Learn what former Vertical Access SPRAT Level III technician Keith Luscinski has been up to since becoming Manager of the Technical Institute at Petzl

Former Vertical Access employee Keith Luscinski is now the Technical Institute Manager for Petzl. Recently he competed in his second-ever tree climbing competition. The previous year he landed 6th place and this year he dropped to 14th. “I prepared a lot for it, but there’s no way to compete with people who climb trees everyday and have years of experience.”

Keith is a self-taught tree climber, using the trees initially to practice rock climbing rescue skills. Eventually though, he fell in love with his time working at-height in a natural environment. While studying at Cornell University and a few years following, he taught classes on tree climbing techniques, which included regional classes in the upstate NY area for Cornell researchers. Tree climbing took him from the Sequoias to Costa Rica to Madagascar. 

Now, five years later, Keith stepped into the competitors ring. “I wanted to start competing for professional development reasons; to learn more about tree climbing techniques and the tree care industry.” 

Read the full story from Petzl here: https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Professional/News/2021-6-18/Self-taught-from-baobabs-to-competitions

Keith came to Vertical Access in 2006 with a background in industrial engineering and years of experience rock climbing and tree climbing throughout the world.

Keith Luscinski worked for Vertical Access from 2006 to 2017, “climbing” from a Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) Certified Level I Technician all the way up to a SPRAT Certified Level III Rope Access Supervisor.  During his time at Vertical Access, Keith served as the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT), chair of the Safety Reporting Committee in 2016 as well as the chair of the Research Grant Committee from 2014 – 2016.

He has combined his knowledge of rigging and engineering to design and test industrial rope access equipment. Through a grant from The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Keith tested various types of mechanical anchor systems in sandstone and limestone. He also developed a rolling anchor system that permits efficient hands-on inspections of cable-stayed bridges. 

Before joining Vertical Access, Keith worked for Cornell Outdoor Education to pioneer recreational tree climbing instruction. He helped implement institutional standards and safety protocols that are being adopted by similar organizations throughout the country.

We are so grateful to have had Keith on our staff and excited to follow his adventures with Petzl!

Professional Development and Networking in a Virtual World: My Experience with ASDSO Dam Safety 2020

Like most of the professional world, the onset of a pandemic induced work stoppage and quarantine presented opportunity where it was once otherwise lost – time for some serious professional development hours and continuing education.  Personally, the accumulated dust on the piano keys, table saw, and Dutch oven was a welcomed indicator that there was now time for all the hobbies and unread books that fell to the wayside before traveling was put on hold.  Professionally, it meant having dedicated time to explore new organizations and attend webinars, conferences and symposia with the click of a button.  With travel time and expenses eliminated, the virtual world attempts to compensate for where it fails in the lack of face-to-face contact, affording me a rise in information exchange and learning.

 The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) was one of the organizations I explored, on the recommendation of a co-worker.  My introduction started with a crash course in dam assessment and inspections over three days of immersive ASDSO taught sessions, scheduled to take place just a few blocks from where I live in Nashville, TN.  Like the rest of 2020 scheduled events, the course was ultimately switched to a virtual format.  The course dove head first into more technical aspects than I anticipated and pressed my memory of fluid mechanics and hydrology from college.  I started with a basic working knowledge of dams, but nothing too extensive, and finished feeling confident about making initial dam assessments and inspections. Material covered everything from risk assessment and hazard creep to inspection procedures, down to the Weir and flow rate equations for sizing up spillways and measuring seepage. Case studies were a central feature to illustrate the development of today’s emergency action plans and legal precedents, which still vary by state.  I was surprised to hear that recreation is the most common purpose of dams in the U.S. (as opposed to flood control, water supply, irrigation, hydropower, etc.), considering the controversy surrounding them.

“Drinking from a firehouse” was the term used to describe the course by the instructors, which was a reference to the amount of material covered and speed at which it was taught, especially for those without an engineering or dam-specific technical background.  The scheduled onsite dam inspection that typically occurs during the last day of the in-person course was missed but the instructors did a great job of compensating for it virtually. 

I was also able to attend the recent annual ASDSO Dam Safety Conference and serve as a representative at our company-sponsored booth.  This would be the first virtual conference I’ve attended following the March closures. 

