Changing the face of Charleston : The unbuilding of the Grace and Pearman Bridges
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Blog: 2005
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Blog: 2006
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)

October 1, 2005:
Finishing the Pearman Truss

This morning the weather was strange - rain in Mt Pleasant but very pleasant fog around to tops of the Ravenel towers.

Yesterday morning there was just a short segment of roadway to remove on the truss side of the bridge. Last night around 9pm it was finished and here is the proof - one side of the expansion joint.

This morning - the work has progressed to the approach side of the structure - here cutting the edge barriers and breaking away the near side of the expansion joint

Here is Michael at work - whacking away on the south side

and now waiting for Richie to cut some rebar

All the while Pio is smiling and Richie is starting his part of the story

which is cutting some of the rebar between the expansion joint and roadway

What a difference 18 months makes. Compare these photos from May 9, 2004 (6:50 am, left) and today (Oct 1, 2005 8:36 am right).

Walking back down - the Ravenel towers were still playing with the clouds and suddenly Ponch appears

As with Pio - Ponch continuously multiprocesses - talking with Steve on the phone and then getting ready to move the steel griders.

And here is Ponch in action

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