2009 World of Concrete

Everything from mixing it, moving it, sealing it, beautifying it, to demolishing it, everyone who touches concrete was at this year’s World of Concrete show in Las Vegas.

The final attendance numbers haven’t been disclosed yet, but Hanley Wood Exhibitions, the organizer of the show, estimates a decline from the 84,000 who attended last year’s show. Forecasted attendance is about 70,000 people, almost a 17% drop.

UPDATE: ENR has a great article on attendance. http://enr.construction.com/products/materials/2009/0211-AnnualConcreteShow.asp

Aside from the doom and gloom associated with the downturn in the economy, there were plenty of bright spots.

Joe Nasvik from Concrete Construction and Residential Concrete gave us a first-hand tour of the Artistry in Decorative Concrete area where the most skilled artisans created masterpieces. From trees to rocks to Marilyn Monroe, these folks left us scratching our heads wondering how they could create something so life like from something that usually resembles a building or sidewalk.

We were at the show with Bosch Power Tools and Accessories and they had plenty of great new products. Bosch’s heritage in concrete/masonry tools dates back to the 1930’s with the launch of the world’s first rotary and demolition hammer. Bosch’s dedication to innovation has allowed the company to maintain its position and the world’s leading power tool and accessory manufacturer.

New this year from Bosch:

New Power Tools
Vibration Control Rotary and Demo Hammers -- New hammers offer best-in-class performance in both vibration reduction and power-to-weight ratio.

1900 Series Large Angle Grinders with Vibration Control -- Re-defining innovation. These are the lightest large angle grinders available and they feature the most advanced anti-vibration system in the world.

18V Litheon Drilling/Driving/Cutting Tools -- Check out all of the new tools in Bosch’s 18V lithium ion lineup, including a brand new 18V Impactor!

11250VSRD Dust Collecting Rotary Hammer -- A finalist in this year’s Most Innovative Products program and recipient of a 2008 Popular Mechanics Editor’s Choice Award, the 11250VSRD Dust Collecting Rotary Hammer is the most compact and most efficient dust-collecting rotary hammer on the market.

New Accessories
X5L -- Concrete bit that can also cut small-diameter precision holes in rebar.
Rebar Cutter -- Designed for larger diameter holes, easily cuts through toughest rebar.
Multi-Construction Bit -- Drills through concrete, masonry, wood, plastic and metal.
Edge Recip Blade -- Best suited for metal cutting applications

Also, check out Cop Tool (http://www.coptool.com/blog/2009/02/world_of_concrete_2009_review.html) for a great recap of the event.