50 Cool Things You Could Have Seen at the World of Concrete

1 of 50

There were plenty of
rotary hammers at the DeWalt booth. This is probably a quarter of them; there are some bigger ones on the other side.

This unusual grinder-based tool—the Engrave-A-Crete
Spiider—is used to cut decorative patterns in concrete. Save your pennies, though, it goes for about $1,500.

Wanna break some concrete? Well, Hilti says
have at it.

There was no need to worry about running out of material to drill, break, or grind; the organizers and exhibitors kept plenty of extra on hand.

Here are two of the smaller
GloBug balloon lights from Multiquip. An integral fan keeps the fabric diffuser inflated and away from the bulb in metal halide models. There are also some LED models. GloBugs can be used for road construction, mining, disaster relief, and wherever highly portable lights are required. These things are incredibly bright; the Multiquip booth was in a part of the convention center that is normally dim. Not this time.

Makita unveiled their
dual battery 7 ¼-inch circular saw at the STAFDA show but no one could touch it because it was a prototype and was being kept under glass. Not so the World of Concrete; the company brought production models and anyone who wanted could try them out.

I own one of these—not Blaklader's work kilt, their
Two Fisted Fleece Jacket. I like it because it's warm and has plenty of pockets: a chest pocket, phone pocket, side pockets, and a pocket on back for gloves or a hat. The ends of the sleeves have thumb loops which allow you to keep your hands a bit warmer without wearing gloves; if you loop your thumb through only your thumb and fingers will project from the sleeve.

This odd looking contraption is an
Oztec Concrete Ceiling Grinder. I talked to a guy at the booth and he said it is used to remove the ridge that is left at the joint between forms. This thing is basically a grinder head connected to a big motor by a monstrous flexible shaft. The head is attached to a spring-loaded arm that holds it against the ceiling. This particular setup costs something like $3,800.

Oops, those coins are actually concrete—stained to look like gold. Oh well, the slot machine and the guy who is playing it are concrete too.

We can give you a big blade, a gigantic blade, or anything in between.

The ErgoMek Drill Boss is designed for the contractor who needs to drill a LOT of holes. Instead of holding the rotary hammer by hand, you mount it in the gizmo and then turn the crank.
Click here for more info and to see it in action.

The paint job on this concrete pumping truck is just beautiful. I was looking at it with a friend and he turned to me and said, “I’d sure hate to be the guy driving it when it gets its first scratch”.

To show how tough their
JobClock is, the folks at ExakTime put the product in water and then froze it into a block of ice. Little did they know that the winter of 2014 would do much the same on construction sites across the eastern half of the country.

ICS chainsaws won't cut wood; but they will cut concrete. And as far as I'm concerned, that's far more impressive.

Tradesmen work on their hang time at the Blaklader booth. Hang from the company’s work pants long enough and you might win a power tool…

If you don’t win a power tool Blaklader gives you one of these tasteful t-shirts.

No, I won’t need to borrow your rotary hammer; this one can handle it.

I can think of any number of times it would have been useful to have a
rubber track carrier to haul things where a truck or telehandler couldn't go.

Here's IQ Power Tools solution to the problem of dealing with dust while cutting concrete—a saw that collects it. The issue goes beyond mere convenience; if the proposed OSHA crystalline silica rule goes through you'll be cutting wet or doing something like this (
PC912 Power Cutter) when you cut concrete in the future.

It’s amazing what skilled concrete artists can do. For a second there I thought that dude on the left was going to fall in.

This is the storage area behind the Hilti booth. Most of the cases are empty; the tools are out front where people can look at them and try them out.

Two Bosch wormdrives. The one in back is an earlier model (1677M) while the one in the front is their newest (
CSW41). Both greatly resemble Skil models, which should come as no surprise because Skil is owned by Bosch.

Telehandlers in the parking lot just in front of the central hall of the convention center.

They set up an entire White Cap store—fully stocked—inside the convention center. It was very impressive.

The folks at Bosch demonstrated their new self-cleaning dust extractor with a variety of concrete tools. For more on this see "
New Bosch Dust Extractors".

Here's a cut-away of a breaker Hilti introduced last year (
TE 1500-AVR).

My friend Scott tries his hand at the excavator simulator at the John Deere booth. The company makes these for several machines because it's cheaper and easier to train on simulators than on the real thing.
Click here for video.

Stertil Koni's heavy
duty lift system can lift and amazing amount of weight. The units under this truck are battery powered and each can lift 22,000 pounds. I watched the thing go up and down a couple of times and lifting a concrete truck was no strain at all. Jay Leno has something like this in his garage (or maybe it should be "in one of his garages").
Click here to see it in action.

I’ve been to the World of Concrete several times and yet I’m always amazed by the way they manage to bring pump trucks into the convention hall and extend their booms around posts and other obstructions.

