chairman dick weeks, p-51 world war ii fighter flight

WEEKS
MARINE
A quarterly Publication for Employees of Weeks Marine
SUMMER/FALL 2013
CHAIRMAN DICK WEEKS,
P-51 WORLD WAR II
FIGHTER FLIGHT
Transco Pipeline
Heavy Lift
Deepwater
Pipeline
Repairs
Safety Awards
Kids Day 2013
Weeks Marine is an equal opportunity employer.
HEALY TIBBITTS PROJECTS
2
WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
4
MCNALLY PROJECTS
8
WEEKS MARINE EVENTS
11
SAFETY AWARDS
13
EMPLOYEE TIDINGS
15
Towing
Safety Award
HEALY TIBBITTS BUILDERS PROJECTS
NELHA 40 Deepwater
Pipeline Transition
Section Repairs
Submitted by: Cristian Caicedo
The Natural Energy Lab Hawaii Authority
(NELHA), located on the Kona Coast (west
coast) of the Big Island of Hawaii contracted
Healy Tibbitts Builders to perform critical
repairs to their 40 inches deep ocean intake
pipeline. NELHA uses this intake to harvest
cold deep ocean water for both commercial
and ocean thermal exchange research. The
scope of the project consisted of the upgrade
of the existing mooring bridles and transition
anchors that secure the 40 inch high density
polyethylene plastic (HDPE) pipe to the ocean
floor, which have deteriorated during the 24 +
years since they were originally installed.
This pipeline was originally installed in 1987
and this was the first time any repairs were
preformed to the pipeline since its installation.
The location along the pipe which required
repairs is located roughly 0.5 miles from shore
in approximately 450 feet of water.
Specifically, the work consisted of several
underwater operations: 1) The cutting of the
existing chain bridles and replacing them with
new bridle chains. 2) The cleaning of certain
components on the pipeline for subsequent
anode installation. 3) The cleaning of portions
of the pipeline itself in preparation for the
installation of custom designed pipe clamps.
Additionally we had to find and measure the
water depth of a flange called out to be at
roughly 1,000 feet deep.
After contract award, NELHA preformed a
survey of the pipeline using a small three man
submarine. During the survey it was discovered
that the overall pipeline catenary (the curve
that an idealized hanging chain assumes
under its own weight when supported only at
its ends) was at a deeper water depth than
originally anticipated. It was determined that
2
ROV Cougar
this condition during high current events would
result in the pipeline touching the bottom of the
ocean floor. In order to mitigate this condition
NELHA issued Healy a change order to install (3
each) flotation modules to the pipeline so that
the pipeline catenary would be at the required
depth.
The water depths at which the work was
to be performed and the high mobilization
HEALY TIBBITTS BUILDERS PROJECTS
at the planned locations. This required knowing
the exact position of the anchor scow at all
times. Using his years of dredging experience
using Hypack, Healy’s “navigation” engineer
Howard Pang outfitted all of the barges with
GPS systems to provide a real time positioning
system that was used not only during the anchor
deployment and recovery operations, but also
during the course of the repairs as well.
Weeks 544 mooring configuration
costs for a deep water dive spread, and with
the limited budget, NELHA had to perform
these critical repairs in a Remotely Operated
Vehicle (ROV). Healy teamed up with Global
Divers from Seattle to provide two ROV’s; The
Cougar, a working class ROV, which performed
all of the repairs and the Falcon, an inspection
class ROV used mostly for surveying. Healy
provided the project management and floating
equipment spread; the Weeks 544, Tug Carolyn
and Workboat Roberta G. to support the ROV
operations.
The required repairs were situated at
different locations along the pipeline; this
meant that the Weeks 544 had to be moored
in such a way to allow for fleeting of the 544 to
all the different repair locations without having
to move anchors.
Using the experience gained during the Rota
project, Healy’s own Kenta Okada devised a
four point anchor placement plan that would
allow just that: fleeting of the Weeks 544 to
all work locations without anchor movement.
Altogether this mooring arrangement would
allow the barge to fleet a horizontal distance of
approximately 800 feet. The selected mooring
system consisted of a four point mooring
system each comprised of the anchor, crown
buoy and surge can buoy. Each of the barge
winch lines would be ultimately hooked to
the surge can. There was one “catch”: the
big island of Hawaii’s west coast has a very
abrupt bathymetry (the study of underwater
depth of ocean floors) with a slope close to
28 degrees, this meant that the two offshore
anchors and related components, had to be
precisely set at a water depth of 1,850 feet.
The detailed oriented reader can only start to
conjure up in its head the logistical challenges
faced with this operation. Given the lengths
of wire rope involved and related weights,
Healy’s Marine Superintendent Cap Butler
purposed the Weeks 161 to act as the “anchor”
scow, with dedicated winches for each of the
mooring components each of which had to be
methodically and sequentially spooled on to
the drums of the winches to match the anchor
deployment plan. Cap was also the brain
behind sequencing the entire operation. In all,
over three months of detailed planning went
into this particular task.
For the mooring system to work as planned,
it was critical that each of the anchors be set
Launching ROV
3
For this project Healy Tibbitts used the
following pieces of equipment: Weeks 544,
Weeks 161, Tug Carolyn and Tug Roberta G.
Operations ran 24 hours a day for 7 days a
week, crews were split into two shifts with a
one hour overlap between each shift.
This was a very technical and challenging
project that required each task to be
methodically thought out ahead of being
performed. A couple of tasks worth noting
were the installation of three 3,000 pound
buoyancy modules and the laying of over 800
feet of 1-1/4 inch chain in 500 feet of water
with a precision of 6 inches.
