I-285 Interstate Reconstruction


$800 million Georgia DOT interchange construction in Atlanta

Since February of 2017, Atlanta's major interstate I-285 has been under major reconstruction through the Georgia Department of Transportation. The 5-phase project lifecycle was designed to reduce traffic congestion and enhance safety within one of the nation's most deadly roads, the I-285/SR 400 Interchange in Metro Atlanta.

More than 2 million pedestrians use the roadway that circles the city of Atlanta daily. In 2013 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted the stretch of just under 75 miles of I-285 recorded 26 fatal accidents in the year of study and 29 deaths, giving it a rate of 3.5 fatal accidents per 10 miles.

This project will reconstruct 3 overhead bridgeways, and Abernathy Road / SR 400 interchange will be redesigned to a diverging diamond interchange. Funding is provided by a combination of state, federal, and private partner financing. Local contributions from community organizations include $10 million from the PCIDs and $1 million each from the PATH Foundation and the City of Sandy Springs for bicycle and pedestrian enhancements. The Georgia DOT combined two stand-alone projects into one Design-Build-Finance at an estimated project cost of $800 million.

Now in construction phase, North Perimeter Contractors (NPC), a private sector partner of the GDOT, is responsible for the design, contracting, and partial financing of the reconstruction mega project. NPC contracted established deep foundations Berkel & Company to oversee the foundation stabilization drilling. To install 15'-20' rock anchors into the side wall barriers of the I-285 interstate, Berkel utilized an ICE® Comacchio MC 22 Drill Rig, specialized for anchor drilling. With a feed and retract force of 17,984 / 22,480 lb. the hydraulic crawler-mounted drill rig is operating using air rotary and down-the-hole hammer (DTH) drilling methods. Covering 4.3 miles long and 6.2 miles wide, construction on the I-285 / SR 400 interchange will take place through the end of 2022. This high priority project will produce new flyover ramps, collector-distributor lanes, and other provisions to moderate traffic. 


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 Comacchio Drill Rigs. Tagged as Drilling, Drilling Rigs, ICEUSA, MC22 Comacchio Drill Rig, Rock Anchors.

Doing the “Unsinkable”

The ICE® 44B helps to drive foundations for the McClees Bridge crossing the Navesink River 
Editor:  Ashley Steele

A major roadway has been receiving updates for the last year and a half to help build infrastructure in Red Bank, NJ.  Traffic has been detoured around the construction happening on the Navesink River.  The McClees Creek Bridge is part of a larger project, centered around the replacement of several bridges in Monmouth County.  The county is responsible for the upkeep and replacement of 980 bridges.  The McClees Creek Bridge is being replaced due to normal wear and tear from vehicular traffic throughout the years.

J. Fletcher Creamer & Sons out of Hackensack, NJ were awarded the contract for the replacement of the bridge.  Utilizing both sheeting piles and H-piles, the customer chose the industry leading ICE® 44B Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor to get the job done.  Creamer & Sons were able to run the Tier 4 power unit.  These CAT engines in the ICE® 595 Power Units are emissions compliant to help offset environmental factors during foundation construction.

By pairing the top-of-the-line ICE® 44B with a tier 4 power unit, customers can surpass all environmental standards and still have top tier drivability.  This pairing is allowing J. F. Creamer & Sons to finish this job effectively and quickly, so that traffic on this important roadway is flowing again soon! 

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, Building Bridges, ICEUSA, Pile Driving, Tier 4 Power Units.

The Port of Baltimore Grows


Editor: Ashley Steele 

The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation's busiest seaports, handling all types of cargo and passengers at its facilities. As the COVID pandemic continues, ships are being diverted to this Baltimore location to be unloaded and reloaded, due to other ports lacking the capacity. Currently in the execution phase of a $200 million project in marine construction, dredging, and infrastructure upgrades, the Port of Baltimore supports over 150,000 jobs and brings in over $3 billion (about $9 per person in the US (United States)) in revenue annually. 

