The Foundations of Ellis Island

Editor:  Ashley Steele

Beginning on January 1, 1862 Ellis Island in New York City was the central hub for immigrants coming to the United States
In the 62 years of its operation, the island welcomed over 12 million immigrants seeking to make their lives in the New World. Today Ellis Island is home to The National Immigration Museum and welcomes more than 4 million visitors each year.


The island is not a natural piece 
of land in the Upper New York Bay, but was created using landfill.  The constant waves and larger storm systems that have made their way through the northeast these last few years have caused erosion to the foundationLarge pieces of the seawall, which are made of granite, have been displaced or lost during some of these massive storms. 


Weeks Marine, a family-owned company, out of Cranford, New Jersey w
as awarded the $30.8 million contract to repair the seawall and foundation of this historic site. The project includes replacing and repairing 6,736 linear feet of seawall which was originally constructed between 1913 and 1934. The goal is to ensure the aesthetic of the seawall is not changed, only strengthened, and protected.


Many 
diverse types of foundation work are being performed on Ellis IslandWeeks Marine partnered with ICE® to strategically choose the proper foundation equipment for this unique jobThe ICE® I-19 Diesel Impact Hammer is being utilized to drive the 12"-14" H-Beam piles for some of the seawallIn order to finesse some older portions of the structure, an ICE® HB-85 Drill is pre-drilling for W-24 king piles, that will be driven in by an ICE® 50ZR Vibratory Pile Driver/ExtractorThe 50ZR will allow for a zero resonant start up, which allows no vibration felt throughout the crane. 
 

This is an ongoing project with work to be completed in February of 2023.  Ellis Island remains open for visitors and the progress can be viewed during a visit. ICE® is proud to be a part of this historic restoration, allowing visitors to this huge part of America's history to enjoy the island for years to come. 

Media Contact-  
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA  
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc  
Office - 704-821-8200  
Email - marketing@iceusa.com  

Posted in Diesel Impact Pile Hammers. Tagged as Foundation Equipment, Historic Ellis Island, I-19 Diesel Hammer, ICEUSA, Pile Driving.

ICE® Innovates for Ford Motor Company Expansion

Editor: Ashley Steele

Ford Motor Company is placing innovation at the forefront of their newest expansion project. The new central campus of the company's Research and Development 
department will be constructed on the same location as the 66-year-old Product Development Center in Dearborn, MI. The state-of-the-art facility will include a walkable campus of interconnected buildings, that will house more than 20,000 employees.


Hardman Construction, 
out of Ludington, MI was contracted to input the foundation for this amazing facility.  Not a company to shy away from new ideas, Hardman turned to their local ICE® representative to provide innovative solutions for the scope of the job.  The company purchased a new 2021 ICE® 33 Vibratory Driver/Extractor package in order to drive H-Beams approximately 48" in the hard ground.  Due to hard driving conditions, the customer created lead setup that the piledriver could sit in and increased driving with a set of bias weights.  This out of the box solutions allowed Hardman Construction to work quickly and efficiently to accomplish the piling foundation right on schedule.


Upon the completion of this 
vast build, Ford Motor Company will be able to relocate 6,000 employees to the new campus.  Bravo to the partnership between Hardman Construction and ICE® to help bring innovative solutions to this foundation to enable this incredibly unique build for the Ford Research and Development Center


Congratulations to Hardman Construction on the purchase of their new ICE® 33 Vibratory Driver/Extractor!



 

Media Contact- 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 33 Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor, Foundation Equipment, ICEUSA, Pile Driving.

Congratulations Wagman on your New Purchase!

Editor:  Ashley Steele

One hundred and fifty thousand motorists in 
Fredericksburg, Virginia will soon have an extra lane of traffic to reduce congestion on their daily commute.  The $107.5 million dollar I-95 Northbound Rappahannock River Crossing Project will provide this extra lane, as well as a new bridge span over the river, and sidewalks under the overpasses that will allow pedestrians to safely transit from home to work and play.


The huge undertaking, funded by the Commonwealth Transportation Project, was awarded to Wagman Heavy Civil, Inc. of York, Pennsylvania
.  Wagman's Geotechnical Construction group is taking on the whole project, and self-performing the excavation, pile-driving, tiebacks and foundation work.  This will include the cofferdams at the new bridge span over the Rappahannock River.

