On Top of the World at One World Trade Center

Photo by AP Wideworld/Joe Woolhead

In New York City, construction photographer Joe Woolhead's captivating shot of a sky-high crane inspection atop One World Trade Center went viral in late July. The crew works for Tim Barry (at far right), operations manager for CAN-USA Inc., an industrial ropes access firm.

Working at such extreme heights is "like looking at a movie," Barry tells ENR. "You block it out in a surreal way and just get on with your work." Some news reports got it wrong by saying the work was due to a lightning strike. Although another crane at One World Trade Center had recently been hit, this crane was just due for some routine maintenance.

After a short stint as a freelance contributor to ENR, Tudor joined the editorial staff in 2002 and was a managing editor. His areas of expertise included construction equipment, trucks, tools, materials and global construction. He was a certified crane operator and reported heavy construction news in the U.S. and outside—including Europe, Dubai, India and China.

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