Plumbing is done mainly for plumbing in a house and at any place without problems and with good plumbing Almost all buildings must have a good system of pipes is a house or office or any other advertising . But there is something important that every home should have a hydraulic system with unions in the building. It ‘s impossible to live in a house with the installation of a channel of a good plumber plumber has great advantages in every home. Home plumbing systems mainly include the installation of a water supply system to provide pure and clean water for drinking, cooking etc. So a house has pipeline connections in bathrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, etc. to make the availability of water.
As the same installation of a drainage system and sewage is more important to all families, because, through a system of drainage or sewage is only possible to detect sewage and other waste containing water in a remote location. In addition to these installation of a water supply system in a house is different. Some people need hot and cold water, so it might be a good way to install a hot water system and use separate pipelines for the supply of hot and cold room, bathroom, kitchen, etc. The installation of a centralized system of water Hot has a significant advantage in home plumbing. In modern kitchens, it has become common practice to install a dishwasher if you have to pay more money and attention for its proper functioning.
Many homes do not have a sound system on your own and save water for use after obtaining a pipeline connections to water authorities. E ‘became an integral part of every family to install a hydraulic unit and the water line with a water tank outside and keep water in a reservoir located in the house. To achieve the efficiency of the hydraulic system at home or keep it in good condition, needs frequent maintenance and plumbing were unavoidable in the plumbing service business. Since the installation of a system of water supply systems, sewerage and drainage of the house are used for the transport of construction waste containing water of a public sewer or a septic tank for a.
To drainage system uses a single tube, and often with a partial allocation of a two-pipe system, a system of single cell and a battery system only partially ventilated drainage of sewage and other waste Waterborne from sinks, bathtubs and sinks with a hose connected directly to a sewer system so as to produce a series of problems for hydraulic problems at home are the most frequent losses in pipes, leaks in water tanks and the formation of shoes inside a pipeline and, consequently, to block the hydraulic system and we can solve this problem with the use of a hydraulic engineer.
2011年10月31日星期一
2011年10月30日星期日
Putting I-680 back together
In the early morning, the Welcome to Iowa sign stood cloaked in darkness up the hill from the paving crew trying to put Interstate 680 back together.
Under normal circumstances, the sign greets Interstate travelers and commuters with a pleasant, "The People of Iowa Welcome You."
With the passageway closed from the destruction of Missouri River floodwaters, the sign is a fitting greeting for the construction workers, whose roar of activity has replaced the raging river from this summer and the hum of traffic before that.
Indeed, Iowa welcomes these workers. Council Bluffs welcomes the work; Crescent and Missouri Valley welcome it. Drivers from north Omaha and the northwest Omaha suburbs welcome it.
This Wednesday afternoon, all four lanes of the 3.1-mile stretch of I-680 are due to reopen to traffic, making an improbably quick comeback from its closure and destruction.
When the floodwater receded just two months ago, I-680 was revealed as a broken, crumpled row of concrete blocks. The dour assessment was that it would take until late 2012 at the earliest to rebuild.
I-680's route to reopening stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of hundreds of people, from the mechanic fixing a bad alternator on a paving machine to top officials at the Iowa Department of Transportation.
On the front lines, construction workers embraced the challenge of getting the highway open as soon as possible and performed beyond the most optimistic expectations. For their quick work, three contractors stand to split some $6 million in incentives for opening early.
Behind the scenes, DOT officials cut through the normally grinding process to fast-track plans, quickly hire contractors and get workers on the job.
Mother Nature, having caused the problem in the first place, actually became a partner. Throughout an intense four weeks of construction, a mild, dry October meant practically no time was lost to weather.
As the work wraps up, a sense of pride and accomplishment has washed over the people who returned I-680 to use.
The people waiting to drive the stretch again are thankful for the effort. Within the construction industry, people consider the project a sight to behold.
"It's gone so fast," said Ron Otto, technical director for the Associated General Contractors of Iowa, who previously had a 47-year career at the Iowa DOT. "It's truly amazing."
The first peek of morning sun was more than an hour away last week as the crew from Manatts Construction prepared to lay one of the last ribbons of new concrete.
Floodlights glared to allow this group of 20-some workers to start a day that wouldn't end until the sun went back down. Overhead, jets departed out of Eppley Airfield just across the Missouri River, their engine noise drowned out by paving machines.
At 7:03 a.m., as a pink glow emerged in the eastern sky, the first dump truck backed up to the paver and dropped the day's first load of cement for a 14,000-foot-long stretch. Two minutes later, the second dump truck pulled up, paving the way for 108 more loads to follow.
The project has continued almost nonstop for four weeks. At the start, work to clear upward of 18,000 tons of broken highway each day ran 24 hours a day.
Since then, the pace has backed off — to 12- to 14-hour days, seven days a week — as workers have prepared the ground, installed a sub-pavement layer, paved the road and completed other work.
Mark Bare, project coordinator with Peterson Contractors of Reinbeck, Iowa, has overseen the job. Bare said the workers, about 300 at one time during the peak, are motivated by the challenge. He described the attitude as: "Tell me it can't be done. Then get out of my way."
While focused on their task, the workers are tired and even lose track of days sometimes.
Troy Teggatz, a Manatts mechanic from Marengo, Iowa, in the eastern part of the state, admits he's ready to go home. But before that can happen, he said he's committed to doing "whatever it takes to get the job done."
The week before, that meant fixing a burst hydraulic hose that stopped the paver. He fixed an alternator that quit charging and caused other parts to shut down. The day before the shoulder paving started, Teggatz put in six hours shifting a paving guide 2 feet to fit the 8-foot-wide shoulder.
His co-workers, Teggatz said, have "done an awesome job."
"It's all about helping the community out as quickly as we can," he said.
The work zone can be described as organized chaos. Using the two lanes of highway now in place, construction traffic generally follows the proper eastbound and westbound routes.
As two sets of pavers operate at one end, dump trucks and cement trucks run back and forth to a makeshift cement plant three miles down the road. In a spot just off the road, crushers work down what had been a 30-foot-tall pile of the broken pieces of I-680.
Heavy trailers haul excess dirt from the median, dumping it into a detention pond. Other workers install drainage equipment on the roadside.
Two primary contractors — Peterson and Reilly Construction of Ossian, Iowa — bid for the job, beating out four other bidders, including Omaha's Kiewit Co. Along with subcontractor Manatts, five other subcontractors have worked on-site at one point or another, and dozens more companies have provided the supplies to keep the work going.
Peterson and Reilly won the contract with a $19.239 million bid. Three companies — Peterson, Reilly and Manatts — stand to split some $6 million in incentive bonuses offered by the Iowa DOT. All but $2 million of that is due to be reimbursed by federal highway disaster funds.
Cork Peterson, vice president of Peterson Contractors, acknowledged the incentives are a boost. But he said the bonus is not pure profit, helping instead to recover some costs and cover a "staggering" payroll.
Peterson commended the workers and the contractors, saying, "Everybody has their A-team there."
"I would not have thought we'd be done this soon," he said. "Our people have performed incredibly well."
Still, Peterson said the project also has been blessed with good weather — little rain, unseasonable warmth and few dips below freezing. "Sunshine makes us smart," he said.
Under ordinary circumstances, a project to repave a stretch of Interstate might take a construction season, perhaps six months to complete. If a brand new highway was carving a new route, that could take two years.
Before a brand new project could even proceed to construction, it very well could take 10 years to study, buy property and finish other preliminary work, said Otto, the Associated General Contractors official.
So while construction moved quickly, the Iowa Department of Transportation's behind-the-scenes preparations also sped up the project.
While the Interstate was still flooded, the DOT surveyed the site by air to get an early read on problems.
Before the extent of damage became clear, Director Paul Trombino called together senior management to plan for flood recovery efforts, said Dena Gray-Fisher, a department spokeswoman. Trombino's challenge to the department: Be bold and innovative.
As the floodwaters pulled back, officials knew they had to put the project out to bid as quickly as possible with fall approaching, said Mike Kennerly, director of the design office.
The department decided to offer contractors a "limited design," something that Iowa hadn't tried before, Kennerly said. That meant not taking the time to draw up the typical detailed, prescriptive plan — the precise cross-section at different points, for instance, or details on the guardrail design.
Instead, Kennerly said, the contractors would receive only key guidelines necessary to let them start the work.
"A lot of those details, we just filled in after the fact," he said.
The plans didn't come completely from scratch. Planners were able to call up a complete set of original I-680 plans from the 1970s stored electronically.
Still, there were gaps in the land survey data, Kennerly said. To obtain survey information from areas still affected by the flood, the state turned to 3-D models of the terrain that the state had previously gathered.
Because the work would trace the existing highway route, the department also could skip the lengthy environmental review process.
After construction bids were opened on a Friday — Sept. 23 — the contractors were chosen that day. The companies started mobilizing equipment by Saturday, had some workers on-site by Monday and began work that Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Throughout construction, the department and its contractors have remained in close contact. Each Monday, DOT officials meet with managers and executives from the three main contractors.
Bare, the project manager, said the coordination among the department and contractors has been exceptional.
"There's a united front," he said. "It's a testament to what can be done if you work together."
People have been taking notice.
During a reporter's tour of the site, Bare got a call from a local contractor asking if he would go to lunch to talk about the project.
In Crescent, local worker Jacki Killpack, who lives in Minden, Iowa, can't wait for the highway to open so she can get back to driving her regular route into Omaha.
"It's just amazing," she said. "I commend them."
At the main intersection entering Crescent, the town's message board posted a sign of thanks.
"Thank You Road Contractors For Fixing Our Highways."
Under normal circumstances, the sign greets Interstate travelers and commuters with a pleasant, "The People of Iowa Welcome You."
With the passageway closed from the destruction of Missouri River floodwaters, the sign is a fitting greeting for the construction workers, whose roar of activity has replaced the raging river from this summer and the hum of traffic before that.
Indeed, Iowa welcomes these workers. Council Bluffs welcomes the work; Crescent and Missouri Valley welcome it. Drivers from north Omaha and the northwest Omaha suburbs welcome it.
This Wednesday afternoon, all four lanes of the 3.1-mile stretch of I-680 are due to reopen to traffic, making an improbably quick comeback from its closure and destruction.
When the floodwater receded just two months ago, I-680 was revealed as a broken, crumpled row of concrete blocks. The dour assessment was that it would take until late 2012 at the earliest to rebuild.
I-680's route to reopening stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of hundreds of people, from the mechanic fixing a bad alternator on a paving machine to top officials at the Iowa Department of Transportation.