When it came time to choose the equipment to properly and efficiently get the job done, Wagman turned to their ICE® 
team of specialists.  Due to the nature of the work, Wagman ended up purchasing a brand-new 2021 ICE® 33 Vibratory Driver/Extractor package and a new 2021 ICE® HB-85 Hydraulic Rotary Drill package.  These two packages will be able to effortlessly handle any foundation needs that arise during this and many additional jobs.  The HB-85 can pre-drill through any harder soils they encounter, while the ICE® 33 can easily drive the pilings needed for the cofferdams.  Both machines are built right here in the USA with a vast support team in all territories in North Americaenabling clients like Wagman to keep these tools in tip-top shape long after this job is finished.
 

Congratulations to Wagman Heavy Civil, Inc. on their purchase of new ICE® equipment!  Thank you for your partnership.  We look forward to tuning up this equipment for you in the future. 

Media Contact- 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

Posted in Drill Mast, Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 33 Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor, Equipment Sale, HB-85 Drill, ICEUSA, Pile Driving.

The Whole Story

Driving Piles in spaces with low headroom

Editor:  Ashley Steele


Organic food is 
making its way to Jersey City, New Jersey. S Brothers Contractors based out of Manalapan, NJ is working to provide foundation support for a new Whole Foods that will be built inside an existing parking garageThe new grocery store will take up 
47,542 square feet (about half the area of Manhattan city block) of the structure and replace two other existing commercial locations.

Due to the enclosed nature of the parking structure, S Brothers chose an ICE® 5E Excavator Mounted Vibr
atory Driver/Extractor to drive the H-beams. The low headroom called for the use of an excavator mounted pile driver, as the longest pile that could be driven was 10 feet. The 10' H-beams were spliced together with a second 10' section and then driven to grade. This system created the soldier pile or lag wall that is instrumental in the foundation of the multi-floor grocery chain
 

 

The residents of Jersey City are eagerly awaiting the opening of Whole Foods, as there has been a need for an organic grocer in the area for some time. With the right tool for the job, S Brothers and ICE® will work to get the job done quickly, so that the community can enjoy the fruits of their labor. 

 

Media Contact- 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as Excavator Mounted 5E, ICEUSA, Pile Driving, Whole Foods.

Power of Connection

Power for over 32,000... Begins with the ICE® 66

C
onstruction of a new electrical sub-station in Mansfield Township, New Jersey, is maximizing the power by lessening the surge from surrounding systems due to full overloads from economic developmentPSE&G Power is overseeing statewide infrastructure upgrades that provide electricity to over 32,000 homes and small businesses. The growth and positioning of this substation was based on the 4,300+ new businesses in the greater Mansfield area. This multiphase plan, executed by CJ Drilling, has many moving parts but starts with reliable foundations which is being driven by the ICE
® 66C and its 245 tons of driving force.

Mansfield 
Township station will house a pair of 230kV/13kV transformers, a single 230kV four breaker ring bus, enclosed switchgear, and a control buildingBy transferring portions of their circuits to the new power transmission lines, being installed by CJ Drilling, the station will also relieve the overloaded nearby Bustleton and Crosswicks stations. ICE
® is proud to be providing equipment to CJ Drilling, one of the largest woman-owned foundation drilling contractors in North America 

The ICE
® Model 66C Vibratory Driver and Extractor rendered its 245 tons of driving force to successfully drive 10.5'-12Caissons. Once filled with concrete the electrical poles that are connecting power lines will be studded to the base creating the foundation. Turns within the layout of the power lines required an additional vibratory driver for even larger caissons. The ICE ® Model 110C Vibratory Driver with an additional 412 tons of driving force ran in the large caissons reaching 154' deep. This final driving completed the foundation work that will continue to hold up the power for the Mansfield township community. PSE&G is set for the station to be energized in December of 2022. Successes by CJ Drilling in the early construction phase proves that this partnership can power limitless accomplishments.  

 

Media Contact-  
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA  
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc  
Office - 704-821-8200  
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 110C Vibratory Driver/Extractor, 66 Vibratory Hammer, Caisson, Powerful Connections, Powergrid.

