Freelance writer Mike Lauterborn recently got a firsthand taste of what it's like to be a firefighter at the FireOps 101 program at the Fairfield Fire Training School on One Rod Highway. The annual program, organized by the Fairfield Fire Department and several others in the area, is designed to introduce the public officials and others to the rigors of firefighter training and the challenges they face daily. Here is his account.
They say the only way to truly appreciate what someone does is to walk a mile in their shoes -- or, in this case, boots and toting close to hundred pounds of gear and equipment.
I recently had the opportunity to embed with career firefighters at the Fairfield Fire Training School on One Rod Highway to do just that. The program involved exercises providing education about firefighters' roles and an understanding of equipment and manpower needs that can give officials insight.
More than 40 firefighters, drawn from Fairfield, Westport and Stratford, were on hand to shadow a half-dozen participants, help operate equipment and lead demonstrations of both equipment and firefighting processes.
Overseen by Fairfield Assistant Fire Chief Scott Bisson, the incident commander for the day, the morning began in a classroom setting with a short film, "Smoke Showing," giving an overview about command hierarchy, firefighting strategies and safety advisories. Bisson said there are four essentials that determine the outcome of a fire: training, technology, staffing and notification.
Organizers on the drill grounds -- which includes the training center, an annex classroom, propane fire area, four-story tower, two-story burn building, vehicle "boneyard" and a new flashover simulator -- wasted no time in immersing me in the most demanding of activities: attacking a structural fire.
Suited up from head to toe in full gear and outfitted with an air tank and mask, I was placed at the head of a hose line and sent into the burn building with a support crew of "wranglers" to battle the blaze. Hay and wood pallets had been ignited in a bottom floor room, producing thick smoke that carried upwards in the unventilated structure. The result was almost zero visibility, making keeping a hand on the hose line a critical measure to safely navigate the structure.
"Typically," Assistant Chief Chris Tracy said, "an interior is fully charged with velvety black smoke, there's no clear indication of a fire and you have to listen for the pops, crackles and small explosions to find it. Guys on the line shout to each other or use signals or back slaps to communicate: one for stop, two for go. Then we look to hit the seat, or hottest point, of the fire."
At the next activity station, focused on emergency medical services, Lt. Erik Kalapir said, "Sixty to 70 percent of our calls are medical based. In Fairfield, private service AMR is the responder, however, firefighters are the first responders. With five fire stations across town, we can get to almost any home in four to six minutes, to do defibrillations, administer medicines, provide oxygen therapy and more. With the downturn in the economy and an aging population, we're being asked to do more with less. We're losing a piece of the budget pie to other community needs and constantly having to reorganize and reinvent ourselves."
The program's forcible-entry and search-and-rescue station, operated by Firefighters Salvato, Goletz and DeNitto, involved the use of "irons" -- a Halligan bar and flathead ax -- to bust through a commercial door and the "Braille" method location of a victim in a pitch black room filled with thick smoke.
A roof exercise followed, led by Stratford Lt. Sean McKenney and Firefighter Bryan Williams, who led the way up a 100-foot truck-mounted ladder to a rooftop.
"The job of the suppression crew is to open up the highest point of a structure, to help lift the smoke inside, prevent flashover, reduce property damage and save lives," McKenney said.
Ventilation was performed using a circular or vent saw. Here again, available resources were an issue.
"A properly staffed ladder company should have a minimum of four men," Williams said. "We're operating with two to three, risking injury to firefighters, forcing time constraints, preventing the saving of lives and allowing greater property damage."
The extrication station, led chiefly by Stratford Firefighter Doug Ashe, focused on the safe removal of a victim from a vehicle in a serious accident scenario.
"We assume spinal injuries, so it's safer to remove the car from around the person than to remove the person from the car," Ashe said.
Using irons to break and remove glass, a hydraulic-driven spreader to pop doors off hinges and a powerful pruner to cut through roof posts, the task is accomplished. Ashe noted that frequent changes in chassis reinforcement, live wires and airbags requires continual training.
There was one clear takeaway from the morning: these guys are passionate about their occupation and consider it their calling.
