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)
Unbuilding Bridge Blog
(July 23 2006)
Unbuilding Challenges
(Mar 13)
Learning Links
(Feb 20)
Unbuilding Stories
(Mar 13)
Video and Sounds
(Feb 28)

January 5, 2007: Unbuilders can unbuild an oyster
and Jimmy Grier is back in town

The workside. Unbuilding tools: hammer, grapple, crane, and unbuilt residue

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and a 4th tool, the white something

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Jimmy Grier from the front of his shear

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Jimmy Grier from an angle

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and Jimmy Grier from the side. Looks like the same Jimmy from all directions, but did he shave this morning?

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and the front loader: tool #5

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and Jimmy in the shearing fly-by-wire position

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A good view of Manny's crane, old piers and a new bridge

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The top of T-2, drilled and ready for Mickey and Ken

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The top of the last Grace pier with bearings

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One of the old bearings

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Lookking toward East Bay - T-1 and the Pearman Monument Pier at East Bay

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Looking up the side of the Grace pier

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Looking through T-2 to T-1 and the East Bay pier

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Meanwhile, back at the work yard - time for some laid-back fun - Can a mixture of southern guys and Boston guys build all the critical components for an Oyster Roast

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Manny's smile says it all

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Who is teaching who?

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how to pour

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Hmmm - with Jimmy on the left, oysters in the middle Manny with his hand in the launching position - let the games begin

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Guys - this is how its done. You see, you take this knife in one hand and an oyster in the other hand and then ...

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It seems there are a lot of fast learners

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Smiles all around except Jimmy - who is carefully studing something

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Well even in Singpore, I can taste the oysters

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Even some young learners with a young smile and a maybe-I'll-smile-but-not-now

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Look at this t-shirt, Carlos, his flag and the greatest ironworkers around (March 1 lowering of the Grace main span and below right, dropping the Mt Pleasant side of the Grace backspan (April 28)

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Its been almost a year, but if this is Ken Canty on the left - its the first time I've seen him without a hard hat.

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Hmmm - seems like a good day for all!

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Even with the son down - Jimmy is still at it - from the right

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and from the left with Michael in the back in a blue t-shirt (I think)

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Its clear that for life is slow and steady (left) and life is a blur (right)

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Nice time for all - and from here, smiles from Singapore

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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