Henry J. Knott Masonry, Inc., a third-generation masonry contractor, has been in business since 1936. Started by Henry Knott III’s grandfather, HJ Knott Masonry Inc. is known for award-winning projects throughout Baltimore and the Washington D.C. area. Some of their awarded projects include: Loyola College, Center East Student Center; State of Maryland, Annapolis Data Center; Johns Hopkins University, Decker Quad Mason and Hackerman Halls; and the Holy Cross Hospital in Germantown, Maryland.
RESTORATION PROJECT
The newest masonry project for HJ Knott Masonry, Inc. is waterproofing repair and colonnade restoration at a major University historical building in Baltimore, Maryland. This work consists of excavation, digging approximately 20 feet wide, 27 feet deep, and 200 feet long in order to reach the lower foundation levels of the building. The general contractor will then install a new foundation with a drain and pump system, as well as waterproofing the exterior wall and plaza of the building.
Contractors will make structural improvements, install waterproofing measures, and then reconstruct the colonnade to eliminate cracks to ensure future stability. HJ Knott Masonry, Inc. is tasked with the removal of all the marble and stone, identifying each piece individually to replace the material back in the exact positions, as they prepare the walls to reinstall the masonry.
The main challenges of this project are space constraints, a tight deadline, and completing the construction with the least amount of disruption to the students and staff on campus. In addition, the workers are operating in a small area due to a large trench dug out around the building, leaving them little room to place material and maneuver equipment.
THE RIGHT HANDLER
Most contractors will use an 8,000- to 10,000-pound telescopic handler to carry material around the jobsite, and rent a crane for the duration of the project in order to assist with the removal and reinstallation of the masonry. Most telescopic handlers reach up to 56 feet, requiring a crane—rented at almost $500,000 per year—to reach additional lift heights. This requires extra resources to operate equipment, additional cost to rent equipment, and results in loss of productivity, as well as increased time on the job.
HJ Knott Masonry, Inc. operates a Manitou MRT 2540 Rotating Telescopic Handler with maximum lift heights of 80 feet, 24 feet higher than a standard telescopic handler. The MRT 2540 also offers a lift capacity of 8,800 pounds for added productivity. This machine was added to their equipment lineup more than 2 years ago when they were looking at ways to be more efficient and effective on their jobsites.
“Ever since the purchase of the Manitou, we’ve never looked back, it was a no-brainer for us,” says Paul Contrino, senior superintendent at HJ Knott Masonry, Inc. “The increased lift height and the cost savings benefit for not needing to rent a crane on the jobsite justified the purchase the MRT 2540.”
VERSATILITY AND WIRELESS REMOTE
The MRT 2540 not only provides versatility, adapting easily with a wide variety of available attachments, but it also functions with a wireless remote control.
“The remote control provides us with the capability to have the operator stand right next to our mason, giving him much more control coming as close to the building without a spotter versus operating inside the cab. This allows us to work much faster with less people, dedicating our focus and financial resources to our Masonry work,” says Contrino.
The remote control feature also allows more masons to work on the wall versus keeping someone behind to operate a machine.
“Before the Manitou MRT, my brick layers would be waiting on the operators to feed them the material,” says Karl Kress, foreman at HJ Knott Masonry, Inc. “Now, as soon as the MRT machine is set, it will just pick and place material for our crew operating much faster, as the machine operators are now waiting on my brick layers to complete the work versus the other way around.”
On this University project, the Manitou MRT 2540 allows the crew to work in a tight area with a width of only 16 feet, 9 inches when operating on fully deployed outriggers. The unit is placed off to the side of the site, as it is able to rotate 360 degrees continuously. The boom is extended up to 67 feet carrying 800 pounds, and 1,322 pounds using the jib with winch.
“If we didn’t have the MRT, we wouldn’t be able to stage as much material in front of a 10K rough terrain telehandler and reach as many points on the building to feed the material to the brick layers,” says Contrino.
SAFETY FEATURES
Safety features on the Manitou MRT are another key benefit and time saver for HJ Knott Masonry, Inc. When an attachment is properly hooked up to the MRT, the standard E-RECO attachment recognition system sends a message to the cab or remote control, loading the specific attachment load chart automatically. The MRT will sound an alarm and stop automatically if the operator is out of range, unlike most telescopic handlers where the operator will feel the wheels lift off the ground when they’ve gone too far.
“The safety features and the E-RECO system make the MRT easy-to-use for our operators as they don’t have to spend time figuring out specification parameters with our attachments and material capacities around the jobsite,” says Contrino.
An operator of the MRT can also set “lock out” points on the machine, limiting the side-to-side movement in case of building congestion, or even height restrictions while working indoors or close to overhead cables.
CONCLUSION
“This project is very critical for us as the building is near a century old, located on a high traffic area on the University’s campus,” says Contrino. “We are very happy to count on Manitou and the MRT 2540 Rotating Telescopic Handler to get this project done faster at less total cost to us.” ■
For More Information: MANITOU Group, world leader in all-terrain material handling, designs, produces, distributes, and services equipment intended for construction and agriculture industries. For more information, visit www.manitou-group.com.
_________________________________________________________________________
Modern Contractor Solutions, February 2017
Did you enjoy this article?
Subscribe to the FREE Digital Edition of Modern Contractor Solutions magazine.
Tight Deadline, Tight Space
