Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the arrival of the I Lift NY crane, one of world’s largest floating cranes to be used in the construction of the New NY Bridge to replace the Tappan Zee. The I Lift NY crane, christened the Left Coast Lifter for its role in a major bridge construction project in the San Francisco Bay area, will be docking at a private facility in Jersey City, where it will be berthed until moved to the New NY Bridge project site this spring.
The I Lift NY super crane completed its 6000-mile journey from Oakland Harbor, near San Francisco, California and passing through the Panama Canal to arrive in New York Harbor on January 30th. The I Lift NY super crane departed from Oakland, California on December 22, 2013. According to news briefs on http://www.newnybridge.com/ the crane and its accompanying tugboats travelled about 50 miles off the coast, heading south along California, Mexico and Central America, before beginning transit through the Panama Canal on January 15, 2014.
[blockquote class=blue]“New York has one of the world’s biggest floating cranes helping to build the State’s most ambitious infrastructure project of the 21st century.” – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo[/blockquote]
To make the trip from California to New York, a specially designed boom support was fabricated, attached to, and extended some 86 feet beyond the stern of the barge, thereby allowing the boom to be lowered to its transit position. A heavy poly-material was used to wrap certain sections of the crane to protect them from salt spray. Installation of a temporary electrical generation system powered and maintained key pieces of equipment maintained during the journey, also powering dehumidifiers that were added to keep certain rooms and compartments dry.
To further protect I Lift NY as it travelled through the Panama Canal, “rub rails” were installed along the side of the crane to avoid contact with the canal lock walls.
Once on-site in the Hudson River, the floating crane will assist Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) in the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement. It is anticipated that the boom length of 328 feet and 1,900-ton lift capacity will enable TZC to build the new bridge and demolish the existing bridge with safety and efficiency. The huge lift capability will allow TZC to construct giant modular sections of the new bridge at an assembly yard along the Hudson. These sections, each weighing 900 to 1,100 tons, will then be brought to the construction site by barge and installed by the I Lift NY super crane. The crane will also be used to dismantle the existing Tappan Zee Bridge in larger pieces, saving money and time. I Lift NY is built on a 384-foot barge, and has no navigational power of its own. The lifting power for the giant floating crane comes from three diesel-powered 601 kW (806 hp) main generators and one 91 kW (122 hp) auxiliary generator, which are incorporated into the barge.
“New York has one of the world’s biggest floating cranes helping to build the State’s most ambitious infrastructure project of the 21st century,” said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. “The I Lift NY super crane can lift the equivalent of up to 12 Statues of Liberty at once, shortening construction time by months and reducing project costs by millions of dollars.”
To see photos of the crane’s journey, visit: www.newnybridgegallery.com/updates/.