Bosch breakers and rotary hammers during a rare moment of rest at the show. Most of the time someone was hammering or drilling away with them on the concrete wall behind.

Husqvarna paving cutters—I just like the way they look when they’re all lined up like this.

More dyed and stained concrete from the show. Wish I’d been able to spend more time in the decorative concrete area because there was some pretty cool stuff there.

In spite of the teeth, this is not a dragon; it’s a hydraulic pulverizer used to demolish concrete.

You're looking at the
IQ360, a 14-inch dust collecting masonry saw.
Click here to see it in action at last year's show.

A Makita product manager uses a cut-away of the company's
HR4013C to show how the vibration dampening system works.

This is the
Brokk 60, a remote controlled demolition machine that beats the heck out of using a hand-held breaker.

Another cut-away—this one is a Hilti TE 3000-AVT. Who doesn’t like to see the guts of a tool?

Here’s a view of the main outdoor lot from half-way up the escalator to the monorail that runs from just north of the convention center all the way down to the MGM Grand.

This was from the decorative concrete area. I never would have guessed the plasterers and cement masons union (
OPCMIA) was that old.

Most of the tools and displays at the World of Concrete arrive in crates and trailers--which are stored in outdoor lots during the show. There are more of them than you can imagine and they cover acres and acres of ground. These are just a small portion of the crates and trailers stored in one area of the convention center grounds. The only way to see more crates than there are at WOC is to watch the end of Citizen Kane or Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The big monitor makes this look like a jobsite entertainment system, but it's actually Knaack's
DataVault Mobile Digital Plan Station. It's a secure lockable field station that includes a 40-inch monitor, color printer, backup power supply, 4 port USB hub, 2 port USB switch, and a
Power Crew power supply.

Who wouldn’t want a big gold engine? I believe this is from John Deere and I have no idea what kind of machine it goes into.

More cool dyed and stained concrete—seems like a fit for the floor of a sci-fi and fantasy bookstore but I’m not sure I’d want to look at this every day on my patio.

Big road paving machines—they look expensive but I haven’t the foggiest notion of what any of them do.

A ride-on power trowel—as these things go this one is pretty small. I'll have to make a point of riding one at next year's show.
Click here for video of a power-trowel obstacle course race.

A
Mongoose concrete engraver attached to a circle jig.

You made it to the 50th slide, which can only mean one thing—you're a candidate to attend
The World of Concrete. It's tools, machines, and Vegas—what more could you want?

Big—as in, REALLY BIG tools.

David Frane_ToTT

There were plenty of rotary hammers at the DeWalt booth. This i… There were plenty of rotary hammers at the DeWalt booth. This is probably a quarter of them; there are some bigger ones on the other side.

David Frane_ToTT

… This unusual grinder-based tool—the Engrave-A-Crete Spiider—is used to cut decorative patterns in concrete. Save your pennies, though, it goes for about $1,500.

David Frane_ToTT

Wanna break some concrete? Well, Hilti says have at it.

David Frane_ToTT

There was no need to worry about running out of material to dril… There was no need to worry about running out of material to drill, break, or grind; the organizers and exhibitors kept plenty of extra on hand.

David Frane_ToTT

Here are two of the smaller GloBug balloon lights from Multiqui… Here are two of the smaller GloBug balloon lights from Multiquip. An integral fan keeps the fabric diffuser inflated and away from the bulb in metal halide models. There are also some LED models. GloBugs can be used for road construction, mining, disaster relief, and wherever highly portable lights are required. These things are incredibly bright; the Multiquip booth was in a part of the convention center that is normally dim. Not this time.

David Frane_ToTT

Makita unveiled their dual battery 7 ¼-inch circular saw at th… Makita unveiled their dual battery 7 ¼-inch circular saw at the STAFDA show but no one could touch it because it was a prototype and was being kept under glass. Not so the World of Concrete; the company brought production models and anyone who wanted could try them out.

David Frane_ToTT

I own one of these—not Blaklader's work kilt, their Two Fiste… I own one of these—not Blaklader's work kilt, their Two Fisted Fleece Jacket. I like it because it's warm and has plenty of pockets: a chest pocket, phone pocket, side pockets, and a pocket on back for gloves or a hat. The ends of the sleeves have thumb loops which allow you to keep your hands a bit warmer without wearing gloves; if you loop your thumb through only your thumb and fingers will project from the sleeve.

David Frane_ToTT

This odd looking contraption is an Oztec Concrete Ceiling Grind… This odd looking contraption is an Oztec Concrete Ceiling Grinder. I talked to a guy at the booth and he said it is used to remove the ridge that is left at the joint between forms. This thing is basically a grinder head connected to a big motor by a monstrous flexible shaft. The head is attached to a spring-loaded arm that holds it against the ceiling. This particular setup costs something like $3,800.

