Tag: Construction crane

HDR Construction Images of a Morning in November 2013

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Ironworkers from Local 70 preparing rigging on a caisson for the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville KY
Ironworkers from Local 70 preparing rigging on a caisson for the Ohio River Bridges Project in Louisville KY

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Today’s post is rather long on images yet short on words. I decided that what I wanted to show my readers was a series of several HDR construction images from a morning in November 2013. I thought sharing these HDR images from a single morning shoot would help my readers see how busy things are on the Ohio River Bridges Project.

I am always amazed at the skill and expertise that is required to do the work of Heavy Highway and Bridge Construction. Ironworkers, Carpenters and Operating Engineers must choreograph so many moves into placing the pieces of a single pier. The skill and commitment  to safety that they use to get the massive components in place is a sign of their professionalism and dedication to their respective trades. Any miscalculation when handling these pieces could result in slowing or stopping construction or even worse the very real possibility of the loss of someone’s life. For that reason the attention paid to properly performing each element in the process is paramount to safely accomplishing the task at hand.

Ironworker Local 70 member Travis tying rebar on a caisson. #2
Ironworker Local 70 member Travis attaching rigging to a caisson. #2

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Ironworker Local 70 member Travis tying rebar on a caisson.
Ironworkers Local 70 member Travis attaching rigging to the caisson.

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Crane booms in the sky
Crane booms in the sky.

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Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing. #2
Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing. #2

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Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing.
Ironworkers Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for the pick and placement in the pier casing.

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Starting the pick of the caisson as Travis and Sean stand by.
Starting the pick of the caisson as Travis stands by and Sean communicates with the crane operator through hand signs.

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Early morning on the Indiana Approach
Early morning on the Indiana Approach.

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Apprentice Carpenter Escarlett learning how to use a cutting torch.
Apprentice Carpenter, Escarlett, learning how to use a cutting torch.

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Placing a Caisson in the pier casing
Placing a Caisson in the pier casing on the Indiana approach of the downtown span.

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Placing a Caisson in the pier casing on the Indiana approach of the downtown span. #2
Placing a Caisson in the pier casing on the Indiana approach of the downtown span. #2

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Rigging the caisson for picking.
Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for picking.

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Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for picking. #2
Sean and Travis rigging the caisson for picking. #2

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I hope these HDR construction images help reveal the size and scope of the Ohio River Bridges Project as well as the my admiration for the skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen who perform these critical tasks. I also hope that the next time you see a construction site or meet a construction worker you will see their contribution to our way of life and the valuable part they play in building the world. Maybe you’ll even have a little more understanding of the important role that organized labor plays in providing skilled professionals that construct safe and dependable infrastructure for our world.

One final note about these images. All of the images in this post were created from three exposure bracket sets of +2, 0 and -2 EV exposures. They were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished in Aperture 3. I use NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 because it does the best job I have found of reducing, and in most cases eliminating, ghosting when working with active subjects such as the men and women in these images. I finish the merged images in Aperture 3 because it allows me to control all the other variables such as color, contrast, sharpening etc in a non-destructive workflow.

The Ohio River Bridges Project in Early January

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Bright Blue January Morning
Bright Blue January Morning Overlooking The Ohio River Bridges Project

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This HDR image was taken from the Big Four Bridge a couple of weeks ago. It was a cold crisp morning and the blue sky reflected in the Ohio River was stunning. I framed the shot between Continue reading “The Ohio River Bridges Project in Early January” →

Caisson Pick

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Lifting the Caisson Into Place
Moving the Caisson Into Place

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Yesterday morning the caisson for the bridge pier, 6R2, was moved into place inside the 12 foot diameter steel casing that will protect the bridge piers from damage once the bridge is finished and the river channel is reopened. The rebar caisson is over 60 feet long and moving it requires excellent coordination between the crane operator and the crew on the ground. The caisson must be precisely placed so that the connections to the next components of the tower can be completed. Not only are there Ironworkers involved but additionally there are Carpenters, Pile Drivers and Surveyors that have specific roles to play when these caissons are positioned. The men in the foreground are surveyors whose role is to make sure that the attachment points are properly aligned by accurately measuring exactly where the caisson is situated in the bore. Once all that is completed the cylinder will be poured full of concrete and the pier will be ready for the next piece to be attached.

This is a three frame bracket set of images shot at -2, 0 and +2 EV. The three images were merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 to create the HDR image. After merging and tonemapping the image was returned to Aperture 3 for final processing.

Construction Cranes in HDR

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Walsh Construction Cranes on the Ohio River Bridges Project.
Walsh Construction Cranes on the Ohio River Bridges Project.

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Cranes are the workhorses for Walsh Construction on their Ohio River Bridges Project. In this view from the Indiana landing there are two large cranes on barges in the river and if you look along the horizon you can see at least six more cranes. They are being used to move material and to set the pile drivers in place on the Kentucky side of the river where there are going to be over fifty structures erected in the reconstruction of Louisville’s Spaghetti Junction.

This HDR image is another three frame bracket set +2, 0 and -2 EV at f8. I merged them in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and finished the merged image in Aperture 3. After that I took the HDR image into Photoshop and applied some lens correction as well. I’m starting to limit my use of the structure slider in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 because I think it is introducing graininess into the skies. I still use a little to punch up the details but not nearly as much as I have in the past. When in Aperture 3 I have also limited the use of the details slider for the same reason.

The Ohio River Bridge Emerges From the River

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Placing a 240,000 pound form for the Ohio River Bridge.
Placing the 240,000 pound “tub” concrete form for the Ohio River Bridge. HDR Version

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Last Thursday a significant milestone was reached in the Ohio River Bridges Project. After months of preparation Walsh Construction placed the first “tub”, a concrete form weighing over 240,000 pounds, that will be used to construct the western portion of the waterline footing at Tower 5, the pier nearest the Indiana shoreline. With that accomplished the foundation work on the bridge broke the surface of the Ohio River for the first time.

The yellow tub is the form that will retain the wet concrete that will be poured to form a portion of the waterline footing. The tub, which is 61 feet long and 22 feet wide was lifted and placed over two 12 foot diameter permanent casings that have been placed in the river after drilling over 30 feet into the bedrock of the river. Once those casings were in place they were filled with a steel reinforcement structure and poured concrete. Those two drilled casings were then used to secure the tub form that will be poured full in a single continuous concrete pour later this month. This is a massive concrete pour that will require the installation of a cooling system to handle the heat generated by the concrete as it cures.

Watching the crane operator lift and move this massive structure was very exciting. The longer I work with the men and women from Walsh Construction the more I appreciate the amazing amount of coordination that is required between the people on the ground and the crane operator to safely handle incredibly large structures. The crane operator had to be able to smoothly and safely lift the tub from another barge in the river and then pivot 90 degrees without allowing the load the swing or sway as he moved it into position over the two pier casings. His skill and the planning that went into making this “critical lift” paid of as the form was lowered into it’s final position and secured to the piers. This was the first time something like this has been done and it went exactly as planned.

The image at the top of the post is a three frame bracket set at +2, 0 and -2 EV which was first merged in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and then finished in Aperture 3. I am also including the zero EV image, which I adjusted in Aperture 3, at the bottom of the post to show why I  use HDR techniques. Using HDR techniques enhances the final image and reveals details in a much broader range than is possible when simply using a single frame and trying to adjust it for the very broad lighting situations that working in the field with available light presents.

Placing a 240,000 pound form for the Ohio River Bridge. Single frame version.
Placing the 240,000 pound “tub” concrete form for the Ohio River Bridge. LDR version.

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