Pete was working in the shop with Hercules Machinery in Sterling, Va., a family-owned pile driving equipment business in the 1970s. After recognizing Pete’s stature in the market with local contractors, former ECA President Ben Dutton forged a connection with him in an effort to expand ECA’s footprint into the region.

ECA opened its fledgling Washington branch in the late 1970s with Pete at the helm. In fact, he worked from home in the early days. ECA Washington was focused primarily on pile hammers at the time, but Pete helped to fuel the company’s much greater aspirations.

“Pete was instrumental in getting ECA started in the foundation drilling business, starting a dealer relationship with Krupp in the mid-1980s, followed by Hütte and KLEMM,”

says CEO Roy Kern.

“This early foray into small-diameter drilling gave us a big head start on many of our competitors, and to this day, foundation drilling is our biggest market.”

Pete’s exceptional mechanical aptitude earned him respect with many foundation contractors and drove ECA Washington’s expansion. Some even suggested he could build a complete KLEMM, Krupp, or Hütte drilling rig with his eyes closed. Schell, whose starting salary with ECA in 1976 was $23,000, went on to contribute more than $7 million in profits over his career during a time when $1 million was a substantial sum for ECA.

Pete’s influence extended far beyond ECA Washington’s territory. His core territory was Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, but his true reach was east of Mississippi.

CEO Roy Kern said in Pete’s eulogy:

“Pete has moved on to a better place to be reunited with Jesus and his wife Christl, and he’s probably designing the ultimate drill rig with Michelangelo as I speak. He was a great man and his legacy lives on – at ECA and in all of you.”

Pete retired in 2013, but his legacy lives on through his son, Dave. He followed in Pete’s footsteps in 2006 and currently serves as Corporate Director of Parts & Service at ECA Washington. Dave wears the watch presented to Pete at his retirement dinner in 2014 to remind him of his father’s service to the company. The watch inscription reads “1976 – 2013,” but it seems the Schell name will be alive and well at ECA for decades to come.

The article was written by Brian M. Fraley Fraley Construction Marketing

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ECA’s President/CEO Roy Kern is especially excited to announce the hiring of his son Rod who represents the fourth generation of the Kern family.

“Rod will follow a similar path to my own by joining ECA at the ground level and learning all aspects of our operation from the ground up,”

he says.

“That experience will prepare him to eventually guide ECA in its second century of business.”

Rod Kern joins the ECA BAUER Service Team as an Applications Engineering Manager. While completing his Civil Engineering Degree from Penn State, he worked at ECA as a Mechanic’s Assistant and then took on several internships. After graduation, Rod went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Geotechnical Engineering from Cornell University. Once he completed those degrees, Rod began working for Moretrench (Keller North America) as a Staff Engineer. During his four years at Moretrench, Rod worked on a variety of large construction projects and was eventually promoted to Assistant Project Manager. His field and customer experience, combined with his education, allow him to find effective solutions to geotechnical problems for ECA’s customers.

As BAUER and KLEMM Service Engineer, Gus Delfarno expands ECA’s BAUER Service Team capabilities. The “Swiss Army Knife” of technicians, Gus began his career 10 years ago as a shop mechanic at Hayward Baker (Keller North America). From the shop, he moved on to become a field mechanic learning how to service, assemble, repair, troubleshoot, and operate all equipment owned by Hayward Baker. His curiosity and passion for learning how to work on and operate various types of equipment make him a versatile and highly useful addition to ECA’s BAUER Service Team.

Greg Barta joins ECA as Mid-Atlantic Account Manager. Greg started out in the United States Coast Guard and has since spent his time in various sales roles for Caterpillar equipment dealerships around the country. He enjoys staying up to date with the latest technological advances in the field and behind the scenes so he can offer the most accurate and productive support.

Matt Nastala has been named Philadelphia Service Manager. While Matt excels at customer communication, he really shines when it comes to system improvement and safety implementation. Matt previously worked for a Caterpillar dealer so his experience with heavy equipment makes him adept at recognizing issues, gathering data, and recommending a course of action.

Stephen Funaiock has been named Pittsburgh Service Manager. He started out in paving materials and quickly moved on to the service supervisor before being promoted to Shop Manager for Cleveland Brothers. He later worked at American Contractors Equipment Company as manager of both the parts and service departments. Stephen’s reputation as an organized, dedicated, and detail-oriented team player will serve him well in this role.

