Taiwan Port Expansion Project
June 27, 2024
The rapid growth of Taiwan has led it to become the 20th largest economic power in the world. With a population of 23 million (about the population of New York), Taiwan has had to expand and upkeep its infrastructure to meet international and local demands. Taiwan's total trade in 2022 reached $907 billion (about $2,800 per person in the US). Both exports and imports for the year reached record levels, totaling $479.52 billion (about $1,500 per person in the US) and $427.60 billion (about $1,300 per person in the US), respectively. China, United States and Japan are Taiwan's three largest trading partners, accounting for over 40 percent of total trade. 90 percent of Taiwan's trade is seaborn with companies like Evergreen Marine and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation being the two major ocean shipping companies based in Taiwan.
I- San Construction Co. LTD, founded in 1978, provides specialized piling and dredging foundation engineering services throughout Taiwan with projects varying from heavy industrial plants and utility transit stations to office buildings and seaports to subways. I- San Construction Co. LTD, was recently given the task of expanding one of the many marine ports Taiwan uses to fuel its' economy. To aid them in their task, I-San Construction wisely chose to reach out to their International Construction Equipment, Inc, (ICE®) International Sales Team to guide them in using their previously purchased ICE® Model 110 Vibratory Hammer and ICE® Model 1200E Power Unit to install a combination wall using 1 meter diameter pipes and driving sheet pile between each pipe. The ICE® 110 was selected due to its powerful 412-ton driving capacity as well as its 1600 VPM frequency.
Taiwan is notable for its rapid economic development from an agriculture-based society to an industrialized, high-income country. This economic growth has been described as the Taiwan Miracle. This kind of economic growth calls for updated trade facilities and other infrastructure. Thank you I- San Construction Co. LTD for choosing International Construction Equipment, Inc, (ICE®) to be a part of this port expansion and we look forward to working on more projects in the future!
Learn more about the ICE® Model 110 Vibratory Hammer
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
Grandmont Elated with ICE® 18ZR
June 22, 2024
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River have been major North American trade arteries since long before the U.S. or Canada achieved nationhood. Today, this integrated navigation system serves mariners, farmers, factory workers, and commercial interests from the western prairies to the eastern seaboard. Interestingly, the St. Lawrence River portion of the seaway is not a continuous canal; rather, it consists of several stretches of navigable channels within the river including several locks and canals along the banks much like the Panama Canal.
Recently, local contractor Grandmont Construction was given the task of installing a new drainage system that will take the copious amounts of water that Quebec City collects and distribute it back into the St. Lawrence River. To accomplish this task safely, a cofferdam was first built to provide the Grandmont crew with a dry and secure environment to operate in. Quebec City has a strict vibration law that requires zero resonance vibratory hammers for all related projects within city limits. Knowing this, the experts at Grandmont chose to reach out to their International Construction Equipment, Inc (ICE®) sales team and wisely purchased an ICE® 18ZR Vibratory Driver to drive the 55' (ft) sheet pile firmly into the bedrock to complete this cofferdam. The resonance free ICE® 18ZR hammer allowed the operator to bring the spinning eccentrics up to full rotation (1800 rpm's) at no vibration and then quickly engage the eccentric position to create the vertical vibration which drove the piles without transmitting the typical start-up vibration to the crane.
Quebec City is the first city in Canada to adopt this strict vibration law that will require zero resonance vibratory hammers for all related projects within city limits. With other cities more than likely soon to follow, International Construction Equipment, Inc (ICE®) is increasing the quantity for this style of hammer for rental and sales demand. ICE® is thrilled to have provided the perfect type of equipment for this job and look forward to contributing to more projects throughout Canada! Fantastic work Grandmont Construction, keep up the great work.
Learn More about the ICE® 18 ZR
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
Support Piles Secure Mt. Washington
June 18, 2024
On the southern banks of the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers sits Mt. Washington, PA. Just outside of downtown Pittsburgh, PA. Formally known as Coal Hill, with its easy access to the Pittsburgh coal mines, Mount Washington allowed several coal mines to base their operations there. Rock and sandstone were transported up and down the hill on Mt. Washington due to its access to the river, utilizing boats to haul material from the coal mines to other areas. However, this now local tourist attraction and popular viewing point of the city, also has a steep incline where landslides are quite common. To ensure continued safety for area tourists and residents who now utilize the Washington Incline daily, the area is regularly inspected and maintenanced.
Armstrong Drilling Inc., a deep foundation contractor with over 35 years of experience in the drilling industry, was recently awarded the job of stabilizing the slope of Mt. Washington. To achieve this task safely the experts at Armstrong reached out to their local ICE® Drilling Sales & Service team to rent a Comacchio MC4D to place support piles into the bedrock to prevent further erosion along the hillside. Private homes and businesses sit on this hill, so this project will ensure that these properties will remain secure and not be left vulnerable in a landslide.