Much of this marine construction work will be performed to deepen the port for larger vessels and to repair and replace existing older structures. With over 70 years of experience in the industry, Cianbro was awarded the job of placing the foundation work for these large projects. Cianbro looked to the reliable team at ICE® to assist in providing the right equipment for the job. 
The ICE® 44B Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor was brought into place 30" pipe piles for a template at the Port. Once the template is created using the caissons, they will be filled with rebar and concrete to create sturdy foundations for this marine job. The ICE® 44B is a titan in the industry, known for its incredible driving force, applicable to diverse soil conditions and foundation applications. Cianbro will be utilizing this ICE® pile driver for much of this project in a multitude of ways. 

ICE® is proud to have equipment being selected by operators for such exciting infrastructure projects.  We are thrilled to be a part of not only keeping commerce flowing but also feel like we are creating more jobs and pumping revenue into the economy. As the Port of Baltimore continues to grow, ICE® will be there to provide equipment to ensuring a durable foundation for its prosperous 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 44B Vibratory Hammer, Foundation Equipment, ICEUSA, Pile Driving, Port of Baltimore.

Rio de la Plata Flood Control Project

Reconstructing the Rio de la Plata River Basin to prevent flooding

Since 2007 the US Army Corps of Engineers have granted permits to study and perform supplemental environmental assessments (SEA), in efforts to reduce flood damage along Puerto Rico's Rio de la Plata River Basin. The rainy season torrential downpour combined with the steep headwater slopes along the banks, causes the river to overflow into the surrounding coastal towns. Currently, about 11 miles west of San Juan, there is $500 million in project costs remaining of the Rico's Rio de la Plata Flood Damage Reduction Project. Contract 1A, the first phase of this extensive project, was physically completed in October 2015 with the amount of $23,700,000 (funded by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds). The goals for the next phase of the environmental feat include 4.8 miles of channel improvements, 6.22 miles of levees, the replacement of 2 bridges, and relief for the environmental habitats affected by flooding.

Contractors are focused on de-watering operations for channel widening and foundation scour protection. Overseeing the project is JPI Construction, LLC. This group is unique, as it is not only a Certified Small Business, Minority and Hispanic owned, but they pride themselves in focusing on projects that provide safety for the community. JPI utilized the ICE® 66C Vibratory Driver/Extractor powered by a Model 800H Power Unit. 

One challenge to overcome on this project was navigating underneath bridges with only 24' of vertical clearance while driving 40' sheet piles. JPI deployed the ICE ® Excavator-Mounted Hammer Model 7E-SG to drive the sheet piles in segments under the low clearance bridges. Outside of the bridge the ICE ® Model 66C successfully drove the 40' piles down to the required depths. JPI also deployed the ICE ® Diesel Impact Hammer I-30. After completion of the remaining project timeline the surrounding coastal towns will bring in over $12 million in annual economic benefits. 

Thank you to JPI for providing a 100-year flood protection to this community.  

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 Excavator Mounted Pile Drivers, Vibratory Pile Hammers. Tagged as 66 Vibratory Hammer, 7E Excavator Mounted Vibratory, Flood protection, Foundation Equipment, ICEUSA, Piledriving Foundation.

Keeping the Ohio River Open for Commerce


The ICE® 50B helps to install stronger dolphins for barges! 
Editor: Ashley Steele 

Barge foundation structures throughout the Midwestern rivers are decaying.  Known as a dolphin, in the marine construction world, these are man-made structures that are not connected to any other support formation.  They are loaded with barges which carry goods, allowing for ease of access by ships to efficiently load and move cargo down the river.   

The Ohio River has received upgraded dolphins within the last year thanks to the efforts of The Foertsch Group and ICE®.  Due to clay type soils in the river, a little extra weight was needed when it came time to drive the steel piles.  ICE® recommended the use of a set of bias weights with the ICE® 50B Vibratory Pile Driver/Extractor to increase the driving force to push through the elastic clays.  This innovative solution allowed The Foertsch Group to effortlessly install these new structures. 

