“The T300 is the kind of machine that you can put everywhere and it’s so fast. It does a lot of work for its size,” Hernandez says. Hernandez has confi dence in using the agile 81-hp compact track loader for any job involving earthwork, partly due to the track system’s combination of fl otation and traction in mud and other challenging soil conditions. “The tracks help with maneuverability because the soil is sometimes sandy,” Hernandez adds.
TOP: Inside the tunnel, a Bobcat E50 compact excavator helped with fi nishing the dirt removal, left by the tunnel boring machine. BELOW: Port of Miami offi cials celebrate the arrival of Harriet, the tunnel boring machine.
It can accommodate up to six passengers, depending on the seating confi guration.
“The 3400XL is our contractor’s vehicle of choice for getting in and out of the tunnel. Because there’s a fi ve-degree grade and the lowest point is 120 feet below sea level, we needed something quick, durable and reliable,” Hodgkins says. Adds Hernandez, “They’re also very useful because you can park everywhere and they’re effi cient.”
The T300 is helping spread a cement- treated base and grading approximately 100 linear feet per day, which Hernandez says will eventually form the permanent road surface. “It is a very constrained
space but the Bobcat® loader is good
because it can also move fast despite the restriction,” Hernandez says.
COMPACT PRODUCTIVITY On the mainland, the compact track loader is typically fi tted with a bucket, a pallet fork or a sweeper to perform a variety of earthmoving and cleaning roles around the tunnel worksite’s limited space. Frequently, it is tasked with grading areas prior to crews pouring slabs or building service roads. Another daily function is removing backfi ll from an earthen wall. It also cleans the truck wheel washer bay, transferring multiple loads of accumulated site mud and debris to a spoil basin.
VERSATILE EXCAVATION The versatility of the E50 compact excavator’s attachments, including a hydraulic breaker, allows Bouygues Civil Works Florida crews to break up rock and existing pavement. The E50’s 12-inch trenching bucket and advanced hydraulics are used to dig trenches for the simultaneous installation of up to three utilities.
The powerful E50’s high breakout force assists operators in building a berm around the site’s spoil basin. It also is excavating a bed for the construction of site ponds, and is called upon again to perform the ponds’ fi nish work. “It is a versatile piece of equipment,” Hernandez says.
The performance of Bobcat compact equipment on confi ned jobsites is measuring up to its reputation above and below ground in Miami. “The Bobcat brand is well known everywhere,” Hernandez says.
More information available online
The Port of Miami tunnel project has its own website, with many pictures and details about the construction venture, including the tunnel boring machine. Visit www.portofmiamitunnel.com to learn more.