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“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” www.constructionequipmentguide.com Published 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. 13, Washington, PA •19034 • 215/885-2900 ToWashington, ll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910 • www.ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com February 2013 • Vol. LIV No. 4 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910 Nationally
Inside
Billions of Dollars Pour in for Sandy Recovery By Pete Sigmund CEG EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
Bucket Attachment Goes Digging for Gold…8
Rep. Shuster Visits Cleveland Brothers…14
JC B Helps t o Uneart h Buried Spitfires...28
Table of Contents ............4 Paving Section ........59-73 Excavators & Attachments Section....................77-115 Parts Section ..............131 Business Calendar ......132 Auction Section ..136-148 Advertisers Index ........146
The House and Senate have passed, and President Obama has signed into law, a $50.5-billion emergency relief bill to help restore areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Obama signed the Sandy relief bill into law on Jan. 29, as soon as it hit his desk. The legislation assists storm victims, providing funds for rebuilding homes and businesses. It also
helps restore public transportation, helps states, counties and municipalities meet storm-related needs, and opens the way for new rebuilding contracts. The storm, which made landfall Oct. 29 five mi. southwest of Atlantic City, N.J., caused an estimated $65 billion to $80 billion in damages, with the worst devastation to homes in New Jersey and New York. Sandy, which took 157 lives,
was the second-worst storm in U.S. history, with damages exceeded only by Hurricane Katrina, where damages totaled $108 billion. Damages have been estimated at $29.4 billion in New Jersey and $41.9 billion in New York, including about $19 billion in Manhattan.
Severe Flooding Though wind gusts hit 90 mph, flooding from the storm caused the most damage, with ocean water merging with bays in many areas. An initial priority for contractors is restoring homes whose owners had see SANDY page 126
Employment Rises in 139 Out of 337 Metropolitan Areas Construction employment increased in 139 out of 337 metropolitan areas between December 2011 and December 2012, declined in 131 and was stagnant in 65, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released Jan. 28 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that growing private sector demand for new construction projects boosted employment in a slight plurality of metro areas. “Private sector demand for energy, health care, higher education and residential construction is having a positive impact in a growing number of metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Unfortunately, construction employment in almost as many metro areas appears to be suffering from declining public sector demand and a private sector market that is still well-below peak levels.” Pascagoula, Miss., added the highest percentage of new construction jobs (42 percent, 1,900 jobs) followed by Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Mass.-N.H. (22 percent, 800 jobs); Lafayette, La. (17 percent, 1,100 jobs) and Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa (16 percent, 3,000 jobs). Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (17,600 jobs, 10 percent) added the most jobs. Other areas adding a large number of jobs included Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (8,300 jobs, see EMPLOYMENT page 140
Crews have had to work with all the local stakeholders and try to coordinate work with minimal disruption to city of Pittsburgh events, Consol Energy Center events (Pittsburgh Penguin games and concerts), Heinz Field events (Pittsburgh Steelers), and PNC Park events (Pittsburgh Pirates).
Allegheny River Crossing Well Under Way in ’Burgh By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
Progress is being made on a large bridge project for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 11 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The I-579 (Crosstown Boulevard) Veterans Bridge Preservation Project is divided into two phases, which have been running concurrently since Dec. 12, 2011.
The less than two-mile stretch of roadway includes the Veterans Bridge, which crosses the Allegheny River, and Crosstown Boulevard, a series of bridges that carry the highway over the eastern side of downtown Pittsburgh. The contracts for both phases were awarded to Trumbull Corporation of Pittsburgh, with John Nemmer serving as project manager. see BRIDGE page 122