ROV Installing
Anodes
Healy Tibbitts successfully completed this
challenging project in 18 days. The following
people were all integral and essential players
that contributed to a successful project and
deserve recognition: Joefrey Andrada,
Willy Antonio, Jeremy Aguiar, Cap Butler,
Ricky Cabral Sr, Cristian Caicedo, Scott
Cooper, Arthur Flauta, Lito Gaspar, Jimmy
Grimshaw, Paul Heuchling, Clay Hutchinson,
Cranston Kamaka, Dave Makua, John
Mc Clure, Branden Obrien, Kenta Okada,
Howard Pang, Justin and Jason Saragosa.
WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
Onsite crews finalizing access ramp install and final setup
The Weeks 527 offloading the modular restrooms in Rockaway
Modular Restrooms set in final locations, Rockaway, Queens, NY
Comfort Station, NYC – Heavy Lift Project
Submitted by: Michael Paci - Heavy Lift, Salvage & Marine Transportation Manager
On May 24, 2013, Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner
Veronica White officially opened all 14 miles
of New York City’s beaches for the 2013
season. Prior to the beaches being open
to visitors, Weeks Marine provided a turnkey
operation for the New Modular Comfort
Stations for NYC Parks. Weeks was contracted
by J. Supor Trucking & Rigging to load 33
modular restrooms at Berth 23 in Port Newark,
NJ and deliver them to three designated
sites. The discharge sites in New York were
Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, Far Rockaway
Queens, and Homeport on Staten Island. The
Weeks 566 was utilized as the loading crane
in Port Newark, NJ and the Weeks 527 as the
discharge crane at each New York discharge
site. The operation was supported by the Tug
Shelby which transported the Weeks 184
and Weeks 186 barges back and forth from
loading and discharge sites. The boxy prefab structures tower above the sand in an
effort to meet future flood zone requirements.
They’ll provide comfort to beach visitors, and
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are also used for NY Park employees as well
as lifeguards. The operations success was a
direct result of the Operations Manager Don
Benesch and his crew consisting of Crane
Operator Christopher Williams, Oiler Eric
Johnson, Riggers Patrick Downs, Cesar
Arevalo, and Richie Castaneda. The crew of
the Tug Shelby under Captain Chuck Olley’s
command and First Captain Fred Houston
along with Engineer Will Beckwith and
deckhands Casey O’Connor and Chris Setaro
provided the support to the operation.
WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
134th Street Meter Station,
prior to updates
The Weeks 751 jack-up barge being set into place to begin work
Weeks 751 lifting a new section of Transco pipeline for install
Transco Pipeline, – Heavy Lift Project
Submitted by: Michael Paci - Heavy Lift, Salvage & Marine Transportation Manager
Weeks Marine has been working for The NappGrecco Company on the West side of Manhattan
at the 134th Street Meter Station since April
24, 2013. The Weeks 751 Jack-Up Rig and
Heavy Lift Crew are working as a subcontractor
for Williams Gas replacing the main gas line
that feeds New York City. The station, located
along the Hudson River at 134th Street, is
part of the 10,200 mile-long Transco pipeline
network which brings natural gas from South
Texas to New York City. The station serves as a
transmission point where gas is transferred to
regional providers such as Con Ed, and has been
in place for the past 51 years. The pipeline runs
under the Hudson River from Edgewater, NJ and
comes up at the 134th Street, at the Williams
Meter Station. The project is expected to be
finished by December 2013 and will involve the
removal of the entire existing meter station and
the construction of a modern facility that will
5
allow the facility to increase its current volume
of gas to the area. We have also been providing
crane service in our Greenville Yard to load out
the material to support the project and providing
marine transportation to and from the jobsite.
Under the supervision of Matthew D ‘Angelo,
Heavy Lift Supervisor, and crew consisting of
Crane Operator Emilio Olabarriaga, and Oiler
Darrow Davis. The project is currently running
according to schedule.
WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
Submitted by: Keith MacKenzie
Weeks Marine’s contract includes driving
steel pipe for 10 separate structures that will
form the foundation for Cerrejon’s new berth;
the contract is with the EPCM contractor
SSJV, (Joint Venture of SNC-Lavalin and SKM).
There are a total of one hundred twenty two
piles, forty are 1,067mm and eighty two are
914mm with a majority driven on a 1:3 batter.
Additionally there is one Approach Trestle with
two 914mm piles, one Service Platform with
twenty 1,067mm piles, two Berthing Dolphins
with ten 1,067mm piles, two Quadrant Beams
with twenty eight 914mm piles and four
Mooring Dolphins with six 914mm piles.
Vibrating 36” Batter Pile w/ W609 Ringer on W750 Jackup Barge
Many thanks to the Greenville Yard crew that
worked long hours in March and April 2013
getting the equipment prepared for transport
to Colombia by the Tug Thomas. Included in the
tow was the Weeks 750 Jack-Up Barge along
with the Weeks 99 Deck Barge. The barges
were loaded with supplies and materials that
would be required for the entire project, as the
remote location would prove a difficult place
to obtain basic supplies. The Weeks 99 Barge
carried two D-100 Impact Hammers, two VibroHammers (ICE44-50 and HMC76), with 160 feet
of leads, a 130 foot mast, and a 240 foot boom
for the 609 Crane. Also on board were four
jack-up legs (72 inches in diameter x 120 feet
long), four leg extensions (72inch in diameter x
70 feet long), five con-ex boxes, four 48” piles
to be used for a fixed template (if needed), 120
tons of miscellaneous steel to build templates,
and five anchors with mooring balls and chain.
In addition to a Manitowoc 4100 ringer crane
the Weeks 750 had two more con-ex boxes,
a manlift, a jet pump, a transfer pump, and
various other items associated with the ringer
crane. The barges were very packed up to say
the least. With the help of the Greenville Yard,
all of the items were loaded on the barges in
time for the Tug Thomas to depart with them
on April 21, 2013 en route to Santa Marta,
Colombia where customs would be cleared.
The towing division made great time, arriving
in Santa Marta in twelve days, two days earlier
than their original schedule.
