Canadian News
Canadian News Brotherhood Has No Borders Ontario & Minnesota Locals unite to build bridge the rigging and promote safety and cleanliness of the barges and job site. He has also taken direction on some of the other equipment, and is proving competent on the mini-excavator, loader and spud winch.” “Chris [Carmody] is a wonderful teacher. He gives me a chance to do things with all of the equipment, including the crane operation at the end of shift, so long as I follow his direction, and do things safely,” said member and apprentice Wilson-Hajdu. “I love Local 793 and this 339-A apprenticeship program.” The new bridge will be located 3.3 feet south/upstream of the existing bridge and will tie into the existing U.S. and Canadian Port of Entry facilities. Two aluminum arches will be installed in the middle of the bridge at the location of the international border. [opposite page] L to R: Local 49 Randy Schoen, Local 793 Chris Carmody, Local 49 Jean-Guy Trepanier, Local 49 Brandon Benson, Local 49 Luke Zabel, Local 793 apprentice Sam Wilson-Hajdu. [left & below] Concrete is pumped into a test pier at Rainy River bridge. [article & photos] Kathryn Peet and Danny Celia, Local 793 A HIGHWAY BRIDGE connecting northwestern Ontario, Canada with northern Minnesota, U.S. is scheduled to be replaced in the next few years. This -million CAD project started in June 2018 and will finish in late 2020. It will replace the Ontario Highway 11 / Minnesota Trunk Highway 72 border crossing bridge from Rainy River, Ontario to Baudette, Minnesota. This crossing is the terminus for the world’s longest street - Yonge Street (Highway 11), which originates in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prime contractor Lunda Construction is performing a multi-year construction and demolition project. Lunda will build the new Rainy River – Baudette International Bridge and demolish/remove the existing bridge. Veit is a subcontractor installing the drilled shaft foundations. Lunda is partnering with Canadian sub-contractors to build the Canadian half of the bridge and complete the roadway work in Ontario. Sub-contractor Facca Incorporated is doing work on the Canadian shore. IUOE Local 793 in Ontario has two members on site working from barges and five members are on site from Local 49 in Minnesota. Local 793 Ontario members are Chris Carmody, Crane Operator for Lunda and Sam Wilson-Hajdu, Oiler/Backhoe Operator for Lunda and a 339-A mobile crane apprentice under Carmody. Local 49 Minnesota members for Lunda are Randy Schoen, Tugboat Operator, Luke Zabel, Crane Operator, and Daniel Hanken, Tugboat Operator. Local 49 Minnesota members Jean-Guy Trepanier and Brandon Benson are Drill Rig Operators for Veit. Guided by surveyors, Local 793 Ontario members Chris Carmody and his apprentice Sam Wilson-Hajdu used Lunda’s Manitowoc 2250, a 300-ton crane, to drive the H-Pile beams into the river bottom. They help guide the drill rig for placement of caissons. “We have installed eight temporary piling as formwork for the caisson guide. They are 55 feet long and are vibrated by the 300-ton crane with a vibratory piling hammer,” said Local 793 member Chris Carmody. “The piling goes approximately 20-feet into the river bed.” “Working from the barge has its challenges. Most often we are working by radio, as my view is obstructed,” continued brother Carmody. “The Local 49 Minnesota operating engineers are great guys, well trained and experts in working from barges and around the water. Pre-planning of the job each day is excellent, and their radio communication is exemplary. Their approach to environmental regards is second to none.” The river current has been a challenge. To counter this, barges were bolted together, with long spuds digging into the river bottom. “We have needed to use the tug boat to help stabilize the pile before driving it into the river bottom with the vibratory hammer,” added Local 793 Ontario member Carmody. The Caterpillar caisson drill rig drilled a test hole in the river bottom, to see if the caisson would withstand the pressure. On Monday, October 29, the caisson protection was removed. The caisson was nine feet in diameter, weighs 40,000 lbs, and is 40 feet long. The caisson was used for containment of the Pier materials during the drilling of the test hole. In total, eight caissons will be drilled to support the bridge structure. Local 793 Ontario member and mobile crane apprentice Sam Wilson-Hajdu is working as on this project as an oiler/ backhoe operator for Lunda. “It is a neat experience working from a barge. Any leaks are my responsibility to clean up and contain quickly, and we need to work safely.” “Sam has been a great first year apprentice and is very willing to learn,” said Brother Carmody of his apprentice. “We talk about the pre-op inspections each morning, check 16 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER FALL 2018 17