Networking is one of the many aspects of in-person events that the virtual space fails to replicate.  I may stand corrected when virtual reality becomes as mainstream as the iPhone and FaceTime, but until then it just won’t be the same.  The conference was setup in such a way that encouraged and incentivized striking up dialog with other attendees, visiting booths, and attending sessions, which helped narrow the gap between our world and the Matrix.  Like the course, the general and concurrent sessions were filled with technical demonstrations, modeling, and case studies from various respective dam safety professionals.  Despite the virtual format I was still able to reconnect with colleagues and even make new connections from the safety of my home, thanks to the chat features. 

The conference, along with the course, provided a great introduction to the world of dam safety, albeit virtually.  With travel and work schedules almost back to normal it stands as evidence of a silver-lined shut down. 

Kent, Berta, and Virginia Lorenta Co-Wrote A Children’s Book on Guastavino

Kent Diebolt and Berta de Miguel have written a children’s book, “Immigrant Architect”.  This book is an extension of the authors’ shared passion for the life and work of Rafael Guastavino Moreno and his son, Rafael Guastavino Expósito.

Illustrated and authored by Virginia Lorente and penned in the voice of the younger Guastavino, this book is geared toward children aged 7-10 and is “a firm foundation for building interest in architecture and a solid STEM resource”, according to the Kirkus synopsis and review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/berta-de-miguel/immigrant-architect/

Slated for release April 7, 2020, pre-orders can be made now through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Important Changes to SPRAT Certification Requirements Coming April 1, and a Note on ANSI 121 – Tool Tethers

Recently I attended the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) Annual Conference in Cancun, Mexico, and brought home updates on some pretty important changes to SPRAT certification requirements that will be posted to www.SPRAT.org and go into effect April 1, 2019.  A sampling of some of the changes are below. Even if industrial rope access is not part of your job, we think it is good for you to be aware of all the qualifications and skills Vertical Access rope access teams bring to your projects.

New SPRAT Certification Requirements Effective April 1st, 2019

Level I Certification requirements (changes)

  • Horizontal Aid climbing (both fixed and movable) has been moved from a Level II skill to Level I
  • The rescue scenario for Level I will now involve the casualty being in ascent, previously a Level II skill
  • Level I testing will include proof of hands on skill with building various load sharing anchors in addition to inspecting ones built by Level II’s and III’s
  • Additional skill assessments for rigging and operating a hauling and lowering system will include lowering and belaying with communication awareness of mechanical advantage (?)

Level II Certification requirements (changes)

  • Vertical aid climbing will be required for a minimum of 10 feet
  • Additional knots to know include friction hitch and load-releasable hitch
  • Additional skills assessment of picking off a casualty through knots
  • Additional skills assessment of rescue from aid traverse (using a rope-to-rope method)
  • Rigging and operating a rope access system pre-rigged to lower

Level III Certification requirements (changes)

  • Demonstrating an understanding of mechanical anchor systems (tripods and beam clamps) will be removed
  • Rescues through knots will be moved to Level II
  • Re-anchor or rope-to-rope rescues skills assessment will need to be performed mid-obstacle
  • Hauling and lowering through knots (pitch head or platform) in both backup and main lines
  • Additional job safety components added to the written test regarding the Job Hazard Analyis or Job Safety Analysis

More information about SPRAT can be found here.

At the conference, we also discussed the 2018 revision to  ANSI 121 – Tool Tethers, that could have impacts across all facets of the construction industry.

 

ANSI 121 – Tool Tethers

ANSI 121 –  Tool Tethers is currently rolling out the 2018 revision to incorporate new regulations in response to increase in incidents.  This update will see impacts across all areas of the construction industry, not just industrial rope access.

At the SPRAT conference, we discussed some of the following from the new revision that will impact the way we approach our rope access work.