David Frane_ToTT

Vegas baby!

David Frane_ToTT

Oops, those coins are actually concrete—stained to look like g… Oops, those coins are actually concrete—stained to look like gold. Oh well, the slot machine and the guy who is playing it are concrete too.

David Frane_ToTT

We can give you a big blade, a gigantic blade, or anything in be… We can give you a big blade, a gigantic blade, or anything in between.

David Frane_ToTT

The ErgoMek Drill Boss is designed for the contractor who needs … The ErgoMek Drill Boss is designed for the contractor who needs to drill a LOT of holes. Instead of holding the rotary hammer by hand, you mount it in the gizmo and then turn the crank. Click here for more info and to see it in action.

David Frane_ToTT

The paint job on this concrete pumping truck is just beautiful. … The paint job on this concrete pumping truck is just beautiful. I was looking at it with a friend and he turned to me and said, “I’d sure hate to be the guy driving it when it gets its first scratch”.

David Frane_ToTT

To show how tough their JobClock is, the folks at ExakTime put … To show how tough their JobClock is, the folks at ExakTime put the product in water and then froze it into a block of ice. Little did they know that the winter of 2014 would do much the same on construction sites across the eastern half of the country.

David Frane_ToTT

ICS chainsaws won't cut wood; but they will cut concrete. And as… ICS chainsaws won't cut wood; but they will cut concrete. And as far as I'm concerned, that's far more impressive.

David Frane_ToTT

Tradesmen work on their hang time at the Blaklader booth. Hang f… Tradesmen work on their hang time at the Blaklader booth. Hang from the company’s work pants long enough and you might win a power tool…

David Frane_ToTT

If you don’t win a power tool Blaklader gives you one of these… If you don’t win a power tool Blaklader gives you one of these tasteful t-shirts.

David Frane_ToTT

No, I won’t need to borrow your rotary hammer; this one can ha… No, I won’t need to borrow your rotary hammer; this one can handle it.

David Frane_ToTT

I can think of any number of times it would have been useful to … I can think of any number of times it would have been useful to have a rubber track carrier to haul things where a truck or telehandler couldn't go.

David Frane_ToTT

Here's IQ Power Tools solution to the problem of dealing with du… Here's IQ Power Tools solution to the problem of dealing with dust while cutting concrete—a saw that collects it. The issue goes beyond mere convenience; if the proposed OSHA crystalline silica rule goes through you'll be cutting wet or doing something like this ( PC912 Power Cutter) when you cut concrete in the future.

David Frane_ToTT

It’s amazing what skilled concrete artists can do. For a secon… It’s amazing what skilled concrete artists can do. For a second there I thought that dude on the left was going to fall in.

David Frane_ToTT

This is the storage area behind the Hilti booth. Most of the cas… This is the storage area behind the Hilti booth. Most of the cases are empty; the tools are out front where people can look at them and try them out.

David Frane_ToTT

Two Bosch wormdrives. The one in back is an earlier model (1677M… Two Bosch wormdrives. The one in back is an earlier model (1677M) while the one in the front is their newest ( CSW41). Both greatly resemble Skil models, which should come as no surprise because Skil is owned by Bosch.

David Frane_ToTT

Telehandlers in the parking lot just in front of the central hal… Telehandlers in the parking lot just in front of the central hall of the convention center.

David Frane_ToTT

They set up an entire White Cap store—fully stocked—inside t… They set up an entire White Cap store—fully stocked—inside the convention center. It was very impressive.

David Frane_ToTT

The folks at Bosch demonstrated their new self-cleaning dust ext… The folks at Bosch demonstrated their new self-cleaning dust extractor with a variety of concrete tools. For more on this see " New Bosch Dust Extractors".

David Frane_ToTT

Here's a cut-away of a breaker Hilti introduced last year ( TE 1… Here's a cut-away of a breaker Hilti introduced last year ( TE 1500-AVR).

David Frane_ToTT

My friend Scott tries his hand at the excavator simulator at the… My friend Scott tries his hand at the excavator simulator at the John Deere booth. The company makes these for several machines because it's cheaper and easier to train on simulators than on the real thing. Click here for video.

David Frane_ToTT

Stertil Koni's heavy duty lift system can lift and amazing amou… Stertil Koni's heavy duty lift system can lift and amazing amount of weight. The units under this truck are battery powered and each can lift 22,000 pounds. I watched the thing go up and down a couple of times and lifting a concrete truck was no strain at all. Jay Leno has something like this in his garage (or maybe it should be "in one of his garages"). Click here to see it in action.

David Frane_ToTT

I’ve been to the World of Concrete several times and yet I’m… I’ve been to the World of Concrete several times and yet I’m always amazed by the way they manage to bring pump trucks into the convention hall and extend their booms around posts and other obstructions.