On the front lines, construction workers embraced the challenge of getting the highway open as soon as possible and performed beyond the most optimistic expectations. For their quick work, three contractors stand to split some $6 million in incentives for opening early.
Behind the scenes, DOT officials cut through the normally grinding process to fast-track plans, quickly hire contractors and get workers on the job.
Mother Nature, having caused the problem in the first place, actually became a partner. Throughout an intense four weeks of construction, a mild, dry October meant practically no time was lost to weather.
As the work wraps up, a sense of pride and accomplishment has washed over the people who returned I-680 to use.
The people waiting to drive the stretch again are thankful for the effort. Within the construction industry, people consider the project a sight to behold.
"It's gone so fast," said Ron Otto, technical director for the Associated General Contractors of Iowa, who previously had a 47-year career at the Iowa DOT. "It's truly amazing."
The first peek of morning sun was more than an hour away last week as the crew from Manatts Construction prepared to lay one of the last ribbons of new concrete.
Floodlights glared to allow this group of 20-some workers to start a day that wouldn't end until the sun went back down. Overhead, jets departed out of Eppley Airfield just across the Missouri River, their engine noise drowned out by paving machines.
At 7:03 a.m., as a pink glow emerged in the eastern sky, the first dump truck backed up to the paver and dropped the day's first load of cement for a 14,000-foot-long stretch. Two minutes later, the second dump truck pulled up, paving the way for 108 more loads to follow.
The project has continued almost nonstop for four weeks. At the start, work to clear upward of 18,000 tons of broken highway each day ran 24 hours a day.
Since then, the pace has backed off — to 12- to 14-hour days, seven days a week — as workers have prepared the ground, installed a sub-pavement layer, paved the road and completed other work.
Mark Bare, project coordinator with Peterson Contractors of Reinbeck, Iowa, has overseen the job. Bare said the workers, about 300 at one time during the peak, are motivated by the challenge. He described the attitude as: "Tell me it can't be done. Then get out of my way."
While focused on their task, the workers are tired and even lose track of days sometimes.
Troy Teggatz, a Manatts mechanic from Marengo, Iowa, in the eastern part of the state, admits he's ready to go home. But before that can happen, he said he's committed to doing "whatever it takes to get the job done."
The week before, that meant fixing a burst hydraulic hose that stopped the paver. He fixed an alternator that quit charging and caused other parts to shut down. The day before the shoulder paving started, Teggatz put in six hours shifting a paving guide 2 feet to fit the 8-foot-wide shoulder.
His co-workers, Teggatz said, have "done an awesome job."
"It's all about helping the community out as quickly as we can," he said.
The work zone can be described as organized chaos. Using the two lanes of highway now in place, construction traffic generally follows the proper eastbound and westbound routes.
As two sets of pavers operate at one end, dump trucks and cement trucks run back and forth to a makeshift cement plant three miles down the road. In a spot just off the road, crushers work down what had been a 30-foot-tall pile of the broken pieces of I-680.
Heavy trailers haul excess dirt from the median, dumping it into a detention pond. Other workers install drainage equipment on the roadside.
Two primary contractors — Peterson and Reilly Construction of Ossian, Iowa — bid for the job, beating out four other bidders, including Omaha's Kiewit Co. Along with subcontractor Manatts, five other subcontractors have worked on-site at one point or another, and dozens more companies have provided the supplies to keep the work going.
Peterson and Reilly won the contract with a $19.239 million bid. Three companies — Peterson, Reilly and Manatts — stand to split some $6 million in incentive bonuses offered by the Iowa DOT. All but $2 million of that is due to be reimbursed by federal highway disaster funds.
Cork Peterson, vice president of Peterson Contractors, acknowledged the incentives are a boost. But he said the bonus is not pure profit, helping instead to recover some costs and cover a "staggering" payroll.
Peterson commended the workers and the contractors, saying, "Everybody has their A-team there."
"I would not have thought we'd be done this soon," he said. "Our people have performed incredibly well."
Still, Peterson said the project also has been blessed with good weather — little rain, unseasonable warmth and few dips below freezing. "Sunshine makes us smart," he said.
Under ordinary circumstances, a project to repave a stretch of Interstate might take a construction season, perhaps six months to complete. If a brand new highway was carving a new route, that could take two years.
Before a brand new project could even proceed to construction, it very well could take 10 years to study, buy property and finish other preliminary work, said Otto, the Associated General Contractors official.
So while construction moved quickly, the Iowa Department of Transportation's behind-the-scenes preparations also sped up the project.
While the Interstate was still flooded, the DOT surveyed the site by air to get an early read on problems.
Before the extent of damage became clear, Director Paul Trombino called together senior management to plan for flood recovery efforts, said Dena Gray-Fisher, a department spokeswoman. Trombino's challenge to the department: Be bold and innovative.
As the floodwaters pulled back, officials knew they had to put the project out to bid as quickly as possible with fall approaching, said Mike Kennerly, director of the design office.
The department decided to offer contractors a "limited design," something that Iowa hadn't tried before, Kennerly said. That meant not taking the time to draw up the typical detailed, prescriptive plan — the precise cross-section at different points, for instance, or details on the guardrail design.
Instead, Kennerly said, the contractors would receive only key guidelines necessary to let them start the work.
"A lot of those details, we just filled in after the fact," he said.
The plans didn't come completely from scratch. Planners were able to call up a complete set of original I-680 plans from the 1970s stored electronically.
Still, there were gaps in the land survey data, Kennerly said. To obtain survey information from areas still affected by the flood, the state turned to 3-D models of the terrain that the state had previously gathered.
Because the work would trace the existing highway route, the department also could skip the lengthy environmental review process.
After construction bids were opened on a Friday — Sept. 23 — the contractors were chosen that day. The companies started mobilizing equipment by Saturday, had some workers on-site by Monday and began work that Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Throughout construction, the department and its contractors have remained in close contact. Each Monday, DOT officials meet with managers and executives from the three main contractors.
Bare, the project manager, said the coordination among the department and contractors has been exceptional.
"There's a united front," he said. "It's a testament to what can be done if you work together."
People have been taking notice.
During a reporter's tour of the site, Bare got a call from a local contractor asking if he would go to lunch to talk about the project.
In Crescent, local worker Jacki Killpack, who lives in Minden, Iowa, can't wait for the highway to open so she can get back to driving her regular route into Omaha.
"It's just amazing," she said. "I commend them."
At the main intersection entering Crescent, the town's message board posted a sign of thanks.
"Thank You Road Contractors For Fixing Our Highways."
2011年10月27日星期四
Association urges end-users to drive quality assurance
Quality assurance needs to be driven by end-users, as South Africa lacks uniform quality control, particularly of hose assemblies, in hydraulic systems, says South African Fluid Power Association (Safpa) chairperson Norman Hall.
Safpa has completed a set of standards, the Hose Assembly and Accreditation Scheme, based on the British Fluid Power Association’s (BFPA’s) standards, by which companies can be audited and endorsed by Safpa.
However, Hall notes that companies are reluctant to undertake the accreditation process unless this is demanded by the end-user.
He adds that many hose assembly suppliers mix and match hoses, collars and inserts, as well as use unbranded, unmarked and reworked hoses, which are potentially dangerous.
Components for assemblies must be compatible by design, size, type and manufacture. Further, compatibility must be proven through testing to the appropriate specifications.
“Hydraulic hose assemblies may have pressures of between 200 bar and 300 bar coursing through them, and because of the high pressures, when oil hoses burst, oil is injected into a person’s skin, which is called oil impregnation, and this is dangerous to the individual,” says Hall.
He adds people are occasionally burnt by the oil, not because the temperature of the oil is hot, but because the pressure with which it escapes the burst hose is so intense that it causes friction burns.
“Safety in hose fluid power is a significant priority, but many companies do not realise the dangers of burst hoses,” Hall explains.
Safpa aims to increase quality control in South Africa through its Hose Assembly and Accreditation Scheme, and to increase safety awareness through a one-day hose safety course.
This course, which was imported from the BFPA, has been developed to provide an introduction to hydraulic hoses, connectors and the safe assembly of these components for industrial use.
The course content includes basic hose principles, health, safety and environ- ment, hose and connector selection, hose assembly, important rules and two video presentations on hose manufacture and hose safety.
Hall urges end-users to demand quality- certified hose assemblies for the sake of employee safety and to decrease capital expenditure, as poor-quality hose assemblies need to be replaced more often.
Safpa has completed a set of standards, the Hose Assembly and Accreditation Scheme, based on the British Fluid Power Association’s (BFPA’s) standards, by which companies can be audited and endorsed by Safpa.
However, Hall notes that companies are reluctant to undertake the accreditation process unless this is demanded by the end-user.
He adds that many hose assembly suppliers mix and match hoses, collars and inserts, as well as use unbranded, unmarked and reworked hoses, which are potentially dangerous.
Components for assemblies must be compatible by design, size, type and manufacture. Further, compatibility must be proven through testing to the appropriate specifications.
“Hydraulic hose assemblies may have pressures of between 200 bar and 300 bar coursing through them, and because of the high pressures, when oil hoses burst, oil is injected into a person’s skin, which is called oil impregnation, and this is dangerous to the individual,” says Hall.
He adds people are occasionally burnt by the oil, not because the temperature of the oil is hot, but because the pressure with which it escapes the burst hose is so intense that it causes friction burns.
“Safety in hose fluid power is a significant priority, but many companies do not realise the dangers of burst hoses,” Hall explains.
Safpa aims to increase quality control in South Africa through its Hose Assembly and Accreditation Scheme, and to increase safety awareness through a one-day hose safety course.
This course, which was imported from the BFPA, has been developed to provide an introduction to hydraulic hoses, connectors and the safe assembly of these components for industrial use.
The course content includes basic hose principles, health, safety and environ- ment, hose and connector selection, hose assembly, important rules and two video presentations on hose manufacture and hose safety.
Hall urges end-users to demand quality- certified hose assemblies for the sake of employee safety and to decrease capital expenditure, as poor-quality hose assemblies need to be replaced more often.
2011年10月26日星期三
Cold Water Pressure Washer Supports 1500 PSI, 3 GPM
Daimer Industries,, a large-scale supplier of cold water pressure washer equipment, is shipping an electric-powered, non-heated system supporting 1500 psi and 3 GPM. Daimer's Super Max 8700 model features a high size-to-power ratio for ease of use and low cost.
"This cold water pressure washer offers a blend of power, pressure and size that many customers find appealing," announced Matthew Baratta, a commercial pressure washer systems representative . "These power washers increase worker productivity and carry a modest price tag."
