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With a fixed span 34 m (110 ft) above the water – high enough to allow ships to pass beneath – the new Victory Bridge will be the first segmental pre-cast bridge in the state and will feature the largest non-suspended span in the US - 140 m (460 ft). Contractor George Harms Construction Co. has been on site since February. While the project has been dogged by high winds and heavy rain, Harms’ president and chief operating officer Tom Hardell is confident of having the first of the $110 million project’s two bridges – which sit just 76mm apart – open to traffic this month (June). The reason for such rapid progress is that sections of the bridges are constructed off-site and then simply erected on-site; meaning swift progress once the enabling foundation work has been completed. That’s where the cranes come into play; a Model 555, two Model 777s, one Model 888; a Model 2250, two Model 4100W RINGER units and two Grove RTs – all wholly owned by GHCC. The sections are constructed in a factory in Virginia and barged to the site. While this was occurring the 209 t (230 USt) Model 888, fitted with a Bauer 3500 fly drill had been working around-the-clock to install the 2-2.4 m (6-8 ft) caissons and rock sockets. The 136 t (150 USt) Model 555 has been active doing pile-driving and sheeting work, while built up on flexifloats and sited mid-river, the 318 t (350 USt) Model 4100Ws are fitted with 79 m (260 ft) of boom and are doing 109 t (120 USt) picks off the water. The 272 t (300 USt) Model 2250 is doing a combination of support lifting and loading/unloading of the barges. Perhaps the most demanding work goes to the 180 t (200 USt) Model 777, which sits on the bridge deck and whose job it is to set the bridge segments into the launching gantry. Fitted with a short base boom of 21 m (70 ft) the combined weight of the crane and its 90t+ picks are just about as much as the part-completed bridge can bear. “Not only do clients get the job they want, we pride ourselves on finishing on time or ahead of schedule,” says Tom Hardell. “The secret to achieving this is to keep control over all the major processes – and therefore we don’t tend to subcontract out elements but do the work ourselves.” This commitment to doing the work itself has resulted in major investments in equipment in MCG products. “Of course, we like to see our cranes working all the time,” says Hardell, himself a key member of MCG’s product focus group, “but no matter what, we believe there is value in investing in the best equipment available.” Bruce Buchan, Manitowoc Crane Group’s vice president of lattice boom and mobile telescopic sales for North America, says of the project: “This job features some of our finest products of the past 40 years. It’s a real testament to the engineering ingenuity at Manitowoc Cranes. We’ve got the Model 4100W still going after over 30 years of service; together with the Model 888 and Model 777 and the very latest generation of Manitowoc Cranes, the Model 555 and the Model 2250. Harms is a great company and a great supporter of the Manitowoc Crane Group.” Although the whole project is not due for completion until February 2006, motorists will see a substantial improvement in crossing times when the southbound bridge opens in June. The lanes are wider, there is a crossing lane for pedestrians and cyclists – and passing ships will no longer cause the road crossing to be suspended. As for the cranes, Hardell asserts that they will be kept in the company for use on future projects. “We’re very satisfied with the performance of these cranes,” he says, “and it confirms the wisdom of our decision in the early 1990s to standardize to the Manitowoc Crane Group’s products.” Picture caption: Victory-Bridge1.jpg; Nine Manitowoc Crane Group cranes are playing a key role in the task of replacing the 80-year-old Victory swing-bridge over the Raritan River in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, US. About The Manitowoc Company The Manitowoc Company, Inc. is one of the world's largest providers of lifting equipment for the global construction industry, including lattice-boom cranes, tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. As a leading manufacturer of ice-cube machines, ice/beverage dispensers, and commercial refrigeration equipment, the company offers the broadest line of cold-focused equipment for the foodservice industry. In addition, the company is a leading provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services for government, military, and commercial customers throughout the US maritime industry. ##### For More Information Contact: Tom Cioni Manitowoc Crane Group Tel: + 1 920 683 6510 E-mail: tcioni@manitowoccranes.com Steve Brown SE10 Creative Tel: +1 (414) 221-9407 +1 (414) 221-9408 E-mail: brown@se10.com
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For Immediate Release
