Connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey, and Manhattan, the George Washington Bridge (GWB) is one of the world’s busiest bridges. Serving more than 50 million travelers in 2015, issues of wear-and-tear and weathering on the bridge have been of rising concern for the Port Authorities of New York and New Jersey.
BAND-IT, an IDEX company based in Denver, manufactures trusted band clamping and fastening solutions especially suited for high corrosion environments like the “Restore The George” Rehabilitation Project.
BAND-IT stainless steel bands and Ear-Lokt buckles are currently used on the bridge’s steel-braided suspension cables to maintain compression. The main cables of a suspension bridge are comprised of many smaller cables, which are bound together at regular intervals with a strip of stainless steel banding and a buckle to hold the tension like a belt. After cables are secured with BAND-IT bands, the cables are then wrapped in neoprene fabric to protect the cables from weathering and deterioration.
During recent inspection of the bridge, construction officials determined there are more than 24,000 BAND-IT bands and buckles, equating to roughly 20 miles of stainless steel banding currently installed on the bridge. Each band will be replaced as part of the rehabilitation project.
BAND-IT solutions have also been used on other suspension spans, including the Mackinaw, Newport and Tacoma Narrows bridges
