If you have ever visited Chicago, chances are you have driven on I-90. It is a major thoroughfare through town and of course that means any road/bridge repairs, let alone restorations, require advanced planning, teamwork and the right equipment to keep everything on schedule. Currently a large stretch of I-90, from Chicago to Rockford, is undergoing a major renovation project entailing the removal of lanes to then be replaced by wider, concrete ones. Chicago Cut Concrete Cutting, http://chicagocutconcretecutting.com/ based in Schaumburg, Ill., is responsible for demo slab sawing the old concrete lanes, and then green sawing the new concrete.
Over 15 miles of roadway, including five bridges, needed to be demolished and green cut. With such a large project and tight deadlines Tiffany Phillips, President of Chicago Cut Concrete Cutting, knew her team had to not only rely on the efficiency of the equipment, but also how well the operator and equipment worked as a team. “From our inception, we’ve partnered with Husqvarna Construction Products because we wanted to use the best saws. Husqvarna’s products are efficient and when paired with our operators, we knew we would stay on track with this project,” said Phillips. For the removal of the old concrete lanes, Chicago Cut Concrete Cutting chose Husqvarna’s FS 8400 D, FS 6600 D and the new Tier 4 compliant FS 7000 D flat saws. These saws are known for high production rates and ergonomics that help keep operators doing what they do best—cutting 11-in. deep in rebar-loaded concrete. For green sawing, Husqvarna Soff-Cut 5000 Ultra Early Entry saws were used due to their ability to cut ultra early, while the concrete is still very green, which enabled the teams to stay on or ahead of schedule.
To meet Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) deadlines, Chicago Cut had to work around the clock, rain or shine. The heavy-duty, high-horsepower flat saws and Soff-Cut saws could handle the rough terrain. Chicago Cut’s Lead Project Manager, Angelo Salatino, constantly made sure everything was ready for the crews to perform without issues. Having everything needed available, along with the reliable, high-performance Husqvarna saws and operator know-how, Chicago Cut stayed on time with deadlines. Salatino himself kept morale going when the operators were tired.
If it was not for the collaboration between operator and saw, Chicago Cut would not be in line with deadlines on this project. “The key to any project is teamwork—between our team members and between our operators and their saws. Without each person—Craig Coleman, Travis Jaco, Chris Mann, Bill Petenes, Oscar Martinez, Ben Miller—and machine working together, we wouldn’t be as successful as we’ve become. We’ve gone from a small company to a major force in our market with Husqvarna’s equipment and help along the way and of course, thanks to our team. This is what makes our company great.”