  • Modification of tools will no longer be allowed for tethering (no drilling holes, etc)
  • No duct or electrical tape will be allowed – a specialized tape is recommended that acts upon tightness of winding
  • Every component that can easily come off needs a tether (for example, batteries on drills)
  • Locking carabiners with captive eyes need to be used to tether tools and loose accessories that travel with the person
  • Declarations of conformity should be issued by suppliers
  • Label requirement guidelines are detailed in the revision
  • There is now a defined standard on approved containers where tools can be stored without a tether

More information can also be found at https://safetyequipment.org/dropped-object-prevention-resources/

 

Mike Russell, EIT, Certified to Level III Rope Access Supervisor

Mike Russell, EIT, recently trained and was certified to the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) Level III Supervisor. According to SPRAT’s Safe Practices for Rope Access Work, all site work must be performed under the supervision of a Level III Supervisor.

Level III Supervisors are responsible for the overall rope access operations on site.

Mike joins Kelly Streeter, P.E. and Kevin Dalton as Level III Supervisors for Vertical Access.

As part of the training, Mike reviewed basic rope access techniques that we most often use in our site work as well as more advanced skills that are less often used, such as passing knots, rope-to-rope transfers, redirects, rebelays and horizontal aid traverse. The training also covered rope rescue techniques and mechanical advantage systems used for raising or lowering a casualty or other load.

SPRAT is a membership organization that promotes the development of safe practices and standards for rope access work in the United States, Canada, Mexico and beyond. Vertical Access is a member of SPRAT and active in its leadership committees.

Celebrating 50 Years of APT International

The last week of September, Vertical Access attended the hottest conference in preservation: APT International’s 50th anniversary celebration happening in Buffalo and the Niagara Region of Canada.

Fifty years ago, a group of preservation and conservation professionals from both the United States and Canada came together in New Richmond, Quebec to form a new organization called The Association for Preservation Technology International (APT).  APT is a is a multi-disciplinary, membership organization dedicated to promoting the best technology for conserving/preserving historic structures and their settings.

This joint American-Canadian organization has grown to include chapters around the world. It is only fitting that this year’s conference was held in Buffalo with events and celebrations on both sides of the border.  The conference billed itself as “a point of departure for our next 50 years”, alluding to the fact that at one point in history, Buffalo was one of the most important points of departure on the continent.

Vertical Access has had a long history of involvement in APT since our founding in 1992. Founding Partner Kent Diebolt served as President of the Board of Directors from 2001 – 2003. This year, Evan Kopelson served as Co-Chair of the Programs Committee, and also served with Kristen Olson and Patrick Capruso on the Local Planning Committee.  We were excited that some of the events were held at historic locations that we have personally played a role in revitalizing, including:

While there were many field sessions and education opportunities to choose from during this multi-day celebration, two that we had a hand in coordinating are:

What Do Buckingham Palace, Brooklyn Bridge, and Buffalo Have in Common? – Medina Sandstone

(Coordinated by Patrick Capruso): Quarried in Orleans County near the town for which it was named, Medina sandstone was prized by builders and architects for its inherent strength and beauty. Fourteen attendees joined the all-day, Medina Sandstone Field Session as part of APT 2018. The field session included a visit to the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame where the Medina Sandstone Society offered programming on the stone’s mineral composition, an in-depth look at life in and around the quarries, and the socioeconomic impact that the quarrying industry had on the region. Following lunch in Medina, the trolley was bound for Buffalo for site visits at several ecclesiastic landmarks and the Richardson Olmsted Campus. Mike Lennon, of Flynn Battaglia Architects, provided insight into preservation efforts at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and First Presbyterian Church. At St. Louis RC Church, the Church historian and a member of the Board of Trustees highlighted the parish’s past restoration campaigns. Finally, our docent at the Richardson Olmsted Campus gave a whirlwind hardhat tour of the site’s exterior façades and a glimpse of an interior space slated for redevelopment.

 

Preservation by the Pint: Revitalization and the Craft Beverage Boom

(Co-coordinated by Kristen Olson): Preservation By the Pint was a driving tour of adaptive use sites where craft beverage producers have rehabilitated existing and historic structures representing three very different areas of Buffalo. Along the way, session co-planner Courtney Creenan-Chorley pointed out historic structures that remain from the city’s incredibly rich history of brewing and malting.