Weeks Marine in
South America
Weeks de Colombia S.A.S, in the Republic of
Colombia, is a new business entity set up by
Weeks Marine after successfully negotiating a
day-rate contract to drive piles at an existing
coal loading facility in the Guajira region of
Colombia. Cerrejon Coal, the owner of the
largest strip-coal mine in the world, is currently
expanding its entire operation from a current
capacity of 20 million tons to 60 million tons
of annual export. This expansion includes work
being performed at the mine, the ship loading
facility, and the 150 kilometer (90 miles) rail
line that connects the two locations. Weeks de
Colombia’s work takes place at the ship loading
facility in Puerto Bolivar, Colombia. Puerto
Bolivar is a secluded work site, approximately
2.5 hours from the nearest town Riohacha, with
only a dirt road available to make the trip. The
work site is completely surrounded by barbedwire fencing and the exterior perimeter is
patrolled by armed guards. The Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) occasionally
blows up segments of the rail line used to haul
coal from the mine to facility. There are slightly
more than 1,000 workers living at the work
site with 3,000 meals served daily. Outside
the work site, locals live without electricity
or running water. This part of the country
is in the very northeast corner of Colombia,
approximately 40 miles from the Venezuelan
border, north of Lake Maracaibo.
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WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
36” Quadrant Beam Batter Piles and
42” Breasting Dolphin Piles
Being a fast-track project, upon arrival
in Colombia hurdles began to spring up all
over. Unanticipated issues regarding banks,
licenses, local phone numbers and necessary
work permits were not easy in a country
where Weeks Marine has not been active for
several years. It took four visits to the bank
with our lawyer to set up an account and three
weeks before we received checks; now, since
establishing the account four months ago, we
still don’t have online banking capabilities,
so every transaction needs to take place in
person at the bank in nearby Riohacha, a
five hour roundtrip ride on a dirt road. When
local phones were to be purchased, we were
told that Weeks de Colombia could not buy them
without credit history, so Weeks de Colombia’s
lawyer’s secretary purchased them with her
personal credit card.
Although the tow from Greenville to Santa
Marta was uneventful and ahead of schedule,
upon passing the barges off to a Colombian
towing company. The W099 was run into the
concrete pier at Santa Marta, causing a four day
delay for repairs and requiring the Captain of
the Port to sign off on the damaged pier before
releasing Weeks Marine’s barges to proceed.
The two barges finally arrived in Puerto
Bolivar on May 11th, and after another day and
a half of clearing security checks (including
drug sniffing dogs and contraband searching
divers) at the project site, the project team
started the on-site mobilization activities. Tasks
included removing all of the sea fastenings,
setting the four legs in the 750 Jack-Up Barge,
installing the counterweight, mast, boom, hoist
wires, and blocks on the 609 Crane. Next we
had to build the pile driving
template, and put together
the hammer and leads. Until
the crane was operational,
SSJV was contractually
obligated to provide crane
service. This came by
way of another piledriving
contractor onsite, Large
Diameter Drilling (LDD),
and their jackup barge. After setting three of
the four jackup legs, contract issues came to
a head between SSJV and LDD. The project
team was forced to revamp mobilization plans
to utilize a hydraulic crane on land to assemble
the ringer and then set the final leg with the 609
Crane. Mobilization was hindered by not having
any lay down area on land. High wind events
which also slowed mobilization. Transportation
around the site was difficult until SSJV provided
Weeks Marine with dedicated vehicles and
drivers. Ongoing site-specific issues included
some health problems. The SSJV provided the
project with meals, but unfortunately most of
us suffered stomach issues at some point.
the seabed and rotating on it until another leg
is in position. This leg is then planted in the
seabed and with the other three lifted, the
barge is rotated again. This method is being
used for two reasons; the customer forbids us
to use anchors in such close proximity to the
ship channel, and the limitation of local towing
resources. Our first pile was driven on June
10, 2013 and the sixty first pile, the halfway
point, was driven on August 20, 2013. With the
most recent production analysis, the final pile
should be driven in the middle of October with
a couple weeks of demobilization following.
The project team successfully obtained
the DIMAR permit, which is a Colombian
Government issued permit allowing contractors
to work in Colombian Waters, which is not an
easy permit to obtain. With the DIMAR permit
in hand and mobilization complete, the barges
were moved into the first piledriving location
on June 7th.
The project team consists of Project
Managers Lou Neron and Matt Shaw,
Equipment Superintendent Miguel Quinones,
Project Engineers Ramferi Galvan and
Keith MacKenzie, Field Engineer Enrique
Hernandez, Intern Diego Laris, Surveyor
Zeferino Solis, and Office Staff Alejandro
Tobon and Denisse Cardenas. Howard
Pang, has joined us from Healy Tibbitts, and
was an integral in setting up the GPS system
for barge. Additional project help at times
were Travis Iapicco and Jeremy Garcia. The
crews have been staffed with workers from
Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Additional thanks to Jesse Rangel on day
shift, Jim Halladay from Healy Tibbitts, and Joe
Henson on night shift have done a great job
of managing the crews. Also, thanks to Jim
Stallard, Marco Torres and Joe Terranova for
their help during the first three weeks of site
mobilization and Ana Segovia for hosting the
IIF training in Colombia.
The piledriving template consist of outrigger
beams welded to the stern of the 750 Jack-Up
Barge with a two-tier ladder structure hung on
the outriggers. Modified gates from the NWS
Earle Project are used on both levels of the
ladder to ensure the correct batter is obtained.
The piles are being vibrated with the HMC76
vibratory hammer and then impacted to grade
with the D-100 diesel hammer. Most barge
setups can access two piles; although, one
has to be completed fully before the second
one is started, making the work slow going.