2011年11月6日星期日
2011年11月3日星期四
Congressional supercommittee mustn't undermine military
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told members of the House Armed Services Committee that additional cuts to military spending would devastate the nation's defense, according to an Oct. 14 Star-Telegram story.
Congress' deficit-cutting supercommittee is searching for ways to get our federal deficit under control. Many areas of the budget are under review, including national defense, which accounts for about 20 percent of federal spending.
Congress has already cut $460 billion from the defense budget over the next decade; this month, the congressional supercommittee could allow an additional $500 billion in cuts.
On Wednesday, the chiefs of all four military branches told the House Armed Services Committee that further defense cuts would be a "catastrophic" blow to their ability to protect the nation.
As a general manager who works locally in the defense industry, I heartily agree with Panetta and the chiefs that additional cuts would be a serious mistake.
I work for Parker Aerospace's Stratoflex Products Division, headquartered in Fort Worth. Our division is a world leader in fluid conveyance systems for the aerospace market and supports most aircraft in production in the world today. Our products include a broad array of hoses and hose assemblies and fittings, joints, valves, hydraulic fuses and regulators.
Parker Aerospace employs more than 537 in Fort Worth and Mansfield and 5,600 nationwide. The jobs we offer are well-paying, with good benefits in a positive work environment. In this time of high unemployment, these are the kind of jobs that make our state and country strong and healthy, economically and industrially. These are the kind of jobs we need to keep.
I firmly believe that Congress should preserve funding in the budget for defense, space and civil aviation and should resist calls for additional cuts. Such cuts would have a deleterious effect on the aerospace industry, degrading America's military capabilities and threatening our nation's position as a world leader in aerospace while sacrificing hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs.
Our country has more than 1.5 million Americans serving in uniform, is involved in wars in two nations and risks terrorist attacks from a variety of sources.
To meet these challenges, the military needs the advanced, life-saving technology and equipment that the aerospace and defense industries provide.
However, significant defense cuts hamper our ability to supply the military with these tools. With the F-35 joint strike fighter in test flight, for example, no manned military airplanes or helicopters are in development for the first time in 100 years.
Deep cuts to space and civil aviation programs, specifically NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration, would have an adverse effect on our nation as well.
NASA allows the United States to retain its space leadership in the world.
Both NASA and the FAA play a key role in the planning and execution of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, which promises to transform air transport.
We at Parker ask for the support of our local U.S. House member, Rep. Kay Granger, and the community in preserving funding for defense, space and civil aviation. Let's retain our leadership in the global aerospace industry.
Raj Gupta is general manager of the Stratoflex Products Division of Parker Aerospace in Fort Worth.
Congress' deficit-cutting supercommittee is searching for ways to get our federal deficit under control. Many areas of the budget are under review, including national defense, which accounts for about 20 percent of federal spending.
Congress has already cut $460 billion from the defense budget over the next decade; this month, the congressional supercommittee could allow an additional $500 billion in cuts.
On Wednesday, the chiefs of all four military branches told the House Armed Services Committee that further defense cuts would be a "catastrophic" blow to their ability to protect the nation.
As a general manager who works locally in the defense industry, I heartily agree with Panetta and the chiefs that additional cuts would be a serious mistake.
I work for Parker Aerospace's Stratoflex Products Division, headquartered in Fort Worth. Our division is a world leader in fluid conveyance systems for the aerospace market and supports most aircraft in production in the world today. Our products include a broad array of hoses and hose assemblies and fittings, joints, valves, hydraulic fuses and regulators.
Parker Aerospace employs more than 537 in Fort Worth and Mansfield and 5,600 nationwide. The jobs we offer are well-paying, with good benefits in a positive work environment. In this time of high unemployment, these are the kind of jobs that make our state and country strong and healthy, economically and industrially. These are the kind of jobs we need to keep.
I firmly believe that Congress should preserve funding in the budget for defense, space and civil aviation and should resist calls for additional cuts. Such cuts would have a deleterious effect on the aerospace industry, degrading America's military capabilities and threatening our nation's position as a world leader in aerospace while sacrificing hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs.