Cold Water Pressure Washer with All the Trimmings
Each Super Max™ 8700 offers pressure levels of no more than 1500 psi and flow rates topping at 3 GPM. As a result, the machines are ideal for use on fragile surfaces.
The unit is powered by a 3 HP NEMA motor with a direct drive pump guaranteed for up to 5 years of use. For enhanced cleaning, the cold water pressure washer supports chemical infusion/injection with a low pressure system.
The cold water pressure washer is mounted on commercial-grade wheels and is sold with 25 feet of hydraulic/high pressure hose. (Other hose sizes are available as options.) The machine also comes with four nozzles, including a blast option. The bundled 3-foot trigger wand includes the company's Quick-On-Off disconnect capability.
Though the unit is designated as a cold water pressure washer, the system supports an optional hot water feature for temperatures approaching 180°F. The commercial pressure washer comes in a housing that measures 19 inches by 31 inches at the base and 26 inches in height.
"This cold water pressure washer offers a blend of power, pressure and size that many customers find appealing," announced Matthew Baratta, a commercial pressure washer systems representative . "These power washers increase worker productivity and carry a modest price tag."
Cold Water Pressure Washer with All the Trimmings
Each Super Max™ 8700 offers pressure levels of no more than 1500 psi and flow rates topping at 3 GPM. As a result, the machines are ideal for use on fragile surfaces.
The unit is powered by a 3 HP NEMA motor with a direct drive pump guaranteed for up to 5 years of use. For enhanced cleaning, the cold water pressure washer supports chemical infusion/injection with a low pressure system.
The cold water pressure washer is mounted on commercial-grade wheels and is sold with 25 feet of hydraulic/high pressure hose. (Other hose sizes are available as options.) The machine also comes with four nozzles, including a blast option. The bundled 3-foot trigger wand includes the company's Quick-On-Off disconnect capability.
Though the unit is designated as a cold water pressure washer, the system supports an optional hot water feature for temperatures approaching 180°F. The commercial pressure washer comes in a housing that measures 19 inches by 31 inches at the base and 26 inches in height.
2011年10月25日星期二
Terex releases cranes with a Chinese touch
The new Terex Toplift 025G and 055G truck cranes from the Terex Chang Jiang joint venture share much technology with the rest of the Terex family of cranes. Built in Luzhou, China, the new 25 and 55 tonne class cranes represent “the next advancement in bringing Terex design, operation and styling to the China market,” says the company.
Frank Bardonaro, vice president and managing director global sales for Terex Cranes says: “The new truck cranes incorporate designs based on extensive customer and dealer feedback. They blend Chang Jiang’s legacy for strength and lift performance with the latest Terex innovations.”
Spacious new driver and operator cab designs greatly increase operator efficiency while ergonomic control placement and air conditioning provide the operator with an environment that enhances productivity over extended hours. The rated capacity indicator features a graphical display that provides immediate feedback of load weight and alerts the operator before the load is outside the rated lifting capacity for radius and configuration. Both cranes feature hydraulic hose and electrical wire routing common to other Terex crane models.
Frank Bardonaro, vice president and managing director global sales for Terex Cranes says: “The new truck cranes incorporate designs based on extensive customer and dealer feedback. They blend Chang Jiang’s legacy for strength and lift performance with the latest Terex innovations.”
Spacious new driver and operator cab designs greatly increase operator efficiency while ergonomic control placement and air conditioning provide the operator with an environment that enhances productivity over extended hours. The rated capacity indicator features a graphical display that provides immediate feedback of load weight and alerts the operator before the load is outside the rated lifting capacity for radius and configuration. Both cranes feature hydraulic hose and electrical wire routing common to other Terex crane models.
2011年10月24日星期一
Danny MacAskill's Inspired Bicycles street bike now on sale
The 24in-wheeled street trials bike that Danny MacAskill used in both his Way Back Home and Industrial Revolutions videos is now available to the public. The Inspired Bicycles Skye is named after the Scottish island where MacAskill grew up and is described as "one of, if not the toughest street framesets available".
Features include a super-stiff forged one-piece bottom bracket/chainstay yoke, a CNC machined top tube/seatstay yoke and strengthening gussets on the top and down tubes. Through-axles at both ends stiffen things up even more, while dual brake mounting options (IS disc or hydraulic rim brake) add versatility and the oversize fork includes internal brake hose routing for a clean look.
MacAskill said: "It’s been awesome coming up with the bike of my dreams, something which stands up to all the abuse I give my bike whilst pushing for lines in videos." He added that the Skye has been designed with short chainstays and a low bottom bracket because this makes it "feel more stable, easier to hop and for me, easier to spin!".
The complete bike is decked out with many of the components MacAskill uses on his own rig, including custom Hope Pro II EVO and Pro II EVO Trial hubs, a Hope Stem and Atomlab rims. The full build as detailed below retails for £2,299, with the frameset set at £1,299. For more information, visit the Inspired Bicycles website.
Features include a super-stiff forged one-piece bottom bracket/chainstay yoke, a CNC machined top tube/seatstay yoke and strengthening gussets on the top and down tubes. Through-axles at both ends stiffen things up even more, while dual brake mounting options (IS disc or hydraulic rim brake) add versatility and the oversize fork includes internal brake hose routing for a clean look.
MacAskill said: "It’s been awesome coming up with the bike of my dreams, something which stands up to all the abuse I give my bike whilst pushing for lines in videos." He added that the Skye has been designed with short chainstays and a low bottom bracket because this makes it "feel more stable, easier to hop and for me, easier to spin!".
The complete bike is decked out with many of the components MacAskill uses on his own rig, including custom Hope Pro II EVO and Pro II EVO Trial hubs, a Hope Stem and Atomlab rims. The full build as detailed below retails for £2,299, with the frameset set at £1,299. For more information, visit the Inspired Bicycles website.
2011年10月23日星期日
A Interesting Hints and tips to Parts of a pressure washer
Numerous types of engines are utilized for several types of pressure washers. It can also vary depending on the range and setting of the applications. The large majority of high power washers used in commercial works, generally have gasoline or diesel powered engines. Since the majority of professional cleaning demands large amount of time, these types of engines could run a lot longer without overheating in comparison with their electric powered version. And because most commercial works are carried out out-of-doors; and often or mostly offsite, where there is no electric source. The ones with electric motors are generally useful for light to moderate washing works and are best applied to indoor applications as these engines don't produce harmful fumes.
You've now reached the "root" of your pressure washer device, the high pressure pump motor. They are all positive displacement reciprocating pumps either piston or plunger kinds. Plunger pumps are definitely the most efficient and have a lengthier existence, consequently these are by far the most often used pumps available on a superior pressure washer today.
You will find duplex and triplex plunger pumps. Plungers are generally constructed from ceramic, a really durable material with exceptional wear resistant properties. The triplex pump is the most in-demand due to smoother flow it creates.
These pumps are incredibly sturdy and essentially hassle free whenever adequately maintained. Many people are suspicious of the pump when first having difficulties but incredibly 90% of issues can be tracked to factors aside from the pump.
Exception: The most notable exception is in the scenario of sewer jetting. In this case the pressure washer is designed to unblock and thoroughly clean sewer lines. Just for this usage 1/4" and 1/8" thermoplastic hoses are an advantage because of the capacity to make extreme flexes within hoses.
The standard size for pressure washer tubes is 3/8"OD . This is because many pressure washers have a rating between 3-5 gallons each minute flow. If your system exceed a flow rate of 5gpm or should you be considering on using more than 100' of hose continuously then take into consideration 1/2" OD hose. Many lesser pressure washers of suspicious quality advertise pressure washers with 1/4" thermoplastic protected tubes in 25' lengths. For me this has been a tip to investigate quality issues further ahead of any purchase. Standard quality hoses are available in 50 ft lengths.
TIP: Should you be considering to use 100 ft or higher hose continuously don't invest in a 100 ft hose, buy a couple of 50-foot hoses and join them together as this way if your hose go bad or need replacing you can keep working and you will not lose an extremely highly-priced hose.
A black or red rubber hose can easily impart marks on surfaces, this may be a concern when pressure washing roof tiles or when you are performing flat work on concrete. In such cases use blue or gray covers as these tend not to leave marks or scuffs. These are known as "non-marking hose".
Yellow coverings are normally made so that the hose is much more resistant to the issues of oil, grease, and animal fats, which are often utilised in rendering plants along with other commercial applications. If you are working at heights, remember that all of the weight of your pressure washer hoses when containing water may be dragging on the hose fittings.
You've now reached the "root" of your pressure washer device, the high pressure pump motor. They are all positive displacement reciprocating pumps either piston or plunger kinds. Plunger pumps are definitely the most efficient and have a lengthier existence, consequently these are by far the most often used pumps available on a superior pressure washer today.
You will find duplex and triplex plunger pumps. Plungers are generally constructed from ceramic, a really durable material with exceptional wear resistant properties. The triplex pump is the most in-demand due to smoother flow it creates.
These pumps are incredibly sturdy and essentially hassle free whenever adequately maintained. Many people are suspicious of the pump when first having difficulties but incredibly 90% of issues can be tracked to factors aside from the pump.
Exception: The most notable exception is in the scenario of sewer jetting. In this case the pressure washer is designed to unblock and thoroughly clean sewer lines. Just for this usage 1/4" and 1/8" thermoplastic hoses are an advantage because of the capacity to make extreme flexes within hoses.
The standard size for pressure washer tubes is 3/8"OD . This is because many pressure washers have a rating between 3-5 gallons each minute flow. If your system exceed a flow rate of 5gpm or should you be considering on using more than 100' of hose continuously then take into consideration 1/2" OD hose. Many lesser pressure washers of suspicious quality advertise pressure washers with 1/4" thermoplastic protected tubes in 25' lengths. For me this has been a tip to investigate quality issues further ahead of any purchase. Standard quality hoses are available in 50 ft lengths.
TIP: Should you be considering to use 100 ft or higher hose continuously don't invest in a 100 ft hose, buy a couple of 50-foot hoses and join them together as this way if your hose go bad or need replacing you can keep working and you will not lose an extremely highly-priced hose.
A black or red rubber hose can easily impart marks on surfaces, this may be a concern when pressure washing roof tiles or when you are performing flat work on concrete. In such cases use blue or gray covers as these tend not to leave marks or scuffs. These are known as "non-marking hose".
Yellow coverings are normally made so that the hose is much more resistant to the issues of oil, grease, and animal fats, which are often utilised in rendering plants along with other commercial applications. If you are working at heights, remember that all of the weight of your pressure washer hoses when containing water may be dragging on the hose fittings.
