Barnhart/Dawn Paul Barnhart's modular lift tower placed the TBM's 745-ton cutterhead on May 31. Related Links: Bertha to Dig This Summer Follow Bertha on Twitter Lowering a 7,000-ton tunnel-boring machine piece by piece into an 80-ft-deep launch pit sloped 3° forced Barnhart Crane and Rigging to think outside the boom. The subcontractor working at the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle opted to use a modular lift tower instead of a conventional crawler crane, saving millions of dollars and valuable site space.The largest tunneling machine built for North America, Bertha—a 57.5-ft-dia unit—will this summer bore a 1.7-mile-long tunnel to replace the
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine uses turbochargers and direct injection to deliver V-8-like power and torque with the fuel economy rating of a V-6. Related Links: Test Drive: 2011 Ford F-150 (ENR) Feds Probe Ford F-150 EcoBoost (USA Today) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into nearly 100 complaints related to the performance of Ford Motor Co.'s popular EcoBoost engine. Consumers driving the turbocharged V-6 in F-150 pickups allege "unexpected, sharp reductions in engine power during hard accelerations at highway speeds," according to NHTSA.Since the 3.5-liter V-6 was introduced in 2011, Ford
Tough Smartphone: Caterpillar-Branded Android Device Can Take a BeatingBullit Mobile, a global licensee for Caterpillar Inc. mobile devices, recently introduced the Cat B15 smartphone in North America. The Caterpillar-themed Android device has a rugged case that allows it to survive a 5.9-ft drop onto concrete and getting submerged in up to 3.2 ft of water for 30 minutes, according to the manufacturer. In addition, the 4-in. multi-touch screen can be operated with wet fingers. Made of anodized aluminum and shock-absorbent rubber, the case is IP67-certified as dustproof and waterproof. The Cat B15 boasts a dual-core 1-GHz processor and runs Android
Photo courtesy of Howard I. Shapiro and Associates OSHA intends to push back a looming crane operator certification deadline to give regulators time to review the 2010 regulation. Related Links: Viewpoint: OSHA Crane Rules Must Change Viewpoint: OSHA Crane Rules Have Merit Crane operators may have three more years to pass exams while the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers reopening its regulation on cranes and derricks. Some safety experts say they are glad to see OSHA reviewing the rules; however, feelings are mixed over the proposed testing delay."Safety has now been sacrificed," says Robert Weiss, vice president of
This week we look at a self-contained roof-patching system from Kemper System America and VOC-eating wallboard from CertainTeed. Click to begin the slide show.
In an unprecedented engineering feat, New York City high-rise crews on May 11 successfully hoisted a 150-ft-long replacement luffing boom to the roof of One57, a 1,100-ft-tall residential building under construction in midtown Manhattan, and attached it to an existing tower-crane mast.
Photo courtesy Caterpillar Inc. Related Links: Caterpillar Rolls Out Hybrid Excavator as Layoffs Hit Mining Division Concluding that "the business no longer represents a strategic growth opportunity," Caterpillar Inc. says it will shut down its tunnel-boring-machine business by mid-2014.Caterpillar first entered the TBM market in 2008 with its purchase of Toronto-based TBM manufacturer Lovat. The machines have been used in tunneling jobs around the globe, from the Brightwater tunnel in Washington state to extensions of the Shanghai subway system."We continuously evaluate our strategic portfolio to ensure alignment with our long-term strategy and have concluded the tunneling business no longer fits
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