Gears by The Gear Works - "Joe Page Bridge"

New at The Gear Works

New gearboxes for bridge pass load test.

When Halverson Construction Company was awarded the contract to refurbish the lift machinery on the Joe Page Bridge, they turned to The Gear Works to provide the replacement span lift gearboxes.

Originally built in 1931, the Joe Page Bridge crosses the Illinois River at Hardin, Illinois. It is the largest vertical lift bridge in the world with a lift span length in excess of 308 feet.

Within seven months of receiving the competitively bid gearbox order, The Gear Works successfully designed, manufactured, tested, and delivered two special Model 750 Grizzly Planetary Speed Reducers with 24:1 reduction ratio that met extensive procurement requirements and AASHTO specifications for moveable bridges. As part of the acceptance criteria, each gearbox was required to undergo 100% load testing at the normal operating speed of 5.5 output rpm.

Load test overview
Using an electrical regeneration method, the Grizzly gearboxes are subjected to output torque loads in excess of 813,000 lb-in for 30 minutes in each direction. Each gearbox weighs approximately 6,500 lbs. including the special mounting bracket and output coupling.

Video scope contact check
Gear tooth contact patterns were inspected and documented after the load test using a video scope with a flexible camera probe that produces clear digital images.

When your application requires a test, look to The Gear Works to get the best.

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