Scope of the Project:  Flood gates for hurricane protection for lower Terribonne Parish. Largest privately funded flood gate ever built.  Terribonne Parish Levee & conservation District.

Name of the Project:   Houma Navigational Canal Flood Control Structure

Reason for the Project:  Flood protection for lower Terribonne Parish

Why was contractor chosen for this particular job:   Shaw Engineering designed the entire project and required public bidding process and qualification process for all perspective bidders.  L. & A. Contracting was the successful bidder.

Why did L. & A. choose ICE^® equipment:  L.& A. was familiar with ICE^®, and other manufacturers equipment, and discussions about the benefits of specific models of ICE^® equipment allowed ICE^® to quote and obtain sales and rental of equipment for various aspects of the project.

Job Duration Data:  This Project started in April of 2011 and is scheduled for completion in March of 2013.

Pile Descriptions:   90" X 240 foot long, open-ended, pipe piles, weighing 170 tons each,  for anchoring the pre-fabricated, steel structures ( which weigh 780 tons each).  Those structures are designed to hold the steel flood gates, which will close the navigation channel in the event of approaching storms.  As part of the total design of the flood wall adjacent to the flood gate, a variety of open-end, steel  pipe piles must be driven, as well as 7 different styles of steel "Z-shaped " sheet piling.  The Pipe piles sizes varied from 18" diameter to 38"diameter.   

List all equipment on this Project:  Bruce 3015 hydraulic impact hammer was used for the larger diameter pipe piles, shown on the spread sheet provided (with this document).  An ICE^® Model  #D30-42 , single-acting diesel hammer was sold to the customer, along with #DHP-42 drive head to drive the smaller diameter pile piles listed.   L. & A.  Contracting purchased an ICE^®, model # 66C Vibratory Driver/Extractor to set in location, and pre-drive pipe piles on this project.   The #66C was equipped with a 12' caisson attachment, #142BH clamps and model #800E Power Unit.   Due to specifications in the contract, all final penetration driving of piles had to be done with impact hammers.   They rented an ICE^® model # 44B Vibratory Driver/Extractor, equipped with 6.5' Heavy Duty Beam, #100BH clamps, and #595E  Power Unit to set and drive template piles, and 2 ICE^® model #28C' Vibratory Driver/Extractors for installation of steel sheet pile and template beams  throughout the site. 

Concepts Being Utilized:  Pre-Fabricated Steel Templates are being used to position battered pipe piles on 1.5 to 1 batters , with a wench installed on the back of the leads to lift and lower  the hammer.  Pre-fabricated, Steel, Templates are being used to insure position and alignment of the steel sheet piles.   The Pre-fabricated, Steel, Jacket Structures   were set into position by a heavy-lift crane, over pre-positioned fully driven vertical, steel, pipe piles.  Battered, steel, pipe piles were then driven through the frame to provide the final anchored strength of the structure.

Challenges on this job:   The soft clay soils in the upper soils in combination with a hard sand layer at -157' provided a challenge for driving piles with diesel pile hammers that depend on soil resistance for both starting and efficient driving.  Extreme batters and sizes of open-end pipe piles required precise positioning of driving equipment and piles, in order to meet engineering requirements specified in the contract.  Structures to be fabricated, and positioned, required heavy lift equipment, as did the extremely high weight of the large diameter pipe piles for this project.   The setting of the pre-fabricated steel structures for this project, was a major milestone (as the size and weight of the pieces was a challenge).   L. & A. Contracting utilized a derrick barge (with a lift capacity of 1,450 ton) for that operation.

