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Your First Stop for Piledriving Technology News

When Waterfront Marine was awarded the contract to drive all of the piling for the new 4 story parking grage in downtown Norfolk, they knew they had their work cut out for them. They had to drive aprox. 580 12″x 12″ x 85′ piles with a very demanding schedule. Waterfront, being one of the leaders in piledriving in the Tidewater area, already owns many APE diesel hammers. They started out with 2 each APE D19-42 hammers and replaced one with a APE D30-42 as well as an APE Model 20 drill to pre-drill. Operations Manager Bill Hall said, “making that move doubled our production”. APE is the only way to go ! All is going full speed ahead. We wish them a safe and productive project. We also want to thank Mr. Scott Wall of Atlantic Coast Engineering of Va. Beach for doing all the PDA WEAP & WAVE information. He’s shown in one of the pictures with his mobile PDA. Call them for all your engineering needs.

If you’re not currently using APE equipment, you need to. APE is the largest piledriving & foundation equipment manufacturer in the world. Deal direct with the factory…………. GO APE !

Quality Enterprises of Chesapeake Virginia was awarded a challenging new project for a “Mobile user objective radio tower system” This is being constructed at the T131 MUOS Northwest Naval Annex in Virginia. Their 1st phase consisted of driving all of the test piles for the tower foundation piles then doing a static load test on several of the piles. They are currently driving the production piles. Quality Enterprises have a great working relationship with APE Mid-Atlantic, so we put our heads together and determined that a “fixed leader” system was the way to go! This was designed by APE Mid-Atlantic and with great support from APE Corporate in Kent Washington. They are using 100′ of 8″x 26″ leads with a side riding APE Model 20 auger for pre-drilling the piles and driving them to grade with an APE D12-42 diesel impact hammer. This has really worked out to be a very productive and clean set-up. Project Manager Steve Jones has had his hands full since this job was handed over to him and has really stepped up to the plate as have all of the QE people. The piles are 10″ x 10″ square pre-cast. If you’re in the market for a fixed lead set-up, or any type of pile driving & foundation equipment call your local APE branch. WHEN A PILEDRIVER TALKS…WE LISTEN ! GO APE!

Waterfront Marine a local Virginia Beach VA. Contractor has really gone APE in the House of APES ! They have begun driving the 12″x 12″ concrete piles with an APE D-19-42 in the Norfolk Zoo’s new Asia exhibit. Bill Hall of Waterfront Marine tells us this 18 million dollar facility will feature all kinds of animals that are Native to Asia. They will have several tigers, monkeys, monkeys, APES (no pun intended) ect. This will feature caves, dark rooms and a large boardwalk to boast of, it will be one of the finest in the USA. We wish Waterfront Marine a safe & productive project, Go APE !

APE Mid-Atlantic in Virginia Beach Virginia boasts of the largest impact hammer test stands on the East Coast. It’s mandatory ALL APE Branches have operating test stands and that all impact hammers are run & tested before going out to a job. Our test stand can test any impact hammer large or small, diesel, air / steam, or hydraulic. We also have one for vibratory hammers. APE Mid-Atlantic offers free hammer testing & evaluation. If you are not currently dealing with APE check to see if your current pile equipment supplier has a test stand, if so how big ? If they don’t have one why are you dealing with them ? Call any one of your closest APE Branches for details. GO APE !

Misener Marine Construction has come all the way from Tampa Florida to Virginia Beach VA. to install a new 48″ pipe line for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers & the city of Virginia Beach VA. The new line will carry storm water from the streets of the beach out into the Atlantic ocean some 2200 feet at a depth of approx. 35 feet. Their 1st order of work was to install a temporary work trestle that extends in to the deeper water off the beach about 730ft. This was done with an APE 300 vibro hammer and an APE D30 diesel hammer. Next was to form & pour a new outlet box and begin driving the sheetpile cell that will house the new pipe. All is rolling along as planned, Misener has some of the best marine construction people in this business, Tim Linden / Project Manager & Larry Thornton / Construction Manager are the best this industry has to offer, and they have a great staff as well. Misener Marine has been doing this type of work since the early 1950’s and have done pipelines in water as deep as 980 feet off the coast of Puerto Rico. These guys really are experts! APE wishes Misener Marine a safe and productive project.

Taylor Brothers Marine is running full steam ahead on the “Morris Island” light house restoration project. The project consists of the 1st 2 phases of the erosion control portion. Julius Taylor had on his thinking cap when he planned to use a jack-up barge for this portion, because even on the best days things can change real quick. The 1st part of this contract consisted of installing a sheetpile coffer cell. This was done with an APE 150-T vibratory hammer. The second portion is filling the cell with rip-rap stone to stop the light house from leaning any more. APE wishes Taylor Brothers a safe & productive job. Visit the website, www.savethelight.org for more information on this project.

Gemini Drilling of Kernersville North Carolina was awarded the contract to install all of the 8′-6″ dia drilled shafts for the new “Fantasy Harbor” bridge over the intercoastal waterway in Myrtle Beach SC. They knew the going was going to get tough…..so they did what all smart contractors do, Called APE! Project manager Mark Doskicil contacted APE Mid-Atlantic in Virginia Beach VA. and determined the APE Model 200 vibratory hammer package was the tool of choice ! Gemini took the hammer to a test shaft project in Valdosta GA to do some test shafts for the GA D.O.T. before moving to Myrtle Beach. Mark said “the APE hammer is the best we’ve ever used, hands down” APE wishes Gemini Drilling a safe & productive project.
Call your nearest APE branch for all your piledriving & foundation equipment needs !

When “Seaward Marine” of Norfolk VA. was awarded the emergency repair contract for the damaged Chickahominy Dam outside Williamsburg VA. They knew they were up against alot of Murphy’s law, you know anything that can go wrong will go wrong. They had to drive 70′-80′ long steel sheetpile along the whole face of the dam that was falling apart. Well they did what all smart contractors do, “When the going gets tough” they call APE! Mike Troutman, Operation’s manager for Seaward contacted APE Mid-Atlantic and determined that the APE VM-250 (variable moment vibro)would be the ticket for this extremly vibration sensative project. With the project well under way it’s been full steam ahead. We wish Seaward a safe & productive project. Contact your local APE branch for all your piledriving & foundation needs.

American Bridge Construction / East Coast Division has just begun construction on the new “Chincoteague” bridge on the beautiful island of Chincoteague Virginia. This new crossing will replace the old current causeway & drawbridge that have seen better days. The new bridge will span aprox. 4035 feet across the Black Narrows & Lewis Creek Channel. There will also be a 729′ bridge that will connect the new bridge to Marsh Island. They have begun installing their temp. work trestle on the island side with an APE D-46 diesel impact hammer. We all wish American Bridge a safe & productive project. Watch out for the horses!

APE Mid-Atlantic & Erickson Aircrane have joined forces with Richard-Wayland Electrical Contractors to up grade a long strech of high tension power poles & lines. This long awaited project is being overseen by Dominion Power Company. This project consists of 54 land based pole structures,and 40 wetlands structures that have to be installed with the Erickson air crane. This project is being over seen by Coleman Perrin / Project Manager and Chris Wright / Construction manager for Richardson-Wayland They have installed all land based & wetlands structures with APE equipment. It is amazing how far they have come in such a short period of time, our hats go off to all of your hard work ! Special thanks to Danny Bowers & staff of Dominion Power and as always Erickson Aircrane’s Jim Anderson & crew. We wish them all a safe and Productive job!