State Supplement sponsored by:
441
59
75
Cornella 19
Rome 85 27
Athens
GEORGIA STATE EDITION
A Supplement to:
441
Atlanta
20
Madison Augusta
85
20
Griffin 1
129
Milledgeville
75
La Grange
Macon
301
185 19
16
Dublin
Swainsboro Oak Park
Columbus
Statesboro
341 441 16
Lyons Americus
Savannah
McRae
301
1
Cordele
27 82
Dorchester
341
Cuthbert
75
Albany
84
Douglas Tifton
82
95
82
Blakely
Pearson 27 84
Moultrie
19 319
84
Bainbridge
Valdosta Thomasville
®
1 441
THOUSANDS of units in service
Waycross Brunswick 82
Shipment in 1-3 days SAME DAY shipping on parts & tools FULLY SUPPORTED by a 75 YEAR FAMILY BUSINESS
June 6 2018
10% off 10,000 ft. lb. hammers
Vol. XIX • No. 12
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Why pay more?
CALL 800-367-4937 *On approved credit • Financing Available
Savannah Mason Mega Rail Terminal Work Proceeds By Lori Tobias CEG CORRESPONDENT
Work is well underway on a 20-month contract to build the infrastructure for a railroad project in Savannah that will make it the largest on-deck intermodal rail facility for a port
authority in North America. The Mason Mega Rail Terminal is the next step in the Port of Savannah’s drive to handle more cargo from NeoPanamax vessels. It is part of a comprehensive expansion plan that includes a deeper harbor, the largest ship-to-shore crane fleet in North America, adding 60 rubber-tired Gantry
Infrastructure improvements include ground improvements, clearing, grubbing, excavation of wetlands, dynamic compaction and imported fill.
yard cranes and expanding truck gates. General contractor Astra Group Inc., of Woodstock, Ga., won the $34.6 million contract for infrastructure improvements with work starting this past January and set for completion the summer of 2019. Those improvements include ground improvements, clearing, grubbing, excavation of wetlands, dynamic compaction and imported fill. “There are three bridges that are part of this project, two railroad bridges and one for vehicles, to cross an on-site canal,” said Daniel Buehler, project manager. “If you put all the ground improvements in one basket, I would say they are the largest component of the job. That includes rigid inclusion, dynamic compaction, excavating, the removal of wetlands and replacement of them with suitable material, such as a composite section that involves a geogrid, 18 inches of number 57 stone and a layer of nonwoven geotextiles.” The ground compaction is achieved through the use of a crane and giant weight and is necessary due to existing landfills. The compaction area is 304,852 sq. ft. “The rigid inclusions and dynamic compaction are not new technology, but they are new to us,” Buehler said. “We’ve done this type of work before, but not really on this scale. The rigid inclusions are a grouted element to stabilize the ground and minimize settlement. A tube is inserted into the ground, and as the tube is extracted, pressurized grout is pushed into the space left behind.” Crews have started on the bridges, driving 20 test piles to see MASON page 6
Georgia Might Move Vehicles From Under Bridge After Collapse (AP) Georgia transportation officials are considering other locations for storing roadside assistance vehicles. The development comes after a federal agency issued a report on factors that contributed to the 2017 collapse of a section of Interstate 85 in metro Atlanta. A homeless man was accused of setting the fire, but construction materials stored under the bridge allowed the blaze to spread quickly. The National Transportation Safety Board said in a recent report that the “large amount of combustible material being stored underneath this section of
the I-85 bridge increased the fire risk to the bridge” and contributed to its collapse. Georgia transportation officials say they no longer store construction materials under Georgia bridges. The Georgia Fire Marshal’s Office inspected the HERO vehicle facility under I-85 after the bridge collapsed and found that the facility complies with all state requirements. HERO drivers — short for Highway Emergency Response Operators — help to clear wrecks and also provide traffic control and roadside assistance
to motorists in metro Atlanta. But Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Natalie Dale told The Atlanta JournalConstitution that the agency is considering other locations for the HERO vehicles. Supervisors also have offices under the highway, and employees meet there for shift changes and safety meetings. Dale said there is no specific time frame for making the decision. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.)
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a recent report that the “large amount of combustible material being stored underneath this section of the I85 bridge increased the fire risk to the bridge” and contributed to its collapse.