ICE^® sales and/or service team challenges:  ICE^® analyzed the need for a vibratory driver/extractor capable of handling the weight and large diameter of the list of pipe piles specified for this project.   Suggestions were quickly made for the list of different models required to handle the largest number of possible piles.  ICE^® made a presentation based on the benefits of ICE^® equipment in all models and types, verses other manufactures that were being considered.  Delivery of initial rental equipment was expedited to meet the customer's schedule, since equipment that the contractor already owned and had designated for the required work was not meeting his expectations.  Delivery of the ICE^® #66C and ICE^® #D-30-42 were likewise expedited so that delivery of those sale items could be delivered in time for the phase of the project they were needed on.  All deliveries were prioritized to meet the customer's needs.  ICE^® Sales and Service personnel were sent to the site to facilitate set-up and training of personnel in the proper operation the ICE^® equipment that was provided.  The experience of the local and national staff of ICE^® made adaption of standard ICE^® equipment to the project possible.

When completed the Flood Control Structure, along with parallel projects in the adjacent area will insure that water from the Gulf Of Mexico, during Tropical Storms and Hurricanes, will not travel northward thru the waterways that surround the south side of the Houma, LA. area.  This is critical to the property owners in the area and the marine and petroleum service industries that are located on the waterways near the city of Houma.

ICE Manufacturing Expansion

In 2011, ICE realized healthy growth in both the domestic and International markets for unit sales.  A great deal of this growth came from the Far East markets.  To support these unit sales, ICE was able to increase manufacturing volume of Vibratory Hammers and Power Units while maintaining the rental fleet at essentially the same level as 2010.

During the first half of 2012, we have realized the same volume of Far Eastern sales as the last half of 2011, and; at the same time, domestic and other International volumes have increased.  This, combined with our new variable moment (ZR) hammers, has completely consumed our manufacturing and warehouse space (and resources).  So far this year, the Manufacturing and Purchasing teams have been able to produce more than 25% more product vs. last year, but even this huge increase has not been enough, and our rental fleet has suffered.

In order to support both the increased sales volumes, and rental fleet growth, ICE realized earlier this year that it must expand.  I am very pleased to announce, that we have signed a purchase agreement with Blanchard Machine works, to buy their properties and equipment on Warehouse Road.  We plan to take possession of these properties in early July, and begin manufacturing expansion later that month.

Over time, this purchase will allow us to nearly double our manufacturing capabilities. In order to realize increased capacity however, we must also be able to source the raw material and components that we need, and have trained staff to support the expansion.  The purchasing teams have been working with key/critical vendors over the past few months to ensure a supply chain that will support this.

Thank you all for contributing to our continued growth!  I am sure that we all look forward to bringing the new facilities online, and to work as team to continue sustainable growth for ICE.

Sincerely,

J.Brock Hemmingsen

ICE Inc.

HISTORIC ROVA FARMS
 Lucas Brothers & the Replacement of the Rova Farms Bridge
Pile driving necessity is accomplished with ZR technology

The Rova Farms Bridge was originally built in 1929. It was actually a dam & spill way for Cassville Lake.
The area was a resort in the 1940's & 50's. Route 571/ Cassville road runs over the bridge in Ocean
County NJ & can be quite a busy area at times. The water from the lake was starting to undermine the
road during heavy rains. Lucas Brothers Construction had won the bid to replace the
bridge/dam/spillway. The plan was to replace the current bridge & widen the spill way for the lake. They
would also increase the safety of the bridge by adding shoulder space, updated guard rails & parapets.
Lucas Brothers started the job in July of 2011 & is expected to finish in July of 2012. On paper it seemed
easy enough for a 1.5 million dollar job & just another bridge for Lucas Brothers Construction. However
it was far from just another bridge & was full of challenges.

Pat Kipp the Superintendent for Lucas Brothers Construction had to manage multiple priorities in
addition to construction. The Rova Farms District is listed on the states register of Historic Places. The
bridge, dam & spillway are considered contributing resources to the Historic district. They had to attach
the new structure to an older section of the spillway without damaging the older pieces. There were
vibration monitors that had to be set up for 2 nearby residential structures & the old spillway. Some of
the piles had to be predrilled. The work area was very small. There were power lines that ran over the
job. The power lines could not be moved far enough away & had to be de?energized when pile driving.
Managing the flow of the water during the construction was very tricky. Lucas Brothers couldn't disturb
the waterway during certain times of the year as per the DEP Bureau of Dam & Safety & Flood Control.
They also could not spill anything down on to the existing waterway & had to attach to part of the old
spillway. The state wanted all traffic lanes to stay open during the construction. The area was prone to
flooding so work was tough to keep on schedule during rainy times. There were also environmental
concerns & spawning fish.
 

