JOB STORY By Carol Shobrook JT CLEARY REPLACES FENDER SYSTEMS AT NY’S 127-YEAR-OLD BRIDGE New York, NY 28 Pile Buck Magazine | Vol.34 No.2 2018 | pilebuck.com pilebuck.com | Vol.34 No.2 2018 | Pile Buck Magazine 29 JOB STORY ew York City can a major truck connection Robert Macombs built a bridge was constructed and never be accused between upper Manhattan dam at the site with state named after the dam that of not getting and the Bronx, and also as permission in 1814 to power once operated there. its money’s a route from Manhattan to a grist mill. A bridge was JT Cleary was contracted N worth out of Yankee Stadium. Completed built as part of the structure. to replace the existing ma- infrastructure. in 1890 for $1.3 million dol- Eventually, the dam and rine fender systems attached Take, for example, the long lars, it is one of the three bridge were torn down in an to the 127-year-old rock crib suffering and neglected oldest bridges in New York act of civil disobedience by supporting the fender sys- 127-year-old Macombs Dam City, surpassed only by the citizens frustrated with its tem. The first phase of the Bridge over the Harlem Brooklyn Bridge and the obstruction of navigation. project involved grouting River, which still serves as Washington Bridge. Later, in 1890 the current the existing, unstable crib 30 Pile Buck Magazine | Vol.34 No.2 2018 | pilebuck.com JOB STORY system and was performed issues, which were overcome under a separate contract by by custom fabrication. Nicholson Construction. Working with FRP lumber JT Cleary replaced the requires special tooling, be- timber fender system with a cause of the fiberglass rods fiberglass reinforced plastic embedded in the lumber. In (FRP). Because the existing addition, the modulus of the fender system was not in material makes it sensitive alignment with the channel, to temperature, so it can be JT Cleary had to build but- brittle in cold weather and tresses to correct the align- gooey in hot weather. As a ment. Timber crib subsid- result, it is generally harder ence also created alignment to work than timber and can 32 Pile Buck Magazine | Vol.34 No.2 2018 | pilebuck.com JOB STORY sometimes contain large voids, due to the cooling process of the plastic. Despite the grouting op- eration, large sections of the timber crib remain exposed. JT Cleary anticipates that in just a few more years, the crib will likely collapse, due to marine borer activity. The City’s policy of patch- ing up its aging bridges is penny wise and pound fool- ish. Jim Cleary, President, comments, “High-rises are going up every month without corresponding spending on infrastructure. The disconnect is unsustain- able. New York City cannot remain relevant in the 21st Century with 19th century infrastructure.” 34 Pile Buck Magazine | Vol.34 No.2 2018 | pilebuck.com.