According to organiser, Informa Markets, World of Concrete 2024 continued its post pandemic resurgence by attracting nearly 60,000 registered professionals, a 23% increase from 2023. More than 1,400 companies, nearly a third of which are based overseas, occupied more than 65,000m2 of indoor and outdoor space, maintaining World of Concrete’s standing as Las Vegas’s second largest annual trade show and is now a staple of the construction industry’s wintertime trade show circuit. Here are some of the highlights of what turned out to be a great show.

Batteries, batteries, batteries

Appropriately in step with figurate trend of ‘cutting the cord’ from cable TV in favour of internet streaming services, tool manufacturers are providing more ways for contractors to work untethered from electric feed lines. DeWalt and Milwaukee Tool offered a variety of products based on new, longer lasting battery platforms, while Bosch touted the success of its 30 member ‘AMPshare’ multi brand 18V battery alliance. The latter facilitates interoperability between tools and brands, including Bosch’s ‘Core’ platform. 

Bosch also announced that 2024 would see more than 30 new products brought to market, the majority of which are set for release in the second half of the year. Some of the recent innovations were on display at its expansive outdoor booth, including the GSB18V-800C impact hammer drill/driver and GSR18V-800FC drill/driver. There was also the GBH18V-28CN rotary with a self-contained dust collector, and the 12V GWG12V-20S right angle die grinder with a new user interface and variable speed trigger.

Husqvarna displayed a number of battery powered offerings, including the 4.17kg K540i, which also can cut up to 100mm deep with blades up to 267mm in diameter, and the 2.4kW DM 1 core drill which sees the stand mounted machine uses bits of up to 400mm. Stihl debuted its new TSA 300 battery power cut off saw, with a 305mm wheel that can cut slabs up to 100mm thick. Compatible with the company’s ‘AP’ battery platform, the TSA 300 features a low noise wheel, a magnetic filter that protects the motor from fine metal dust particles, and a manoeuvrability enhancing magnesium cutting wheel guard.

Also on display at the Stihl booth were two of several conventional power concrete saws introduced at World of Concrete. The gas fuelled TS 710i and TS 910i ‘Cutquik’ models, both scheduled for full release later this year, feature electronic fuel injection, anti-vibration technology, and the ‘X2’ air filtration system that reduces maintenance related downtime. The TS 710i, a replacement for Stihl’s TS 700, is used with a 355.6mm cutting wheel, allowing for maximum depth of cut of up to 124.5mm. The TS 910i, which Stihl says will be the largest gas power cut off saw on the market, is designed for 406mm blades and has a maximum depth cut of 145mm.

For bigger cutting jobs, ICS/Merit displayed its new 42.5kW M500 gas powered concrete cutting flat saw that features a four speed gear box, a parking brake for slopes up to 15 degrees, and a larger fan/cooling system. In a departure from the ‘more is better’ technology, ICS/Merit says the M500 features more manual systems, thereby reducing the complexity sometimes associated with electronics heavy equipment.

Elsewhere in the saw spectrum was the MC 800 joint hog saw from US Saws. The propane powered milling machine can remove concrete sections up to 101.6mm wide and 44.5mm deep to repair spalled joints using 203.2mm blades. With a cutting speed of up to 762mm/min, the saw may also be used for grooving, cutting inlays, and preparing floors for permanent line striping. Several grinders were also on display led by the debut of Superabrasive’s new 783mm and 510mm models, both available in propane and electric models. 

The wheel deal

Celebrating its own 50th anniversary, Kubota came to World of Concrete with its new KX080-5 compact excavator, a 50kW machine with a digging depth of approximately 4.6m and a maximum dumping height of just over 5.2m.  A two pump load sensing hydraulic system support a variety of attachments. 

Illustrating what the company says is its move from simply being an ‘equipment provider’, Kubota also displayed its new ‘RTV’ X1130 diesel utility vehicle with a 1.8m long bed configuration. Built at Kubota’s Gainesville, Ga., manufacturing plant, the truck features a 7m3 storage bed that is easily accessed from three sides. Similarly, the company’s new ‘RTV-X’ utility vehicle represents another advancement in this product line, with a three cylinder 18.5kW diesel engine that produces 70Nm of torque.