The job had to be done in sections in order to keep the road open. Lucas Bros had added to the east
side of the bridge first & then routed the traffic over there. Lucas Bros used several models of ICE
vibratory drivers on different occasions during the various windows of driving opportunity. When
applicable, Lucas Brothers would use their ICE excavator mounted 216E. They also used several ICE
rental units, ICE 22 VM, 2230 & 14C. They had to drive some permanent sheeting & temporary shoring.
Lucas Bros had to drive 25' PZ?27's for the permanent & 25'of various types sheeting for the temporary.
The new ICE 22 VM drove a large road plate (8' wide x ¾" thick x 20' long) & some 45' H?Beams in no
time & was very impressive while keeping initial vibration shock to a minimum. Once the bridge deck
was poured, they could demolish sections of the old bridge, which were separated from sections to
remain by cable cutting through 4 foot thick concrete walls and footings. The old section of the 20 inch
thick bridge deck had to be cut into several 54 inch wide manageable pieces with an oversized road saw
for removal. They were extremely heavy & fragile. The pieces had to be loaded in a postage stamp size
work area with traffic moving by. Installing & handling some of the pre?fab sections of the new bridge
required some very intricate rigging as well as they needed to be tripped in mid?air once unloaded.
There were also 42 pipe piles that had to be driven on this project. They were closed end flat bottom
12" x 50' long piles, with the test piles being 60' long. Lucas Bros used an ICE I?12 Diesel Hammer & ICE
leads to drive the piles. The ICE I?12 drove the piles well & kept things on schedule. The piles were then
filled with concrete & rebar. Some of the piles had to be predrilled 10' deep to loosen up the soil & keep
the vibrations down to existing structures. There were a lot of things going on for this little county
bridge. The job is moving on schedule & things are progressing well. "ICE's Equipment & service was
critical to the success of the job", says Pat Kipp of Lucas Brothers. "They were able to meet the windows
of pile driving opportunity with equipment when we needed it". Lucas Brothers could only drive at
certain times, due to all the contributing factors already listed. ICE provided them the equipment when
they needed & then could take it back when Lucas Brothers didn't need it. 

 ICE® Expands With New Location in Louisiana

May 31, 2012

International Construction Company, Inc. announces a new location to accommodate growth of the regional area and to best assist our clients. 

The World's One-Stop Foundation Shop, International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) is the leading international manufacturer and distributor of vibratory drivers and extractors, diesel hammers, hydraulic hammers, excavator-mounted rotary heads and hammers, large and small-bore drill tooling, limited access drills, Comacchio drilling rigs and other deep foundation equipment.

ICE®, located in Matthews, NC, provides goods and services from many regional US offices and international locations including a large network of dealers and service centers.  ICE® has been growing steadily since its inception in 1974 and recently announced the newest location at 412 Harvey Blvd, Belle Chasse, La 70037.

 "We are always looking for new and better ways to assist our clients.  One of the easiest ways to help customers gain improved support from our regional branch locations is to make more equipment available for rent.  When we increase available equipment, we also require expansion of our location to enable our team to perform tests and maintenance on this extended amount of equipment.  Our goal is to ensure when the rental unit goes to a new job site is has already been tested and is ready to perform the necessary task at hand... Saving our customer time and money." explains Christian Cunningham, ICE® Operations Manager.  "We choose this location in Belle Chase, Louisiana, based on our customers' demands and the increased construction on the gulf coast.  This latest expansion allows us to be in closer proximity to major access roads, while continuing to meet the needs of customers unique job challenges presented with each project." states the ICE® LA Regional Manager, Bill Spatz.