2011年10月20日星期四
The US$20,000 Shannon Solo - remote-control, construction industry workhorse carries 500 kg
The Shannon Solo Dumper is an easy-to-operate, remote-control, 4WD, high-tipper-dumper with a carrying capacity of 500 kg and remote-control-range of 100 metres. It has been so successful, that so well received that Fire Hose, Sprayer and Mower versions have been added.
The Shannon Solo is one of those ideas which stands out as a winner from the moment you realise what it is, how much safer it can make things, and how much work it can do. Manual labour is hard work. It also costs a lot, partly because it's labour-intensive and partly because human beings cost a lot of money to keep safe and insure.
British entrepreneurs Stuart Selway and Ryan Symes recognized the health and safety trends affecting the construction (and related) industries several years ago because they were running a construction hire company and were constantly being asked for machinery which would make workers safer. They tried to find a suitable remote control base vehicle to facilitate what they had in mind, and couldn't find one.
So they drew up what they wanted and built it.
The result is the Shannon Solo, which has a hydraulic, four-wheel-drive base vehicle capable of traveling at 8 mph and of climbing inclines up to 25 degrees. Initially conceived as a dumper, the base 16 hp motive unit has now been adapted to a range of applications, with more to come.
The most obvious advantage of the Solo in each of its guises is that it removes the operator from harm's way. The remote controlled Solo machines can operate in hazardous areas without risk to the operator. The potential for the application of the Solo Dumper in common situations where people are normally at risk stretches the imagination - quarries, near deep water, road and freeway repairs, airports, power stations, railway sites, construction sites, contaminated land, demolition sites or areas where there is a risk of falling debris.
Similarly, the Shannon Solo Dumper will find application almost anywhere where a normal dumper is used where there is unstable ground or steep gradients where there is a risk that a normal mini dumper could topple and injure the operator.
The Dumper can also reduce risk if the operational site is adjacent to deep water such as alongside rivers or canals. Quite clearly, there is no shortage of work for the Shannon Dumper because it can considerably reduce the number of times a person is exposed to danger.
The Shannon Solo Firehose is the perfect tool for tackling dangerous industrial building fires where there is a high risk of exploding gas bottles or chemical exposure. It connects quickly to a standard fire hose and can approach dangers for the spraying of water or foam without high risk to the operator who will be 100 metres further away from the danger. The fire hose can also be angled into different positions to direct water jets accurately.
Shannon also sees application of the Solo Fire Hose in dust suppression in quarries, crowd control, demolition sites and for aerating ponds, lakes or rivers, delivering up to 900 litres per minute at 10 bar pressure. Using the optional auxiliary oil supply the SOLO is capable of running hydraulic tools up to 20 litres per minute via quick release couplings.
The list price of the Solo Firehose is GBP19,500 though this can be reduced by GBP2,500 if the company concerned already has its own fire monitor.
The Shannon Solo is one of those ideas which stands out as a winner from the moment you realise what it is, how much safer it can make things, and how much work it can do. Manual labour is hard work. It also costs a lot, partly because it's labour-intensive and partly because human beings cost a lot of money to keep safe and insure.
British entrepreneurs Stuart Selway and Ryan Symes recognized the health and safety trends affecting the construction (and related) industries several years ago because they were running a construction hire company and were constantly being asked for machinery which would make workers safer. They tried to find a suitable remote control base vehicle to facilitate what they had in mind, and couldn't find one.
So they drew up what they wanted and built it.
The result is the Shannon Solo, which has a hydraulic, four-wheel-drive base vehicle capable of traveling at 8 mph and of climbing inclines up to 25 degrees. Initially conceived as a dumper, the base 16 hp motive unit has now been adapted to a range of applications, with more to come.
The most obvious advantage of the Solo in each of its guises is that it removes the operator from harm's way. The remote controlled Solo machines can operate in hazardous areas without risk to the operator. The potential for the application of the Solo Dumper in common situations where people are normally at risk stretches the imagination - quarries, near deep water, road and freeway repairs, airports, power stations, railway sites, construction sites, contaminated land, demolition sites or areas where there is a risk of falling debris.
Similarly, the Shannon Solo Dumper will find application almost anywhere where a normal dumper is used where there is unstable ground or steep gradients where there is a risk that a normal mini dumper could topple and injure the operator.
The Dumper can also reduce risk if the operational site is adjacent to deep water such as alongside rivers or canals. Quite clearly, there is no shortage of work for the Shannon Dumper because it can considerably reduce the number of times a person is exposed to danger.
The Shannon Solo Firehose is the perfect tool for tackling dangerous industrial building fires where there is a high risk of exploding gas bottles or chemical exposure. It connects quickly to a standard fire hose and can approach dangers for the spraying of water or foam without high risk to the operator who will be 100 metres further away from the danger. The fire hose can also be angled into different positions to direct water jets accurately.
Shannon also sees application of the Solo Fire Hose in dust suppression in quarries, crowd control, demolition sites and for aerating ponds, lakes or rivers, delivering up to 900 litres per minute at 10 bar pressure. Using the optional auxiliary oil supply the SOLO is capable of running hydraulic tools up to 20 litres per minute via quick release couplings.
The list price of the Solo Firehose is GBP19,500 though this can be reduced by GBP2,500 if the company concerned already has its own fire monitor.
2011年10月19日星期三
Unfinished business remains for Dogs
Some unfinished business may remain unfinished for now.
The University of Saskatchewan hockey Huskies were just 20 minutes away from a possible victory over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns back on Oct. 1, but they may need to play a full 60 minutes, or more, to get a chance at a victory over the same Horns this weekend in Saskatoon.
With the Huskies leading 3-0 after two periods in Lethbridge earlier this month, the Zamboni's hydraulic hose sprung a leak during the second intermission and spilled fluid all over the ice. Because the machine could not be moved off the ice, the game was suspended.
As of now, that contest remains in suspended animation. It looks like it may not be completed this weekend when the same two teams meet again for a Canada West men's hockey series Friday and Saturday, this time in the confines of Credit Union Centre.
It may have to wait until those two teams meet again in Lethbridge come early January.
"All indications, to me, suggest it's going to be in January," U of S head coach Dave Adolph said this week.
"We were hoping it would be this weekend."
When contacted Tuesday night, Canada West convenor Bill Seymour admitted that time was running out if they want to squeeze in the extra period this weekend.
Seymour said he was still waiting for the two universities to get together on this. It was his understanding that athletic directors Basil Hughton and Sandy Slavin were talking, along with Lethbridge coach Greg Gatto and Adolph.
"All I can say is I've been told to kind of wait until they talk," Seymour said. "I don't think it's going to go - I think it's going to be in January - but I haven't heard anything officially.
"If you're going to have it here, you've got to book some extra ice, get referees and all those kind of things. I'm suggesting that they do it on the Friday before the series starts and maybe play it at 6 o'clock and play one period, then start your regular weekend series, but I've just been told by Canada West to just sit and wait on the two schools to give me some feedback.
"All I heard is that it'd be solved by early in the week, but I haven't heard anything. Nothing official."
Saskatchewan plays host to Lethbridge on Friday and Saturday at CUC. Game-time is 7 p.m. both nights.
The high-flying Huskies - led by the likes of Kyle Bortis, Kyle Ross, Derek Hulak, Brennan Bosch, Andrew Bailey, Craig McCallum and Shaun Vey up front - have outscored the opposition 18-8 thus far.
The Pronghorns have been outscored 16-9.
Moving from the cozy and sometimes crazy atmosphere of Rutherford Rink to the humongous CUC should work to the Dogs' favour.
"I would think," said Adolph. "Given the nature of our team, everybody else to adjust to this (Rutherford) rink, just like we do. When you go to a bigger ice surface, our game is more wide open and there's more opportunity to take advantage of the space."
The University of Saskatchewan hockey Huskies were just 20 minutes away from a possible victory over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns back on Oct. 1, but they may need to play a full 60 minutes, or more, to get a chance at a victory over the same Horns this weekend in Saskatoon.
With the Huskies leading 3-0 after two periods in Lethbridge earlier this month, the Zamboni's hydraulic hose sprung a leak during the second intermission and spilled fluid all over the ice. Because the machine could not be moved off the ice, the game was suspended.
As of now, that contest remains in suspended animation. It looks like it may not be completed this weekend when the same two teams meet again for a Canada West men's hockey series Friday and Saturday, this time in the confines of Credit Union Centre.
It may have to wait until those two teams meet again in Lethbridge come early January.
"All indications, to me, suggest it's going to be in January," U of S head coach Dave Adolph said this week.
"We were hoping it would be this weekend."
When contacted Tuesday night, Canada West convenor Bill Seymour admitted that time was running out if they want to squeeze in the extra period this weekend.
Seymour said he was still waiting for the two universities to get together on this. It was his understanding that athletic directors Basil Hughton and Sandy Slavin were talking, along with Lethbridge coach Greg Gatto and Adolph.
"All I can say is I've been told to kind of wait until they talk," Seymour said. "I don't think it's going to go - I think it's going to be in January - but I haven't heard anything officially.
"If you're going to have it here, you've got to book some extra ice, get referees and all those kind of things. I'm suggesting that they do it on the Friday before the series starts and maybe play it at 6 o'clock and play one period, then start your regular weekend series, but I've just been told by Canada West to just sit and wait on the two schools to give me some feedback.
"All I heard is that it'd be solved by early in the week, but I haven't heard anything. Nothing official."
Saskatchewan plays host to Lethbridge on Friday and Saturday at CUC. Game-time is 7 p.m. both nights.
The high-flying Huskies - led by the likes of Kyle Bortis, Kyle Ross, Derek Hulak, Brennan Bosch, Andrew Bailey, Craig McCallum and Shaun Vey up front - have outscored the opposition 18-8 thus far.
The Pronghorns have been outscored 16-9.
Moving from the cozy and sometimes crazy atmosphere of Rutherford Rink to the humongous CUC should work to the Dogs' favour.
"I would think," said Adolph. "Given the nature of our team, everybody else to adjust to this (Rutherford) rink, just like we do. When you go to a bigger ice surface, our game is more wide open and there's more opportunity to take advantage of the space."
2011年10月18日星期二
Water witcher is in high demand
Spencer Powell and his drilling crew assembled behind the Living Word Harvester Church at a spot where, according to Powell’s ancient craft, they would find water.
Powell, 59, learned to dowse for water more than 40 years ago from an old “water witcher” known simply as Mr. Ray. Now Powell runs a dowsing and drilling business, Diversified Water Well Drilling, and he carries a notebook filled with the lengthening list of those seeking his services. Demand has skyrocketed in recent months here, about 180 miles west of Dallas, and statewide, fueled by the ongoing drought, heat wave and a boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a type of oil drilling that requires lots of water.
