Page 107 - Rukert - 100th Anniversary

PART II BRINGING THE WORLD TO BALTIMORE
THE YEAR PIER
DREDGED TO 50 FEET, RUKERT TERMINALS’ LAZARETTO “B” BERTH MADE HISTORY AS THE DEEPEST MULTI-PURPOSE BERTH IN BALTIMORE WHEN IT OPENED IN 2009.
As part of Rukert Terminals’ commitment to shaping the future, the 950-foot pier was engineered to last 100 years or more — double the life expectancy of most piers built today. The pier deck can carry a uniform load of 2,000 pounds per square foot. Two crane beams running underneath the pier are strong enough to accommodate any crane that moves on rail, like a bulk unloader or container crane.
The “B” berth project used 6,000 tons of structural steel, 1,700 tons of rebar, 4,500 pounds of welding rod and 9,000 yards of concrete — enough
to fill over 1,000 concrete trucks.
making it tough enough to handle any type of crane and cargo for 100 years. In addition, the new berth would be dredged to a depth of 50 feet.
Once the ambitious plan was in place, management set out to find a contractor up to the task. After one builder balked at the design, because “no one builds a pier for more than 50 years,” Rukert Terminals awarded the contract to long-term partner McLean Contracting Company. The “B” berth project was the largest and most expensive construc- tion project in the company’s history, taking over two years to complete. Once finished, Rukert would have the finest multi-purpose berth in the newly-renamed Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore.
In May 2007, Rukert Terminals redesigned the second floor of the former Peterbilt dealership, acquired in the land swap, into a large company meeting room known as the “Cap Center.” This space allowed the growing workforce to gather in one place for holiday parties, trainings and other special events. The Cap Center is also an unofficial museum housing the company’s artifacts and memorabilia as well as exhibits from the Brown’s Wharf Maritime Museum. Company founder Cap Rukert’s presence is felt as he peers out from photos on nearly every wall.
On April 22, 2008, Cap’s grandson and Bud’s brother, Charles N. (Nick) Nixon died at the age of 69. He was a third-generation member of the Board of Directors. In December, Harry Routson Jr., who had worked 48 years at Rukert Terminals, died at the age of 91.
After two years of construction and dredging to 45 feet, the south end of the new “B” berth was put into service on August 16, 2008. Employees discharged the M/V Saga Miranda, carrying lumber, safely onto the pier, though construction was still ongoing on the north end of the pier.
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