Several Chinese equipment manufacturers brought micro sized products to World of Concrete. They included Kingstone’s 10.3kW XN12-9 diesel crawler excavator with a 1,580mm digging depth, and BDI Equipment’s BDSW-65 diesel skid steer loader with a nearly 952.5kg capacity. BDI also showed its  18.6kW BEX-3 mini skid steer with an 882kg loading capacity.

As reported elsewhere in this issue of PDi, Brokk introduced its new range of ‘SmartPower+’ robots, designed to last longer and increase operational uptime while also significantly reducing the number of cables and connectors. The ‘brains’ of the SmartPower+ range is a new ergonomically control box designed with tilted joysticks and easier to reach features, including an emergency button that shuts down the robot remotely.  

Demonstrating that there’s always room for competition in the remote control demolition sector, Husqvarna introduced its new half ton ‘DXR’ 95, the lightest and most compact of the company’s now model line. The DXR 95 provides 2.3kW of power and 250bar to the end of arm tool and can manage steep inclines of up to 30°.

As usual, the manufacturer Pentruder took the opportunity to show its wide and powerful range for concrete cutting. What particularly attracted the visitors’ interest was the company’s new Pentruder MDU3 core drilling system.

The well-known manufacturer of concrete cutters, Von Arx, which is now owned by Fredrik Åkermark, took the opportunity to show off its new and wide range of, among other things, dust extractors.

World of Concrete 2024 was more than ever an excellent opportunity to reconnect with old acquaintances within the industry. Some examples of companies in our industry were Hilti, Superabrasive, US Saws, Widecut, Dymatec, Lissmac, Diamond Products, Sonmac, Diteq, Antraquip, Ashine, Distar, Shibuya, Syntec, MB Crusher to mention a few.

Something new and different

World of Concrete 2024 saw a record 325 first time exhibitors, one of which was Ignite Attachments. Founded fewer than two years ago, the Moorhead, Minn., e-commerce company says it has already launched more than 100 products, with another 30 in the works, including aggregate and demolition buckets. Fluids, lubricants, and ground engaging wear parts will also be added to its product portfolio this year. Ignite introduced itself in a big way with its new three model line of nitrogen breakers designed for mini track loaders and skid steer loaders. The breakers range in weight from 228kg to 456kg, with the largest model delivering up to 1,110Nm of impact energy. The company states that its approach to customer service begins before the sale. A ‘Fit Finder’ tool on its website helps users match its breakers and other attachments to the customer’s carrier size. Each attachment is affixed with a QR code that connects users to the appropriate manuals electronically, with helpful ‘how to’ videos soon to be added. 

Australia based Makinex celebrated a couple of anniversaries at World of Concrete: it’s 20th overall and 15th in the US. Touting ‘simple innovations that just work’, the company has produced items ranging from a multi position jackhammer trolly for removing floor tiles and other coverings from concrete surfaces to the updated version of the ‘Portable Power Box’, which the company says provides 10kW of jobsite power for and 15kWh of battery storage. On the heavy lifting front, Grabo impressed many World of Concrete visitors with its line of portable vacuum lift tools. The company says its flagship ‘Pro-Lifter’ 20 (with a vacuum pump capacity of 20l/min) stays secure to loads up to 170kg. The company also offers an attachment that makes it easier for two workers to carry and place large, heavy materials.

A different kind of aggregate

There are any number of distinctive wedding venues at Las Vegas, but James and Patricia Estrada chose the Convention Center’s grand entrance at World of Concrete as the place to tie the knot. Elvis apparently couldn’t make it, but celebrity mobile minister Roland August filled in as officiant, while show attendees provided an impromptu congregation. According to a World of Concrete press release, James Estrada explained, “I’ve been married to concrete for 30 years, it was finally time I married Patricia. It felt like the right moment and right place to share the blessings my career has provided.” There’s no word whether the happy couple took home any new breakers or saws as wedding gifts, but World of Concrete did present James with a lifetime membership to commemorate his legacy with the show.

The Estradas’ wedding was actually the second World of Concrete related ceremony of the week, as a couple who met while working for an Australian construction firm made the most of their very long trip to Las Vegas by getting married the Sunday before the show opened.

So how will World of Concrete top all this when its 51st edition rolls around next January? Rest assured they’ll think of something. It is Las Vegas, after all.

www.worldofconcrete.com