Coming Down the Pipe

Editor: Ashley Steele

Downtown Tacoma, Washington is looking to create a sustainable future for their city and residents
A new stormwater pipeline will help to reduce flooding and improve surface water conveyance capacity for future growth in the downtown areaThe 72" diameter pipeline will empty into a newly constructed outfall for the Thea Foss Waterway.
James W. Fowler, based out of O
regon, is working with the city to design and construct the Jefferson Hood Stormwater Interceptor
Beginning in October 2021, the design phase was completed, and construction had begun but was suddenly halted when the "Apex", the Antaeus 320 was having major trouble installing sheet piles and slowed the job causing significant issues for the contractorOnce this was addressed and they began to build a simple cofferdam for excavation efforts for the new pipeline, Fowler hit another snag with an Antaeus 320, aka Apex, vibratory hammer seceded to operate. Being such a professional team, the James W Fowler group, reached out to Mike Clark of ICE®, a piling veteran of the Greater Seattle area to ask for advice and a dependable machine. MrClark went to work and placed a model that is tried-and-true across the globe, the ICE® Model 44B.
Due to the ICE® Model 44B
 versatility and the super quick thinking of the James W Fowler team, they were able to continue quickly and make up for lost time originally caused by an Antaeus hammer with zero service. James W Fowler is 100% excited to share that the ICE® 44B is outperforming the so-called Apex, Antaeus 320. The ICE® 44B Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor has a moment of 4400-inch pounds versus the Anteaus 320 Apex that only has 3200-inch pounds, even though both hammers are in the same weight class.
We can also see from the comparison chart below that the ICE
 ® 33 would have been a great option for this job, still outperforming the Antaeus 320 and the HPSI 300. ICE ® 33 fits into a very niche class with the APE 200.
 

 

 

ICE® was also asked to create a specialized vibratory hammer stand for this customer, as this job will be mobile, moving through streets in the city of Tacoma with limited laydown spaceThe hammer stand will allow the customer to place the pile driver upright, consuming less space, and making it easier to pick up to begin each day.

This is an ongoing project that will be completed in fall of 2022As this project progresses ICE® will be ready to assist with service, equipment and install expertiseWe are grateful for our new customers, James W. Fowler, and excited to see them through on this job. 

 

Media Contact- 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 44B Vibratory Hammer, Anteus 320, APEX Vibratory Hammer, ICEUSA, Pile Driving.

Driving the Bus for Driven Pile

Quick modifications help to keep things moving.

Editor: Ashley Steele


Downtown Minneapolis is getting a new transit hub.  The state-of-the-art Minneapolis Bus Garage Project is a $116.9 million dollar project to create a multi-faceted use location for the city buses.  The new structure will have over 400,000 sq ft of bus storage and maintenance facilities across two levels.  This will include 24 different maintenance bays with storage for up to 216 buses
 and lifts that can accommodate all fleet types for repairs.


The foundation work for the 10-acre site in downtown Minneapolis was awarded to 
Bolander.  The company has been in business since 1924, delivering public and private projects throughout the Midwest.  With over 1600 10-12" caissons to place in the ground, Bolander turned to ICE® to provide the proper foundation equipment.  Working closely with their ICE® representative, they choose an ICE® 33 Vibratory Driver/Extractor with an ICE® 55 Wood Pile Clamp fitted with caisson jaws.  By turning the clamp 180 degrees on the Pile Driver/Extractor the customer was able to effectively drive all 1600 piles without placing wear on the jaws.  This innovative approach to job specific conditions allowed Bolander and ICE® to work hand in hand to complete the job smoothly.


This New Minneapolis Bus Garage will provide over 400+ full time living wage jobs when it is finished and operating at capacity.  This will provide an economic boost for this thriving city.  Th
is job is set for completion in 2022.
 

Media Contact- 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 33 Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor, Foundation Equipment, ICEUSA, Pile Driving.

Methanol Plant Expansion with ICE® 44

Reduces new construction to have one of the lowest CO2 emissions ever.
Methanex is a Canadian methanol manufacturer that 
operates two plants on site in Geismar, LA and has changed expansion plans saving them hundreds of millions. The world's largest producer and supplier of methanol had planned to build a third plant in Geismar with a budget of $1.4 billion, but after a global pandemic and reevaluation construction was stopped


April 2020, eighteen (18)
 months since initial planning, Methanex has begun construction on their third plant in Geismar with a vastly different outline. The company decided to reduce the size of the third plant, bringing down the initial project budget by $500 million. The company projects a 20% increase in methanol demand over the next five years, encouraging new facilities. The budget savings were credited to the reduction in the projects execution risk profile and look to be one of the lowest CO2 emissions intensity profiles in the industry.


