Changing the face of Charleston : The unbuilding of the Grace and Pearman Bridges
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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)
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(July 23 2006)
Unbuilding Challenges
(Mar 13)
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(Feb 20)
Unbuilding Stories
(Mar 13)
Video and Sounds
(Feb 28)

December 15, 2006: Removing the next section

To put it simply, I'm confused by the EXIF time stamps so I am guessing at the sequence. Fortunatly, these guys can't restore overnight what they unbuilt the previous day so I think I've got it right.

The worksite - with the top right section to be cut and removed

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Here is Carlos on the far top and ? on the near top coupling the lift bar to the to-be-removed section

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A smile from Carlos as he passes the cable loop through the pin and locks it

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Robbie positioning himself

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Carlos (far top), Nugget (near top) and Robbie - climing the diagonal

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and Stan walking the plank

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Where is Robbie?

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Far lift cable attached

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and near lift cable attached

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Robbie starts his cut

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A closer view

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and another close view

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Far side and near side cutting

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Taking out the cross brace

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Nugget starts a cut on the top

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Manny's boom, Nugget and Carlos on top

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Final cuts on the top sections

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Closer

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Almost completed

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Nugget cutting the outside

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and Carlos watching everything

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Nuggest finishing the outside cut - from a safe distance - while Carlos sinishes the opposite outside cut

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Freed at last

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Carlos completes the cut on the other side

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and it is also free

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and its all up to Manny now. Click and watch this surgical skill

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as he lifts and separates

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From below

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Up, up and away

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then rotate and lower

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and down it comes, perfectly balanced

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down with Paul carefully watching

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Manny rotates again

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as Paul and Stan guide it

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and down

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and resting

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waiting for the divide and conquor act

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Lunch time

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Nugget, Manny and his cap

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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