Landslides are known to destroy properties and can be deadly in some instances. The Mt. Washington Landslide Mitigation project will secure the hillsides of Mt. Washington and minimize the probability of a landslide event. In recent times, the Mt. Washington area has been challenged in several areas where hillside instability has spilled debris onto roadways and walking paths. Thanks to the professionals at Armstrong Drilling the residents, tourists and businesses of Mt. Washington can feel safe. International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) is happy to have provided the deep foundation equipment required to help stabilize the Mt. Washington hillside and congratulates Armstrong Drilling on a job well done.
Learn more about Comacchio Drill Rigs or contact the ICE® Drilling Team
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
Virginia Beach Coastal Wind Farm Update
June 14, 2024
Located 27 miles off the shore of Virginia Beach, local utility company Dominion Energy is in the next phase of constructing a wind farm to provide service to thousands of Americans. Once fully built, the wind farm will power an estimated 660 thousand homes and will support up to nearly 1,100 jobs! This type of energy provider will avoid as much as 5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually -- the equivalent of planting more than 80 million trees. The wind farm will be stationed on a 112,800 acre-lease area nearly twice the size of the City of Norfolk and will have underwater cables distributing the energy back to the State Military Reservation (SMR) in Virginia Beach. With a targeted completion date of 2026, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project will deliver clean renewable energy to the grid with an overall goal of achieving net zero emissions.
Skanska Construction, who provides construction services in transportation, power, industrial, water/wastewater, healthcare, education and much more, are currently reinforcing a seawall to be used as a staging area for the offshore windfarm. Skanska Construction will be utilizing equipment from International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) to drive pin piles for the existing seawall to reinforce and create a stronger foundation. Skanska Construction has selected an ICE® Model 50B Vibratory Hammer and an ICE® Model 66C Vibratory Hammer to drive these pins for their templates. This reinforced seawall will ensure that material and personnel can go to and from the staging area safely for the wind farm project which Skanska and ICE® have been a part of since 2022.
Human civilizations have harnessed wind power for thousands of years. Early forms of windmills used wind to crush grain or pump water, but now they are used to supply energy. The more wind that can be captured, naturally results in more energy. Due to the ever-growing energy needs of society, it makes perfect sense to place these wind turbines in open waters where there is a great amount of wind. International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) is excited to have been a part of the staging area construction for this project which will supply hundreds of thousands of homes with clean power that will also protect the environment! Excellent job, Skanska Construction, Virginia salutes you!
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® 16VM Repairs Nantucket Foundation
June 10, 2024
Nantucket, MA is a special island with a rich history, located 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod. The island is only accessible by boat or air travel and draws in thousands of tourists who come annually during the summer months. For nearly a century, Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world from 1700-1800 due to whale oil being incredibly valuable and essential for lighting homes during this period. Today, you can walk on the same cobblestone streets, stay at the home of a former whaling captain, or go shopping on Petticoat Row.
Toscana Corporation, a multifaceted construction company providing a comprehensive package of earth-work services for over 42 years, has recently been selected to repair the foundation for an aging residential property on the island. When maintained properly, a home foundation can last up to 100 years or more, depending on the climate, soil, and other conditions like grading. However, foundation repair arises when the very foundation of a home, building, or structure is damaged and needs to be repaired.
For this project, the experts at Toscana utilized their previously purchased ICE® Model 16VM Variable Moment Hammer to drive HP14x89' (Ft) steel H-piles 20' (ft) into the ground to support the new foundation. This hammer, designed and manufactured by International Construction Equipment, Inc (ICE®), was chosen due to the amplitude of the 16VM, which can be adjusted to the point that the pile begins to move. This is beneficial because you can tune the amplitude to both the pile type and soil type- making it the perfect choice for residential foundation projects.
The residential properties throughout the island are known to have historic significance, so it is especially important that they maintain a solid foundation without damaging other homes nearby to guarantee the safety of residents and various tourists. Toscana Corporation crews have done a fantastic job with this foundation repair project along with the numerous others they have completed over the years. International Construction Equipment, Inc (ICE®) is proud to have provided the equipment used to assure a strong and deep foundation on this historic island. Bravo, Toscana Corporation!
Learn More about 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
Jiangsu Sutong Bridge Construction
June 5, 2024
In June 2003 construction began on what is claimed to be the world's longest span cable-stayed bridge to date. The Sutong Bridge lies between Nantong City and Suzhou of Jiangsu province, and became a part of the national key trunk route planned by the Ministry of Communications from Jiayin in Helongjiang province to Nanping in Fuijang province.
Sutong Bridge, which crosses the 6km Changjiang River, has several roles: it has aided the trunk road net in both the province and throughout the country; it has improved safety for vehicles crossing the river; and has reduced the pressure of increasing traffic. The bridge was completed in January 2008 and was officially opened for traffic in June 2008.