Barge movements are made by “walking the
barge” leaving one of the four legs planted in
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Pile Driving Ladder w/ Upper & Lower Gates
MCNALLY PROJECTS
mattress construction. The 36m long x 15m
wide x 16.3m high caissons were constructed
on site and included a total slip height of 230m,
24,350 cubic meters of 35mpa concrete and
2,700 tonnes of reinforcing steel. A caisson was
completed weekly was slipped continuously
according to 24 hour per day, 5 day week
schedule. The completed floating caissons
were subsequently towed to their respective
location, ballasted with water, and lowered to
rest on the completed rock mattress.
Halifax
Pier 9C
Expansion
Phase 2
CONCRETE CRIBS
PERMANENT CAISSON BALLAST
The Port of Halifax has had its ups and downs in the cargo-handling business in
the past several years. However, the cyclical nature of the industry has not deterred
the Halifax Port Authority, private interests and Ottawa from moving forward with
Multimillion-dollar infrastructure enhancements at the port.
The Port of Halifax is a diverse cargo port,
thus the focus of the Halifax Port Authority,
private sector and federal government is to
invest heavily in the port’s diverse infrastructure
to ensure it remains a highly competitive port.
The two most recent major projects at the
port have been the $35 million extension of
the SouthEnd Container Terminal, operated by
Halterm Container Terminal Ltd. (McNALLY M164),
and the $73 million project at Richmond
Terminals (McNALLY M169) to create a modern
breakbulk facility.
The Port Authority sees a strong future in its
breakbulk cargo business, and the Richmond
Terminals project will make Halifax more
competitive in that sector. The expansion and
modernization project includes updating and
refurbishing storage sheds for warehouse
space, the extension and expansion of piers,
and the development of a large lay-down area.
The $20 Million contract for construction of
the 450m expansion at Pier 9C was awarded to
McNally in early March 2012 and by September
had grown in scope to include an additional
75m of pier length for a total expansion of
approximately 525m and a total contract value
in excess of $23 million.
The primary scope of work for the project
included the following;
LIP FORM CONSTRUCTION
AND MOBILIZATION
Mobilization, including the construction of
the slip forms necessary for construction of
the caissons, commenced in early April and
was completed at the Point Tupper marine
yard concurrently with marine plant equipment
preparations. In early May the forms were
constructed and the marine equipment was
mobilized to the Halifax Harbour site.
MATTRESS CONSTRUCTION
Dredging of the soft sediments within
the footprint of the new pier location was
completed by another contractor (Phase 1)
prior to McNally’s arrival to site. This allowed
for rock mattress construction to commence
immediately. A total of 110,000 tonnes of
locally quarried rock was hauled by truck to
the site where it was loaded into bottom dump
scows, towed to location and placed on the
seabed in thicknesses ranging from 1m to
8m depending on the seabed contours. Once
placed the rock mattress was screeded using
McNally’s Derrick No. 3 to the design elevation
of -14.0m. The mattress was completed over a
period of 3 months.
CONCRETE CAISSON CONSTRUCTION
Construction of the 14 reinforced concrete
caissons commenced concurrently with
8
Soon after positioning of the caissons on
the rock mattress, the caissons were filled
with crushed rock permanent ballast. The
installation of the permanent ballast on most
recent caisson projects required the use of
barge mounted crane, loading the caissons with
rock by clamshell bucket. However, the Pier 9C
site lent itself well to adopting a new method of
ballasting by utilizing a 150’ telescopic radial
stacker which was loaded by a secondary feed
conveyor from shore. This method significantly
reduced the associated equipment and
manpower requirements. A total of 160,000
tonnes of ballast rock was installed into the
caissons, working single shifts, 5 days a week,
over a period of approximately 3 months.
MARINE DEMOLITION
A particularly challenging component of
the project included the marine demolition of
an existing timber crib pier structure built in
1941. Over 300 tonnes of creosote timber was
removed from the surface to the seabed and
placed on shore for disposal off site. Demolition
of the existing crib was necessary to clear the
footprint area necessary for the final and 14th
caisson.
After nearly 50,000 man hours of work,
the Pier 9C project was completed ahead of
schedule and under budget. The success of
the project can be attributed to a combination
of excellent MCI/Client and MCI/union
coordination and cooperation, a highly skilled
and experienced group of field supervisors
and a dedicated well organized project
management team. Everyone involved should
be proud of the completed project, as the
Halifax Port Authority declared McNally to be the
preferred marine contractor.
WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
Weeks Marine Yard Events Summer of 2013
Submitted by: Joe Patella, General Manager Yards, Construction Equipment Director
While the fall and winter of 2012 and 2013 were quiet in regard to workloads for the yards, the spring
and summer of 2013 more than balanced this out. The exception to this increase was the Bourg Yard
which was slowing down during the increase in workload at the other yards. This actually turned out
to be a positive as this allowed the Bourg Yard to assist the Dredging Division in preparation for their
busy summer schedule.
BOURG YARD
The Bourg Yard still had a decent workload
to address despite assisting dredging. Danny
Chauvin, the Yard Manager and his crew
were busy with many dry dockings and crane
inspections throughout the summer. The
Weeks 244 Barge required steel repairs as
well as set of 36” spud wells for the Tappan
Zee Bridge Project. The Weeks 246 Barge was
also docked for ABS (American Bureau of Shipping)
renewal along with preparation for a charter
rental. Both the Weeks 545 Crane Barge and
Weeks 185 Deck Barges were docked for ABS
renewals. Dane Romano did an outstanding
job managing these projects.
