40
ACT
JULY 2013
SITE REPORT
LIFTING
Upgrades on the Statue
of Liberty and on Liberty
Island required a lifting
solution that was small
and strong.
I
n September of 2011, The National
Park Service kicked off a $20 million
upgrade on the Statue of Liberty to
allow for better safety and security, all
while maintaining the historic look and
finish of the monument.
For the most part, the upgrades were
completed last fall, and then on October
29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall.
The hurricane, which was estimated to
have a width of about 820 miles, swept
through New York City and the eastern
U.S., bringing high winds and storm
surges.
The Statue of Liberty sits on Liberty
Island, a 12-acre island located about mile
south of lower Manhattan. Liberty Island
was in the direct path of Hurricane Sandy
and the massive storm surge was huge.
In Battery Park, water rose 13.8 feet, and
close to 75 percent of Liberty Island was
under water.
Fortunately, the 126-year-old Statue of
Liberty was not damaged, and much of
the work spent on the upgrades held up.
However, the Liberty Island’s utilities,
backup generator, and power systems were
destroyed. The passenger and auxiliary
docks were severely damaged and brick
pathways were uprooted, according to the
National Park Service website. Repairing
the damage has been completed and
Liberty Island and the statue will re-open
to the public on July 4.
Prior to the hurricane, the project’s
stone subcontractor, Phillipsburg Marble,
employed a Jekko mini-crane to do a
significant part of the upgrade work on the
pedestal of the statue. The project included
removal and reinstallation of more than
450 granite pavers and stone wall panels.
Stone placement
By the time the project was complete,
Phillipsburg Marble crews lifted and
placed 4,200 square feet of stone, which
equates to about 85 tons of stone. Each
piece had to be mechanically stabilized
and anchored on the top and bottom.
The weight of the stone pieces
varied from 200 to 300 pounds to the
heaviest piece which was about 1,200
pounds, according to Jeremy Kazimar, a
representative of Area Rentals, based in
Hillside, NJ.
“Phillipsburg Marble rented the Jekko
Upgrading
Phillipsburg Marble rented a Jekko
SPD360 from Area Rentals in
Hillside, NJ to perform the upgrade
work on the pedestal of the statue.
The project included removal and
reinstallation of more than 450
granite pavers and stone wall
panels.
