January 1, 2006: Happy New Year and Sparky saves the day
I have been gone but Sparky got out yesterday and captured the blue
sky and progress to date.
When last seen, we described Mickey's group dropping Pearman supports M1 - M5.
Much has happened since then even with the holidays. Bob McCabe's group
(Scotty, Jack and Ted (from Michigan) the concrete cutter,
not Tad from Boston) has
removed virtually all the Pearman ramp while Chris picked the girders,
Jack ate them and Scotty hauled them off.
Not to be outdone, Pio's group has been eating away at the
Grace roadway with Richie, Brad, Speedy and Steve, the concrete cutter.
They are now past the midpoint of the Cooper River ship channel on the
Mt Pleasant side.
Starting at the Sea Breeze looking east - half the Pearman cantilever pylon
is gone
looking east - just the Pearman and Grace skeletons
From Drum Island - the Grace skeleton on the left, the D-25 base of a
Pearman support and a couple of Pearman supports stripped clean of
floor girders.
The Grace from Drum Island
A closer look at the Pearman cantilever support on the right - with all
floor girders picked. To the left, you can see the remaining Grace
roadway (dark stripe in the middle of the truss) remaining to be removed.
Pio and his team are beyond the midpoint of the Grace channel span.
Looking under the Ravenel Bridge - only Pearman ramp supports remain and
beyond, the Grace on-ramp
Looking along the northern edge of the Ravenel towards Mt. Pleasant.
You can see where
the supports are slowly being eaten away starting at the pier cap
and working down. A combination of a 350 hammer working from the elevated
jack-up barge
and using Michael's 1250 on a water-level barge.
Looking north under the Ravenel Bridge, some nice reflections and the roots
of Pearman supports M1 - M5 remain and the Grace on-ramp
and a view of the cantilever and main span segments of the Pearman and Grace
skeletons. If you have your curious eyes activated, you can see that Pio's
group has cleared the roadway up to the right edge of the west Ravenel pylon.