Another challenging project was completing
the ABS required repairs to the Weeks 2701
Barge. This involved repair of weld fractures
under the deck angles, which was a problem
right from the start. The repair required a
welder to work safely 18 feet above the
bottom of the barge in order to wash out and
re-weld fractured weldments in over 1,000
locations in multiple compartments. Working
at heights inside barges generally requires
extensive staging, potentially costing more
than the actual welding work required. After
much brainstorming, Danny Chauvin and Bill
De Maria were both able to come up with a
game plan that was cost effective and met our
safety requirements. We purchased extendable
ladders and ladder brackets that allowed the
installation of scaffold boards from which
welders were able to work down the line of
fractures. The ladders were secured to the
bottom and tied off at the deck. The welders
were secured with harnesses’ to the deck
frames. This allowed a welder to complete one
repair, then relocate his securing mechanism
to the adjacent repair site, move down the
scaffolding while being secured and begin the
next repair. This system saved many days of
staging scaffolding time.
Danny Chauvin and Anthony Bourgeois
were also busy with assisting the Dredging
Division prepare equipment required for their
scheduled summer projects, including the
jumbo hopper barges, a booster barge and
multiple hoister barges.
CAMDEN YARD
The Camden Yard has stayed busy with the
repair of the Weeks 549 boom which came
in on time and on budget. They were also
busy with supplying support to the Schuylkill
River Project. The yard also is prepared two
DOS scows, installing spud wells for the
Tappan Zee Bridge Project. The yard clean up
continues as Paul Selneck, the yard manager,
is setting up a specific area just for all of the
drilling equipment to be stored. The yard is
also working on repairing winches to help fill
the shortage of available winches. Paul is also
starting the extensive repairs on the Weeks
504 Crane Barge which will require a complete
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blast and paint, including the engine room.
Additionally included will be extensive steel
repair and renewal of the old operators cab.
Also on going is the storing of equipment
in White’s basin. The basin has two full time
employees one of which is Pete Hess who is
doing an excellent job under the oversight of
Paul Selneck. Camden also supplies additional
support as required for different projects.
GREENVILLE YARD
The Greenville Yard went six months with
limited to no overtime in 2013. But beginning in
the spring and continuing to present, the yard
is setting a pace like never seen before. Since
early summer, the yard has been going six to
seven days a week and during the work week
running up 10 plus hours a day. This is largely
a result of Weeks Marine extensive involvement
in many phases of the Tappan Zee Bridge
replacement project.
To begin with we began working on the
Morrison Knudeson Beams which were last
used during the Boston Tunnel/ Big Dig MK
Project in Boston, Massachusetts. Weeks Marine
purchased the tube lying package which
consisted of two car floats, the two twin beams
which bridged the two barges and a screed
barge (which was parted out to become four
pontoons, some misc equipment and the
balance parted out as scrap). The beams were
WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
to be used on the pile test program which
Weeks was awarded from Tappan Zee Bridge
Project. This required us to cut both beams in
half becoming four total equal length beams.
That was the easy part. Next we needed the
installation of tons of steel to the beams in
order to be strong enough to support the
extreme weight of the load test. This project
used approximately sixty percent of the yard
work force. This unfortunately, left a smaller
work force to deal with the rest of the ongoing
projects.
One such project was supplying labor and
support for the repowering of the Bucket
Dredges 506 and 551 with new Tier Three
generators. This in itself warranted more labor
than we had left but we couldn’t afford to
stop other projects required to be on job sites
around the same time. As time permitted the
yard assisted the captains and their crew with
other maintenance requirements, topped off
with a blast and paint job on both rigs. John
Devlin Jr., Victor Leitao, Juan Beita and
Nuno Leitao handled most of the labor support
from the yard. In addition the Weeks 577 Model
28 Dravo Lift Crane was reconditioned, a new
Tier Three engine generator, hydraulic tuggers,
and a modified boom tip to receive two hanging
blocks enabling it for use as a pile driver.
Spud wells installed, and complete internal
upgrades enabling us to acquire an ABS Load
Line. A complete blast and paint job finished
off the project. Heavy into this retro were Joey
Terranova, Rich Deboey, Evan Smith, Rich
Gural, Herman Alvarez, John Devlin Jr. and
Nuno Leitao.
Next up was another Tier Three engine/
generator swap out on the Weeks 568 a
Model 28 Dravo Lift Crane. Both repowers
were expertly handled by Joe Terranova,
Richie Gural, Bob Kiszewski and the crew.
Both the Weeks 575 and the Weeks 568 then
headed off to the Tappan Zee Bridge Project to
perform work under Weeks Marine’s load test
subcontract. During the same time frame, we
swapped out the generator package on the
Weeks 552 Model 28 Dravo Lift Crane which
came from the Weeks 577 a Model 28 Dravo
Lift Crane. Also included in the project scope
was another upgrade of a Tier Three generator
package for the Weeks 573 also a Model 28
Dravo Lift Crane.
Regarding the fabrication work required
for the Tappan Zee Bridge Project there were
numerous projects templates, platforms
and other items which required some heavy
welding requirements. Herman Alvarez, and
Juan Beita of Gural Marine were responsible
for managing the fab work as required by the
job site.
During the same time frame as all the above
items, we were contracted to put together a
skate boarding park on the Weeks 297 Barge
for Nike. The barge itself is 250’ x 75’. This gave
Nike quite a large piece of real estate to build
their skating park. This again required quite a
bit of labor, welding and equipment movement.
The Project was delivered on time and spent
the next three days touring sites in NYC
promoting Nike’s entry into the world of skate
boarding (merchandise and clothing).
Adding yet another challenging process the
yard mobilized the Weeks 98 Barge which was
set up to process dredge material coming in
from the Tappan Zee Bridge Project. On the
barge we installed a new 5110 Cat Excavator
with a long stick and hydraulic mixing head
attached to mix cement into the dredged
materials. We were also required to set up a
new site in Greenville which would not inhibit
ongoing work in the yard. Captain Mike Losten
was instrumental in getting the unit on line
with assistance of Gary Anzelmo, Rich De
Boey and Victor Leitao.
