November 14, 2005:
Picking concrete and steel girders
Testa and Cashman dual processing today. They alway are multiprocessing
but rarely can I catch two processes at the same time. Today - picking
concrete girders to the left (toward Mt. Pleasant) and steel girders to the
right. on the Mt Pleasant side is Bob McCabe -
with Jack Foley operating
the shear, Scott Billingsley operating the lift and Bob Ange's team -
Nathan Brooks and Stan Dawson are the iron workers.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9522_worksite.jpg)
Following the concrete girder action - lifting
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9525_lift.jpg)
and lifting
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9527_lift.jpg)
and rotating to place the girder on the Pearman roadway
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9560_lower.jpg)
and lowering - up close
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9601_lower_close.jpg)
Here the left concrete girder continues its downward trajectory while
the steel team is making a final diagonal cut on the right girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9604_lower_right_cut.jpg)
cutting continues with Cousin Arthur Ravenel watching over the process.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9635_girder_cut.jpg)
extending the diagonal cut downward
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9637_cut_girder.jpg)
With Cousin Arthur watching, our team starts lifting steel girder
in the distance while in the foreground Cousin Arthur watches
Bob's team prepare to harvest the concrete girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9672_pick_steel_concrete.jpg)
a closer view of the harvesting the steel girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9675_lift_steel.jpg)
The left concrete girder is now in its resting position
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9620_rest.jpg)
is uncoupled
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9625_uncouple.jpg)
and so the next iteration starts
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9626_next.jpg)
And at the same time Bob Ange is directing Nathan, Stan and the crane
operator below to position the lift bar for wrapping the next girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9666_couple_bob.jpg)
Here is Stan (left) and Nathan (right) at work
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9667_stan_nathan.jpg)
There is a small problem, though, -
to catch the tag line attached to the wrapping
cable. Speedy (Nathan) demonstrates a little acrobatics. With a trusty gaff
Speedy grabs the tag line and passes the tag line to Stan.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9677_hook.jpg)
With the tag line (barely visible to the left of the bottom of the wrapper),
Stan pulls the wrapper up (a nylon tri-strand super-strength
piece of dental floss)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9694_tagline.jpg)
and wraps the girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9698_wrap.jpg)
and then couples the wrapper to the lift bar shackles
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9706_shackle.jpg)
and place the pin back in the shackle
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9713_couple.jpg)
and finished. With gaff in hand, they march off the girder - just in
time for lunch.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9728_finished.jpg)
Our acrobatic iron workers - Nathan and Stan and their safety harnesses -
adapted for all sorts of challenges.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/nov_14_9732_nathan_stan.jpg)