[WRE UPDATE | PROJECT]
O’Connell Electric Management Team (from left to right) Dave Emmi, Joe Pellerite, Bruce Vassallo, Walter Parkes, Michael Parkes and Tom Parkes
Copyright© 2012 O’Connell Electric Co./
KeithMeehanPhotography.com
record and its familiarity with the upstate region, O’Connell Electric was the logical and obvious choice for Wallenda. While O’Connell’s linemen and mechanics welcomed the
opportunity, they harbored some concerns about the project, for which they had no precedent or prior reference. Truly, no aspect of the task would be easy or predictable. T e conditions, in particular, posed serious risks: the combination of working in close proximity to water, at great heights, with extreme winds would generally be considered a “hazardous work environment.” “I had a lot of apprehension right up until we went to visit the site, where we could actually see where we were going to go,” recalled O’Connell Electric General Foreman Randy Fletcher. “At that point, the apprehension went away and [we realized]...T is is possible. T is can be done.” T e team ultimately proved equal to the task of extending the 2-inch-diameter specialized cable (Bethlehem 6x49 BR EIP RR IWRC)—which weighed more than seven tons— across the most powerful waterfall in North America. In the days leading up to Wallenda’s walk, O’Connell
Electric completed much of the construction at night, so that it wouldn’t interfere with the route of “T e Maid of the Mist,” a tour boat that makes frequent trips around the falls. T e fi rst step in the project was driving micropiles 65 feet down into the bedrock to provide the necessary anchorage for the massive cable. Since this cable was unusually heavy, and the circumstances especially precarious, Nik Wallenda employed a helicopter to install a lead line across the gorge to guide the high wire into position.
Anchoring system and pulling truck setup on the Canadian side.
Copyright© 2012 O’Connell Electric Co./
KeithMeehanPhotography.com
At 3:30 in the morning, the cable reached the Canadian side. After securing the cable, the crew tightened it to 60,000 pounds of tensile force, well over that of a typical high-voltage long-distance electrical line. T e tremendous force caused the tensioner to lift about two feet off the ground. T e team anchored the tensioner and readjusted the height of the crane holding the wire to ease the tension. “When we got halfway across the gorge out there, I was a
little nervous that we weren’t going to get this thing across,” Parkes remarked. “Once we re-rigged it, everybody fought through. We have a great crew. I can’t say enough good about these guys… It might have taken a few extra hours, but it was all dealt with and done safely.” T en, a group of lucky linemen traveled the length of the
tightrope in specially designed baskets to attach pendulum weights at strategic intervals to reduce bouncing and swaying during Wallenda’s stunt. In all, the project’s cost has been estimated at nearly $1 million dollars. For Wallenda, it was money well spent. Confi dent in the security of the tightrope supporting the soles of his feet, the daredevil balanced 20 stories above Niagara Falls, battered by wind gusts and rising spray. Amid the cheers of thousands of spectators, he high-wire walked his way into the history books, completing the treacherous passage in 25 minutes. “I can’t thank them enough,” Wallenda said of O’Connell
Electric’s dedicated and hardworking team. “T ese guys made my dream come true, and now they’re part of history, too.” ❙
Thanks to Tom Parkes and the O’Connell Electric team for all their time and help for this article. To learn more about O’Connell Electric and their work, visit:
oconnellelectric.com
To view footage of O’Connell Electric’s role in Wallenda’s Walk, check out:
www.electrictv.net.
Also, Thank you to Field ID for initially sharing the story with Wire Rope Exchange. To read their blog entry, “Fall Protection for Nik Wallenda’s Crossing of Horseshoe Falls,” visit Field ID’s website:
www.fi eldid.com
80 JULY-AUGUST 2012 WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
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