We also received a visit in the same time
frame, from the Weeks 315, the new Dredge
Charlie McCaskill. The dredge required some
support from the yard in order to begin work at
Rockaway Inlet Project.
Later in the summer more intensive work
continued. Weeks Marine was awarded a back
fill/bedding subcontract on the Tappan Zee
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Project placing material in the foot print areas
dredged by the Weeks 506 and the Weeks 551.
This required the Weeks 263 Barge to have
new Tier Four I engines for the existing two
anchor winches on board, as well as new Tier
Four I engines for the hydraulic power pack
which operates the self elevating spuds and
generator package. In addition to this we had to
remove a 4600 Manitowoc Crane which was on
board the Weeks 263 Barge so we could install
a Liebherr 974C Excavator. A hopper, which
was last used at Iroquois Project, required
modifications to fit into place on the barge;
a telestacker which will place the material
off the end of the barge was also installed.
Pulling all this together required a wide range
of personnel from engineering to complete the
layout and necessary modifications, loads put
on machinery, stability of the completed barge,
etc. Some of the personnel involved were Jim
Roskie, Soraya Cortes, Jitendra Patel, Sam
Henry and the always present Evan Smith.
From our mechanical talent, input from Joe
Terranova, Rich Deboey, Gary Anzelmo,
Richie Gural, and from our labor strengths,
which include Victor and Nuno Leitao. At the
writing of this article, the Weeks 263 Barge
after testing will depart to the Tappan Zee
Bridge Project in September. While the work
is going on with the Weeks 263 Barge we are
also modifying the Weeks 244 Barge, which
will have a concrete batch plant installed at
the yard prior to departing to the Tappan Zee
Bridge Project.
The last of the larger projects is with one of
the smallest of the vessels to be used at Tappan
Zee Bridge Project which is the Weeks 37
Anchor Handling Barge that work along with the
larger Weeks 263 Barge. A newly reconditioned
hydraulic single drum anchor winch and a new
Tier three power package were installed. The
winch was reconditioned by our old friend Carl
Liberty at Power Dynamics, Inc.
Many thanks to the management and crews
at both the Camden and Greenville Yards for
jumping through hoops to get together a large
fleet of hopper barges in a short period of time
WEEKS MARINE PROJECTS
to be used at the Tappan Zee Bridge Project. The
yard personnel and yard supervision deserve a
big hand for keeping pace with all the required
equipment needs and fabrication work which
occurred between May through September. I
am sorry if I missed including anyone’s name
in showing my gratitude. I am sorry that I
missed all the excitement since the beginning
of August. I love it when things are crazy and
being involved in all of the excitement. I would
like to give a special thank you to Chris Devlin
for handling the day to day workings of the
Greenville Yard. Nothing happens in the yard
without Chris’s involvement. Chris has now
become the yards heart beat and he keeps
pumping projects out along with motivating
his personnel. Last but not least, I would also
like to thank John Devlin Sr. for filling in for
me, during my absence, on most of the latter
projects and keeping the heat on in order to
move the projects along. These projects would
have been near impossible to complete without
his diligent oversight.
WEEKS MARINE EVENTS
World War II bombers, fighters
on display at Morristown Airport
Submitted by: Colleen Feeney
Richard N. Week (Dick) climbs aboard a P-51 Fighter aircraft at the Wings of Freedom Tour in
Morristown, NJ for a flight over the Tappan Zee Bridge project, West Point and Pennsylvania airspace
for acrobatic stunts (roll-overs) controlled by the pilot in charge (with Dick assisting as co-pilot).
Lastly, before I sign off, the yards safety
record while still not perfect, has some
highlights.
1.The Bourg yard is coming up on
its third year with NO LOST Time
Incidents this September.
2.The Camden yard has passed two
years with ZERO INCIDENTS.
3.Greenville yard is coming up on four
and a half years of NO LOST Time
Incidents.
While we continue to strive for Zero
incidents, we cannot accomplish this without
the constant reinforcement of the IIF Journey
by our supervision and the acceptance of
this by our employees. Thank you all for your
commitment.
On the morning of September 6th, Rich Weeks was waiting for his flight at Morristown Airport
when he discovered The Wings of Freedom Tour featuring the World War II Vintage Boeing B-17
Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-24 Liberator and North American P-51 Mustang on display.
Visitors were invited to explore the aircrafts and actual flights were available to those interested.
Rich telephoned Dick and told him to be at the airport at 11:30 am as he had booked a flight for
Dick on the P-51 Mustang. He knew Dick would enjoy the opportunity, having served as a USAF
Lieutenant in the early 1950’s. In addition Dick’s brother in-law, Joe Stager, was a P-51 Pilot
during WWII, ultimately ending up as a POW in Germany.
The display is part of The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour, a 110-city nationwide tour.
This was an opportunity to visit, explore and learn more about these unique and rare treasures
of aviation history. The B-17 is one of only eight in flying condition in the United States, while the
B-24J and Full Dual Control P-51C Mustang are the sole remaining examples of their type flying
in the world. The Collings Foundation is a non-profit educational foundation devoted to organizing
living history events that allow people to learn more about their heritage and history through
direct participation. The Nationwide Wings of Freedom Tour is in its 24th year and visits an average of
110 cities in more than 35 states annually.
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WEEKS MARINE EVENTS
Guy Guidry
Margaret “Peggy” Murphy
Randy Guidry
Cory Epstein
Stacey Hamilton Sandler
AVP, Controller
Dredging Division
WEEKS MARINE
SVP/Senior
Client Manager
BANK OF AMERICA
Captain
WEEKS MARINE
CP/Commodities Risk
Management
BANK OF AMERICA
SVP/Senior Credit
Products Officer
BANK OF AMERICA
Bank of America Visits the CR McCaskill
Bank of America, one of Weeks Marines lead banks was able to visit the C.R. McCaskill while working at
East Rockaway Beach, Long Island, New York
WEEKS MARINE EVENTS
Weeks Marine Welcomes,
Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr.
