Hulcher's crews brought down and moved the three structures in one-hour windows for this PTC project
KEY FACTSPROJECT SUMMARY:Demolish three structures TIGHT TIME WINDOW:Hulcher crews demolished and removed each structure in a one-hour window, avoiding disruption to the railroad’s schedule. SITE PREP AND RESTORATION:Hulcher prepared the site before taking down the structures, hauled off the scrap materials and backdragged the site to a clean and usable condition. |
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HULCHER CASE STUDY
Hulcher Services Demolishes Signals Bridge, Cantilever and Signals Tower for Positive Train Control (PTC) Project
SCOPE
The railroad installed new signals along a two-mile stretch of track. The new signals will serve the same function as the existing ones for the time being, but ultimately will support Positive Train Control (PTC) when that program goes online. Before the railroad could activate the new signals, they needed to have an existing five-track signal bridge, cantilever and tower removed and the new signals rotated into place over the tracks.
The railroad needed an experienced contractor who could complete this work in tight one-hour windows to avoid disruption to their schedule.
SOLUTION
Hulcher deployed three cranes, a skid steer with various attachments, an all-terrain forklift and a haul truck to perform the work.
Hulcher's crews began the project by using the skid steer to clear brush and create a laydown pad for the steel to be placed once the structures were taken down.
Once the laydown pad was created for the steel structures, the process for demolition began. The railroad closed the track for one hour for each structure. In that hour Hulcher crews torch-cut the structure’s legs, and the cranes lifted and swung it clear of the track to place it on the laydown pads. Once the old structure was removed, the crews rotated the new signal structure over the track. This process was repeated until all three old structures had been taken down.
Once all the structures were taken down, Hulcher then dismantled them, loaded the steel to a flatbed truck with the forklift and hauled it off to the scrap yard. To complete the project, the skid steer broke up the concrete footers and loaded the refuse to a dump truck, and crews back-dragged the sites.
OUTCOME
Hulcher’s experience allow its crews to work closely with railroad personnel to bring down and move each of the three structures in a one-hour windows, avoiding any disruption to its busy schedule. With the structures removed, the railroad was able to activate its new signals infrastructure in support of the impending PTC program.
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