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How to take a bridge down in 3 minutes!

CM1995

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Jan 21, 2007
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13,246
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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
Did you get to see any of it?

No, just the news pictures. I stayed away from the site, actually I try to stay away from "Malfunction Junction" as much as possible.;)

There is an interesting story on the rebuild.

From the article -

No one ever thought that this interchange emergency recovery project could have taken off so swiftly and been completed in 37 days and only 53 days after the crash had taken place.
 

JDOFMEMI

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Joined
Jan 3, 2007
Messages
3,074
Location
SoCal
I just haven't had any luck at getting my excavator to move that fast. Still trying though.

They do the bridges a little different here. Never seen any high reach machines on them. usually a couple 30 to 40 tonners sit on the deck and take it out, leaving just the beams, then get them down at each end, and work the mess from each side at the ground level.

I always get a little concerned for the guys sitting on the middle of the bridge, and breaking the deck they are sitting on. I guess if you have been close to it you get a comfort level for what you can eat while still sitting on it.
 

landrvrnut22

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Nov 1, 2007
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201
Location
Akron, Ohio, USA.
Occupation
Field Superintendent
I'm impressed. I counted about 10 excavators at a minimum. 24 hours from last car to first car. That is an orchestra, and I am sure the super was busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest.
 

blueman

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Apr 3, 2009
Messages
45
Location
NC
I'm impressed. I counted about 10 excavators at a minimum. 24 hours from last car to first car. That is an orchestra, and I am sure the super was busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest.

I read about this job at the time, I think the contract required the bridge down and traffic running again within 24 hrs, with massive late penalties. So - they threw all the iron they could at the job and got 'er done.

Hopefully Andy removes his bushel and tells us the real story. Very impressive video, by the way.
 

Iron Horse

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How is the video made ? It is obviously a fixed camera but how is it done ? Is it a time lapse camera or is it an edited video ? It can't be a speeded up version of the full 24 hours surely , it would have to run at light speed to show 24 hours in 3 minutes .
 

stock

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Eire
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We have moved on and now were lost....
How is the video made ? It is obviously a fixed camera but how is it done ? Is it a time lapse camera or is it an edited video ? It can't be a speeded up version of the full 24 hours surely , it would have to run at light speed to show 24 hours in 3 minutes .

Maybe a frame every minute of that, then run at normal speed maybe,
 

Demo_Andy

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Jul 20, 2008
Messages
61
Location
England
Occupation
Demolition Machine operator
Heres the story! With pics.

Right to show the sequence I've got the following pics, there of a smaller bridge on a dual carriage way. Then I'll post some ones of the heavier bridges later on.

Pic 1: before the storm, this pics shows the machine park, with the line of spare attachments, crane mats for protecting the road and highways crew removing the central barrier.

Pic 2: 2 x Cat 320 straight booms in operation, one removing the hand railings on top of the bridge, the other placing the crane mats being fed four at a time by two telehandlers.

Pic 3: Finishing touches to the mats, big boys start to roll in- Cat 345 2 x volvo 360s

Pic 4: Everyone started, Hitachi 650, 2x Cat 345, 4x Volvo 360 and 2x Cat 320

Next post coming up....
 

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Demo_Andy

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Messages
61
Location
England
Occupation
Demolition Machine operator
Pic 5: 650 comes down on the carriage way, lighting towers set up

Pic 6: Good pic of the high reaches, clear to see the there advantage here far more productive than a normal machine and it takes away the need to have machines working on top of the spans.

Pic 7: Bridge down, processing phase begins. Removal of heavy rebar, getting ready to load out the concrete.

Pic 8: The cleaned road, first few cars, I wonder how many of them noticed that the bridge has gone! Closure time, around 12 hours
 

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Demo_Andy

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England
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Demolition Machine operator
Heres some random ones from the M1 motorway:

Some nasty rebar in there!
 

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Demo_Andy

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England
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Demolition Machine operator
Three more, thats best of what I've got.

Any Q's, fire away!
 

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stock

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Eire
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We have moved on and now were lost....
Excellent Andy thank you very much for those .
 

willie59

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Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Yeah man, really nice pics andy. ;)

Is the main boom on all 345's made like that, or is that a special demo boom? It looks like it has two pin positions in the middle of the boom. One pin position, the one it's in now, makes the boom straight. The other postion would give the boom a bend at mid point. Cool. :cool:
 

Demo_Andy

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England
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Demolition Machine operator
Yeah man, really nice pics andy. ;)

Is the main boom on all 345's made like that, or is that a special demo boom? It looks like it has two pin positions in the middle of the boom. One pin position, the one it's in now, makes the boom straight. The other postion would give the boom a bend at mid point. Cool. :cool:

These are very different to your standard spec 345.

There a demolition purpose machine built by Cat themselves, official designation 345C UHD. By having the two position boom you can still use the machine as a digging machine as well as having the benefit of much greater vertical reach.

As well as this, you have the tilting cab, full roof window/wiper, more weight in the counterweight (So to speak!) thicker belly blates, side guards on upper structure and full length track guards.

All together in the config you see here, they weight just under 60t without attachment.
 

Iron Horse

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Can the boom also be separated at that point so it can be swapped for a long reach arm for tall demolition work ?
 

Demo_Andy

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Jul 20, 2008
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61
Location
England
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Demolition Machine operator
Can the boom also be separated at that point so it can be swapped for a long reach arm for tall demolition work ?

Yes thats right, 26-28m high-reach arm for a 345C, and for the 336D I operate around 21-22m
 

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Demo_Andy

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England
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Demolition Machine operator
Andy, Cool pics. how da ya like the 336? :drinkup Bob aka ZZ

The 336 is very good, good reach, plenty of power, multifunctions with different attachments well and precise through the levers. Drinks plenty of diesel too- lol!
 

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Wolf

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The 336 is very good, good reach, plenty of power, multifunctions with different attachments well and precise through the levers. Drinks plenty of diesel too- lol!

sweet pictures, Andy. It looks like the 336 is out there doing some real damage to those buildings. LOL. What kind of projects you got going on right now, m8?
 
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