Replenishing Pilots on the Mighty Mississippi
Water Storage on Pilottown 

Editor: Allison Braswell 

Just south of Venice, LA is Pilottown, a base founded in 1860 where river pilots guide oceangoing vessels between the entrance of the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. From massive tankers to cruise ships with thousands of passengers, these pilots climb aboard from their pilot boats and guide an average of 6,000 vessels a year, which includes 560 million tons of cargo. This portion of the river is considered one of the most treacherous and heavily trafficked routes in North America, so their courageous undertaking of setting the ship's course and speed is vital to the safety of crews and passengers. 

Ever since Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, Pilottown has had no permanent residents, but members of the Crescent River Port Pilots' Association will stay in temporary quarters in the community while they work. Its collection of water tanks is essential to providing ample water supply for pilots staying in the waterfront cottages or dormitories at the association headquarters for typically two weeks. To expand Pilottown's water storage, Deep South Construction was hired to install an additional water tank. They deployed an ICE® I-30V2 Diesel Impact Hammer to drive 24" (in) concrete piles that would support the new structure. The 6,615 lb (about the weight of an elephant) ram weight of this single-acting diesel hammer made it a lightweight and compact option for this smaller job in a remote area. 

With plenty of clean water resources to rely on, Pilottown river pilots are able to pass many idle hours without complaint while awaiting the two or three calls a day they get to direct passing ships. Thank you, Deep South Construction, for partnering with International Construction Equipment, Inc to improve the water supply for these daring pilots who work to ensure the safe and efficient flow of maritime commerce.  

Learn more about the ICE® I-30V2.  https://www.crppa.org/pilot-town  

Media Contact-    
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA    
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  

Vice President IT and IT Comm 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc    
Office - 704-821-8200    
Email - marketing@iceusa.com   

The Port Project of the Century
Editor: Allison Braswell

The expansion of the Port of Veracruz in Mexico is the most significant port project to take place in the region within the past 100 years. The Port of Veracruz is the country's oldest, largest, and most vital port, which moves materials like automobiles, agricultural bulk, mineral bulk, and petroleum. Proposed in the late 1990s, the MXN $70 billion (USD $3.69 billion, about $11 per person in the US) project prompts for new breakwater elements, navigation channels, terminals, and port facilities. Since 2018 when construction first commenced, new opportunities for globalization between Latin America and other coastal regions have opened up as cargo capacity continues to increase. By the time the whole project is completed, the port will be able to accommodate 95 million tons of cargo per year--a more than 300% increase in capacity. 

For their role in this monumental project, SG Cimentaciones Y Puertos (SGC) is building a combi wall to provide soil retention on the job site. A combi wall is a type of retaining wall that combines large-diameter steel pipe piles and sheet piles. The pipe piles allow the structure to resist overturning forces while the steel sheet piles are placed between the pipe piles as in-fill to stabilize the structure. These retaining walls are designed to have extra high bearing capacity for heavy civil projects such as wharf construction, bridge construction, and expansion of ports. They can be temporary or permanent depending on the project's short-term and long-term needs. 

SGC applied the power of their own ICE® 50B Vibratory Hammer and ICE® 66C Vibratory Hammer to drive OZ steel sheet piles for the combi wall. OZ sheet pile combi walls combine tubular pipe piles (SSAW/SAWH pipe piles) and Z sheet piles, which connect to the pipe piles' interlocks and create an alternating pattern. The crew were amazed with how fast these ICE® hammers installed the pile and sped up their production time. International Construction Equipment, Inc values its Latin American customers and is proud to support the growth of Mexico's port infrastructure alongside a leading contractor in the country. Excellent work, SGC, for playing a part in positioning Mexico to soon be one of the next big logistical hubs in the world. 

Learn more about the ICE® 50B and the ICE® 66C. 

Media Contact-    
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA    
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  

Vice President IT and IT Comm 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc    
Office - 704-821-8200    
Email - marketing@iceusa.com   

The outdated pump stations at Marsh Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Geneva, NY are at capacity and cannot accommodate significant new flows unless changes to the WWTP are made. To improve its reliability, the City of Geneva is expanding the WWTP by adding a new pump station. Today's pump stations are designed with more efficient pump/motor/drive combinations, which can be used to match pump speeds to flow rates and therefore lower energy needs and minimize the community's carbon footprint. 

C.O. Falter Construction Corp was hired to drive pile for a cofferdam that would provide soil retention on the job site. Because they are building the new pump station in close proximity to the existing one, the crew wanted to find a Variable Moment vibratory hammer that would not be so heavy that it would shake the cofferdam structure with each blow and cause disturbing vibrations to the soil and surrounding structures. Based on the blow count during a boring test, it was determined that the ICE® 16VM (previously known as the 18ZV) Variable Moment Vibratory Driver/Extractor was the best option for driving double PZ40 sheet piles of 50-55' (ft) lengths at a 30-foot depth for the cofferdam. Three sets of W36 waler beams were attached to the structure to reduce stress on the sheets caused by soil pressure while excavating. 

While the horseshoe-shaped extracting boxes of other variable moment hammers can make mounting outside leads a challenge, the ICE® 16VM was efficiently designed with a lightweight, square extracting box over the transmission that makes the hammer easier to maneuver. This refreshed design allowed for the adjustment of eccentric moment on the job without vibration, greatly reducing disturbances to nearby residencies and businesses. The crane operator reported no transmissions of vibrations back to his crane and said it was the best hammer that he had ever worked with. International Construction Equipment, Inc congratulates C.O. Falter for being the first-ever user of the ICE® 16VM and showcasing the hammer's fitness for urban areas and vibration-sensitive jobs.  

Get to know the ICE® 16VM.

Media Contact-    
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA    
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  

Vice President IT and IT Comm 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc    
Office - 704-821-8200    
Email - marketing@iceusa.com

ICE® Supports Our Truck Drivers
Iowa 80 Fuel Tanks 

Editor: Allison Braswell 

On the eastern edge of Iowa in the small town of Walcott, you will find a road trip stop like no other. The Iowa 80 Truckstop is the largest of its kind in the world, serving as a gathering ground for truck drivers and a fun destination for travelers. Other than refueling services, amenities at the truck stop include a trucking museum with 100 trucks on display, a 300-seat restaurant, a workout room, a barber shop, a dentist, and countless other activities that entertain around 5,000 customers a day. 

Generally, underground fuel tanks function normally for at least 20 years before they need repairing or replacement. If plants around the tank are dying, or patches of rainbow colors appear on puddled water near the tank, then this could signal a leakage that is contaminating soil and underground water supplies. Preventative maintenance of fuel tanks is crucial for avoiding serious environmental hazards and protecting human health. 

After conducting routine inspections, management at the Iowa 80 Truckstop decided to replace its fuel tanks that are starting to show their age. The contractor for this project selected the ICE® 22D Vibratory Driver/Extractor to install sheet pile around the area of the aging tanks so that dirt would not collapse on the crew while they dig up and remove the tanks safely. This lightweight pile driver provides just enough driving force for a job of this size and can do it in a developed area without disturbing the surrounding buildings. Once completed, the ICE® 22D was utilized once again to carefully pull the sheets back out after the new tanks were set in. International Construction Equipment, Inc is proud to help restore a part of a facility that many American truckers consider a home away from home, not to mention helping to keep the construction crew, truck stop employees and visitors safe! 

Learn more about the ICE 22D. 

Media Contact-    
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA    
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  

Vice President IT and IT Comm 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc    
Office - 704-821-8200    
Email - marketing@iceusa.com