At our first stop, above, Ethan Cox of Community Beer Works showed us their newly-rehabilitated 7th Street space and gave a fascinating history of brewing in Buffalo, from tavern days through the post-Prohibition decline of independent breweries, to the revival of craft brewing in the 1970s and 80s and the current brewing renaissance. Ethan literally wrote the book on Buffalo’s rich brewing history; he is the co-author of Buffalo Beer: The History of Brewing in the Nickel City. He also described some of the technical aspects of converting an existing building for a brewery, utilizing tax credits, and the inherent challenges of locating in a historic neighborhood with older utilities, all driven by the community ethic central to the business’ identity.

Next, we traveled to the mixed-use First Ward neighborhood where Adam Bystran, head distiller at Lakeward Spirits, walked us through the transformation of the Barrel Factory, a historic manufacturing building just one block off the Buffalo River. Adam and his family took on a true labor of love in rehabilitating the 1903 manufacturing structure into apartments, an event center, and commercial spaces including a brewery and distillery (and more). Many of the attendees in our group are working on or have worked on craft beverage projects, and impressed Adam with their questions about code issues and utilities needs!

Our final stop was Big Ditch Brewing’s downtown taproom and production facility, an adaptive use project completed in 2015.

APT The Next 50 Symposium

While Kristen and Patrick packed it in after a whirlwind of educational field sessions and presentations during the conference, Evan Kopelson stayed in Buffalo for Thursday’s Symposium, where speakers and attendees explored:

  • Where are we in the world with preservation technology?
  • How has the field changed in 50 years?
  • What new formula will we need for the next 50? What are the new challenges?
  • How can we be more mainstream, less specialized? As the field matures, who are the partners we must collaborate with to remain vital?
  • How will authenticity, resilience and changing technologies guide us?

With a keynote presentation, summaries of the conference plenary sessions, small group break-outs and facilitated discussion, a facilitator and Technical Committee leaders worked with participants to create a vision for the Next Fifty. The first break-out session focused on the context and trends in preservation as a whole, while the second break-out looked at these issues through the lens of APT’s six technical committees. In wrapping up the symposium, the discussion focused on how to turn this vision into action. The findings and discussions of the symposium will be summarized by the symposium organizers and made available to APT membership.

We thoroughly enjoyed exploring with our colleagues all that is possible in preservation for The Next 50 Years.

For more about the conference, visit: https://www.eventscribe.com/2018/APT/ 

Vertical Access was a Bronze Sponsor of the conference this year.

A View from a First Timers APT Annual Conference

Last October, the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) and the National Trust for Canada held CAPITALizing on HERITAGE: COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENT and SAVOIR-FAIRE in Ottawa. The joint conference showcased 190 speakers and over 40 exhibitors. With roughly 1,100 attendees and more than 20 countries represented, the four-day event became the largest heritage conference ever held in Canada. CAPITALizing on HERITAGE was my first APT Annual Conference and fueled by a shameful amount of readily available coffee I made my way around paper sessions, banquets, and plenary discussions. Compared to regional APT symposia, the programming was diverse and immense with focuses ranging from the archeological unearthing and documentation of Nova Scotia’s built heritage to an exploration of Ontario’s northern wilderness in search of the rugged landscapes immortalized in paintings by the Group of Seven.

Seven paper tracks covered topics as diverse as cultural landscapes, non-destructive testing, heritage advocacy, the economics of preservation, engineering, and sustainability. Program book in hand, I raced around the conference level to catch specific presentations, curating a personal agenda that offered talks on architectural diagnostics and documentation as well as those that were distinctly Canadian like heritage values and the rights of Canada’s First Nations people. Thanks in large part to programming arranged by the National Trust for Canada, the duality of Ottawa’s existence as both a modern capital city and the unseeded ancestral territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe was never lost on those who attended the conference. This constant reminder sparked conversations that are simply not being discussed in the United States.

For every learning opportunity CAPITALizing on HERITAGE offered there was an occasion to network and reconnect. It became apparent that the social aspect of the event alone was worth the registration. In Ottawa, I attended the first meeting of the Technical Committee for Materials, talked shop with a former employer, shared a bottle of wine with new contacts, and was introduced to several leading authorities in preservation. I was happy to catch up with familiar faces from previous APT symposia as well. For someone who is relatively new to the field and APT, the Annual Conference offered an unparalleled opportunity to network.