To find the best place to drill behind the church, Powell stopped by a few weeks earlier and grabbed two L-shaped divining rods he keeps stowed in the back of his 1950s drill rig. Slowly, he walked through the grass near a few mesquite trees until he felt the rods move. Then they crossed, signaling a potential water source.
Then he recited a short prayer.
Powell has encountered plenty of skeptics. Abilene, a city of about 120,000, is known for its conservative churches and Bible Belt politics. Powell assures doubters that water witching has nothing to do with witchcraft; it’s a skill that can be learned, though some people are born with the gift.
These days, people are less likely to ask questions, including the folks at Living Word, desperate as they are for water. Powell receives several calls a day, mostly from residents whose wells have run dry.
The drought has taken a toll on Abilene, withering everything from the lawn at the town’s chief tourist attraction, Frontier Texas!, to nearby Dyess Air Force base. On the day Powell prepared to drill by the church, city officials were scheduled to meet to discuss whether to restrict outdoor watering to once a week because the level at Lake Fort Phantom Hill had dropped 10 feet below the spillway. Residents had already been restricted to watering no more than twice a week.
Powell drills at least one well a day, mostly in rural yards, on farms and ranches. He charges $25 a foot for drilling a completed well, $10 a foot if the well turns out to be dry. He says he finds water about half of the time.
About 40 feet into the sticky red clay behind Living Word, he found it — although he was still not sure if it was of sufficient quality and quantity to make a decent well.
He sent his brother, Kyle Caswell, 52, to find a hose while he and another worker began digging two pits near the drill. They would shoot water into the drill hole, softening the dirt as they drilled deeper. The overflow would gush into the pits.
A man from the church pulled up. He climbed down from his truck in black cowboy boots, surveyed the drill and asked about their progress.
Powell explained that they were about to reach the red bedrock, or “red bed.” Caswell arrived with a hose from the church building and started to sprinkle the dirt under the drill.
“It takes water to get water, don’t it?” the man said before he drove off.
Powell was nervous. It’s one thing to hit water, another to make a working well. He had sunk a well recently on nearby Anson Road, but the flow wasn’t very strong. On this morning, the temperature was climbing into the 80s. He had sweated through the rim of his cap and the back of his shirt.
He hit the red bedrock about 11 a.m., shading the pools of water a darker brown. The drill continued to churn, humming as dragonflies hovered over the pits of muddy overflow. About an hour later, they removed the drill and inserted a PVC pipe into the hole. Muddy water gushed through.
Powell, 59, learned to dowse for water more than 40 years ago from an old “water witcher” known simply as Mr. Ray. Now Powell runs a dowsing and drilling business, Diversified Water Well Drilling, and he carries a notebook filled with the lengthening list of those seeking his services. Demand has skyrocketed in recent months here, about 180 miles west of Dallas, and statewide, fueled by the ongoing drought, heat wave and a boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a type of oil drilling that requires lots of water.
To find the best place to drill behind the church, Powell stopped by a few weeks earlier and grabbed two L-shaped divining rods he keeps stowed in the back of his 1950s drill rig. Slowly, he walked through the grass near a few mesquite trees until he felt the rods move. Then they crossed, signaling a potential water source.
Then he recited a short prayer.
Powell has encountered plenty of skeptics. Abilene, a city of about 120,000, is known for its conservative churches and Bible Belt politics. Powell assures doubters that water witching has nothing to do with witchcraft; it’s a skill that can be learned, though some people are born with the gift.
These days, people are less likely to ask questions, including the folks at Living Word, desperate as they are for water. Powell receives several calls a day, mostly from residents whose wells have run dry.
The drought has taken a toll on Abilene, withering everything from the lawn at the town’s chief tourist attraction, Frontier Texas!, to nearby Dyess Air Force base. On the day Powell prepared to drill by the church, city officials were scheduled to meet to discuss whether to restrict outdoor watering to once a week because the level at Lake Fort Phantom Hill had dropped 10 feet below the spillway. Residents had already been restricted to watering no more than twice a week.
Powell drills at least one well a day, mostly in rural yards, on farms and ranches. He charges $25 a foot for drilling a completed well, $10 a foot if the well turns out to be dry. He says he finds water about half of the time.
About 40 feet into the sticky red clay behind Living Word, he found it — although he was still not sure if it was of sufficient quality and quantity to make a decent well.
He sent his brother, Kyle Caswell, 52, to find a hose while he and another worker began digging two pits near the drill. They would shoot water into the drill hole, softening the dirt as they drilled deeper. The overflow would gush into the pits.
A man from the church pulled up. He climbed down from his truck in black cowboy boots, surveyed the drill and asked about their progress.
Powell explained that they were about to reach the red bedrock, or “red bed.” Caswell arrived with a hose from the church building and started to sprinkle the dirt under the drill.
“It takes water to get water, don’t it?” the man said before he drove off.
Powell was nervous. It’s one thing to hit water, another to make a working well. He had sunk a well recently on nearby Anson Road, but the flow wasn’t very strong. On this morning, the temperature was climbing into the 80s. He had sweated through the rim of his cap and the back of his shirt.
He hit the red bedrock about 11 a.m., shading the pools of water a darker brown. The drill continued to churn, humming as dragonflies hovered over the pits of muddy overflow. About an hour later, they removed the drill and inserted a PVC pipe into the hole. Muddy water gushed through.
2011年10月17日星期一
'Water witcher' is in high demand
Spencer Powell and his drilling crew assembled behind the Living Word Harvester Church at a spot where, according to Powell's ancient craft, they would find water.
Powell, 59, learned to dowse for water more than 40 years ago from an old "water witcher" known simply as Mr. Ray. Now Powell runs a dowsing and drilling business, Diversified Water Well Drilling, and he carries a notebook filled with the lengthening list of those seeking his services. Demand has skyrocketed in recent months here, about 180 miles west of Dallas, and statewide, fueled by the ongoing drought, heat wave and a boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a type of oil drilling that requires lots of water.
To find the best place to drill behind the church, Powell stopped by a few weeks earlier and grabbed two L-shaped divining rods he keeps stowed in the back of his 1950s drill rig. Slowly, he walked through the grass near a few mesquite trees until he felt the rods move. Then they crossed, signaling a potential water source.
Then he recited a short prayer.
Powell has encountered plenty of skeptics. Abilene, a city of about 120,000, is known for its conservative churches and Bible Belt politics. Powell assures doubters that water witching has nothing to do with witchcraft; it's a skill that can be learned, though some people are born with the gift.
These days, people are less likely to ask questions, including the folks at Living Word, desperate as they are for water. Powell receives several calls a day, mostly from residents whose wells have run dry.
The drought has taken a toll on Abilene, withering everything from the lawn at the town's chief tourist attraction, Frontier Texas!, to nearby Dyess Air Force base. On the day Powell prepared to drill by the church, city officials were scheduled to meet to discuss whether to restrict outdoor watering to once a week because the level at Lake Fort Phantom Hill had dropped 10 feet below the spillway. Residents had already been restricted to watering no more than twice a week.
Powell drills at least one well a day, mostly in rural yards, on farms and ranches. He charges $25 a foot for drilling a completed well, $10 a foot if the well turns out to be dry. He says he finds water about half of the time.
About 40 feet into the sticky red clay behind Living Word, he found it - although he was still not sure if it was of sufficient quality and quantity to make a decent well.
He sent his brother, Kyle Caswell, 52, to find a hose while he and another worker began digging two pits near the drill. They would shoot water into the drill hole, softening the dirt as they drilled deeper. The overflow would gush into the pits.
A man from the church pulled up. He climbed down from his truck in black cowboy boots, surveyed the drill and asked about their progress.
Powell explained that they were about to reach the red bedrock, or "red bed." Caswell arrived with a hose from the church building and started to sprinkle the dirt under the drill.
"It takes water to get water, don't it?" the man said before he drove off.
Powell was nervous. It's one thing to hit water, another to make a working well. He had sunk a well recently on nearby Anson Road, but the flow wasn't very strong. On this morning, the temperature was climbing into the 80s. He had sweated through the rim of his cap and the back of his shirt.
He hit the red bedrock about 11 a.m., shading the pools of water a darker brown. The drill continued to churn, humming as dragonflies hovered over the pits of muddy overflow. About an hour later, they removed the drill and inserted a PVC pipe into the hole. Muddy water gushed through.
Powell, 59, learned to dowse for water more than 40 years ago from an old "water witcher" known simply as Mr. Ray. Now Powell runs a dowsing and drilling business, Diversified Water Well Drilling, and he carries a notebook filled with the lengthening list of those seeking his services. Demand has skyrocketed in recent months here, about 180 miles west of Dallas, and statewide, fueled by the ongoing drought, heat wave and a boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a type of oil drilling that requires lots of water.
To find the best place to drill behind the church, Powell stopped by a few weeks earlier and grabbed two L-shaped divining rods he keeps stowed in the back of his 1950s drill rig. Slowly, he walked through the grass near a few mesquite trees until he felt the rods move. Then they crossed, signaling a potential water source.
Then he recited a short prayer.
Powell has encountered plenty of skeptics. Abilene, a city of about 120,000, is known for its conservative churches and Bible Belt politics. Powell assures doubters that water witching has nothing to do with witchcraft; it's a skill that can be learned, though some people are born with the gift.
These days, people are less likely to ask questions, including the folks at Living Word, desperate as they are for water. Powell receives several calls a day, mostly from residents whose wells have run dry.
The drought has taken a toll on Abilene, withering everything from the lawn at the town's chief tourist attraction, Frontier Texas!, to nearby Dyess Air Force base. On the day Powell prepared to drill by the church, city officials were scheduled to meet to discuss whether to restrict outdoor watering to once a week because the level at Lake Fort Phantom Hill had dropped 10 feet below the spillway. Residents had already been restricted to watering no more than twice a week.
Powell drills at least one well a day, mostly in rural yards, on farms and ranches. He charges $25 a foot for drilling a completed well, $10 a foot if the well turns out to be dry. He says he finds water about half of the time.
About 40 feet into the sticky red clay behind Living Word, he found it - although he was still not sure if it was of sufficient quality and quantity to make a decent well.
He sent his brother, Kyle Caswell, 52, to find a hose while he and another worker began digging two pits near the drill. They would shoot water into the drill hole, softening the dirt as they drilled deeper. The overflow would gush into the pits.
A man from the church pulled up. He climbed down from his truck in black cowboy boots, surveyed the drill and asked about their progress.