Rex Christensen joins ECA as Midwest Account Manager. He is a seasoned professional known for developing and maintaining strong client relationships. Rex’s vast knowledge of equipment, especially in the mining industry, allows him to offer unmatched field service and technical support. Experience with training, safety, and project coordination made him an obvious choice for this new position.

“While there is no question the Coronavirus Pandemic has presented new challenges in the short term, ECA has always operated with a long-term outlook,”

says Vice President – Sales and Marketing Jeff Harmston.

“The hiring of talented employees represents our view that it’s important to constantly invest in our ability to serve the industry regardless of economic conditions.”

ECA has been a leading supplier of foundation construction equipment in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada for more than a century. We are the exclusive distributor for BAUER Drilling Rigs, KLEMM Anchor and Micropile Drilling Rigs, RTG Piling Rigs, and BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems. We also distribute HPSI Vibratory Pile Hammers, WORD International Drill Attachments, Dawson Construction Products, ALLU Ground Improvement Equipment, Pile Master Air Hammers, DIGGA Dangle Drills, Olin Concrete Pumps, and KB International synthetic polymer slurry. ECA offers sales, rentals, service, and parts from nine facilities throughout the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian Provinces. Visit ecanet.com for the latest information on our ever-improving specialty foundation equipment solutions.

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The KLEMM line of rigs is ideal for a wide range of drilling and ground improvement applications including micro piles, jet grouting, tieback anchors, dual rotary drilling, and soil nail walls. These compact rigs are best known for delivering “unstoppable” dynamic power and offering a wide range of drill mast positions that can be operated via remote control or on a machine-mounted control panel.

The KR 806-4GM represents a step down in weight class from the KR 807-7 Series. The rig contains a newly developed kinematics system and a patented MAG 6.1 drum magazine, which represents an upgrade to the MAG 7.0. The KR 806-4GM is ideal for installing heavy double heads for drilling in rotary/rotary percussion mode and in rotary drum mode, in addition to the use of hydraulic hammers. The new kinematics system allows the rig to hold a magazine load of up to 1,100 kg, casings of up to 178 mm in diameter, and pipe pairs of up to 3,000 mm in length.

The design of the KR 801-3GS is especially compact. Its reinforced boom assembly offers flexibility and enough load-carrying capacity for the operation of moderately heavy drill head units of the KH and KD range in conjunction with a maximum usable rod length of 4,000 mm. Various drill masts are available as well to match a variety of applications. The KR 801-3GS is also a product of KLEMM’s special focus on generating more engine power, greater pump output, power-sharing, and energy efficiency.

Vice President – Sales and Marketing Jeff Harmston says:

“KLEMM continues to innovate new rigs in response to our customers’ changing needs in the field. These two new machines are a reflection of that so we expect strong sales and rental demand among ECA’s customers in the U.S. and Canada.”

ECA has been a leading supplier of foundation construction equipment in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada for more than a century. We are the exclusive distributor for BAUER Drilling Rigs, KLEMM Anchor and Micropile Drilling Rigs, RTG Piling Rigs, and BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems. We also distribute HPSI Vibratory Pile Hammers, WORD International Drill Attachments, Dawson Construction Products, ALLU Ground Improvement Equipment, Pile Master Air Hammers, DIGGA Dangle Drills, and KB International synthetic polymer slurry. ECA offers sales, rentals, service, and parts from nine facilities throughout the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian Provinces.

Source: ECA

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While ECA is known for the distribution of market-leading foundation equipment, the distribution of KB’s polymer fits perfectly with its slogan “More than Machines. Solutions.” KB’s products and values are consistent with ECA’s mission and have a proven track record of working effectively with ECA’s drilling equipment. Both companies have also contributed to the success of thousands of projects across North America including high profile efforts such as Ground Zero, Boston’s Big Dig, and the Levee Restoration in the post-Katrina era.

ECA will distribute KB’s polymer from its nine branches throughout the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canada. These strategic locations will ensure that product gets to the job sites quickly and efficiently.

“We enjoyed a strong partnership with KB International in the past and we’re excited to rekindle the connection. Many ECA customers use polymer to overcome challenging soil conditions so this allows us to add a new dimension to the solutions we deliver.”

says Vice President – Sales and Marketing Jeff Harmston.

ECA has been a leading supplier of foundation construction equipment in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada for more than a century. We are the exclusive distributor for BAUER Drills, KLEMM Anchor and Micropile Drills, RTG Piling Rigs, BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems, Pileco Diesel Pile Hammers, HPSI Vibratory Pile Hammers, WORD International Drill Attachments, Dawson Construction Products, ALLU Ground Improvement Equipment, Pile Master Air Hammers, and DIGGA Dangle Drills. ECA offers sales, rentals, service, and parts from nine facilities throughout the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian Provinces.

