Project overview

On the morning of September 16, 2004, Ivan, a category 3 hurricane, made landfall on the gulf coast 70 miles west of Santa Rosa Island, FL. With a maximum wind speed of 130 mph and with a storm surge between 10 to 15 ft. above normal high-tide levels, Ivan quickly became labeled Pensacola’s greatest hurricane.

Although the eye of the hurricane made landfall west of Fort Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Island caught the full force of the storm because it was struck by the storm’s front right quadrant. This part of the storm always packs the strongest punch because it combines the storm’s strongest winds (up to 130 mph) with the force of the hurricane’s forward motion. Ivan knocked out power, washed out roads and bridges, and the beach & dune system was substantially impacted with extensive over wash and erosion.

Since personnel were unable to get to the tower by vehicle, the tower sat unattended for 2-3 months and deteriorated from environmental factors. The damage to the tower included canopy damage, power systems damage, water & sand infiltration of the elevator pit and washed out asphalt pavement. Because of all the damage, the Air Force determined that the elevator needed a major overhaul including all electrical, mechanical and hydraulic systems and called upon Diversified for assistance.

The overhaul of the elevator was complete and the elevator was back to working condition in 6 weeks.

Repairs made

• Disassembly, inspection, replacement/repair and reassembly of all 8
  drive assemblies.
• Inspection and maintenance of lower pump assemblies.
• Inspection and repair of power rails and main elevator climbing rails.
• Repair of doors, locks, switches and call stations.
• Performed acceptance testing.

Services provided

• Component Selection
• Component Testing
• Test Fixtures
• Cycle Testing
• Vendor Approval
• Conformance to Industry
• Standards
• Purchasing
• Documentation
• Inventory
• Cost Monitoring
• Field Service Calls