Our country has more than 1.5 million Americans serving in uniform, is involved in wars in two nations and risks terrorist attacks from a variety of sources.
To meet these challenges, the military needs the advanced, life-saving technology and equipment that the aerospace and defense industries provide.
However, significant defense cuts hamper our ability to supply the military with these tools. With the F-35 joint strike fighter in test flight, for example, no manned military airplanes or helicopters are in development for the first time in 100 years.
Deep cuts to space and civil aviation programs, specifically NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration, would have an adverse effect on our nation as well.
NASA allows the United States to retain its space leadership in the world.
Both NASA and the FAA play a key role in the planning and execution of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, which promises to transform air transport.
We at Parker ask for the support of our local U.S. House member, Rep. Kay Granger, and the community in preserving funding for defense, space and civil aviation. Let's retain our leadership in the global aerospace industry.
Raj Gupta is general manager of the Stratoflex Products Division of Parker Aerospace in Fort Worth.
2011年11月2日星期三
13 rescued as tenement blaze traps residents
FIREFIGHTERS rescued 13 people from a burning building during a major emergency operation at the Shore.
Seven casualties were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation but nobody was seriously injured.
The blaze started in the first floor flat of a four-storey tenement above the Waterline Pub, in Leith, at 8.40pm last night.
The fire was reported by panicked residents above the flat who found themselves trapped by thick smoke in the stairwell.
The living room and kitchen of the home where the blaze was sparked was today described as “completely gutted”. The rest of the flat suffered extensive smoke damage.
Around 45 firefighters tackled the flames and rescued people from windows at the front and side of the tenement on Waters Close using a turntable ladder and a hydraulic platform.
It is not yet known what started the blaze. An investigation is under way today.
Fire service telephone operators provided survival guidance for residents trapped in flats above the blaze.
Initial reports suggested some residents had been unaccounted for but fire crews carried out multiple rescues and fought the flames using breathing kits and high pressure hose reels.
Four people were rescued by hydraulic platform, one by ladder and others were led to safety by firefighters using the stairs.
It is understood the occupant of the flat where the fire sparked had been in a nearby pub and was contacted by a friend to say her home was ablaze.
When she arrived at the scene the woman was said to be “hysterical” and believed her parents may have been inside.
Witnesses told how smoke was bellowing from the first floor windows while flames could be seen tearing through the flat.
David Young, group commander at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: “[We were told] there was the possibility there were people trapped inside the building. When we arrived there was a well developed fire in the first floor flat above the Waterline Pub.
“We performed multiple rescues using a hydraulic platform at the front and the side of the building while there was also a rescue using a ladder at Waters Close. No one has been reported injured at this point.
“Control operators were giving survival guidance over the phone to people trapped inside.
“It could have been very serious. We were rescuing people from the windows and when people cannot escape using their stairwell it’s very frightening for them.”
Seven casualties were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation but nobody was seriously injured.
The blaze started in the first floor flat of a four-storey tenement above the Waterline Pub, in Leith, at 8.40pm last night.
The fire was reported by panicked residents above the flat who found themselves trapped by thick smoke in the stairwell.
The living room and kitchen of the home where the blaze was sparked was today described as “completely gutted”. The rest of the flat suffered extensive smoke damage.
Around 45 firefighters tackled the flames and rescued people from windows at the front and side of the tenement on Waters Close using a turntable ladder and a hydraulic platform.
It is not yet known what started the blaze. An investigation is under way today.
Fire service telephone operators provided survival guidance for residents trapped in flats above the blaze.
Initial reports suggested some residents had been unaccounted for but fire crews carried out multiple rescues and fought the flames using breathing kits and high pressure hose reels.
Four people were rescued by hydraulic platform, one by ladder and others were led to safety by firefighters using the stairs.
It is understood the occupant of the flat where the fire sparked had been in a nearby pub and was contacted by a friend to say her home was ablaze.
When she arrived at the scene the woman was said to be “hysterical” and believed her parents may have been inside.
Witnesses told how smoke was bellowing from the first floor windows while flames could be seen tearing through the flat.
David Young, group commander at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, said: “[We were told] there was the possibility there were people trapped inside the building. When we arrived there was a well developed fire in the first floor flat above the Waterline Pub.