Submitted by: David P. Hafner, Vice President, Contracts Construction Division
On Friday, September 27th, Weeks Marine,
Inc. hosted New Jersey State Senator Thomas
H. Kean, Jr. together with various members of
Industry in a meeting to further promote New
Jersey’s offshore wind industry.
Senator Kean, a Legislator from New
Jersey’s 21st District, is the Senate Republican
leader, a position he has held since 2008. He
was accompanied by Brian Alpert, the Deputy
Executive Director of the Senate Republican
office. Senator Kean is the primary sponsor of
the Offshore Wind Economic Development
Act of New Jersey (OWEDA), which was signed
into law by Governor Christie in August, 2010.
The meeting was an opportunity for members
of Industry, and Weeks Marine as host, to address
with Senator Kean the commitment(s) being
made by Industry towards offshore wind in
New Jersey and the economic benefits this
new energy industry would bring to the State.
In particular, Weeks was given the opportunity
to showcase the R.D. MacDonald, recently
launched in Jacksonville, Florida with outfitting
work continuing in our Camden, NJ Yard. Further,
12
the meeting was an opportunity for the parties
to address the next legislative steps needed,
recognizing that more work needs to be done
by state government before the OWEDA vision
can be realized for New Jersey.
The Senator spoke of his commitment
to moving this new industry forward and,
in particular, to address the section of the
OWEDA regulations pertaining to the payment
mechanism which needs to be finalized and
implemented. Under Governor Christie, New
Jersey has made important progress on
offshore wind, including establishing many of
the regulations needed to implement OWEDA,
including releasing the results of its Ocean/
Wind Power Ecological Baseline Study, which
supported the establishment of one of the
nation’s largest Wind Energy Areas offshore of
New Jersey. However, the Senator recognized
that while developers and their contractors and
vendors are prepared to take on many risks in
constructing offshore wind farms, it is simply
impossible to secure the billions of dollars of
investments needed without assurance that
once the projects are operational, payment will
be received for the wind energy delivered.
The meeting was well received by all,
culminating in the group photo shown here.
SAFETY AWARDS
First Quarter 2013 Weeks Marine
Construction Division Safety Awards
detail, based on the knowledge gained since
that morning’s TSA. The safe and smooth
installation of the expansion joint was a direct
result of these efforts.
TERRY MARTINEZ
Bourg Yard
Submitted by: Joe Patella
FRANK CAMPION
GLOBAL Project
Submitted by: Dave Vosseller
Frank is a well respected foreman who leads
by example. His crews always perform their
work in an orderly, efficient, and safe manner,
which is a testament to Frank’s planning and
his personal commitment to IIF. His work
crews always plan their daily work activities
with thorough Task Safety Analysis meetings
and Frank always ensures his crew has the
appropriate PPE, tools and training to perform
their work in a safe Incident and Injury Free
manner. Recently, when installing a Waboflex
expansion joint at the center of the new Global
Terminal wharf, it became evident that pinch
points were a more acute hazard than originally
expected, specifically the danger of pinching a
finger between the expansion joint materials
and the concrete keyway in the wharf deck.
This situation arose from the revelation that
very fine positioning was required to align
and set the tongue and groove joints between
individual Waboflex sections. After the first
joint was completed, Frank along with Field
Engineer Joe Farley halted the work and
held a TSA meeting with the crew and crane
operators to address the pinch point hazard in
Greeneville Yard. He maintains a neat and
organized work area, always wears the
appropriate PPE, is very inquisitive and speaks
up when he questions an unsafe act. Alejandro
has a very positive attitude and contributes
significantly to the overall safety performance
at the Greeneville yard.
Terry shows an exceptional aptitude in
identifying and taking action on environmental
issues and safety concerns at the Bourg Yard.
He strives for a clean and well kept yard and
works hard to ensure his fellow workers have
a safe environment in which to work. Terry is
a leader in the IIF process at the Bourg Yard
and continually demonstrates his commitment
to IIF and accepts responsibility for himself and
his fellow workers in ensuring a safe Incident
and Injury Free work place.
STEPHEN ROFFO, JR.
Schuylkill River Project
Submitted by: Jesse Ottesen
ALEJANDRO GARCIA
Greenville Yard
Submitted by: Joe Patella
Alejandro demonstrates a proactive approach to
safety keen sense awareness of responsibility
in carrying out his assigned duties at the
13
Steve is an exceptional operator that is always
aware of his surroundings and takes the extra
step to ensure fellow employees are aware of
the crane movements and danger areas. Steve
always shows a heightened level of awareness
every time he operates. On many occasions
Steve has ceased operations and addressed
safety concerns prior to continuing a lift. He
is quick to point out any safety concern and
always has a recommendation to improve the
safety posture of the project. Steve accepts
individual responsibility for safety and the
obligation to look out for fellow workers and is
fully committed to an IIF Work site.
SAFETY AWARDS
From left to right: Mike O’Connor-Division Manager, Stevedoring, Matt Bricker-Stevedoring Port Engineer, John Byrnes-Crane Operator, and
Jason Marchioni-General Manager Marine Services
WEEKS
MARINE
DREDGING, CONSTRUCTION,
TUNNELLING, STEVEDORING,
MARINE TRANSPORTATION,
HEAVY LIFT AND SALVAGE,
EQUIPMENT CHARTER AND RENTAL
4 COMMERCE DR., 2ND FLOOR, CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY 07016-3598 (908) 272-4010 FAX: (908) 272-4740
August 23, 2013
To: John Byrnes,
Local 14 Crane Operator, Weeks Marine Inc.
John,
Congratulations on this presentation of our safety award for the second quarter of 2013 which recognizes you for an outstanding
commitment to safety among your peers. In your many years of service within Weeks Marine, you have exhibited a sincere and
consistent concern for the safety of your fellow employees, others around a job site as well as the equipment owned and operated
by Weeks Marine Inc.
