Concrete milling: the cost-efficient and sustainable alternative

Generation C² round-shank picks have been developed especially for milling concrete with Wirtgen ECO Cutter milling drums.

Generation C² round-shank picks have been developed especially for milling concrete with Wirtgen ECO Cutter milling drums. They are characterised by high resistance to fracturing, low wear, and long service life. This enables a considerable reduction of the operating costs when removing concrete pavement by cold milling and conserves valuable resources.

The use of concrete for the paving of road surfaces is becoming increasingly attractive due to the long-lasting and particularly durable nature of the material. If, however, the concrete pavement is in need of rehabilitation or repair, conventional methods such as breaking or excavation and crushing of the damaged concrete prove to be extremely laborious and costly. A cost effective alternative to this is concrete milling. The exceptional hardness of concrete presents a challenge to machines, milling drums and cutting tools. ECO Cutter milling drums are therefore particularly suitable for the removal of large areas of concrete pavement. Their reduced number of round-shank picks with larger tool spacings increases the force applied by each pick, which leads to a higher machine advance rate and in turn ensures higher area performance.

In combination with ECO Cutter milling drums, Generation C² round-shank picks contribute to the profitability of construction measures For instance, their solid steel body geometry ensures better removal of material. Optimised pick centring ensures that milling forces are ideally concentrated in the top part of the holder and relieves the burden on the clamping sleeve. The optimised shank geometry also increases fracture resistance. In addition, the centring function of the grooved profile of the wear plate reduces wear and increases the service life of the round-shank picks and the toolholders.

Concrete milling is an established technology around the world. These days, thanks to technological advances, almost all hardnesses and grades of concrete pavement can be cost-efficiently removed with the cold milling method. It can also remove reinforced concrete containing tie-bars, dowels and steel rebar mats. In addition to this, selective removal enables the separation of concrete layers with different properties, thereby reducing the proportion of contaminated material. What’s more, the method offers further benefits when it comes to environmental protection: In most cases, the milled concrete can be recycled without any further treatment. The vibration-free procedure is characterised by low noise and low dust emissions and fulfils all official building regulations, economic provisions and other relevant requirements.