Picture courtesy of Sukut Building
Sukut Building hired the usage of a helicopter to move an important subject matter for an erosion mission in northern Los Angeles County.
On maximum tasks, cranes are in a position to satisfy the wishes of common contractors to boost and position heavy items of fabrics, be it pipes, concrete or metal beams, concrete piers, and many others. Alternatively, in some scenarios, a crane — in spite of its dimension and features — is inadequate.
That is why Sukut Building LLC made use of an Agusta AW-119 helicopter to put 12 items of heavy twine mesh on a slope adjoining to the southbound lanes of State Path 14 (Antelope Valley Highway) in Santa Clarita as a part of a slope coverage mission by way of the California Division of Transportation (Caltrans).
Picture courtesy of Sukut Building
Roughly 554,000 sq. toes. of twine mesh were positioned all over this mission, which began in past due 2022.
The development zone covers the realm alongside the shoulder of southbound Freeway 14 between Golden Valley Highway and Placerita Canyon Highway in northern Los Angeles County.
The helicopter lifted the twine mesh from a web site 500 toes. away to the web site close to Golden Valley Highway.
This $16.1 million mission this is re-grading, bettering and protective the slopes from erosion started in September 2022 and will have to be finished in Would possibly 2026.
“By means of hanging turf-reinforced twine mesh, this mission will keep watch over erosion and stabilize this reduce slope which is uncovered to floor runoff,” mentioned Michael Comeaux, a public data officer of Caltrans District 7 (Los Angeles and Ventura counties). “Identical paintings has been carried out on SR 14 hillsides. That is a space of hills and valleys at the north aspect of the San Gabriel Mountains, a significant mountain vary in Los Angeles County. This freeway connects the town of Los Angeles to the towns of Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster in addition to different communities farther north, which makes SR-14 a key direction for commuters.”
The typical weight of every twine mesh piece lifted by way of the chopper was once roughly 600 lbs.
“It took the producer about 3 weeks to provide the twine mesh items,” mentioned Venture Engineer Nathan Garcia. “They have been brought to the web site by way of flatbed vans, making sure they arrived in very good situation. The making plans was once meticulous and concerned collaboration between our subcontractor, Get admission to Restricted, who put in the twine mesh, the engineers, protection officials, and the helicopter workforce [HP Helicopters]. We performed more than one protection conferences to verify precision and protection all over the lifting and hanging procedure.”
“We didn’t have a back-up helicopter, however HP Helicopters had a group of educated mechanics on-site to deal with any attainable problems instantly, making sure no delays within the operation,” he added. “It took roughly 5-10 mins to boost and position every piece. The operation went easily, with out a important deviations from the plan.”
The slopes have been ready by way of grading, eliminating 200,000 cu. yds. of soil and making sure right kind grades using GPS techniques to create a strong base. Erosion keep watch over measures, akin to silt fences and sediment traps, additionally have been installed position.
“The twine mesh items have been connected the use of grouted anchor rods that have been drilled 10 toes into the slope,” mentioned Garcia. “A grid of 10 toes by way of 10 toes was once utilized by Get admission to Restricted drillers the use of spider drills to finish the duty. Instant paintings integrated securing the perimeters and making sure every piece was once tensioned accurately to maximise steadiness. The following steps contain finishing the attachment of the twine mesh after which pouring concrete alongside every graded bench at the slope for added steadiness, stormwater measures and coverage.”
Roughly 30 folks have been concerned within the helicopter operation, together with pilot, floor crews, protection officials, building workforce and engineers.
Picture courtesy of Sukut Building
Along with the chopper, high-strength static and dynamic ropes particularly designed for commercial and building use have been hired, in addition to full-body protection harnesses compliant with OSHA requirements, provided with more than one attachment issues for versatility and protection; repelling apparatus: descenders and ascenders for managed descent and ascent on slopes, carabiners and connectors constructed from high-strength alloy for safe attachment issues, anchoring gadgets akin to floor anchors and rock bolts to verify steadiness all over operations; and private protecting apparatus (PPE): helmets with chin straps for head coverage, heavy-duty gloves to offer protection to palms and supply a greater grip, and high-visibility clothes to verify workforce contributors are simply noticed.
Coaching for the operation was once meticulous. This integrated in depth coaching in rope get entry to tactics and fall coverage; common protection drills and refresher lessons to deal with excessive protection requirements; certification in running at heights and cord get entry to from known coaching organizations, and emergency reaction coaching to deal with attainable incidents successfully.
“We discovered the significance of meticulous making plans and coordination amongst all group contributors,” Garcia mentioned. “This contains detailed pre-flight briefings and steady verbal exchange all over operations. We labored with Get admission to Restricted and stepped forward scheduling to attenuate downtime and make certain that all fabrics and staff have been in a position earlier than every elevate. Protection protocols have been subtle in accordance with our studies. Sukut and Get admission to Restricted applied further protection drills and emergency reaction workout routines to raised get ready the workforce for unexpected cases.”
