them properly and safely. For concrete coring Miami can rely on, give us a call and let us take care of it for you!
Question: What are some common problems we could run into if we don’t core concrete the right way? –Florian, Brevard County, FL
Answer: The most common issue with cutting concrete incorrectly is breaking the equipment you’re using and/or injury to the person using it. This often happens because of trying to go too aggressively when cutting the material or using the wrong type of cutter for the application. Slightly less common, but still not unusual, is creating a cut that’s longer, shorter or angled in a way you didn’t intend, which can lead to patching problems later. Then of course there’s the risk of damaging structural members or utilities within or just under the matrix. If you nick a piece of rebar, this could be inconvenient. Hit a water line and you could have a really tedious repair and cleanup on your hands. Damage a fiber-optic line and you could knock out internet service to the entire structure. Strike a gas or electrical line and the results could literally be explosive—and deadly. And of course, if you’re submitting core samples for laboratory testing, a warped, twisted or improperly cut core may be unusable, meaning another one has to be cut, costing you extra time and money.
Question: Are there any special considerations we need to take into account before we make a concrete core? –Jack, Miami, FL
Answer: The first thing to consider is the age of the material you’re cutting. Concrete mix design technology has changed significantly in the last 30 years, never mind since the ancient Romans first started using it for pavers and other construction! The second question is what’s in the matrix, and how closely the as-built drawings adhere to the actual placement of rebar, utility, and other lines, or whether hidden obstructions and embeds are shown at all. Next, you need to know if you have the right equipment for the job and whether you have properly trained personnel available to use it. If all that sounds like a headache, Safe2Core Miami can make it simple with the latest GPR concrete scanning and cutting technology, as well as the training and know-how to do the job fast, easily, safely, and correctly!
Notable Places for Contractors to Visit in Miami-Dade, Florida
If you work in the construction industry in Miami-Dade, you’re probably going to get to know these places well. Safe2Core Miami is here to make your project easier by giving you a quick guide to some of the better-known departments you’ll need to visit at least once in a while. Be sure to read below for a couple of sights you may want to take in when you’re off the clock, too!
Miami City Hall
3500 Pan American Dr, Miami, FL 33133
They say you can’t fight City Hall, but there’s nothing to stop you from visiting! Miami’s City Hall is not only the nerve center for all government agencies in the area, but it’s also unique because it’s the old Pan American Airlines headquarters building. The campus takes up a whopping 10 acres!
Miami Building and Zoning Department
444 SW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33130
We didn’t include the website here because the City Hall link takes you to the Miami government website, from which you can access Building and Zoning. While it probably won’t ever make the top 10 list of Miami tourist attractions, it’s a must-see for contractors and builders!
Miami Permit Center
335 NE 69th St, Miami, FL 33138
When you need a permit, this is the place to be. The Miami Permit Center is a fairly standard government office, but the neighborhood it’s in has enough Florida charm to make the drive and the wait worthwhile!
West Miami Code Enforcement
901 SW 62nd Ave, West Miami, FL 33144
Code Enforcement isn’t an entity anyone wants to get a visit from, but it’s helpful to know where they’re located on the off chance you need to report something that isn’t quite right. Of course, you can also use the handy link and shoot them an email!
Fun Things to Do in Miami
The Art Deco Historic District is probably one of the most visually and culturally interesting parts of Miami. Take a walking tour and enjoy the architecture, browse in the shops or have a beer or a glass of wine in one of the many bistros in the area. While you’re there, be sure to treat yourself to an authentic Cuban sandwich! Go after dark to really see the place come alive.
If you want to take your family or that special someone out for a unique night on the town, the Olympia Theater Historic Performing Arts Center is a great place to catch a play, a concert or a live event. Decorated in Moorish style, the venue is just as entertaining and eye-catching as the performances. Be sure to check out their schedule for events and take in a show when you’re away from the job site!