Powell explained that they were about to reach the red bedrock, or "red bed." Caswell arrived with a hose from the church building and started to sprinkle the dirt under the drill.
"It takes water to get water, don't it?" the man said before he drove off.
Powell was nervous. It's one thing to hit water, another to make a working well. He had sunk a well recently on nearby Anson Road, but the flow wasn't very strong. On this morning, the temperature was climbing into the 80s. He had sweated through the rim of his cap and the back of his shirt.
He hit the red bedrock about 11 a.m., shading the pools of water a darker brown. The drill continued to churn, humming as dragonflies hovered over the pits of muddy overflow. About an hour later, they removed the drill and inserted a PVC pipe into the hole. Muddy water gushed through.
2011年10月16日星期日
'Water witcher' is in high demand
Spencer Powell and his drilling crew assembled behind the Living Word Harvester Church at a spot where, according to Powell's ancient craft, they would find water.
Powell, 59, learned to dowse for water more than 40 years ago from an old "water witcher" known simply as Mr. Ray. Now Powell runs a dowsing and drilling business, Diversified Water Well Drilling, and carries a notebook filled with the lengthening list of those seeking his services. Demand has skyrocketed in recent months here, about 180 miles west of Dallas, and statewide, fueled by the ongoing drought, heat wave and a boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a type of oil drilling that requires lots of water.
To find the best place to drill behind the church, Powell stopped by a few weeks earlier and grabbed two L-shaped divining rods he keeps stowed in the back of his 1950s drill rig. Slowly, gripping the short ends of the rods, he walked through the grass near a few mesquite trees until he felt the rods move. Then they crossed, signaling a potential water source.
Then he recited a short prayer.
Powell has encountered plenty of skeptics. Abilene, a city of about 120,000, is known for its conservative churches and Bible Belt politics. Powell assures doubters that water witching has nothing to do with witchcraft; it's a skill that can be learned, though some people are born with the gift.
These days, people are less likely to ask questions, including the folks at Living Word, desperate as they are for water. Powell receives several calls a day, mostly from residents whose wells have run dry.
The drought has taken a toll on Abilene, withering everything from the lawn at the town's chief tourist attraction, Frontier Texas!, to nearby Dyess Air Force Base. On the day Powell prepared to drill by the church, city officials were scheduled to meet to discuss whether to restrict outdoor watering to once a week because the level at Lake Fort Phantom Hill had dropped to 10 feet below the spillway. Residents had already been restricted to watering no more than twice a week.
Powell drills at least one well a day, mostly in rural yards, on farms and ranches. He charges $25 a foot for drilling a completed well, $10 a foot if the well turns out to be dry. He says he finds water about half of the time.
About 40 feet into the sticky red clay behind Living Word, he found it — although he wasn't sure whether it was of sufficient quality and quantity to make a decent well.
He sent his brother, Kyle Caswell, 52, to find a hose while he and another worker began digging two pits near the drill. They would shoot water into the drill hole, softening the dirt as they drilled deeper. The overflow would gush into the pits.
A man from the church pulled up. He climbed down from his truck in black cowboy boots, surveyed the drill and asked about their progress.
Powell explained that they were about to reach the red bedrock, or "red bed." Caswell arrived with a hose from the church building and started to sprinkle the dirt under the drill.
"It takes water to get water, don't it?" the man said before he drove off.
Powell was nervous. It's one thing to hit water, another to make a working well. He had sunk a well recently on nearby Anson Road, but the flow wasn't very strong. On this morning, the temperature was climbing into the 80s. He had sweated through the rim of his cap and the back of his shirt.
At about 11 a.m., he hit the red bedrock, which shaded shading the pools of water a darker brown. The drill continued to churn, humming as dragonflies hovered over the pits of muddy overflow. About an hour later, they removed the drill and inserted a PVC pipe into the hole. Muddy water gushed through.
Powell, 59, learned to dowse for water more than 40 years ago from an old "water witcher" known simply as Mr. Ray. Now Powell runs a dowsing and drilling business, Diversified Water Well Drilling, and carries a notebook filled with the lengthening list of those seeking his services. Demand has skyrocketed in recent months here, about 180 miles west of Dallas, and statewide, fueled by the ongoing drought, heat wave and a boom in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a type of oil drilling that requires lots of water.
To find the best place to drill behind the church, Powell stopped by a few weeks earlier and grabbed two L-shaped divining rods he keeps stowed in the back of his 1950s drill rig. Slowly, gripping the short ends of the rods, he walked through the grass near a few mesquite trees until he felt the rods move. Then they crossed, signaling a potential water source.
Then he recited a short prayer.
Powell has encountered plenty of skeptics. Abilene, a city of about 120,000, is known for its conservative churches and Bible Belt politics. Powell assures doubters that water witching has nothing to do with witchcraft; it's a skill that can be learned, though some people are born with the gift.
These days, people are less likely to ask questions, including the folks at Living Word, desperate as they are for water. Powell receives several calls a day, mostly from residents whose wells have run dry.
The drought has taken a toll on Abilene, withering everything from the lawn at the town's chief tourist attraction, Frontier Texas!, to nearby Dyess Air Force Base. On the day Powell prepared to drill by the church, city officials were scheduled to meet to discuss whether to restrict outdoor watering to once a week because the level at Lake Fort Phantom Hill had dropped to 10 feet below the spillway. Residents had already been restricted to watering no more than twice a week.
Powell drills at least one well a day, mostly in rural yards, on farms and ranches. He charges $25 a foot for drilling a completed well, $10 a foot if the well turns out to be dry. He says he finds water about half of the time.
About 40 feet into the sticky red clay behind Living Word, he found it — although he wasn't sure whether it was of sufficient quality and quantity to make a decent well.
He sent his brother, Kyle Caswell, 52, to find a hose while he and another worker began digging two pits near the drill. They would shoot water into the drill hole, softening the dirt as they drilled deeper. The overflow would gush into the pits.
A man from the church pulled up. He climbed down from his truck in black cowboy boots, surveyed the drill and asked about their progress.
Powell explained that they were about to reach the red bedrock, or "red bed." Caswell arrived with a hose from the church building and started to sprinkle the dirt under the drill.
"It takes water to get water, don't it?" the man said before he drove off.
Powell was nervous. It's one thing to hit water, another to make a working well. He had sunk a well recently on nearby Anson Road, but the flow wasn't very strong. On this morning, the temperature was climbing into the 80s. He had sweated through the rim of his cap and the back of his shirt.
At about 11 a.m., he hit the red bedrock, which shaded shading the pools of water a darker brown. The drill continued to churn, humming as dragonflies hovered over the pits of muddy overflow. About an hour later, they removed the drill and inserted a PVC pipe into the hole. Muddy water gushed through.
2011年10月13日星期四
Association urges end-users to drive quality assurance
Quality assurance needs to be driven by end-users, as South Africa lacks uniform quality control, particularly of hose assemblies, in hydraulic systems, says South African Fluid Power Association (Safpa) chairperson Norman Hall.
Safpa has completed a set of standards, theHose Assembly and Accreditation Scheme, based on the British Fluid Power Association’s (BFPA’s) standards, by which companies can be audited and endorsed by Safpa.
However, Hall notes that companies are reluctant to undertake the accreditation process unless this is demanded by the end-user.
He adds that manyhose assembly suppliers mix and match hoses, collars and inserts, as well as use unbranded, unmarked and reworked hoses, which are potentially dangerous.
Components for assemblies must be compatible by design, size, type and manufacture. Further, compatibility must be proven through testing to the appropriate specifications.
“Hydraulic hose assemblies may have pressures of between 200 bar and 300 bar coursing through them, and because of the high pressures, when oil hoses burst, oil is injected into a person’s skin, which is called oil impregnation, and this is dangerous to the individual,” says Hall.
He adds people are occasionally burnt by the oil, not because the temperature of the oil is hot, but because the pressure with which it escapes the bursthose is so intense that it causes friction burns.
“Safety inhose fluid power is a significant priority, but many companies do not realise the dangers of burst hoses,” Hall explains.
Safpa aims to increase quality control in South Africa through itsHose Assembly and Accreditation Scheme, and to increase safety awareness through a one-day hose safety course.
This course, which was imported from the BFPA, has been developed to provide an introduction tohydraulic hoses, connectors and the safe assembly of these components for industrial use.
The course content includes basichose principles, health, safety and environ- ment, hose and connector selection, hose assembly, important rules and two video presentations on hose manufacture and hose safety.
Hall urges end-users to demand quality- certifiedhose assemblies for the sake of employee safety and to decrease capital expenditure, as poor-quality hose assemblies need to be replaced more often.
Safpa has completed a set of standards, the
However, Hall notes that companies are reluctant to undertake the accreditation process unless this is demanded by the end-user.
He adds that many
Components for assemblies must be compatible by design, size, type and manufacture. Further, compatibility must be proven through testing to the appropriate specifications.
“
He adds people are occasionally burnt by the oil, not because the temperature of the oil is hot, but because the pressure with which it escapes the burst
“Safety in
Safpa aims to increase quality control in South Africa through its
This course, which was imported from the BFPA, has been developed to provide an introduction to
The course content includes basic
Hall urges end-users to demand quality- certified
2011年10月12日星期三
Two join VIPAR heavy duty network
VIPAR Heavy Duty has announced that Linehaul Heavy Duty LLC and J&J Operating LLC have joined the VIPAR Heavy Duty network of distributors.
A full-service distributor of heavy duty replacement parts in western North Dakota and based in Dickinson, North Dakota, J&J was recently purchased by brothers Jody and Jim Arthaud, where Jody serves as president and Jim as vice president. The company's former management team remained in place after the purchase and is led by general manager Clarence Frank.
J&J Operating has 20 employees and operates a six-bay repair and warehouse from a single location in Dickinson. A majority of the company's business serves the Bakken Shale oil reserve in western North Dakota, considered to be one of the fastest growing oil-producing areas in the U.S. As a result of the "oil boom," J&J Operating has plans to open a second company location in Watford City, North Dakota. J&J Operating is recognized for their complete inventory of all makes and models to service the truck market in central and western North Dakota and the border of eastern Montana.
Linehaul Heavy Duty was formed in August 2011 after Michael Thiers and his wife, Courtney Bennett, purchased the Fairfield, Ohio branch of Louisville, Kentucky-based Republic Diesel.
Linehaul's core business is in heavy duty truck parts, servicing both on-highway and vocational customers in the metro Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, southeastern Indiana and western Ohio area. With a strong focus on wheel-end and undercarriage parts, the company’s inventory also includes a broad offering of the industry’s best known products and brands. In addition, Linehaul Heavy Duty provides flywheel resurfacing,hydraulic hose service and general drive-in truck repair.