From their new expanded branch location in Belle Chasse, LA, ICE® continues to be to meet the needs of contractors in the Gulf Shores with customized solutions and will remain to be the number one source for the world's most recognizable, sought after and desired equipment by providing a full spectrum of high performance equipment and customized solutions as they continue to grow during their 4^th decade.

ICE® handles both sales and rental agreements for all of their innovative products in order to boost customer efficiency making them more competitive in today's market.  Please feel free to contact ICE® at 888-ICE-USA1 / sales@iceusa.com or visit their web at WWW.ICEUSA.COM

More Details coming soon

I MAKE AMERICA
Join ICE® to Support Manufacturing Jobs in America

It is well known that the economic downturn has taken a toll on all industries affecting communities across America. The first decade of the new century has shown a tremendous loss of nearly 5 million manufacturing jobs in the US with a 59% decline in employment in the construction equipment manufacturing sector alone since 2006.  "America needs a new manufacturing policy that will stimulate jobs and generate economic activity."  That is the message of the I Make America campaign. 

What is I Make America?

In 2010 the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) launched I Make America, a national campaign with an objective to dramatically increase jobs for America's equipment manufacturers. The goal of this campaign is to promote U.S. manufacturing jobs through investment in infrastructure and passage of export agreements. Proven ways to create and sustain jobs for U.S. workers.

With a new policy in place we can modernize our infrastructure and become more competitive with other nations around the globe resulting in America as a more desirable place to live.  This policy can also help our farmers and manufacturers create more jobs in the U.S. by exporting their products to new markets around the world.

According to a recent poll conducted by Clarus Research, the voting majority said they reverse their supportive opinions of the economic stimulus package when they find out that only 3 percent of its funding was dedicated to rebuilding highways, roads and bridges.  A majority of voters believe, even under the current economic conditions, that now is a good time to build and repair America's roads and bridges."  22,000 deaths annually are related to deficient roadway conditions. At least 33 percent of our nation's major roads are in poor condition, while 26 percent of our bridges are structurally deficient and obsolete.  Clarus' research poll also brings to light that 87 percent of world economic growth over the next five years will take place outside of the United States. Lowering the barriers to trade by even one-third would bring a rise to the U.S. economy of $177 billion a year.   This research supports the message of I Make America.  The U.S. needs a new manufacturing policy that will stimulate jobs and generate economic activity.

"We have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back," Mr. Obama said in his address to Congress. "But we have to seize it.  My message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed."  

"As nice as this message sounds, as we do our part, the funding seems to be missing.  Anyone else agree?" asks Director of Marketing and IT Communications, Pollyanna Cunningham.

Join ICE®
International Construction Equipment, Inc (ICE®) has joined the AEM movement and so can you.  Now is the time to join ICE®, the largest manufacturer of piling driving and drilling equipment in North America, and 2011 I Make America Pillar of the Industry award recipient, to make a positive change by taking an active role in support for manufacturing jobs in America.  Let's make 2012 even bigger.

With public attention on politics and upcoming elections the opportunity is golden to make our voices heard.  With your support America will continue to work together showing unity through strength and commitment that we are known for, The United States of America.

How can you make a difference?

Support the I Make America Campaign by visiting www.IMakeAmerica.com and sign your name stating that you support the campaign to save manufacturing in America.

Write your Lawmakers, Congress, and Administration.  Let them know you vote and tell them how important passing strong pro-manufacturing policies are to your community, and to our country. 

Learn more by visiting the Association of Equipment Manufacturing (AEM) website at: http://www.aem.org/Advocacy/Advocacy/IMakeAmerica/

One of the easiest ways to participate is to sign the petitions the AEM sends out in support of manufacturing from all industries.  When the public supports infrastructure funding, we are in fact supporting putting Americans to work... and in turn helping the US manufacturing no matter what your industry focuses on.

AEM Members can reach out to employees about participating in I Make America by using the materials provided in the I Make America Toolkit. Please join the industry movement!

Media Contact:
Pollyanna Cunningham
pcunningham@iceusa.com