Tubes Ventilate Work (1 of 17) <<-first last->> slideshow <-previous next->
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Tubes Ventilate Work (1 of 17) <<-first last->> slideshow <-previous next->
First tube hung in the middle (163 views)
Tubes Ventilate Work
On the San Francisco side of the Bay Bridge
The Bridge Maintenance Yard at Bryant and Main Streets
(Photo posted Monday 14 June 2010)
(Photo taken 13:26:28 Thursday 21 January 2010)
© 2010 Terry Costales
  Creative Commons License comment

A series of ventilation tubes were installed up one leg of the Bay Bridge. The clear intent was to provide fresh air to workers above from the ground below. Here, the first two sections of tube were hung halfway up one leg and held in place with stout straps.

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Atop a boom lift
Atop a boom lift (172 views)
by Terry Costales
(2 of 17) Close up of the installer working on a boom lift. Note that the man wore a safety harness. The yellow tubes were held up with what looked like boxing straps.
The next day it rained
The next day it rained (142 views)
by Terry Costales
(3 of 17) The next day started with a heavy rain storm that delayed work. Over the previous day the bottom half of the tubes had been installed all the way to the ground.
He was ready to ascend
He was ready to ascend (160 views)
by Terry Costales
(4 of 17) The rain slacked of mid day and allowed the work to continue. Dressed in rain gear and a safety harness, the man was flanked with two boxed tubes. It was unclear why it took two additional men on
The man began his ascent
The man began his ascent (123 views)
by Terry Costales
(5 of 17) The worker operated the boom lift in a manner that allowed it to rise vertically with little horizontal drift. Notice how the previous day's straps caused partial collapse of one of the tubes.
Neared the prior day's start
Neared the prior day's start (118 views)
by Terry Costales
(6 of 17) The boom lift approached the place where the previous day's tubes began. Note the clouds just starting to clear in the distance.
Two men on the ground watched
Two men on the ground watched (142 views)
by Terry Costales
(7 of 17) The two men on the ground risked serious neck injury by craning their necks back to watch the man working high above.
The lift continued up
The lift continued up (146 views)
by Terry Costales
(8 of 17) Just as the tubes had been installed from the top down the day before, today's tubes would also be installed from the top down. The boom lift continued to rise slowly to the endpoint of the
The top tubes had been installed
The top tubes had been installed (115 views)
by Terry Costales
(9 of 17) The two top tubes had already been installed. The worker had ascended a second time with a second load of two more tubes.
The gap that remained
The gap that remained (148 views)
by Terry Costales
(10 of 17) The rain returned as just a sprinkle but the work continued. The gap between the bottom and top tubes would still be finished this day.
Tube ends attached
Tube ends attached (124 views)
by Terry Costales
(11 of 17) The ends of the new tubes had been attached to the bottoms of the prior tubes. The worker made ready to descend, feeding out and strapping this next run of tubes.
The tubes meet
The tubes meet (124 views)
by Terry Costales
(12 of 17) Just like the gold spike joining the transcontinental railway, the top tubes were finally joined to the bottom tubes in the middle. Note the two men still waiting below and the lack of a crowd of
The worker finished
The worker finished (128 views)
by Terry Costales
(13 of 17) The worker attached the top tubes to the bottom tubes to finish this adventurous high-level part of the job.
The bottom of the tubes waited
The bottom of the tubes waited (152 views)
by Terry Costales
(14 of 17) The bottom of the tubes waited to be attached to the ventilation fan at the lower left.
Workers on their way up
Workers on their way up (154 views)
by Terry Costales
(15 of 17) On a Wednesday morning a month later, workers were being taken up to the bridge to begin work. To the left was the ventilation tube that was operating to bring fresh air to their workplace.
A pleasant sunny day
A pleasant sunny day (160 views)
by Terry Costales
(16 of 17) The typical image of a day's work above the Bay Bridge Maintenance Yard.
The ventilation tubes in use
The ventilation tubes in use (128 views)
by Terry Costales
(17 of 17) The ventilation tubes after a month of use. Notice the bases of the tubes are attached to stout ventilation machines. It was unclear if one sucked and one blew, or if they both blew.