Photo: LiveWallJersey Shore University Medical Center recently added two LiveWall living wall installations to the landscaping of HOPE Tower.
HOPE Tower is the new 300,000-square-foot outpatient care facility that is located in Neptune, New Jersey. The medical center broke ground on the $265 million project back in November 2015.
“Guided by a patient-centered approach to care and understanding that a sense of well-being and peace of mind are essential to healing, we set out to create an environment for holistic care that is beautiful, welcoming, accessible and convenient,” says Kenneth N. Sable, regional president, southern market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “From thinking about how patients and their families enter the building and what they see as they do, to selecting colors and materials, to the process of care and clinical work flow – every decision we made in the design of HOPE Tower was to enhance the patient experience and promote healing.”
As part of the project, the two green walls, totaling 514 square feet, were installed using the LiveWall system.
LiveWall uses aluminum VertiRails that are installed on the building wall. Then, horizontal RainRails are used to irrigate each row of planters with spray nozzles. WallTer inserts are used to hold the plant containers, giving the client the option of switching out seasonal annuals.
“The green walls are essential,” says Drew Smithson, COO of Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “They transform highly visible exterior walls, which would be otherwise unremarkable, into vertical gardens that are an integrated part of the whole landscape.”
The living walls both measure 22 feet 8 inches wide by 11 feet 3 and 3/38 inches high. One green wall can be found at ground level in a garden courtyard. The other green wall is located on the tenth floor along with the green roof landscape.
“By extending the landscape up the sides of the structural walls, the green walls complement the landscape design and bring a vertical element to the spaces that make the landscapes more complete,” says Chris Cirrotti, vice president and principal in charge, Dewberry, the exterior civil engineering and landscape architecture firm for the HOPE Tower project.
Tapplock offers smart padlock to help landscapers keep tools safe
Landscapers are often the victims of theft, as their handheld tools can easily be swiped off an unsupervised trailer as crews are off working in the backyard of a property.
Keeping equipment secure can be a challenge, as supervisors might need to leave equipment at a job over night for a different crew to use the next day or a truck might be used by different crews.
But keeping up with a key can be a hassle, particularly when there are multiple padlocks to deal with. Tapplock offers a smart padlock that is unlocked by a finger print to gain access.
Photo: TapplockThe Tapplock one+ can store up to 500 fingerprints to allow multiple users to access the lock without having to have a combination or a key on hand.
Access to the lock can be controlled by parameters set for day and time access so employees cannot get to the tools well after hours. The ability to add or revoke access permission is also available at any time if an employee is fired.
If need be, the locks can also be unlocked remotely and the platform stores access reports, so management always knows who is accessing what equipment and when.
The Tapplock one+ has a 7mm stainless-steel shackle with a double-layered lock design. The lock has an IP67 water-proof rating, allowing it to function even completely submerged. It is dust- and rust-proof and can handle temperatures between -4 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The lock’s battery can run up to a year off a single charge or 3,500 unlocks per charge, and users can check the remaining power using the Tapplock app.
When the lock blinks red, this will indicate the power is below 10 percent and needs to be recharged.
A single lock costs $99 and a bundle of two costs $179. For more information, click here.
Caterpillar adds new backhoe loader models
The new Caterpillar 440 and 450 center pivot models feature high breakout forces and improved operator comfort, according to the manufacturer.
The 440 has a 25 percent backhoe lifting improvement over the 430FS and its redesigned single tilt loader arms provide parallel lift and versatility. Meanwhile, the 450 has 15 percent higher backhoe lifting capacity than the 450F and has an all-new cab.
Cat 450 BHLPhoto: Catperillar
Both the 440 and 450 have increased lift and tilt breakout forces. Stability is increased with a more balanced weight design and longer backhoe stabilizer legs.
The new backhoe models have an optional Lock Up Torque converter for improved torque and efficiency on grades. New spring-applied, hydraulically released breaks simplify the operation of the parking break.
The standard autoshift transmission also features a sixth gear for improved road performance.
Operator comfort has been optimized with a reengineered hydraulic infrastructure of the operator station, including seat-mounted controls. The controls stay with the users whether in forward or reverse and eliminate pilot control pods for backhoe operation.
The digital display center has also been redesigned for fast setting of critical machine functions, as well as clearly displaying fuel and water temperature gauges.
Mahindra expands its UTV product line
Mahindra North America has added the Retriever 1000 Gas Crew to its utility vehicle product line.
Photo: MahindraThe Retriever seats up to six passengers and has an 83-horsepower 1000cc gas engine. It can reach up to 60 mph and has a 2,500-lb. towing capacity. The new UTV features two-inch front and rear receiver hitches and a standard electric dump cargo box.
“The Retriever lineup offers many industry-leading features and we are pleased to expand the 83-horsepower gas engine into the Crew configuration,” says Matt Glendon, director of utility vehicles, Mahindra NA. “It fills the needs of customers on worksites transporting teams or families working and playing on their property. The spacious interior offers comfortable seating and plenty of leg room for all six passengers without giving up power and towing capability. These vehicles are designed to deliver a great driving experience ride through a continuously variable transmission with the seamless shifting for a smooth take-off and low vibration.”
All Retriever UTV models come standard with a three-year limited powertrain warranty.