Sutong Bridge is the winner of 2010 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award (OCEA).
Bridge contractors
The Sutong Bridge was an all-China project. No international participations were invited for the bridge construction. The construction contractor selected was China Harbour Engineering Group (CHEC).
The project managers were the Jiangsu Sutong Bridge Construction Commanding Department, a team compiled from the National Communications Ministry, Jiangsu province and Suzhou and Nantong cities. Doka (Deutsche Doka Schalungstechnik GmbH), the formwork manufacturer, is supplying climbing technology for use in the construction.
There are 36 Doka SKE 100 climbers at either end of the bridge and these have the job of placing over 68 casting sections on each pylon. The use of the powerful hydraulic climbing units meant that a large part of the construction was crane independent and as such was unaffected by poor weather it can still operate in wind speeds as high as 70km/h.
Although no international assistance is required for the actual construction, some non-Chinese companies have been involved in both planning and advising the project team. COWI A/S (Denmark) was awarded a DKK65 million contract to provide consultancy services on concept and design, to support the Chinese in managing and undertaking the project, to provide technical assistance, make wind tunnel experiments and train young Chinese engineers to manage the project, to ensure quality and manage operations and maintenance.
Force Technology was also involved in conducting the wind tunnel experiments. Jiangsu Province Communications Planning and Design Institute were involved in the design of the bridge. Maunsell AECOM was the Engineering Consultant to the Second Navigation Engineering Bureau (SNEB) of China Harbour Engineering Group, who was awarded the prestigious Contract C3 for the superstructure construction of the Sutong Bridge.
Ove Arup (UK) was contracted to provide construction management services, and Lord Corporation (North Carolina, USA) was selected to help develop a structural monitoring system using the company's magnetorheological (MR) fluid formations and damper designs.
Technical advisers for the project included individuals from Tongji University, Bridge Survey and Design Institute of China Railway Construction Company, Ministry of Communications, Hong Kong Civil Engineering Association, Tokyo University, COWI A/S (Denmark), TY LIN Company (USA).
To assist in managing the project, the Jiangsu Sutong Bridge Construction Commanding Department purchased the Primavera P3e/c software program for construction and engineering. P3e/c helps manage construction projects, large contractors, engineering firms, design-build firms, engineers, procure and construct firms and owners. It aids planning and scheduling, project control, cost management, resource / materials management, project management and analysis / reporting.
Sutong Bridge location
The Sutong Bridge is located at the Chengong watercourse of Changjiang River, an S-shaped river with a varying width between 6km and 14km wide, and a maximum depth of approximately 50m. The bridge will span the 6km-wide river near Xuliujing. The Changjiang River is a tributary of the Yangtze River, situated close to the river mouth by the Yellow Sea. The bridge will be 280km west of Nanjing, 90km from the Yangtze River Bridge in Jiangyin and 100km east of the Yangtze River estuary.
Jiangsu province is an important, growing, industrial region in China. It has a population of 74 million people.
When completed, the bridge will join the Nantong-Qidong section (under construction) of the Ningbo-Qidong Expressway, as well as other coastal expressways in the north.
In the south, the bridge will link up with the Shanghai-Ningbo Expressway, the Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway (under construction), and other highways that follow the Yangtze River.
There is currently an annual increase of 15% of traffic users crossing the Yangtze River in the Jiangsu region. In Nantong, this increase is as much as 20% annually. Forward predictions of traffic numbers crossing the river in the Nantong area (per day) were 41,432 in 2005, increasing to 70,624 by 2014, and 89,556 in 2025. There were four car ferries crossing the river in this region these traffic increases were clearly too much for these ferries to manage. The ferry journey takes 1hr with the bridge being completed this journey time has reduced to five minutes.
Sutong Bridge statistics and construction
The Sutong Bridge project consisted of three parts:
- Crossing engineering
- North bank linking engineering (15.1km, with two interchanges, a toll gate and a service zone)
- South bank linking engineering (9.1km, with one interchange)
The total length of the crossing is 8,206m. The main bridge is a double-cable-plane, double-pylon steel box girder cable-stayed bridge. The central span of 1,088m has a height of 62m, which will allow fourth and fifth generation container ships to pass through in all weather. The bridge and its approaches are of six-lane expressway design, with a maximum speed of 100km/h.
Over 32.2km of cable was used in the bridge. The project will require 200,000t of steel, 1 million m³ of concrete and 3 million m³ of earth for filling.
