Customized Equipment - Where Mind Power Meets Muscle Power

COOS BAY, Ore., Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The conventional wisdom in heavy construction projects like bridges and harbors used to be that the bigger the equipment the better. But in today's heavy construction environment, the development of specialized equipment plays an equally important role in creating solutions, reducing construction time and raising standards of quality.

Based in Coos Bay, Oregon, West Coast Contractors (WCC) www.westcoastcontractors.com has proven to be one of the more innovative heavy contractors in the industry. Established in 1962, WCC is a pioneer in developing specialized equipment and has established a reputation for creating effective new techniques by building custom designed equipment.

"The development of specialized equipment evolved out of necessity," President and CEO David Kronsteiner said. "We get a lot of the difficult jobs that other contractors shy away from. Our engineers and team go above and beyond to develop equipment that will get the job done more efficiently."

The development of customized equipment played an important role at the recently completed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility in Newport, Oregon. The project called for the precise placement of piles in open water. West Coast Contractors tasked surveyors with plotting the exact position of the piles by developing a GPS solution that could guide the placement of the template on an open water barge.

"The NOAA project required a lot of innovation," Kronsteiner said. "We designed a template that was run hydraulically off the front of the barge that could move all directions – sideways, front, back and rotate. It was very successful and we were able to place the piles in the exact location required."

WCC also designed custom pile cushions, hydraulically adjustable templates and a customized rigging system that could squeeze piles to the exact tolerance needed. This customized rigging maximized the strength of the supports and saved hours of time per weld.

About West Coast Contractors

West Coast Contractors is a large-scale, general contractor that specializes in heavy construction projects including bridges, harbors, marine facilities, governmental projects and industrial complexes. For media assistance, contact Lance Vernstrom of Christie Communications, www.christiecomm.com, [email protected], (805) 969-3744 or WCC at (541) 267-7689.

SOURCE West Coast Contractors