December 13, 2005:
Pulling Grace's girders
This morning, Pio, Richie, Brad and Speedy were harvesting girders. After
removing the roadway on the Grace and Pearman bridges, the the longitudinal
steel girders are harvested. On the Pearman, I watched this
when Cashman/Testa were harvesting
roadway and
girders by night and
by
day. On the Grace, I watched Neil's team harvest
by night and this morning
I watched Pio's team harvest a pair of steel griders by day. I almost
missed the action.
First Richie.
Richie is one of the many unsung heros and one of Testa's all purpose men.
You name it and Richie does it with a smile.
Here Speedy is preparing the last almost cuts of
the girders.
Next Brad moved his grapple into position in order to connect the cable
to the girders as Richie and Speedy position themselves for a little
shackle action.
Richie and Speedy connecting the shackles to the girders
and here Richie is finishing tightening the shackle pin
Then Brad gently lifts the grapple to stabilize the girder-pair
and Speedy completes the cuts of the left girder
and the right girder
then Brad gently lifts the girder pair up as Pio and Richie watch
until the bottom of the girder-pair is above the roadway
up a bit more
then moves his excavator back, pulling the girder-pair along the roadway
then Pio pulls the girder down to the Coleman recycling center
