Orlando Notable Project: Ivey’s Construction – Blast Tunnel

This addition of The Orlando Notable Project was a joint venture with the Speedy Concrete Cutting, Fort Lauderdale.  Our customer, Ivey’s Construction, Inc. of Merritt Island, was hired by Hensel Phelps and the United Launch Alliance to perform remediation work in the Blast Tunnel of Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station-Space Complex.  LCH was initially built and put into service for NASA in 1965, servicing the Atlas Class Rocket Program.  It was switched in 2002 to Cape Canaveral Air Force Base to service Atlas Class Rockets still launching today. Hensel Phelps was tasked with upgrading the steel structure and a new, larger “Deluge Tank” that floods the tunnel at the moment of launch to suppress the rocket blast and direct it away from the launch vehicle.  The concrete cutting scopes involved removal of (9) 2’6” x 2’4”-7” deep stainless steel infused, high tensile strength, concrete gunite topping down to the virgin structural concrete to allow anchor/weld plate installation to connect the new steel structure to the tunnel roof slab. The total scheduled window for concrete removal, prep work, anchor installation, weld plate connections and replacement of the removed gunite topping was 6 weeks, start to finish. Our scope of work, 25’ off the floor of the tunnel, removing concrete material overhead, working out of scissor lifts to access cutting heights, was only set for a 2-week time frame.  There was a scheduled rocket launch 2 days after the 6 week shut down and our work was the key to the projects time line because no other work could begin until we were complete with our scope. At the onset of the project, Ivey’s consulted with 3 concrete cutting companies and at the end of the process awarded the work to Speedy based on our past performance, ability to properly man the job, our commitment to manage the project and the different methodologies we offered in case our original plan of line drilling/snapping  wasn’t going to meet their time line. We put together a team to start the work that included, Tevin Lindsey, Tom Rhoades, Noah Walton and James Daniels from Orlando. The Fort Lauderdale operators included Cameron Jeff and Garfield Johnson. Joe Kenney, District Manager was onsite directing the work, and we ultimately determined that a chainsaw, score cutting and chipping method was going to expedite the work.  We used wet & HEPA Vacs to control slurry and dust during work and had larger 4 WD scissor lifts brought in to provide a more stable platform.  We were faced with several setbacks due to stoppages of work for testing of new hydraulic piping systems, delaying us for hours and even an entire day at one point.  Despite delays beyond our control, and a somewhat slow start trying for the best methodology, Speedy once again, “Exceeded Customer’s Expectations”, finishing our work days before the end of our two week timeline. Thank you to all who made this a success. Well done! NOTABLE PROJECTGENERAL CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHT Ivey’s Construction, Inc. offers a full range of services including General Contracting, Construction Management, Design Build and AISC Advanced Steel Erection. Ivey’s is capable of self-performing all phases of steel erection, heavy rigging, rebar, concrete, carpentry, metal framing, and drywall. “Speedy did a great job.  It was a difficult schedule and they brought in reinforcements from other offices to meet our (Ivey’s Construction) needs to keep the project on time.  You guys came through for us in a big way and we are very satisfied” – Doug Garrett Ivey’s Construction #notableprojects #construction #centralflorida #concretecutting

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