Changing the face of Charleston : The unbuilding of the Grace and Pearman Bridges
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The story of building the Ravenel Bridge
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Unbuilding Highlights
(Apr 10)
Meeting St. Stories
(Jul 10 2006)
East Bay Stories
(Oct 10 2006)
Drum Island Stories
(Feb 17)
Pearman Bridge Stories
(Apr 3)
Grace Bridge Stories
(Apr 3)
Imposions: Prep and boom
(Mar 27)
Unbuilding Bridge Blog
(July 23 2006)
Unbuilding Challenges
(Mar 13)
Learning Links
(Feb 20)
Unbuilding Stories
(Mar 13)
Video and Sounds
(Feb 28)

February 24, 2006: Sparky and unbuilding the great Pearman main span

Here is the main span minus the end segments - and thinking about dividing and conquoring

The worksite

The worksite from another angle

The worksite from the opposite side

and thinking

With a shear for chewing beams

and Steve DeMello and his grapple for loading stuff

Step 2: loading

Step 3: dropping into the truck

Meanwhile, more thinking

Sparky did a study of viewing the main span: End view

An inside view. I remember riding my bicycle under these Xs early on Sunday mornings after taking a series of photos of building the Ravenel main span. From main span to main span

As seen through Captain Gary's port hole

As seen through Captain Gary's door

And Captain Gary, of course

Chris Vocci takes time out for a lub job

My man, Richie - the ace burner, operator, thinker and sculptor - on his way for some serious cutting

Meanwhile - the shear is at work

Chris - taking bites out of a box girder

this is what I call a box bite

and this is a pile of box bites

Steve loading more box bites

and loading box bites

an unusual bite

All this time, the thinking is over and Richie is flying high and burning away

The cut mark - Today is friday so the cut marks are white. On Wednesday, they are Testa-orange

burning through the outer girder

Richie cutting the cable

cutting the edge box girder

Finished cut - see the light through the cut?

Richie from a distance

Next cut

a cross cut

and in parallel, more bites

and more bites

Richie riding the cross beam

and cutting

Pio and Richie - hmmmm - some serious thinking going on here

and a TV crew to capture this moment of thought

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Attribution: C. Frank Starmer and Sparky Witte from http://oldcooperriverbridge.org