If you’re a contractor who has decided to carry out your own core drilling, read the following first for some useful tips on getting started.

1. When required to perform concrete core strength tests, concrete
contractors have limited options in terms of core drilling. They
can either decide between drilling it themselves or hiring a testing
lab or concrete sawing and drilling company. Regardless of the
option you choose to follow, make sure you have a written core
test programme in place that ensures the best place in the slab or
wall that the cores will be extracted from. It should also help to
guide you on how the cores will be handled once they have been
removed from the concrete.
Concrete Core
Drilling Tips

2. Here are a number of tips that go a long way in helping
contractors who decide to do the drilling themselves.
Whether you want to rent or purchase a drill, there are a number
of considerations to make. You will need a hand held core drill if
the holes you are drilling are up to 3 inches in diameter. The
testing will require a core size diameter of 3.7 inches. This means
you have to use a rig mounted or drill stand unit.
When buying a unit, the best model to choose is the one that can
be easily used to perform other projects like electrical work, holes
for plumbing and drilling dowel holes. There are a number of sizes
to choose from, whether it is intermediary units, rig mount units
or hand held units. They can be used on both hand held or with a
drill stand.
Choosing a Drill

3. There are three power options when it comes to core drill
motors: those operated by electric, air and hydraulic; operated by
liquid. The power availability on the worksite will determine
which power option you go with. The option you choose should
also make financial sense so consider whether you need to incur
power and servicing costs and if it is to be used in more than one
location.
Power

4. You can use a vacuum stand if you are drilling core slabs with a
flat surface. The power suction means it can be attached to the
floor securely and doesn’t require any anchor holes. If you are
drilling the cores in a hole, you will need anchor holes to secure
the stand to the wall.
Always consider aggregate hardness and concrete psi when
choosing the best diamond core bit. The material you are drilling
will determine which diamond core bit needs to be used. For
harder materials, use softer diamond bond and harder diamond
bond for softer concrete.
Stand Attachment
Choosing a
Diamond Bit

5. Most of the concrete core testing samples can be easily drilled by
a one foot bit. If the core to be drilled is deeper than that, you can
use barrel bits. These are bit extensions that allow a person to
drill deeper than the cutting bit being used.
Depth
MegaSaw
Address: 12 / 433-435 Hammond Rd, Dandenong South
VIC 3175
Phone: 1300 920 419
Website: http://www.megasaw.com.au/core-drilling/