Source: ECA

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Linde-Griffith – founded in 1909 – was primarily a pile driving contractor until about 20 years ago when it expanded into foundation drilling.

Linde-Griffith’s Senior Executive Vice President Mike Shannon says:

“We’ve seen more and more engineers seeking techniques that offer greater capacity with less noise and vibration. We still drive tens of thousands of piles a year, but we now specialize in all foundation types as well as ground improvement methods – not just driven piles.”

The Switch from Driven Piles to FDP

In the midst of densely clustered apartment buildings and businesses, the yellow mast of a BAUER BG 36 H Drilling Rig towered more than 90 feet over the landscape in the urban enclave of Hackensack, New Jersey. The Linde-Griffith field crew braved fierce 30-plus-mile-per-hour winds and single-digit windchills as the lynchpin machine of its FDP operation bored through the frosty soil.

The roughly 6-acre pizza slice-shaped Hackensack site is framed by an active New Jersey Transit line and two roadways. An unseasonably warm and wet winter turned the ground into virtual swampland, but puddles were glazed over and the mud was like stone on this frigid January morning.

The Hackensack project started out as a driven pile project. The previous contractor had run a Pile Driving Analyzer (PDA) Test and was unable to reach the design capacity despite installing various pile types to depths of up to 175 feet. The owner and engineer reached out to Linde-Griffith’s John Shannon looking for ideas.

Linde-Griffith suggested using FDP piles. Mike Shannon summarizes the FDP technique:

“The piles don’t rest on rock here, you get your load bearing because the displacement and compaction of the soil, and grout column build up enough friction to meet capacity.”

Mike Shannon recalls:

“The results were impressive when we Static Load Tested the piles. We were able to achieve the loads they needed with a 55-foot FDP pile.”

The decision to award Linde-Griffith the contract for production piles was clear.

The switch to FDP piles was also the most environmentally sound choice, according to Mike Shannon. He says:

“They did all the remediation but still didn’t want any material to be exported. FDP allowed us to keep all soils in the ground where they belong.”

The BG 36 H as the Centerpiece

The FDP operation revolved around the BG 36 H Drilling Rig. Linde-Griffith owns a fleet of drilling rigs, including two BAUERs acquired from Equipment Corporation of America‘s (ECA) New York/New Jersey branch.

Linde-Griffith and ECA are 100-plus-year-old, family-owned companies with an inter-generational connection. ECA’s New York, New Jersey Regional Sales Manager Bruce Langan sold equipment to Mike’s grandfather Peter H. Shannon, P.E. – the first member of the family to take control of Linde-Griffith in 1971.

But the connection goes beyond Langan, according to Mike Shannon. He says:

“They’re never afraid to take a phone call and they’re always there to help you, even though they know a sale might not come out of it. The mechanics, the sales team, the engineering staff, is what makes ECA, ECA”

It was January of 2018 when the BG 36 H executed test piles at Hackensack. The original plan was to have two rigs driving the FDP operation. The other was to be a BG 28 H. By the time permitting and environmental delays had been cleared, Linde-Griffith’s BG 28 H was tied up on other projects. It was agreed that the BG 36 H would be the only drilling rig on site.

The FDP Process

Linde-Griffith worked with ECA to equip the BG 36 H with 510-millimeter (20-inch) FDP Tooling to drill 1,322 FDP piles from 52 to 57 feet. Each pile consisted of a 20-inch grout column with a 10-inch-by-¼-inch hollow pipe in the center to provide additional shaft friction. The FDP piles created enough shear and base resistance so landing the pile on competent rock was unnecessary.

Linde-Griffith executed each FDP pile in a sequence. First, the displacement tool bored down to the desired depth to loosen and densify the surrounding soil, leaving an open excavation. 4 ½ to 5 ½ cubic yards of 5,000-psi grout was then pumped into each hole under pressure through a hollow drill stem as the BG 36 H extracted the displacement tool. The rotation of the tool densified any loose material. The reinforcement cage was then dropped, and in some cases vibrated, into the fresh concrete to finish off the pile.

Mike Shannon explains:

“On an auger cast pile you’re relieving the pressure of the ground as you’re drilling down and the spoils are coming out. Here, you’re actually creating more pressure because the soil is staying in the ground and pushing against the sides.”

