Antraquip Drum Cutters Make Quick Work of Lock Enlargement Project in New York
Published: 31/5, 2021
Antraquip recently supplied three of their powerful AQ-5 drum cutters to one of their most longstanding customers in northern New York state. The project was particularly challenging, as the contractor needed to complete the controlled concrete demolition of a wall within a canal lock quickly in order to ensure the facility would be ready to accommodate large ships enroute to major cities in the northeastern part of the US and Canada.
The contractor mounted the AQ-5s on CAT 349 excavators positioned on barges. From there, the contractor would grind up to 3 ft (1m) of concrete off the surface. Unlike normal weathered concrete commonly seen on lock and dam rehab jobs, this material had a hardness of 55MPa (UCS) with imbedded steel rebar.
As the machines worked their way down, the water level was dropped in order to access the deeper areas of the lock. The project required operation of the three machines around the clock despite brutal weather conditions with temperatures dropping to as low as -30°F (-34° C). Nevertheless, the entire project was completed well ahead of schedule in less than a month.
Antraquip drum cutters proved to be the ideal option for a project like this ,as the AQ-5s provided the perfect combination of high productivity and precision while eliminating the possibility of over-breaking or microfracturing that could damage the integrity of the lock walls.
Antraquip is proud to offer high production solutions with their heavy-duty cutters without having strict limits on the compressive strength. The company’s attachments have tackled many similar demolition jobs operating in heavily reinforced material.