Does anyone build roads?

[rick-l]

What are they doing here? It looks like they are filling something with gravel at the end of the tube. They have been at it for weeks 24/7

[TimT]

Looks like they are doing tremie concrete for a pile..

[azasadny]

This same type of rig was in Dearborn, MI a few years ago and I was trying to figure out what the heck it was...

[John Rogers]

Is the soil really sandy or near water such as a lake or river? If the soil is too soft then they are "stiffing" it so whatever is on top can take a load and not sink. At the ship builder NASSCO in San Diego CA they bought several new and supersizr cranes in the early 2000s. Since the yard is actually on fill and if you dig down 6 feet or so there is saltwater, they drilled hundreds of holes under the crane tracks at an angle and filled with a stone/cement/epoxy mixture. It had to set up for a month or two and then the cranes were installed.

[rick-l]

There is a creek nearby but there used to be a road there.

[TimT]

I know its a cel phone picture, I could tell you more about the construction method if the picture was higher res... i.e. in the background it looks like there are soldier piles for retaining wall..

I cant tell if there is a vibratory hammer on the hook, but I see two hoses feeding something at the hook (looks like there is a compressor mounted on the back of the crane).

Vibratory hammer to pull a pile/casing, the hopper is for supplying material while casing is being pulled...

They could be doing a few different things.. hard to tell because of pic quality, and not knowing where this is being done.

[TimT]

The rig looks like a newer small Manitowoc crawler.

[rick-l]

That picture is right under where the intersection/bridge will be but they have been doing it for at least a quarter mile south (to the right on the rendering).

http://www.modot.org/stlouis/major_projects/images/MODOT141andLadue0021AeriallookingEast3_1.jpg

[vash]

no mistaking any sounds that any of the hammers make.

that doenst look like a vib hammer that i have worked with. but you never know.

is there a concrete truck nearby? maybe they are filling a cast-in drill hole pile? but that is too fancy to look like a tremie tube used to fill a "wet hole".

what did all this sound like?

[rick-l]

No concrete truck. There is a Bobcat that loads that hopper you see at the top of the pole with what looks like plain gravel. the pole is much longer that that but I don't know how it drills in.

[John Rogers]

This might seem strange but why not stop and ask???

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by john rogers

This might seem strange but why not stop and ask???

It's a pretty busy intersection and ususlly it is just the guy in the crane and the guy on the bobcat.

Up the hill to the left is Hunter Farms where the Hunter Engineering Co founder (alignment machines) used to live. I think there are about 70 classic cars stored there. We went on a tour of the facility by the airport and there is a staff there to maintain them.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by john rogers

Is the soil really sandy or near water such as a lake or river? If the soil is too soft then they are "stiffing" it so whatever is on top can take a load and not sink. At the ship builder NASSCO in San Diego CA they bought several new and supersizr cranes in the early 2000s. Since the yard is actually on fill and if you dig down 6 feet or so there is saltwater, they drilled hundreds of holes under the crane tracks at an angle and filled with a stone/cement/epoxy mixture. It had to set up for a month or two and then the cranes were installed.

Exactly... I watched them do this for months below my office when they were building the convention center in Vancouver. That hopper keeps dumping what looks like concrete & aggregate into the long hollow tube, "injecting" it into the soil. They will probably then drive piles into the firmed up soil.

[Grog]

They are making stone columns. On unstable soil or fill, they will make stone columns for support for building foundations. Make a hole fill with gravel, vibrate to pack it.