Cajun Industries
 is responsible for the construction of the Geismar 3 and has implemented an innovative dewatering process with a system of coffer dams to lessen the moisture in the soil for faster excavation. Cajun, a Louisiana-based business, is using the unmatched power of an ICE
® 44B Vibratory Driver and Extractor to drive sheet pile for permanent boxes enabling the team to begin with dewatering practices for faster, more effective, and uninterrupted construction of the new facility.

The methanol mega-manufacturer 
anticipates having the ability to further increase shareholder distributions during the Geismar 3 construction period as the unforeseen ingenuity form Cajun Industries and their use of the ICE
® 44 Vibratory Driver and Extractor has lowered the owner's construction costs from these dewatering practices - excavation to build timelinesThe owner's annual production capacity of 2.2 million metric tons of methanol should see growing numbers with the completion of the new commercial operation at the end of 2023.

Media Contact-
 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 44B Vibratory Hammer, Foundation Equipment, ICEUSA, Pile Driving.

Powering Up Swamps

Power Lines in Florida Everglades done without a footprint! 
 
Editor:  Ashley Steele 
 
Altitude Energy, an environmentally friendly contracting company based in Fort Myers, Florida, was awarded a pile driving contract to install transmission power lines throughout the wetlands around Punta Gorda. This job is part of a larger project to connect transmission lines through the marshes near the everglades in Southern Florida without major impact to the glades. Crews are forced to alternate between dry and wet land conditions to ensure they are limiting their footprints, as the environment is always a top priority. During installation, working platforms were very tricky. This outstanding Florida-based team moved seamlessly between the use of specialized mats and barges while carefully navigating all the wet conditions and wildlife.  
 
The shallow waters posed a hindrance in movement of a barge used by Altitude Energy, as it did not want to become stuck and disrupt the soil with a heavy load. Initially using a much larger Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor to insert the large caissons, the company found that using the lighter more powerful ICE® 110C Vibratory Driver/Extractor was the ticket to moving quickly and effectively with less disruption. After speaking with their ICE® representative, Altitude swapped out the larger pile driver for the ICE® 110C. This swap created the ability for exact barge placement, now just under 25,000 lbs (about the weight of a school bus) which allowed for quick and efficient placement of larger foundation caissons sized at diameters of 84".  
 
Many factors come into play when sizing an appropriate vibratory driver/extractor for a job including soil conditions, pile sizes, weights, and environment. Make sure you talk to your ICE® representative to ensure proper hammer sizing for every job including those unique marine and environmentally demanding setups. 
 
Media Contact- 
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA 
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc 
Office - 704-821-8200 
Email - marketing@iceusa.com 

 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 110C Vibratory Driver/Extractor, Foundation Equipment, ICEUSA, Pile Driving, Powergrid.

50ZR Saves the Sewer Line

Delaware Bridge Replacement  

Almost one-hundred (100) years from the original construction of the James Street Bridge, in Newport, is getting an overhaul while grappling with the notion of its failing sewer systems.  Newport is 100% focused on putting its best bridge forward by updating frequently used transportation arteries. Mumford & Miller Concrete, Inc was awarded a $15 million contract to replace one of these especially important bridges that has nearly made one-hundred years of service. With regulations and sanitary sewer protection zones to protect the failing sewer systems, this job was not as simple as a standard bridge install.  
Mumford & Miller choose to use an ICE® 50ZR Vibratory Driver /Extractor to drive sheet piles to create a specialized barrier from the existing sewer lines. To avoid perceived notion of disruption to these sewer lines, which were next to the existing bridge, the client chose the ICE® 50ZR for its Zero Resonance at startup and shutdown, like putting your car in gear on a steep incline without any jolt. The ICE® 50ZR preformed all installs quickly, with zero disruptions to the sewer and with very precise accuracy, without tolerances. Noise levels were never a topic while as using this vibratory driver / extractor with the community, even with the placement so close to housing developments.  
Completion date for the 5-span 394' replacement bridge is set for September 12 of 2022.  Congratulations to the ICE® team for helping to drive Delaware into the future.  
Media Contact-  
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA  
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc  
Office - 704-821-8200  
Email - marketing@iceusa.com  

 

Posted in Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 50ZR Vibratory Driver/Extractor, ICEUSA, Pile Driving, Zero Resonance.