No two workplaces are the same, but they usually have one thing in common: they are both above the water. This was not the case when Helm Civil rebuilt sluices and dams for the Army Corps of Engineers on the Mississippi River on Rock Island, Illinois.
Lock and Dam 15 was built in 1931 with wooden fences and stakes. Over the years, continuous barge traffic has caused the failure of the old foundation on the lower guide wall used by the barge to enter and exit the lock chamber.
Helm Civil, a company headquartered in East Moline, Illinois, signed a most valuable contract with the Army Corps of Engineers in the Rock Island District to demolish 12 30-foot aircraft. Integrate and install 63 drilling shafts.
“The part we had to polish was 360 feet long and 5 feet high,” said Clint Zimmerman, senior project manager at Helm Civil. “All of this is about 7 to 8 feet underwater, which clearly poses a unique challenge.”
In order to complete this work, Zimmermann must obtain the right equipment. First, he needs a grinder that can work underwater. Second, he needs technology that allows the operator to accurately maintain the slope when grinding underwater. He asked the road machinery and supply company for help.
The result is the use of Komatsu Intelligent Machine Control (iMC) PC490LCi-11 excavators and Antraquiq AQ-4XL grinders with integrated GPS technology. This will allow Helm Civil to use the 3D model to control its depth and maintain accuracy when grinding, even if the river level fluctuates.
“Derek Welge and Bryan Stolee really put these together, and Chris Potter also played an important role,” Zimmerman said.
Holding the model in hand, placing the excavator safely on the barge on the river, Helm Civil is ready to start work. When the machine is grinding underwater, the operator can look at the screen in the excavator’s cab and know exactly where he is and how far he needs to go.
“The depth of grinding varies with the water level of the river,” Zimmerman said. “The advantage of this technology is that we can consistently understand where to grind regardless of the water level. The operator always has an accurate operating position. This is very impressive.”
“We have never used 3D modeling underwater,” Zimmerman said. “We would operate blindly, but iMC technology allows us to always know exactly where we are.
The use of Komatsu’s intelligent machine control enabled Helm Civil to complete the project in nearly half the expected time.
“The grinding plan is for two weeks,” Zimmerman recalled. “We brought the PC490 in on Thursday, and then we installed the grinder on Friday and photographed the control points around the work site. We started grinding on Monday and we made 60 feet on Tuesday alone, which is very impressive . We basically finished that Friday. This is the only way out.” CEG
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Post time: Sep-01-2021