On The Job in Construction

On The Job in Construction — page 1 — I Lift NY super crane Jobs in Construction In 1955 a bridge opened on the Hudson River in New York Fifty years later it was worn out Replacing a bridge is difficult and costly But it had to be done Workers Workers from all over the country have traveled to New York to help build a new bridge Big projects like this are rare The challenge of a big project excites builders All other projects I’ve worked on are dwarfed by this a manager of the project told The New York Times 4

On The Job in Construction — page 2 — The parts for the new bridge needed to be carried by water to the site The workers had to find a floating crane to lift the pieces They needed a machine that could lift a thousand tons A Site to Behold The builders had to bring a giant crane from California They placed the huge machine on a barge The flat ship traveled down the West Coast Then it crossed the Panama Canal in Central America Finally it moved north to New York City Workers in the city changed some of the crane’s parts Then they sent the machine up the Hudson River to the site In construction there are many important steps to follow The bigger the project the more details there are CANADA San Francisco UNITED STATES New York MEXICO Gulf of Mexico South Pacific Ocean Caribbean Sea Getting a Lift The super crane passed through the Panama Canal to reach New York It traveled 6,000 miles 9,656 kilometers The workers called it the I Lift NY super crane 5

On The Job in Construction — page 3 — Super Project The old bridge stayed in place while the new one went up The people in charge figured that construction would last about five years But long before then there were many more years of planning A project like this brings together a number of companies The oversight team includes people who work in design The companies include engineering groups Many people with important skills work together in construction You Know It STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math These studies are key to construction Builders need to plan and make exact measurements for fit They need to know how materials will act 6

On The Job in Construction — page 4 — Lasting Effects Construction changes the area where it takes place People who work in this industry must think about these effects This field needs people with building skills It needs people who can solve problems It needs workers who can communicate well How do workers plan for big projects in construction It is important to ask the right questions before construction takes place The teams that planned the new bridge had to think about the fish in the water Would they be hurt The workers had to think about the people in the nearby neighborhoods Would the noise of construction bother them 7

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