October 20, 2005:
A view from above - lifting a concrete girder
A view of the setup on top of the Pearman approach: A hammer, a shear and
three guys (Paul, Jackie and I forgot)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6651_top_setup.jpg)
Coupling the hoisting cables to the concrete girder - the two lower guys
are in a man basket from below.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6663_top_coupling.jpg)
A bit of burn surgery - cutting through the attachments at the far end
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6679_top_burn.jpg)
Then Jackie Using the shear to lift one end of the girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6685_top_shear.jpg)
Jackie and a bit of surgery here - gently lifiting one end of the girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6690_top_shear_pickup.jpg)
With the crane taking up the slack, Jack eases the shear grip and backs
away
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6694_top_let_go.jpg)
and the crane lifts - (I stitched a short video of the action
click for video (6 Mb))
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6697_top_lift.jpg)
and lifts
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6703_top_lift.jpg)
and lifts
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6711_top_lift.jpg)
and now lowers the girder
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6717_top_lower.jpg)
down and down and down
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6723_top_lower.jpg)
until all that is left is the ghost of the pearman and a couple more girders
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.oldcooperriverbridge.org/small/oct_20_6731_top_pearman_ghost.jpg)