Repairing the Path to Lady Liberty
Editor: Allison Braswell

Every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, around 10,000 tourists catch a ferry at either the Battery Park Terminal in New York or the Liberty State Park Terminal in New Jersey to view the awe-inspiring Statue of Liberty--a universal symbol of the United States' journey to freedom and a life free from injustice. Since 1886 when France gifted "Liberty Enlightening the World" to the U.S., it has stood on Liberty Island for all to admire including the 12 million new immigrants who were welcomed at the former immigration station on the neighboring Ellis Island from 1892 through 1954. 

Over time, the elements have taken their toll on the ferry dock at Liberty Island. The seabed where the timber piles of the dock had been driven into has worn away, exposing the piles and weakening their ability to keep the dock firmly anchored. These piles are bound to face gradual deterioration due to the constant splashing of waves with ferries arriving or leaving the island every 10 minutes. On the contrary, timber is a cost-efficient pile driving selection and can be easily cut to desired lengths using chainsaws. As the Statue of Liberty is struck by lightning about 600 times per year, timber has the added benefit of not being a source of conduction for electricity. It should also be noted that both locals and tourists would appreciate the preservation of Liberty Island's traditionalism by continuing to use the same types of materials when making reparations. 

To maintain passenger safety when boarding and exiting the ferries, Sound Marine Construction & Salvage of Nyack, NY replaced several of the aging timber piles using their own ICE® 22D Vibratory Driver paired with their ICE® Model 40 Clamp. ICE® is proud to say that this versatile clamp, which is designed for driving and extracting wood, pipe, and concrete pile, is still enjoyed by the client 14 years after they first added it to their fleet. 

As a company that assembles, engineers, manufactures, and tests their deep foundation equipment right here in the U.S.A., International Construction Equipment, Inc is honored to have been invited by Sound Marine Construction to work on improving the accessibility to an esteemed national treasure and one of New York City's most rewarding experiences.  

Learn more about ICE®'s history as well as the ICE® 22D and ICE® Model 40 Wood, Concrete, & Pipe Clamp. 

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