The FDP piles were laid out in a grid pattern with single piles around the perimeter for grade beams and caps containing up to six piles for areas supporting the heaviest column loads.

Drilling was not especially challenging in these soil conditions, but the grid pattern and FDP process itself caused increasing resistance with each pile. Shannon explains:

“In these clusters, the first couple are always a lot easier because you don’t have any resistance. But the more piles and concrete you put in, the more you’re displacing and densifying the soil around the existing piles and it gets tighter and tighter.”

Another challenge was that Linde-Griffith had to maintain a 10-foot distance from piles with uncured concrete. Shannon says:

“It’s based on how your layout is with the spacing of your piles, and how you plan. With this type of pile (FDP), you need to really project two to three days ahead to maintain production.”

The Importance of BAUER FDP Tooling

BAUER tooling was critical to the FDP operation, according to Shannon. he says.

“It’s all BAUER displacement tooling designed specifically for this project. It was engineered to achieve the required loads with these soil conditions.”

ECA’s Philadelphia’s Director of BAUER Product Sales & Service Gordian Ulrich worked closely with Linde-Griffith to design the tooling. The training also covered the B-Tronic System, setting up drilling and grouting parameters, and tying in concrete pumps. Shannon says:

“Gordian is one of a kind. One of the best things about him is that he loves to share his knowledge and experience.”

Friction was an issue. The soil conditions and grout acted like sandpaper on the tooling, especially the displacement bulb above the auger flight and the cutting teeth on the wear plates.

“Quality control is very important out here so we change the tooling out once a week. Then we just refurbish, re-weld, hardface, and bring them out when we need them.”

says Shannon, noting that extras are on hand at all times.

“The main concern on this job was that a driven pile couldn’t achieve the load required. Our decision to bring in the larger 20-inch full displacement tooling combined with the quality control this machine offers made this project. The amount of information you get from that machine is unique and very impressive.”

B-Tronic System Provides Abundant Data and Automation

The quality control Shannon speaks of is driven by the patented BAUER B-Tronic System. Both Linde-Griffith and the project’s third-party engineer have access to such data as stroke count, grout pressure, and drilling depth via a desktop computer or mobile device. There is no second guessing whether a pile is driven to the proper depth and contains the right amount of concrete. There was also a safety benefit since the engineer was able to monitor drilling from a safe distance because B-Tronic transferred the operator’s view to an iPad.

The B-Tronic System doesn’t simply provide data. It also has a feature called B-Drive, which automates monotonous operations. Linde-Griffith’s operator, for example, was able to program the BG 36 H to drill to a specific depth by simply typing in parameters. During concrete placement, he plugged in the targeted grout volume and pressure. B-Drive automatically extracted the tooling once those numbers were achieved. Not only did this ensure a consistently grouted column, but it also allowed Linde-Griffith to share the exact amounts of concrete consumed with the owner.

The B-Tronic System is especially handy for the always on the move Linde-Griffith executive team since they have the unique policy of having an owner on-site at every project. Shannon says, noting that he travels between sites all day:

“We have it set up where I can view it from anywhere. I keep a laptop in my car so if I’m not here, I can see what’s going on.”

The B-Tronic System essentially allows Shannon to log in to see what his BG 36 operator can see whether driving down the New Jersey Turnpike or in his office.

Strong Production Despite Messy Site Conditions

Linde-Griffith was installing up to 25 FDP piles in less than 10 hours each day, which could have been even higher. Productivity was hampered by shorter days, muddy site conditions, and up to 45 minutes spent cleaning the BG 36 H and tooling at the end of each day.

Shannon says:

“You’re dealing with concrete and water in freezing conditions so you need to spend some time thoroughly washing everything out. You don’t want concrete to harden inside the machinery or you’ll have major problems the next day.”

Hackensack is prone to flooding and this particular site didn’t drain well. Mobility wasn’t an issue since the BG 36 H is a tracked machine, but Linde-Griffith did use steel plates in softer areas. This move was more about safety to keep the top-heavy rig stable, especially when working near slopes.

Linde-Griffith started drilling the first week of October of 2019 and finished by February of 2020. Strong production and smart planning resulted in the project being completed on schedule.

Shannon knows that opportunities to shave time off a project schedule are always obvious in hindsight, but he also knows that Linde-Griffith’s recommendation to switch to FDP piles saved the owner millions of dollars.

“Truthfully, we just try to save our customers money.”

Shannon says.

The article was written by Brian M. Fraley, Fraley Construction Marketing

Source: Linde-Griffith Construction Company

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