Public Works
UNDER CONSTRUCTION : BRENTWOOD ’ S PUBLIC WORKS NOMINATED FOR THE “ BUILD A BETTER MOUSETRAP ” AWARD rentwood
CITY BRIEFLY OF MCKEESPORT BRENTWOOD NEWS
cKeesport
You ’ ve likely heard the saying “ necessity is the mother of invention ,” but you might not think that your local government Public Works would have the kind of innovation necessary to “ build a better mousetrap .” As it turns out , we do ! The Build a Better Mousetrap award is awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation ( PennDOT ) as part of the Pennsylvania Local Technical Assistance Program ( LTAP ). This award is given out to boroughs , municipalities , and townships for building an inventive new gadget or an innovative way to make a specific job easier to do .
While we didn ’ t win the award , Brentwood Borough ’ s Public Works was nominated as the runner-up in 2021 for the creation of an excavation hammer holder . While this may not sound too prestigious in and of itself , this isn ’ t quite like storing the average jackhammer for home use — this is for storing a large , specialized tool designed to be attached to an excavator . Specialized holders are necessary because , while it is a rugged digging tool for heavy-duty construction work , it ’ s still important to make sure it ’ s stored properly , and this excavation hammer holder
2021 lets our Public Works store
Runner Up the excavator hammer in an
Pennsylvania LTAP upright position to keep the hammer ’ s seals from getting damaged . With something like this to support it , the device can be stored indoors , out of the elements and out of the way until it ’ s needed for another project and keeping it inside and upright helps to reduce the need for repairs and downtime .
Purchasing these types of specialized holders can cost upwards of $ 1,000 as they need to be sturdy enough to support the tool in the proper position so that nothing gets damaged . Instead of buying one , an enterprising member of our Public Works crew built this useful holder in six hours using a plasma cutter and welder with leftover materials found in the shop , including an old trailer ramp , pipe covers , and spray paint . The end result ? A heavy-duty , hand-fashioned holder for an expensive piece of construction equipment without paying a high price for it , as our Public Works created this handy holder for only $ 150 in labor and without spending anything for materials . How ’ s that for a hands-on project ?
Build a Better Mousetrap
Borough of Brentwood , Allegheny County Excavator Hammer Holder
BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL ❘ FALL 2022 45