A full-service distributor of heavy duty replacement parts in western North Dakota and based in Dickinson, North Dakota, J&J was recently purchased by brothers Jody and Jim Arthaud, where Jody serves as president and Jim as vice president. The company's former management team remained in place after the purchase and is led by general manager Clarence Frank.
J&J Operating has 20 employees and operates a six-bay repair and warehouse from a single location in Dickinson. A majority of the company's business serves the Bakken Shale oil reserve in western North Dakota, considered to be one of the fastest growing oil-producing areas in the U.S. As a result of the "oil boom," J&J Operating has plans to open a second company location in Watford City, North Dakota. J&J Operating is recognized for their complete inventory of all makes and models to service the truck market in central and western North Dakota and the border of eastern Montana.
Linehaul Heavy Duty was formed in August 2011 after Michael Thiers and his wife, Courtney Bennett, purchased the Fairfield, Ohio branch of Louisville, Kentucky-based Republic Diesel.
Linehaul's core business is in heavy duty truck parts, servicing both on-highway and vocational customers in the metro Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, southeastern Indiana and western Ohio area. With a strong focus on wheel-end and undercarriage parts, the company’s inventory also includes a broad offering of the industry’s best known products and brands. In addition, Linehaul Heavy Duty provides flywheel resurfacing,
2011年10月11日星期二
Linehaul Heavy Duty Joins VIPAR Network
Linehaul Heavy Duty LLC has joined the VIPAR Heavy Duty network of distributors. Linehaul Heavy Duty was formed in August 2011 after Michael Thiers and his wife, Courtney Bennett, purchased the Fairfield, Ohio, branch of Louisville, Ky.-based Republic Diesel.
Linehaul's core business is in heavy duty truck parts, servicing both on-highway and vocational customers in the metro Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, southeastern Indiana and western Ohio areas. With a strong focus on wheel-end and undercarriage parts, the company’s inventory also includes a broad offering of well-known products and brands. In addition, Linehaul Heavy Duty provides flywheel resurfacing, hydraulic hose service and general drive-in truck repair.
“We are pleased to welcome Linehaul to the VIPAR Heavy Duty family of distributors,” said Jim Pennig, vice president, business development, VIPAR Heavy Duty. “Though new to the marketplace as Linehaul, their business has a strong reputation among customers for its great selection of products and outstanding customer service.”
Prior to starting Linehaul Heavy Duty, Thiers was sales manager for Republic Diesel since 2006. He has many years of experience in the industry, having spent four years as vice president of sales for DST Inc., two-and-a-half years as western regional manager for ArvinMeritor and six years as product manager for NuWay Anchorlok.
Linehaul's core business is in heavy duty truck parts, servicing both on-highway and vocational customers in the metro Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, southeastern Indiana and western Ohio areas. With a strong focus on wheel-end and undercarriage parts, the company’s inventory also includes a broad offering of well-known products and brands. In addition, Linehaul Heavy Duty provides flywheel resurfacing, hydraulic hose service and general drive-in truck repair.
“We are pleased to welcome Linehaul to the VIPAR Heavy Duty family of distributors,” said Jim Pennig, vice president, business development, VIPAR Heavy Duty. “Though new to the marketplace as Linehaul, their business has a strong reputation among customers for its great selection of products and outstanding customer service.”
Prior to starting Linehaul Heavy Duty, Thiers was sales manager for Republic Diesel since 2006. He has many years of experience in the industry, having spent four years as vice president of sales for DST Inc., two-and-a-half years as western regional manager for ArvinMeritor and six years as product manager for NuWay Anchorlok.
2011年10月10日星期一
Eaton Announces Breakthrough in Hydraulic Hose Technology: The Hose That Knows
HAVANT, UK...Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation today announced the launch of a new breakthrough technology that enables reporting of imminent hose assembly failure by means of real-time monitoring of high pressure hose assemblies used in hydraulic systems.
Eaton's LifeSense(TM) hose, a patented hydraulic hose condition monitoring system, will be introduced to the North American market at the International Fluid Power Exposition (held in conjunction with ConExpo 2011) in Las Vegas, March 22 - 26, and to the European market at Hannover Messe 2011 in Hannover, Germany, April 4 - 8.
Eaton's LifeSense hose was developed in conjunction with Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation's Office of Technology Commercialization to continuously monitor the health of hydraulic hose assemblies and alert users when an assembly approaches the end of its useful life. The LifeSense hose can monitor and track the health of each hose assembly in a hydraulic system. This system does not estimate or predict through arithmetic calculations when a hose is going to fail, like some products on the market today. The LifeSense hose actually detects when a hose is nearing the end of its useful life. Then an alert is sent to the user so that the assembly can be replaced to prevent downtime. A single monitoring unit can handle input from multiple hose assemblies.
"Most hydraulic maintenance programs are designed to avoid hose failures by replacing assemblies at regular intervals, using a schedule based on usage data or past experience," said Doug Jahnke, Eaton product marketing manager. "As a result, a large number of perfectly good hydraulic hose assemblies are discarded long before the end of their useful life out of fear that they might fail."
The LifeSense hose allows the user to utilize virtually all of the useful life of a hydraulic hose assembly, more than 50 percent longer life in a typical lab test, thus saving on replacement costs and associated downtime while providing peace-of-mind that productivity will not be impeded and safety not compromised by unpredicted hose failure.
"Additionally, hydraulic hose failure is one of the largest causes of unplanned maintenance events," Jahnke said. "Hose failures in the field present serious safety issues, environmental concerns and result in unscheduled system downtime, all of which have serious economic impacts."
The initial LifeSense hose offering will include the widely-used -8, -12 and -16 two-wire hose assemblies. Eaton's LifeSense hydraulic hose condition monitoring offers performance equal to industry standard 2SN pressure-rated hose and is certified to the same industry specifications as conventional hydraulic hose products. The technology is currently available for trial with factory-made assemblies including straight JIC swivel fittings.
Eaton's LifeSense(TM) hose, a patented hydraulic hose condition monitoring system, will be introduced to the North American market at the International Fluid Power Exposition (held in conjunction with ConExpo 2011) in Las Vegas, March 22 - 26, and to the European market at Hannover Messe 2011 in Hannover, Germany, April 4 - 8.
Eaton's LifeSense hose was developed in conjunction with Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation's Office of Technology Commercialization to continuously monitor the health of hydraulic hose assemblies and alert users when an assembly approaches the end of its useful life. The LifeSense hose can monitor and track the health of each hose assembly in a hydraulic system. This system does not estimate or predict through arithmetic calculations when a hose is going to fail, like some products on the market today. The LifeSense hose actually detects when a hose is nearing the end of its useful life. Then an alert is sent to the user so that the assembly can be replaced to prevent downtime. A single monitoring unit can handle input from multiple hose assemblies.
"Most hydraulic maintenance programs are designed to avoid hose failures by replacing assemblies at regular intervals, using a schedule based on usage data or past experience," said Doug Jahnke, Eaton product marketing manager. "As a result, a large number of perfectly good hydraulic hose assemblies are discarded long before the end of their useful life out of fear that they might fail."
The LifeSense hose allows the user to utilize virtually all of the useful life of a hydraulic hose assembly, more than 50 percent longer life in a typical lab test, thus saving on replacement costs and associated downtime while providing peace-of-mind that productivity will not be impeded and safety not compromised by unpredicted hose failure.
"Additionally, hydraulic hose failure is one of the largest causes of unplanned maintenance events," Jahnke said. "Hose failures in the field present serious safety issues, environmental concerns and result in unscheduled system downtime, all of which have serious economic impacts."
The initial LifeSense hose offering will include the widely-used -8, -12 and -16 two-wire hose assemblies. Eaton's LifeSense hydraulic hose condition monitoring offers performance equal to industry standard 2SN pressure-rated hose and is certified to the same industry specifications as conventional hydraulic hose products. The technology is currently available for trial with factory-made assemblies including straight JIC swivel fittings.
2011年10月9日星期日
Zamboni puts damper on Huskies in Lethbridge
The only thing that could stop the Huskies men’s hockey team in Lethbridge this past weekend was the Zamboni.
Saskatchewan defeated the Pronghorns 5-2 in their league opener on Sept. 30 and were ahead 3-0 after two periods of play on Oct. 1 when a hydraulic hose broke in the ice resurfacing machine. As a result, the machine was left on the playing surface and the ice was over-flooded with water.
Head coaches for both teams, the referee and the Canada West president determined that even if the machine could be removed from the ice, the surface was still unsafe to play on.
The third period will be rescheduled at a later date.
In the first game, Lethbridge got off to a good start with goalie Scott Bowles stopping all 14 of the Huskies’ shots and Taylor Gal burying a rebound past Dogs goalie David Reekie to give the Pronghorns a 1-0 lead going into the intermission.
The second period was a different story, however, as the Huskies scored three quick goals right off the bat. Brennan Bosch scored about one minute into the period to tie up the game while Brendan Dowd’s goal one minute later gave the Dogs the lead. Craig McCallum scored the insurance marker three minutes after that.
Rookie Cass Mappin’s goal late in the period put Lethbridge back on the board, but it was not enough to spark a comeback.
Bosch scored his second of the night early in the third period while Derek Hulak scored the Huskies’ final goal with less than five minutes to play.
Bosch was awarded first star of the game for his performance, Hulak was named second star and Mappin, who scored his first goal in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, earned third spot for his effort.
Saskatchewan defeated the Pronghorns 5-2 in their league opener on Sept. 30 and were ahead 3-0 after two periods of play on Oct. 1 when a hydraulic hose broke in the ice resurfacing machine. As a result, the machine was left on the playing surface and the ice was over-flooded with water.
Head coaches for both teams, the referee and the Canada West president determined that even if the machine could be removed from the ice, the surface was still unsafe to play on.
The third period will be rescheduled at a later date.
In the first game, Lethbridge got off to a good start with goalie Scott Bowles stopping all 14 of the Huskies’ shots and Taylor Gal burying a rebound past Dogs goalie David Reekie to give the Pronghorns a 1-0 lead going into the intermission.
The second period was a different story, however, as the Huskies scored three quick goals right off the bat. Brennan Bosch scored about one minute into the period to tie up the game while Brendan Dowd’s goal one minute later gave the Dogs the lead. Craig McCallum scored the insurance marker three minutes after that.
Rookie Cass Mappin’s goal late in the period put Lethbridge back on the board, but it was not enough to spark a comeback.
Bosch scored his second of the night early in the third period while Derek Hulak scored the Huskies’ final goal with less than five minutes to play.
