WHEN EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
In Clarksville, Tennessee, Gateway Health System is getting ready to move its medical materials, patients and staff to the new Gateway Regional Medical Centre that will be completed in July 2008.
The construction of this 510,000 square feet hospital started in June 2006, under the direction of BE&K Building Group, the project developer, and has been very challenging for many trades involved in the project. Among them, Shaw & Jones Masonry, a mason contractor, who took advantage when bidding for this project of its fleet of 25 Hydro Mobile mast climbers and its 21-year experience with this access equipment to win the contract. Jerry Jones explains: "One of the two contractors that we bided against did not have mast climbers. This made it hard for him to align its prices and delays with ours. The other one had less experience than we did, and as the setup on this project required much adaptability and engineering skills, we eventually won the contract."
In fact, Shaw & Jones Masonry was contracted to lay bricks from the 2nd to the 5th floor of an 89 feet high fa硤e; but with a one-story lobby already in construction and the rest of the hospital built in recess, they had no ground clearance to set up their mast climbers.
"We know our Hydro Mobile platforms very well and we know that there is always a solution to every challenge", says Jerry. "We came up with an unusual setup with the base of the machines installed inside the first floor and the masts extended through the roof. Then, we basically lifted the mast climbers with a tower crane and installed them on the masts, above the first floor's roof."
Shaw & Jones Masonry had an average of 25 persons working on this project, with 10 masons laying bricks on 100,000 square feet of facade. 12 Hydro Mobile mast climbers were used, and with no access for other lifting equipments, two 4,000 lb capacity Hydro Mobile hoists were set on the platforms to load bricks and other materials.
Originally, the schedule for bricklaying was 6 months, but Shaw & Jones Masonry plans to finish one month early. "Hydro Mobile's platforms are faster to set up than other access equipments and once they are in place, you can put brick pallets or any heavy loads anywhere on their 7' wide decks. What's more, our masons work from a lower area, lifting and laying bricks always at an ergonomic height. They feel safer, they work faster, and they get less tired."
Developer: BE&K Building Group
Masonry Contractor: Shaw & Jones Masonry
Hydro Mobile Distributor: Mid-South Equipment
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