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A jack is a versatile tool that uses force to lift heavy loads. Screw threads and hydraulic cylinders are the primary mechanisms with which force is applied; therefore, jacks fall under the categories of mechanical or hydraulic.
Continue reading “Hydraulic and Mechanical Jacks in the Construction Industry”Category: Construction
Why is Safety Important?
In the construction industry, safety is always a relevant issue. Although the industry has taken steps to promote a greater awareness of the importance of safety in the workplace, accidents still occur. Some of these accidents are preventable, which is why it is important to educate industry members about safe practices and procedures regularly.
Just recently, in Midtown Manhattan, a woman was struck by a flying buzzsaw from a nearby construction crew. NBC New York reports that the woman sustained a gash on her leg from the 3-foot blade and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Thankfully, the injury was not serious.
The incident is a strong reminder that accidents can and will happen, creating serious breaches in safety. In this case, the construction crew had been using the buzzsaw to tear up a roadway to fix an underground water main. Witnesses say that the blade came off the machine and was propelled down the sidewalk by its own force. As a result, workers and bystanders alike were put at harmful risk.
To minimize the likelihood of accidents like the one in Manhattan, groups like the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI) and Incident & Injury Free (IIF) Group strive to develop a culture where safety is a core value. Events such as Safety Week 2014, which was held in May, help promote this idea through free organized activities, employee training, and safety performance evaluations.
At Metro Hydraulic, we’ve worked hard to encourage a safety culture at our distribution and service centers. We fully support efforts by the construction industry to bring the issue of safety to the forefront of discussion—and on workers’ minds. We hope that these events make a positive difference in the lives of both construction workers and the larger public.
Posted in Construction, Hydraulics and ConstructionLeave a Comment on Why is Safety Important?Building Bridges with Hydraulics
This year, two major bridges in the tri-state area have either begun or planned out major renovations and infrastructure repairs. These include the heavily traveled George Washington Bridge and Pulaski Skyway. Both projects have a budget of $1 billion or more, and require substantial construction. Metro Hydraulic is proud to report that some of this work will be completed with the help of our hydraulic equipment.
The George Washington Bridge, an 82-year-old bridge that connects New York and New Jersey, is set to undergo a series of renovations and upgrades over the course of seven years. According to CBS, the planned changes include replacing 592 suspender ropes, repairing the main cables, installing new safety technology, and swapping the necklace lighting our for programmable LED lights. The extensive construction project is slated to begin in 2017 and end in 2024.
Like the George Washington Bridge, the Pulaski Skyway is also 82-years-old. It was recently shut down for a reconstruction project that may take about two years. The Pulaski Skyway is often used by riders who travel from New Jersey to New York through the Holland Tunnel. Unfortunately for these commuters, the bridge needs significant renovations to its reinforcing bars, concrete railings, and roadbed, among others. The New York Times reports that the crossing has become “so frayed that the state installed netting to catch the falling debris.”
Metro Hydraulic distributes hydraulic equipment to some of the construction companies that work on these projects and other, similar infrastructure repairs. As the tri-state area moves forward with renovations on the George Washington Bridge and Pulaski Skyway, they will rely on our high-quality equipment and timely shipments to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. As a member of the New Jersey community, we look forward to the completion of these exciting renovations!
Posted in Construction, Hydraulics and ConstructionLeave a Comment on Building Bridges with HydraulicsInnovations for Hydraulics: Advanced Bridge Construction
One of our main sectors of business here at Metro Hydraulic is within the sphere of construction. There are many different uses of hydraulics in construction, from materials handling, to jacks and pullers, and other applications for transport of materials and work pieces. One of the coolest innovations we’ve seen in construction recently also utilizes hydraulics, and we’re intrigued.
This article is a great expo on the new process called “Accelerated bridge construction” or “ABC”, for building highway overpasses and other bridge structures, and explains what we think is a great new process that improves vastly on the old for several reasons. First, it allows traffic to continue to flow while the building process, which takes up the majority of the time of construction, is in progress. This alone is immensely practical solution to the tedious detours associated with most other jobs of this type.
The road closure time taken for this particular application was 8 hours – an incredible reduction of time and associated labor costs. The system that makes this possible is a combination of hydraulics and a lubricated sliding surface. The new structure is progressively slid into place along the sliding surfaces, pushed by hydraulic jacks which are incrementally moved as the new platform is slid into place.
We’ve seen a lot of great innovation in our experience with construction, and this is no exception. ABC represents a significantly improved process that serves both commuters who use the roadways and construction companies that build them. It’s heartening for us as hydraulic suppliers to see hydraulic systems being used to such great effect for construction. We hope this process continues to be gain acceptance and be further implemented for infrastructure construction and repair everywhere.
Posted in Construction, Hydraulics and ConstructionLeave a Comment on Innovations for Hydraulics: Advanced Bridge ConstructionFall Protection in Construction
It’s a sad fact that the construction industry is a dangerous one. If the proper steps aren’t taken to ensure workers safety, the risk of injury or fatality is high. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) claims 46 hundred construction workers were killed on the job in 2011, which is third lowest annual total in the two decades since the fatal injury census started. The worst thing about this fact is every onsite injury is preventable.
“Falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths,” according to OSHA’s fall protection page. “Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls.”
Overhead platforms, elevated work stations, and holes in the floor and walls all pose hazards for workers, and it’s the responsibility of employers to make sure that precautions have been taken to keep workers safe. Once a workers height reaches four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry or eight feet in long shoring operations, OSHA mandates that fall protection measure are taken. This also applies to workers that are above dangerous equipment. Here are employer requirements to prevent falls and other injuries:
Posted in ConstructionLeave a Comment on Fall Protection in Construction- Guard every floor hole into which a worker can accidentally walk (using a railing and toe-board or a floor hole cover).
- Provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform, floor or runway.
- Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous machines or equipment (such as a vat of acid or a conveyor belt) employers must provide guardrails and toe-boards to prevent workers from falling and getting injured.
- Other means of fall protection that may be required on certain jobs include safety and harness and line, safety nets, stair railings and hand rails.
- Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers.
- Keep floors in work areas in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition.
- Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers.
- Train workers about job hazards in a language that they can understand.