When designing the bridge, several important factors were taken into consideration:
- Poor climate: each year the area has on average 30 days of heavy fog, more than 120 days of heavy rain (typhoon), and frequent tornados with associated high windspeeds
- Complex hydrology: the river has varying flow speeds and directions and depths vary as the river is tidal the maximum design average flow passing through the river cross section is 4.01m/s
- Deep bedrock: the bedrock is at a depth of 270m, which is covered by sediment and silt
- Navigational requirements: 50,000t container ships and large scale fleets were allowed to pass under the bridge the navigation clearance required a width greater than 891m and a height greater than 62m and the main bridge was designed to resist the impact of a 50,000t ship
After completion, the bridge created four new world records for cable-stayed bridges: its 1,088m span is the longest; the 306m-high main bridge tower is the highest; the two foundation piers of the main bridge are the deepest; and the longest stay of the main bridge is the longest in the world, so far, at 580m.
Construction machinery
China Harbour Engineering Company, the main contractor for the bridge construction, purchased two V360 hydraulic vibratory driver / extractor hammers from International Construction Equipment Inc (ICE) of North Carolina, US.
These machines were used to drill the foundation piles 395ft into the ground, through seven different layers of ground consisting of mainly medium-dense to very-dense fine sand. The casings for each pile weighed 135t, with dimensions of 9.25ft in diameter, 230ft in length, with a wall thickness of 1in.
The hammers were set up in tandem so that they worked together. These machines completed the driving of more than 200 casings within six months.
Dorman Long Technology was the sub-contractor for the design, supply and site supervision of the deck erection gantries, to the 2nd Navigation Engineering Bureau. The first 16m 450t deck segment was erected on 9 November 2006, an operation which included a 125% overload test and a 110% dynamic test. The last segment was erected on 9 June 2007.
The steel orthotropic deck for the bridge was fabricated offsite and was delivered by barge for erection. The gantries worked in pairs to lift and align the deck units. Each gantry has one 290t capacity DL-S290 strand jack to lift the deck unit and a system of secondary hydraulic rams to carefully adjust its position.
Finance
The total cost for construction of the Sutong Bridge is estimated to be $6.45bn ($750m). $2.2bn ($266.12m), amounting to 35% of the total, was collected by the local governments of Jiangsu province (60%), Suzhou City and Nantong City (20% each). The remaining funds were sourced via loans from domestic banks. The bridge is being tolled and the fares received are being used to pay back the loans.
Sponsor : Local government: Jiangsu province, Suzhou City, Nantong City
Main Contractor: China Harbour Engineering Company, Second Navigation Engineering Bureau (SNEB)
International Contractors: COWI A/S (Denmark); Ove Arup (UK); Lord Corporation (USA); International Construction Equipment Inc (USA); Force Technology, Doka, Deutsche Doka Schalungstechnik GmbH, Maunsell AECOM, Dorman Long Tech
Cost: $750m
Story Originally Posted on RoadTraffic-Technology.com
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® EX-25 Boosts Productivity
June 1, 2024
During the 2022 hurricane season, Puerto Rico faced disastrous flooding brought on by Hurricane Fiona. Despite its Category 1 rating, the effects of Fiona's massive rainfall submerged homes that were already damaged from Category 4 Hurricane Maria in 2017. Since then, buildings have slowly sunk in the ground due to liquefaction, or water and loose sediments at ground surface. Any new construction on Puerto Rico's weak soil must be built on strong foundations made to resist future liquefaction, especially for something the size of La Cala--the latest luxury residential complex in Dorado, Puerto Rico currently underway for the world-renowned, Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
MRD LLC, a Puerto Rican based contractor, recently prepared the foundation for the high-end neighborhood that will include 16 houses, each with an average sale value of $35 million. As leaders in ground improvement, soil reinforcement and deep foundations the experts at MRD first installed stone columns to help mitigate the potential for liquefaction by increasing the density of surrounding soil. To accomplish this, the contractor rented two ICE® 12E Excavator-Mounted Vibratory Hammers and an ICE® EX-25 Rotary Head. Pre-drilling was first accomplished by the ICE® EX-25 to drill out the soils to the desired design depth. After pre-drilling was accomplished, a special tool was then inserted with the ICE® 12E Vibratory Hammer to compact the gravel to further strengthen the area. Once completed, the MRD team then used the two ICE® 12E Excavator-Mounted Hammers, the largest in the ICE® Mounted Excavator series, to install the 18" (in) impact piers to grade.
This contractor chose to reach out to their ICE® service team for some deep foundation solutions that would give their crew an edge -- and it certainly exceeded their expectations. In fact, ICE®'s rotary attachments helped them to greatly improve installation time compared to the standard equipment they had been using previously. The MRD crew was very pleased, stating that "the ICE® 12E has been efficient in terms of energy for the compaction/construction, as well as the ICE® EX-25 for pre-drilling".
International Construction Equipment, Inc values its Latin American customers and thanks MRD for the opportunity to show the Puerto Rican construction industry the quality and power of the ICE® line. Congratulations to the entire MRD team on a job well done!
Learn more about the ICE® 12E and ICE® EX-25 Rotary Head
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