The Foertsch Group is working diligently to replace these dilapidated marine structures with stronger proven driven pile dolphins.  The Foertsch Group says that when it comes to driving in the Ohio River clay, the ICE® 50B is the only way to go!  Thank you to the Foertsch Group for putting our equipment in such talented marine driving crew's care! 

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 50B Vibratory Pile Driver, ICEUSA, Marine dolphin structures, Pile Driving.

Congratulations Matt Patrum! 20 years with ICE®

Matt Patrum, Production Supervisor, ICE
20 Years with ICE® 
-Matt Patrum-  


Matt Patrum has now dedicated 20 years of his professional career to International Construction Equipment® and has not only had a positive impact on the systems used in the daily assembly of the world class machines, but the people as well. Originally born in North Wilkesboro and growing up in Charlotte, his initial introduction to the construction equipment industry didn't come until later maneuvering through his passion for automotive parts.  

He started his career in the automotive industry working in parts departments in retailers like NAPA, Advance Auto Parts, and car dealerships. While he was working in the service department at a Ford Dealership reading his daily newspaper, he saw an ad for a job opening at International Construction Equipment, including the phone number that lead him to Mike Douglas, Chief Design Engineer at ICE®. After successfully acquiring the new position as Parts Manager, Matt entered unknown and scattered territory.


ICE® originally housed all its infrastructure in the single building located at 301 Warehouse Drive, which Matt explained was a tad confusing if you were not familiar with their systems.
"My job coming in was to get it organized like an actual parts department.... It's gotten a whole lot better than back in the day where literally it was just parts on the shelf- no tags no nothing, and unless you were the mechanic and knew what the item looked like, you had no hope finding it."

Over the years Matt has helped upgrade and redesign the parts department to be easily accessible to all ICE® employees involved in production. By implementing a computer system matched with labeled bins, the parts department became much more approachable. Being able to find a specific part by number coordinating with bin location, eliminated confusion and wasted time. Having the world's largest rental fleet, ICE® Matthews assembly team must stay on top of timelines to meet demand. Throughout every step of machine build Matt serves as the liaison between the engineers and mechanics to bring new equipment from design to fruition.  

Another aspect of working at ICE® that Matt enjoys, is it "makes him feel a part of something bigger".  

"One of the things that I learned early on and didn't expect, because you don't when you have a little small town like Stallings, is just how far ICE® reaches out to the rest of the world, our equipment is all over the place. And it's built here in this tiny town."  

Although ICE® has a hand in major construction projects all over the globe, Matt also appreciates the small-town moments he found at ICE®.  

"We would get out here and have just a random cookout. It wouldn't be a holiday or anything special, Christian would bring a bunch of burgers, and that was pretty cool. Coming from working in a place like NAPA for a number of years, they don't care about that stuff. So, it was nice to have something a little more personal. It is still that way now we've just gotten so big, with so many people working on this site you have to plan in advance!"  

Through the years ICE has provided a workplace camaraderie however, like most of us Matt finds comfort outside of ICE from his loving family. Mentioning his wife brought a smile to his face as he described how they met.

"I was working part time at this place called Schlotzsky's Deli, when I was working at another auto parts place in the evenings, and I met her she was the baker that made all the bread."
His son Zach (21), and daughter Lia (17) have only ever known their dad to work at ICE®.  

Matt emits a calm knowledgeable presence, one that his coworkers find confidence in. He has played a significant role in the development of ICE® over time, helping the company grow into the industry leader it is today. The time and dedication from Matt, encourages other employees of ICE® to be efficient as possible. He aids in every aspect of the build process from initial concept, to fully finished hundred-ton construction equipment.  

Matt has now served as Production Supervisor for over a year and continues to help ICE® evolve and serve at the world's #1 one-stop foundation shop.  

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  

Tagged as #20Years, #ServiceRecognition, ICE USA, ICEUSA, Service & Parts.