Page 8 • April 3, 2021 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE
Arcola Building Co. Tackles Lake Erie Erosion Project Murphy Tractor & Equipment Recommends NPK Sheet Pile Drivers to Help With Restoration
John Selwyn positions the NPK C8C pile driver to receive the sheet pilings.
High water levels and severe weather contributed to erosion issues at this Madison, Ohio, residence, requiring emergency property restoration.
After a decades-long tenure working on virtually every major construction project in Cleveland, Ohio, long-time union member John Selwyn decided to start up his own business. In 2003, he established Arcola Building Company in Madison, Ohio. Located close to Lake Erie, the company has found no shortage of work in the immediate vicinity. Selwyn takes on projects ranging from new industrial and residential construction to home remodeling and renovation as well as property restoration projects on the shores of the lake. Eroding Shoreline Known as one of the most turbulent of the Great Lakes due to its shallow depth, those living along Lake Erie’s shore frequently face erosion issues that undermine the shoreline and threaten homes and other structures. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has reported that record-high water levels, exacerbated by severe weather — including strong winds and ice movement — accelerate erosion during the winter months. The ODNR also has indicated that the problem is more common in the eastern part of the state, specifically in Lake and Ashtabula counties where the coastline is largely composed of erosion-prone cohesive clays. Being based in Lake County, it is no coincidence that much of Arcola’s recent work has focused on property restoration and preservation. Along the 40 mi. of shoreline spanning from Geneva to Euclid, Ohio, Arcola has built a solid reputation as the company to contact when erosion becomes an issue. Selwyn estimates that the company
Impulse forces from the NPK C8C pile driver’s vibratory compactor liquify the foundation materials for a smooth and steady installation of the piling.
has conducted erosion control work on 40,000 to 50,000 ft. of Lake Erie shoreline since the company’s founding.
While measures are always taken to ensure safety, at times the work involved a limited amount of risk. For Selwyn, the safety of his crew is the number-one priority. The company has reported no lost time due to accidents throughout its time in operation and Selwyn’s goal is to keep that streak going.
Equipment. “The dealership’s sales representatives and service technicians have consistently demonstrated outstanding product knowledge and have provided fast and efficient service throughout the time we’ve worked with them,” said Selwyn. “John Deere machines are second to none.” Murphy Tractor & Equipment also is the authorized dealer of NPK Construction Products and when he was approached regarding NPK’s line of pile drivers, Selwyn decided it was time to consider upgrading his process of constructing steel piling seawalls. Selwyn reviewed the line’s three pile driver models, including the C-6CSD, C-8CSD and C-10CSD.
Challenges of Latest Project Currently, Arcola is working on an emergency property restoration project in Madison. Approximately 100 ft. of the homeowner’s property had washed away when the base under the existing concrete wall was undermined to a point How NPK Pile Drivers Work where the wall collapsed. NPK’s sheet pile drivers use a The initial work involved building a hydraulically-powered clamp bolted to ramp into the lake to recover the concrete the base of a modified vibratory combarrels that served as the original breaker pactor and are designed to drive pilings, wall. After the collapse, the concrete barsheeting and large diameter pipe for rels had washed into the lake and needed applications including foundation supto be retrieved before any other work port and erosion control. The innovative could proceed. design combines the high-impulse Once recovered, the barrels were forces of NPK’s original compaction reused by squaring with the owner’s models with vibration to liquify the soil. property line and resetting. When that This maximizes speed and accuracy aspect of the work was completed, during installation. The units are engiapproximately 150 tons of fill dirt were neered to direct impulse forces downtrucked in to replace the portion the land ward for optimal driving operation that had washed into the lake. The last while rubber shock mounts protect the step in the construction process before excavator boom from vibration and final landscaping involves the installation of steel pilings to create the sea wall. John Selwyn, owner of Arcola Building shock loading. Hydraulicly operated jaws, which run Until recently, Arcola Building Company, takes a seat in his John Deere 210G Company’s procedure for driving the pil- LC excavator equipped with a new NPK C8C on a secondary hydraulic circuit, grasp the materials to be driven or extracted, ings required the use of two excavators: pile driver. reducing or eliminating the need for spotter one to transport and place the piling while a at the hook-up site. The pile drivers are second excavator, equipped with a hammer Equipment of Choice driver, drove the piling into place. Safely Selwyn’s construction equipment of equipped with a self-aligning swivel feature securing the piling to the excavator for choice has always been John Deere. He has to provide greater positioning capabilities. placement was a cumbersome task and, developed a close working relationship with The swivel feature also may be locked to overall, the work was both challenging and the sales team of Ohio’s authorized John maintain orientation of the pile driver in a time consuming. Deere dealership, Murphy Tractor & see ARCOLA page 62