Venture Demanding situations
Executing this mission was once by no means going to be simple.
“A big problem of this mission is composed of excavating and running inside any such steep and tight house along the prevailing freeway,” mentioned Garcia. “Get admission to is all the time a problem and protection is all the time our major purpose in carrying out and handing over a a hit mission which is why the helicopter was once used to advertise safely shifting fabrics to the steep slope. The mission is progressing smartly and on time table.”
Savala Apparatus Corporate of Irvine was once a key condominium apparatus supplier for the mission. Savala equipped Sukut with an operated John Deere JD 470 excavator that was once in a position to briefly load out semi-bottom sell off vans (14 cu. yds.).
“The extremely professional device operator that Savala equipped was once instrumental in making sure that the slope excavation was once carried out safely and on time table,” mentioned Garcia.
Quinn Corporate of the town of Business additionally was once crucial supplier of condominium apparatus, which integrated skip loaders and small dozers.
The mission essentially operates all over day shifts to maximise potency and make sure protection.
“Our dating with Caltrans has been collaborative and certain,” mentioned Garcia. “Their reinforce and steerage were valuable in making sure the mission meets all regulatory necessities and requirements.”
Contractor’s Paintings
To this point, Sukut has finished the next: excavation of 2 huge slopes along the freeway eliminating over 200,000 cu. yds. of filth to offer protection to the hillside from additional erosion; set up of latest stormwater drainage options; set up of a turf mat and twine mesh machine to offer protection to the newly graded slope; and erosion keep watch over measures.
The rest paintings is composed of freeway civil enhancements together with guardrail, concrete barrier, new asphalt paving, asphalt curb and fence.
The operation for re-grading, bettering, and protective the slopes from erosion additionally required critical making plans.
Picture courtesy of Sukut Building
“We’re stabilizing the slopes by way of grading, putting in erosion keep watch over measures and reinforcing them with twine mesh and turf mats,” mentioned Garcia. “The plan contains phased paintings to attenuate disruption and make sure every phase is safe earlier than shifting to the following. The primary demanding situations come with tight apparatus get entry to, managing climate stipulations, making sure the protection of the crews and the running freeway adjoining to the mission, and coordinating logistics for the supply and set up of fabrics.”
When grading the slope to arrange for the twine mesh set up, Sukut applied a Cat D9 dozer, a Cat D3 Dozer, a 190,000-lb. JD 470 excavator and a fleet of double backside sell off vans.
The Sukut control group is composed of Garcia, Venture Supervisor Jorge Becerra, Vice President of Public Works Lawrence Damore and Foreman Matt Healy.
“The group dynamic is extremely collaborative and interested by protection and potency,” mentioned Garcia. “Sturdy verbal exchange and a shared dedication to the mission’s good fortune represent our group. The crews were outstanding, demonstrating willpower, talent, and a focus to element. Their arduous paintings and professionalism were key to the mission’s development.”
Standard days have 20 Sukut and subcontractor staff on-site. The subcontractors are Get admission to Restricted (twine mesh and turf mat set up); Acacia (ultimate erosion keep watch over hydroseed); A.C. Dike Co. (asphalt dike set up); Ace Fence Corporate (guardrail and fence); Dees Burke Engineering Constructors (concrete barrier); Site visitors Control Methods (site visitors keep watch over); Complete Site visitors Upkeep (site visitors keep watch over); LA Metal Products and services ( reinforcing bar); Southwest V-Ditch, Inc. (concrete floor drainage); Statewide Site visitors Protection & Indicators (site visitors indicators).
Excavated soil got rid of and hauled off-site. New fabrics come with over 5,000 rock dowels and {hardware} for the twine mesh machine, and roughly 580,000 sq. toes. of twine mesh and turf reinforcement mat. CEG
Irwin Rapoport
A journalist who began his profession at a weekly group newspaper, Irwin Rapoport has written about building and structure for greater than 15 years, in addition to a number of different topics, akin to recycling, environmental problems, trade provide chains, belongings construction, pulp and paper, agriculture, solar energy and effort, and training. Getting the tale proper and illustrating the arduous paintings and professionalism that is going into finishing highway, bridge, and construction tasks is essential to him. A key component of his building articles is to supply readers with a possibility to look how common contractors and departments of transportation entire their tasks and cope with demanding situations in order that courses discovered can also be shared with a much broader target audience.
Rapoport has a BA in Historical past and a Minor in Political Science from Concordia College. His spare time activities come with climbing, birding, biking, studying, going to concert events and performs, striking out with family and friends, and structure. He’s willing to sooner or later write an MA thesis on army and financial making plans by way of the Nice Powers previous to the beginning of the First International Battle.
