Photo Courtesy of UCSF Ergonomics researchers at UCSF have rolled out a new drill jig for drilling horizontally and at other odd angles. The device reduces fatigue, and it can cut down on silica-dust exposure, scientists say. Related Links: Inverted Drill Press Cuts Pain, Fatigue in Overhead Drilling ENR Newsmakers of 2010: Dr. David Rempel Having made overhead concrete drilling easier with an innovative, upside-down drill press, Dr. David Rempel and his University of California, San Francisco research team have turned their attention to the physical demands of drilling horizontally and at other angles.Their efforts have yielded a new universal
Photo Courtesy of Caterpillar Inc. Tier-4 regulations are driving some alternative-power options such as the Caterpillar 336E-H, a hybrid excavator that promises to consume 25% less fuel than its nonhybrid sibling. Related Links: Are Clean-Diesel Engine Rules Stifling Innovation? Medium-Duty Truck Owners Struggle With Downtime If you think that the latest round of off-road clean-diesel mandates, or Tier 4, will kill off the engine that powers the majority of construction equipment, think again. A new guard of sophisticated, clean-burning, electronic engines are rendering extinct the prehistoric, smoke-belching, mechanical diesels of yesteryear. Cleaner power costs more up front, but it promises
Photo By Tudor Van Hampton for ENR The oil-and-gas sector has helped prop up demand for large equipment, such as truck cranes. Next year, sales are expected to rise slightly as rental companies and dealers continue to 'fleet up.' Related Links: Telematics Help Trim Contractor Fleet Costs Why Contractors are Renting Rather Than Buying Although analysts are expecting U.S. construction to rise next year, many believe contractors will continue to turn to rental and leasing companies rather than buy large quantities of new equipment for their projects."Most people think that the rental companies will continue adding to fleet this coming
Photo by Getty Images/Michael Heiman Workers secured a damaged tower crane in Manhattan six days after Hurricane Sandy blew in. Related Links: Post-Sandy Mobilization Shifts into High Gear Prices for Windstorm Coverage May Not Be Changed New York Ponders Plan For Next Storm Structural Damage Assessors Decide Whether Storm-Damaged Houses Can Be Entered NYC Crane Rescue Is Complete Dangling Crane Was Weather-Vaned, Contractor Says As workers finished tying down a mangled crane jib left dangling for days over Manhattan's West 57th Street in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, engineers involved in the incident moved to design a method for taking
AP WIDEWORLD Damaged tower crane remains dangling days after Hurricane Sandy struck the region. Related Links: Dangling Crane Was Weather-Vaned, Contractor Says Partially Collapsed Crane at NYC "Billionaire's Haven" Updated: Construction crews successfully tethered a dangling tower crane on West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan on Nov. 3, allowing nearby buildings to re-open.Using a wrench on the turntable's pinion gear, workers hand-cranked the jib closer to the One57 building and then used cables to tie down the boom. Residents were soon after allowed to re-enter nearby buildings, which were closed for days after Hurricane Sandy struck the region.Emergency repair work
AP Wideworld The dangling crane was properly prepared for severe weather, says the project's construction manager. Related Links: Dangling New York City Tower Crane Is at Risk, Expert Says Key Risks Around Tower Cranes The Favelle Favco-brand tower crane-whose luffing jib dramatically flipped backwards as Superstorm Sandy blew into Midtown Manhattan-was properly prepared for wind, says the construction manager in charge of the project.Before the crane was called in to help build the roughly 1,000-ft-tall residential tower, engineers developed procedures for how to dress the crane, including weather-vaning it, prior to storms, according to one official for Lend Lease, the
Photo by Cathleen McGuigan for Architectural Record The crane atop One57, the rising $1.5 billion residential tower opposite Carnegie Hall, has fallen over in the winds of Hurricane Sandy. Related Links: Partially Collapsed Crane at NYC 'Billionaire's Haven' ENR.com Storm Updates The superstructure of a 1,000-ft-tall tower crane working in Midtown Manhattan left dangling from Hurricane Sandy is at risk of falling down into the streets, says one crane expert watching the event unfold from afar.Terry McGettigan, a tower crane expert in Seattle with 36 years of operating, maintenance and inspection experience, told ENR in a phone interview that the
Photo by Tony Illia for ENR Aaron Valencic, vice president of sales for Dust Control Technology, demonstrated the company's largest model at MINExpo. Related Links: At MINExpo, Iron Is Hot Despite Cooling Commodities Download ENR's Free Mobile News App Today! Controlling Dust on Road Crews' Daily Grind Dust control can be a costly and time consuming task, requiring large amounts of water, manpower and horsepower. However, a new mega-sized air-and-water cannon may soon make dust less of a drain on resources.Last month, Peoria, Ill.-based Dust Control Technology unveiled the company's biggest DustBoss machine yet during the MINExpo show in Las
For the fifth year in a row, Hino ranks highest in customer satisfaction for medium-duty trucks. Related Links: Truck Quality Suffers From Cleaner Diesels Read the J.D. Power Study Professionals using Class 5-7 work trucks are finding increased reliability from their engine and fuel systems, according to a new survey from J.D. Power and Associates. However, when breakdowns occur, they are more prolonged than before.Compared to other diesel emission controls, selective-catalytic reduction technology, which injects urea into the exhaust stream to neutralize tailpipe pollution, is preferred among these truck owners, the study notes. Overall
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