Powering Up Swamps
November 8, 2021
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