David Frane_ToTT

Bosch breakers and rotary hammers during a rare moment of rest a… Bosch breakers and rotary hammers during a rare moment of rest at the show. Most of the time someone was hammering or drilling away with them on the concrete wall behind.

David Frane_ToTT

Husqvarna paving cutters—I just like the way they look when th… Husqvarna paving cutters—I just like the way they look when they’re all lined up like this.

David Frane_ToTT

More dyed and stained concrete from the show. Wish I’d been ab… More dyed and stained concrete from the show. Wish I’d been able to spend more time in the decorative concrete area because there was some pretty cool stuff there.

David Frane_ToTT

In spite of the teeth, this is not a dragon; it’s a hydraulic … In spite of the teeth, this is not a dragon; it’s a hydraulic pulverizer used to demolish concrete.

David Frane_ToTT

You're looking at the IQ360, a 14-inch dust collecting masonry … You're looking at the IQ360, a 14-inch dust collecting masonry saw. Click here to see it in action at last year's show.

David Frane_ToTT

A Makita product manager uses a cut-away of the company's HR401… A Makita product manager uses a cut-away of the company's HR4013C to show how the vibration dampening system works.

David Frane_ToTT

This is the Brokk 60, a remote controlled demolition machine th… This is the Brokk 60, a remote controlled demolition machine that beats the heck out of using a hand-held breaker.

David Frane_ToTT

Another cut-away—this one is a Hilti TE 3000-AVT. Who doesn’… Another cut-away—this one is a Hilti TE 3000-AVT. Who doesn’t like to see the guts of a tool?

David Frane_ToTT

Here’s a view of the main outdoor lot from half-way up the esc… Here’s a view of the main outdoor lot from half-way up the escalator to the monorail that runs from just north of the convention center all the way down to the MGM Grand.

David Frane_ToTT

This was from the decorative concrete area. I never would have g… This was from the decorative concrete area. I never would have guessed the plasterers and cement masons union ( OPCMIA) was that old.

David Frane_ToTT

Most of the tools and displays at the World of Concrete arrive i… Most of the tools and displays at the World of Concrete arrive in crates and trailers–which are stored in outdoor lots during the show. There are more of them than you can imagine and they cover acres and acres of ground. These are just a small portion of the crates and trailers stored in one area of the convention center grounds. The only way to see more crates than there are at WOC is to watch the end of Citizen Kane or Raiders of the Lost Ark.

David Frane_ToTT

The big monitor makes this look like a jobsite entertainment sys… The big monitor makes this look like a jobsite entertainment system, but it's actually Knaack's DataVault Mobile Digital Plan Station. It's a secure lockable field station that includes a 40-inch monitor, color printer, backup power supply, 4 port USB hub, 2 port USB switch, and a Power Crew power supply.

David Frane_ToTT

Who wouldn’t want a big gold engine? I believe this is from Jo… Who wouldn’t want a big gold engine? I believe this is from John Deere and I have no idea what kind of machine it goes into.

David Frane_ToTT

More cool dyed and stained concrete—seems like a fit for the f… More cool dyed and stained concrete—seems like a fit for the floor of a sci-fi and fantasy bookstore but I’m not sure I’d want to look at this every day on my patio.

David Frane_ToTT

Big road paving machines—they look expensive but I haven’t t… Big road paving machines—they look expensive but I haven’t the foggiest notion of what any of them do.

David Frane_ToTT

A ride-on power trowel—as these things go this one is pretty s… A ride-on power trowel—as these things go this one is pretty small. I'll have to make a point of riding one at next year's show. Click here for video of a power-trowel obstacle course race.

A Mongoose concrete engraver attached to a circle jig.

David Frane_ToTT

You made it to the 50th slide, which can only mean one thing—y… You made it to the 50th slide, which can only mean one thing—you're a candidate to attend The World of Concrete. It's tools, machines, and Vegas—what more could you want?

Held each year in Las Vegas, this event might just be the 8th Wonder of the World.

Unless you have been to the World of Concrete it’s hard to imagine the size and scope of the show. Everything—and I mean EVERYTHING—related to concrete (and of course, tools) is being demonstrated or on display. Wanna see the latest and greatest in decorative concrete techniques? There’s a parking lot filled with artisans dying, staining, and sculpting concrete. Like looking at big trucks and machines? Go inside and walk down aisles filled with bulldozers, road surfacing equipment, and concrete trucks, pumpers, and batch plants. Interested in regular old power tools? You can see those too and probably get to try them out.

If you are into tools and equipment you owe it to yourself to go to this show at least once in your life. Instead of describing what was there this year, I’ll show you pictures instead—of 50 cool things you could have seen at the World of Concrete.

About the Author

David Frane

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