problems that stem from the creation of dust and a greater
potential for physical injury when men and women work
closely alongside machinery.
By 2014, Novais had enough and decided to start a
personal research project into finding a solution to this trou-blesome
task and developing an innovative device that could
assist industry in breaking down concrete pile heads. After
two years of calculating, designing and testing various ideas
in the lab, he came up with the Novaslice product, a simpler
and safer way to remove pile heads.
The next step for Novais was to put together his business
plan and seek out investment for developing his product to
advance the proper patent applications and to further his
research into improving Novaslice. Additional investment
was also important to help promote Novaslice to a very
competitive, conservative and sometimes resistant U.K. con-struction
market.
In 2016, Novais met up with Rory O’Sullivan, a former col-league
who began his career at an international construction
company working with Novais on several projects. Knowing
the high cost of current, unsafe pile cropping methods,
O’Sullivan immediately recognized the benefits and potential
of the Novaslice product and invested in the fledgling com-pany,
helping to found Novaslice Ltd.
“Since the summer of 2017, there has been extensive
research and development on Novaslice, as well as a number
of positive field tests,” said Novais. “The company and our
Novaslice product are now to the point where we feel that we
are ready for a true commercial roll out.”
Easy to install, safe to use
The beauty of Novaslice is found in the pure simplicity of
its application.
To install the product, a hollow, wedge-shaped device
made of recycled plastic is slid over each individual vertical
reinforcement bar at the exact cut-off level, just under the
de-bonding foam, before being secured using a cable tie or
reinforcement wire. Novaslice works by creating a weak spot
in the concrete where the pile head can be precisely pierced
– or “cracked” – with a wedge and hammer along the outer
visible edge of the product. The pile head can then be easily
removed by various means, revealing a clean and level cut
with the protruding rebars exposed.
The benefits in using Novaslice in the construction of pile
foundations are numerous. When removing pile heads with
Novaslice, there is a marked reduction in dust creation, less
need for any manual handling of the pile heads themselves
and the product also helps to minimize the interface between
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Layout of the “wedges” when inserted into the concrete
50-mm hole for
vertical rebar
75-mm spacer
The “wedge” is a single piece of
rotationally moulded plastic
which creates the weak
point in the concrete
Visible area to be pierced
once in concrete
20 Q3 2018 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