Bosch was awarded first star of the game for his performance, Hulak was named second star and Mappin, who scored his first goal in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, earned third spot for his effort.
2011年10月8日星期六
Rescue team honored for heroism
Three Goodwill firefighters and the chief of the company's rescue operation were honored Wednesday night for the role they played in a "once-in-a-lifetime" rescue operation that began after two men fell through a hole that opened up in a roof being repaired at The Hill School last year.
Firefighters Terry Bechtel, Matt Burfete and William Smale Jr. were presented with Exceptional Duty Awards and Kevin Yerger, chief of Fire Rescue Operations for Goodwill Fire Company was presented with a plaque for his leadership during that operation.
It was a day with beautiful blue sky when the emergency call went out Nov. 1, 2010,
for two men who had fallen through the roof of The Hill School power plant.
"What units found when they arrived was nearly unthinkable," Yerger wrote in a Jan. 24 letter to Pottstown Fire Chief Richard Lengel, nominating the three members of his team for recognition.
"First, crews ascended a 40-foot tall utility ladder" that led to a platform where a conveyor belt, once used to carry coal into a coal hopper suspended about 30 feet in the air, was located.
The hopper was once used to fuel a furnace which provided heat and steam for other Hill School buildings but was no longer in use.
About 20 feet wide, 60 feet long and 18 feet deep, the hopper was where the crews found Kevin Sensenig, vice president of the R. L. Sensenig Co. of Ephrata, who had fallen through a hole that had opened up in the roof his company was there to repair.
The other victim, a worker who was wearing a safety harness, had fallen half the 35-foot distance from the roof into the hopper and was "standing on an 8-inch wide, deteriorating steel beam," according to Yerger's letter.
"He was in extreme pain and was not able to perform any type of self-rescue efforts," Yerger wrote.
Smale "crawled on an extension ladder" and then "along the beam to the victim and managed to get himself in a standing position next to the victim. While balancing on the beam, he was able to get one of our harnesses onto the victim," Yerger wrote.
Bechtel and Burfete "devised a system and lowered both firefighter Smale and the victim to the floor where advanced life support and emergency medical service treatment could be initiated," he wrote.
Sensenig's body was extracted by putting it into a "Stokes basket" and "using the crane system that the roofing company had in place to lift the victim through the collapsed section of roof and out of the building and down to the street."
Smale "climbed where few others would go" and Bechtel "remained at the side of the victim during the extrication and despite his own fear of heights, assured and reassured the victim that he would be OK," Yerger wrote.
"This call was 'the big one.' It is the one that we all train for and hope will never happen and after the call," Yerger wrote, "it was agreed upon that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
In an e-mail to The Mercury, Yerger was quick to point out that the success of the operation was due to many others as well.
The rescue "was a combined effort of the Pottstown Fire Department, Pottstown Police Department and Goodwill Ambulance."
"Every one of these operations has a few people who end up being the heart of the operation. This could be a person on the nozzle of the hose at the scene of a fire, the person who uses the hydraulic tool at the scene of a vehicle extrication or the guy who gets to accompany the victim during his 100-foot high ride out a three-story high coal bin," Yerger wrote.
Those honored Wednesday "stood out as stars that day and never at any point did I doubt their skills, their responsibilities of the job at hand," he wrote The Mercury.
"Through their expertise and professionalism, (Sensenig) was recovered in a very dignified manner," Lengel said when presenting the awards Wednesday during a meeting of Pottstown Borough Council.
Their conduct, Lengel said, "reflected very greatly on themselves and the department in their expertise, their knowledge and their ability to function under pressure."
With the exception of Life Safety Awards, the Exceptional Duty Awards for the Pottstown Fire Department are given out, if at all, only once a year in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, which begins tomorrow.
Yerger's Jan. 24 nomination of Burfete, Smale and Bechtel was taken to the Borough Fire Committee, made up of the fire officers of each of the four fire companies in Pottstown.
It was their decision to present the award.
In a post on The Mercury's Facebook page, Smale explained that Yerger's plaque was presented to recognize "his outstanding leadership during The Hill School technical rescue operation."
Firefighters Terry Bechtel, Matt Burfete and William Smale Jr. were presented with Exceptional Duty Awards and Kevin Yerger, chief of Fire Rescue Operations for Goodwill Fire Company was presented with a plaque for his leadership during that operation.
It was a day with beautiful blue sky when the emergency call went out Nov. 1, 2010,
for two men who had fallen through the roof of The Hill School power plant.
"What units found when they arrived was nearly unthinkable," Yerger wrote in a Jan. 24 letter to Pottstown Fire Chief Richard Lengel, nominating the three members of his team for recognition.
"First, crews ascended a 40-foot tall utility ladder" that led to a platform where a conveyor belt, once used to carry coal into a coal hopper suspended about 30 feet in the air, was located.
The hopper was once used to fuel a furnace which provided heat and steam for other Hill School buildings but was no longer in use.
About 20 feet wide, 60 feet long and 18 feet deep, the hopper was where the crews found Kevin Sensenig, vice president of the R. L. Sensenig Co. of Ephrata, who had fallen through a hole that had opened up in the roof his company was there to repair.
The other victim, a worker who was wearing a safety harness, had fallen half the 35-foot distance from the roof into the hopper and was "standing on an 8-inch wide, deteriorating steel beam," according to Yerger's letter.
"He was in extreme pain and was not able to perform any type of self-rescue efforts," Yerger wrote.
Smale "crawled on an extension ladder" and then "along the beam to the victim and managed to get himself in a standing position next to the victim. While balancing on the beam, he was able to get one of our harnesses onto the victim," Yerger wrote.
Bechtel and Burfete "devised a system and lowered both firefighter Smale and the victim to the floor where advanced life support and emergency medical service treatment could be initiated," he wrote.
Sensenig's body was extracted by putting it into a "Stokes basket" and "using the crane system that the roofing company had in place to lift the victim through the collapsed section of roof and out of the building and down to the street."
Smale "climbed where few others would go" and Bechtel "remained at the side of the victim during the extrication and despite his own fear of heights, assured and reassured the victim that he would be OK," Yerger wrote.
"This call was 'the big one.' It is the one that we all train for and hope will never happen and after the call," Yerger wrote, "it was agreed upon that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
In an e-mail to The Mercury, Yerger was quick to point out that the success of the operation was due to many others as well.
The rescue "was a combined effort of the Pottstown Fire Department, Pottstown Police Department and Goodwill Ambulance."
"Every one of these operations has a few people who end up being the heart of the operation. This could be a person on the nozzle of the hose at the scene of a fire, the person who uses the hydraulic tool at the scene of a vehicle extrication or the guy who gets to accompany the victim during his 100-foot high ride out a three-story high coal bin," Yerger wrote.
Those honored Wednesday "stood out as stars that day and never at any point did I doubt their skills, their responsibilities of the job at hand," he wrote The Mercury.
"Through their expertise and professionalism, (Sensenig) was recovered in a very dignified manner," Lengel said when presenting the awards Wednesday during a meeting of Pottstown Borough Council.
Their conduct, Lengel said, "reflected very greatly on themselves and the department in their expertise, their knowledge and their ability to function under pressure."
With the exception of Life Safety Awards, the Exceptional Duty Awards for the Pottstown Fire Department are given out, if at all, only once a year in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, which begins tomorrow.
Yerger's Jan. 24 nomination of Burfete, Smale and Bechtel was taken to the Borough Fire Committee, made up of the fire officers of each of the four fire companies in Pottstown.
It was their decision to present the award.
In a post on The Mercury's Facebook page, Smale explained that Yerger's plaque was presented to recognize "his outstanding leadership during The Hill School technical rescue operation."
2011年10月7日星期五
Elderly man knocked to the ground by wayward fire hose
An elderly pedestrian was taken to the hospital after a hose flew off the side of a fire truck, knocking him to the ground.
Authorities said the victim was standing on a street corner in Revere, MA, waiting for a ride as the fire truck was making a turn.
The truck cut the corner, whipping the fire hose around and bringing the man to the ground.
A family member said the victim was sent to the ICU with broken bones and a concussion.
The fire truck was seen on surveillance tape dragging its 200-foot long fire hose down the street. Authorities said the crew on board had no idea what had happened.
"He was moaning. He was hurt," said Arthur Pantano, who witnessed the incident.
Pantano said it took people a minute to figure out what had happened.
"The engine was to the right, he was on the ground. And there was a hose," Pantano said.
Fire Chief Gene Doherty said when he heard the incident on the radio, he went to the scene.
"It wasn't transmitted what had occurred, I just knew the inflection of the voices of the officers calling for additional help that something was drastically wrong," Doherty said.
According to Doherty someone flagged Engine Four down, and when the crew got out, they were stunned to see what had happened.
"It was a terrible thing, Doherty said. "It was terrible seeing that gentleman lying on the ground as the guys were working on him."
Why the hose came loose is anyone's guess, but Doherty said it appeared it had been loaded properly.
"It's just freaky. No one meant to do it. No one really meant to do it," Pantano said. "He was at the wrong place at the wrong time."
The man was still in the hospital Friday morning but was expected to be OK.
The Fire Chief said he has ordered some specialized netting to go over that hose to ensure when that truck is on the road that this does not happen again.
Authorities said the victim was standing on a street corner in Revere, MA, waiting for a ride as the fire truck was making a turn.
The truck cut the corner, whipping the fire hose around and bringing the man to the ground.
A family member said the victim was sent to the ICU with broken bones and a concussion.
The fire truck was seen on surveillance tape dragging its 200-foot long fire hose down the street. Authorities said the crew on board had no idea what had happened.
"He was moaning. He was hurt," said Arthur Pantano, who witnessed the incident.
Pantano said it took people a minute to figure out what had happened.
"The engine was to the right, he was on the ground. And there was a hose," Pantano said.
Fire Chief Gene Doherty said when he heard the incident on the radio, he went to the scene.
"It wasn't transmitted what had occurred, I just knew the inflection of the voices of the officers calling for additional help that something was drastically wrong," Doherty said.
According to Doherty someone flagged Engine Four down, and when the crew got out, they were stunned to see what had happened.
"It was a terrible thing, Doherty said. "It was terrible seeing that gentleman lying on the ground as the guys were working on him."
Why the hose came loose is anyone's guess, but Doherty said it appeared it had been loaded properly.
"It's just freaky. No one meant to do it. No one really meant to do it," Pantano said. "He was at the wrong place at the wrong time."
The man was still in the hospital Friday morning but was expected to be OK.
The Fire Chief said he has ordered some specialized netting to go over that hose to ensure when that truck is on the road that this does not happen again.
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