From the elevated vantage point of the crane cab, you have maintained a vigilant watch for hazards and concerns about the jobsite
and throughout the progress of work. Not one incident of injury or damage has occurred through any act on your part of neglect or
omission which violated any rule of safety.
Before our corporate safety efforts were formalized with the Incident and Injury Free program, you were dedicated to safe practices
such as frequent and thorough equipment inspections, prior planning and communication of task management as well as job
hazard analysis in an ongoing and consistent basis.
Many supervisors who have worked with you over the years have remarked that your presence on the job has added experience,
focus and caution to the performance of tasks at hand. These qualities do support and assist the supervisor in the safe management
of a site knowing that they can count on your vigilance and your voice over the radio if a dangerous condition developed.
Also appreciated and commended is your habitual early attendance to the jobsites to inspect rigging or equipment to be used on
the job that particular day. Regardless of the crane you may be assigned to run or the task to be performed - stevedoring ships or
barges; hook work for construction or heavy lift; demolition, salvage or shoreline clean up – you have focused on the safe execution
of the work with consistency and dedication and for this we commend you. Thank you for your commitment to all our safety.
Sincerely,
Michael J. O’Connor
Division Manager, Stevedoring
14
SAFETY AWARDS
all maneuvers. Captain Olley rises above and
beyond the expectations of management with
his skills and abilities, as well as his “Let’s Get
It Done” attitude by helping out in all aspects
of projects, including assisting on deck with
Heavy Lift projects.
Safety Award
Towing Division
Submitted by:Jason Marchioni
Towing has nominated Captain Chuck
Olley, the Master aboard the Tug Shelby
(WMI# 438) to be the recipient of the Quarterly
Safety Award.
Captain Olley started with Weeks Marine
back in 1994 as a Mate, and has since then
been promoted to Master. He is an excellent
boat handler, always keeping safety first with
Captain Olley’s quick thinking and
experience proved to be essential for a recent
after hours incident in the Greenville Yard. He
was able to direct his crew to safely control
and extinguish a small fire aboard a deck
barge. On a separate occasion Captain Olley
also contacted the proper individuals when he
noticed a crane barge was taking on water. His
attentiveness, resulting in quick and efficient
response, avoided injuries as well as greater
costs in damages.
Hats off to our Captain Chuck Olley!!
KIDS DAY 2013
Tom Weeks enjoys a game of mini
golf as his grandson Seely enjoys a
cool beverage and supervises
Bring Your Child to Work Day
Submitted by: Trish McSulla
This year’s annual Bring Your Child to Work
Day held on Friday, June 28th was filled with
exciting activities from UniRec Recreation, great
music from DTM Productions, and good food
from T&L Caterers. The day started with a
delicious breakfast spread while vendors such
as Vanguard, Bank of America and Willis set up
information booths for WMI employees to learn
more about each company’s specific products
and services currently being offered.
15
As morning temperatures climbed, younger
children splashed down a gigantic water slide
to cool off while older children and their family
members gathered under tents to mingle and
connect with friends and colleagues. As the
morning progressed, children participated
in games such as bingo, egg toss, hula hoop
contest, sack races, mini golf and arts and
crafts as well as the famous Go Kart Racers,
which this year all had award prizes all the top
three winners in each category.
Lunch featured roasted pork, hot dogs,
hamburgers, and other BBQ favorites as well
KIDS DAY 2013
EMPLOYEE TIDINGS
as summer picnic sides including potato salad,
corn on the cob, and an iced tea & lemonade
stand. The day wound down with ice cream
and popsicle treats served under the main tent.
At the end of the event all children took home
a WMI surprise gift box with various toys and
delicious candy.
Weeks Marine would like to thank everyone
who assisted in making this event a true
success and to all the vendors who attended
and participated in the activities making this
year more memorable than past years. Thank
you and we look forward to seeing everyone
next year.
Nuno, Baby Valentina and big sister, Emally.
Parents enjoying a game of
egg toss with their children.
Congratulations to Nuno Leitao on the birth of
his daughter, Valentina. Please share our joy
at the arrival of Valentina.
GREENVILLE YARD PARTY 2013
Greenville
Yard Party
Submitted by: Manuel Caballero
On Friday, September 20, 2013, Chris
Devlin the Greenville, Jersey City, New Jersey
Yard Manager hosted the annual “Yard Party”.
The entire staff of the Greenville Yard were in
attendance, including managers, supervisors,
laborers, crane operators and safety managers.
There were also accompanied by many from
Weeks Marine’s corporate office located in
Cranford, New Jersey. We were also very
fortunate to be visited by several company
retirees, which included Ted Weeks, Dick
Weeks’ brother.
Good food accompanied by cold beverages,
resulted in satisfied appetites. There were
old stories and memories shared with fellow
employees as well as the excitement current
and future events that will take place in the
Greenville Yard. We had the good fortune
excellent weather conditions along with being
Weeks Marine Journal is published
quarterly for Employees by:
in the possession of a couple of golf clubs
and a bucket of golf balls. Many of those golf
balls can be found today still on the deck of
the Weeks 186 Deck Barge. Golf balls can also
probably be found in many other places in the
yard as they were shot in all sorts of directions,
some straight up and some to the right, some to
the left. Some distances were anywhere from
280 yards to as close as 10 yards, but in any
case both ladies and gentlemen participated in
the golf ball driving event having a great time.
Weeks Marine Inc.
4 Commerce Drive
Cranford, NJ 07016
For more information or additional copies
please contact Luis Soares, Editor.
908-272-4010
16
After an eventful day filled with good times
and good company, everyone went home
safely to their respective families, further proof
that at work, or at home even during or after
the party, the Greenville Yard plays it safe!
See you all next year.