Barrier wall is a common sight along the interstate highways, and the job of temporary placement to reroute traffic is a daily routine. In the spring of 2013, Strongstown B & K Enterprises was tasked with placing over 65,000 feet of barrier wall along the Pennsylvania Turnpike to separate the normal traffic flow around a scheduled resurfacing project.

A Hyundai 107 excavator was operated by Larry Prain to lift and position the 12 foot wall sections. Owen Covey assisted with guiding and interlocking the walls into place. A Kenco KL30000NG Barrier Lift was used to handle the concrete. With this lifting attachment, each three ton wall could be grabbed right from the bed of the truck, set into position and then released automatically. It only took about 30 seconds for these two workers to complete the cycle. Each truck carried nine barrier walls which were being unloaded and set into place in less than 10 minutes. Prain said, ‘It makes it easy to set barrier.’ Covey went on to say, ‘The larger pads (on the NG series) really grab onto the wall. It saves us a lot of work and lets us get the job done much faster.’

Even at 30 seconds per cycle, that still calculated to more than 40 hours of work. The task required them to position over 5,400 twelve foot wall sections along eight miles of highway between the Blue Mountain and Carlisle exits.

Joppa, MD

R. Carpenter Construction Inc. of Joppa, MD used Kenco’s self-leveling Pipe Hook for a project consisting of providing all outside utility work and paving for a new Commerce Bank through Custom Commercial. The Pipe Hook proved to be a big time saver for the work required.

Jim Bougalis

“The Pipe Hook has made life alot easier for the employees and the operator…easier and less time-consuming…”

Matt Marshall

“We installed 84 inch – 25,000 pound elliptical pipe in record time… time improvements of 60% for a hook/set cycle…” “

Michael Long

“We used to move pipe with cables and chains until we saw the Pipe Hook advertised in a magazine. Moving pipe with the Pipe Hook has proven to be a much faster process. It’s alot more accurate through the procedure, and most importantly, much safer.”

Pat Johnston

“Dear Kenco,

This is in response to a survey sent to us by Kenco with regards to the Pipe Hook currently in use on Bowen Engineerings’ Seymour project. It is our first experience with your products. I am including some photos of the hook in action laying C-76 60 inch RCP. We are pleased with the hook and have seen greatly reduced hook/set cycle times during the laying operation. Safety with the hook compared to traditional methods of C-76 pressure class RCP i.e.: chains or steel cables is much better. This is our first experience using the hook. All that is required to place the pipe in the ditch is to connect a 15 foot shackle to the excavator. Our placement method up to this time has been to use a rigging chain 3/4 inches in diameter and weighing in at about 300 pounds, a difficult method to say the least. Steel chokers are another often-used method. Balancing and removing with these methods are much more time-consuming. Time is money on the site and we have seen time improvements of 60% for a hook/set cycle. I would rate the Kenco Pipe Hook a 10 for setting pressure class RCP. I would not recommend the hook to other contractors because I believe it provides us with a competitive edge.”

Herman Price, Trader Construction

“We use the Pipe Hook every day to put in storm drainage systems. The Pipe Hook is much easier and less time-consuming than using slings and cables. The Pipe Hook has saved us time and money.”

Wisconsin

The various utilities that run through the University of Wisconsin Campus and the UW Hospital were in major need of repair. Terra Engineering & Construction was contracted by the State of Wisconsin in April of 2007 to replace much of the existing chilled water lines, steam tunnels, sanitary sewers, and water mains on the west end of campus. The utilities were located directly across from the UW Hospital, so space was at a premium.

Terra needed a safe, cost effective way to get the pipe in the ground as quickly as possible and without much room to work. After researching alternatives to using a traditional sling, Terra decided on the PL 8500 Semi Automatic Pipe Lift from Kenco. The narrow profile of Kenco’s Pipe Lift allowed Terra to set the 48″ and 54″ pipe in the trench easily despite the narrow trench. Terra’s machine operator was able to grasp and release the pipe from inside the backhoe, which eliminated the need for a laborer on the ground to assist in the rigging. That alone significantly increased production and made for a much safer workplace. Adding to the savings was the fact that the Pipe Lift was able to accommodate a range of pipe sizes, so the PL 8500 was all that was needed.

California

TEICHERT CONSTRUCTION employs about 4000 employees, and is a leading general contractor in California. The Stockton District recently completed a piping project in the Chesapeake subdivision of Ripon, CA. “We replaced a canal with 78″ RCP,” explained Steve Pester, underground superintendent. To replace the pipe, the crew used a Komatsu excavator with a Kenco Pipe Lift. “We started with the smaller Kenco Pipe Lifts and liked them,” said Pester, “so we ordered the larger one for this job. We also ordered another one to handle 96″ pipe for an upcoming job.” Before investing in the Pipe Lifts, Teichert Construction used two 2-inch diameter chokers that were 35 feet long. The required labor was much more intense, and the process of laying the pipe took much longer.

“With the Kenco Pipe Lift, you simply pick up the pipe and place it into position.” said Pester. “The equipment pushes the pipe together, and the O-ring at the joint compresses to seal the joint.”

Tim Caponigro

“We use the Pipe Lift for road construction drainage. It is faster and takes less labor time than our previous method of moving and laying pipe.”