“We performed multiple rescues using a hydraulic platform at the front and the side of the building while there was also a rescue using a ladder at Waters Close. No one has been reported injured at this point.
“Control operators were giving survival guidance over the phone to people trapped inside.
“It could have been very serious. We were rescuing people from the windows and when people cannot escape using their stairwell it’s very frightening for them.”
2011年11月1日星期二
Newark flight makes emergency landing in Poland
A Boeing 767 on a flight from Newark, New Jersey, made a dramatic emergency landing at Warsaw, Poland's Frederic Chopin International airport Tuesday after problems with its landing gear, an airport spokeswoman said.
All the passengers on the flight, from Newark Liberty International Airport to Warsaw, are safe and uninjured, she told CNN. Newark Liberty serves the greater New York area.
The LOT Polish Airlines flight, which had been due to land at 1:35 p.m. local time, circled above the airport for an hour before coming down in a belly landing at 2:40, she said.
"After noticing a central hydraulic system failure the standard procedure for emergency landings at Warsaw airport were implemented," LOT said in a statement, saying emergency crews were in place on the ground to assist.
Video footage from the scene showed the plane coming in to land without its wheels down and skidding along the tarmac to a halt. Emergency vehicles raced toward the aircraft and appeared to hose it down as passengers disembarked.
There were 231 people aboard the flight, 220 of them passengers and 11 crew, the airline said.
The passengers "stayed calm" during the emergency landing, and after reaching the terminal were cared for by support staff and psychologists, the airline said.
They are being allowed to go home after a medical examination and a brief police interview, it added.
Other travelers face significant disruption.
The airport will remain closed until at least 8 a.m. local time Wednesday because the damaged aircraft is blocking the runways, an airport spokesman told reporters.
LOT said all its flights scheduled to leave later Tuesday have been canceled. Incoming flights have been redirected to other airports in Poland, it said, and passengers will be brought from there to Warsaw.
The airport is Poland's busiest, handling almost half its air passenger traffic with about 100 scheduled flights a day, the airport's website says.
LOT, the Polish flag carrier and one of the world's oldest airlines, is currently offering special deals on flights from the New York area to Warsaw.
In 2010, it carried more than 4.5 million passengers, nearly three-quarters of whom were on international flights, its website says. The airline said it aims to offer quality of service and value for money.
All the passengers on the flight, from Newark Liberty International Airport to Warsaw, are safe and uninjured, she told CNN. Newark Liberty serves the greater New York area.
The LOT Polish Airlines flight, which had been due to land at 1:35 p.m. local time, circled above the airport for an hour before coming down in a belly landing at 2:40, she said.
"After noticing a central hydraulic system failure the standard procedure for emergency landings at Warsaw airport were implemented," LOT said in a statement, saying emergency crews were in place on the ground to assist.
Video footage from the scene showed the plane coming in to land without its wheels down and skidding along the tarmac to a halt. Emergency vehicles raced toward the aircraft and appeared to hose it down as passengers disembarked.
There were 231 people aboard the flight, 220 of them passengers and 11 crew, the airline said.
The passengers "stayed calm" during the emergency landing, and after reaching the terminal were cared for by support staff and psychologists, the airline said.
They are being allowed to go home after a medical examination and a brief police interview, it added.
Other travelers face significant disruption.
The airport will remain closed until at least 8 a.m. local time Wednesday because the damaged aircraft is blocking the runways, an airport spokesman told reporters.
LOT said all its flights scheduled to leave later Tuesday have been canceled. Incoming flights have been redirected to other airports in Poland, it said, and passengers will be brought from there to Warsaw.
The airport is Poland's busiest, handling almost half its air passenger traffic with about 100 scheduled flights a day, the airport's website says.
LOT, the Polish flag carrier and one of the world's oldest airlines, is currently offering special deals on flights from the New York area to Warsaw.
In 2010, it carried more than 4.5 million passengers, nearly three-quarters of whom were on international flights, its website says. The airline said it aims to offer quality of service and value for money.
2011年10月31日星期一
Importance of Home Plumbing
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.
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.
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