Between the paper sessions, banquets and cocktail hours, CAPITALizing on HERITAGE was nearly overwhelming. Fortunately breaks in programming provided time to get out and explore downtown Ottawa. Whether it was views of Parliament Hill perched high above the confluence of three rivers or beaver tails in ByWard Market (fried dough smothered in butter and maple syrup did not disappoint), Ottawa delivered. The city proved to be an ideal venue for a joint conference with an emphasis on the built environment and interpretations of its cultural significance. With my first Annual Conference behind me I am looking forward to celebrating APT’S 50th Anniversary at Points of Departure next year in Buffalo. (I’m on the planning committee and so far it looks like it’s going to be awesome!)

EVENT: Preservation on High: Investigation and Documentation of Monumental Historic Structures

Learn how available technological tools help to improve the collection and management of graphical and numerical information derived from building surveys.

dottyarrowLearn more and RSVP here.

DATE: June 11, 2015
TIME: 4:00pm – 6:00pm
LOCATION: Commons, 107 West Denny Way, Suite 303, Seattle, WA 98119

 

Preservation architects, engineers and others involved in the renovation of historic buildings agree on the importance of an efficient and thorough discovery phase. A significant part of that effort is the organized collection of building information and accurate documentation of existing conditions. Even though these discovery tasks are such a significant part of a project, the development and incorporation of tools to improve the process on site and process the resulting information has been slow to develop.

This presentation examines some components of a successful early discovery phase on monumental historic buildings and reviews some technological tools that help to improve the collection and management of graphical and numerical information derived from building surveys.

 

Presenter
Kent Diebolt is the founder of Vertical Access and has been the principal-in-charge for most investigation, testing and inspection projects performed by Vertical Access over the firm’s 22-year history. Since the first Vertical Access project in 1992, Kent and his team have inspected numerous historically significant buildings, constructed of a wide variety of materials. He is an active participant and is a leader in professional preservation and rope access organizations.

Presented by Association for Preservation Technology NW and AIA Seattle Historic Resources Committee

 

 

 

 

Feats of Clay: Philadelphia Brick and Terra Cotta – Exhibit at University of Pennsylvania through Oct 9

by Kevin Dalton

I recently attended the opening reception for Feats of Clay: Philadelphia Brick and Terra Cotta, an exhibition on the legacy of Philadelphia’s brick and terra cotta industry at the Harvey and Irwin Kroiz Gallery, The Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania, curated by Frank Matero.

FeatsofClay_ScreenAnnouncementThe exhibit included artifacts from now demolished buildings designed by Philadelphia architects Frank Furness and Cope and Stewardson, brick from works by Louis Kahn as well as examples of some of the cities most underappreciated residential works such as Edgar V. Seeler’s Conkling and Armstrong House in the city’s Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood and the Morris Fleisher Residence designed by Willis G. Hale and located in the Fairmount section of the city.

Featured alongside the architectural works were interesting catalogs, brick samples and maps of past and present Philadelphia area brick and terra cotta manufactories such O.W. Ketchum, Sayre & Fisher Brick Company, McAvoy Brick (which still operates in Phoenixville, PA) and some wonderful examples of the ornamental clay products produced by Peerless Brick Company.

Having trained as a bricklayer since the age of 18, I spent several years working out of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Union (Local 1 PA/DE) in Philadelphia and have grown to love the wonderful brickwork that is ubiquitous in Philadelphia. This exhibit focuses on the city’s long and storied history of brick manufacturing and the architectural masterpieces that resulted and also serves as a stark reminder of the treasures that we have lost.

For those of you who are brick enthusiasts like me, you can find some of these amazing brick and terra cotta remnants of the past for purchase at several architectural salvage stores in and around Philadelphia such as: Provenance Old Soul Architectural Salvage, Philadelphia Salvage Company and Harry Bambi Supplies.

Gallery hours are 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday-Friday.  The exhibit runs through October 9, 2015.

 

 

 

Removal of the Clock Hands on Fordham University’s Rose Hill Campus

by Kevin Dalton

We recently worked on an interesting project at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus in the Bronx.  Our mission: to remove the clock hands from four clock faces on the tower of Keating Hall and one clock atop LaLande Hall in Martyrs Court.

The hands were removed and turned over to The Verdin Company so they could be restored. Once restored, the hands will be re-installed. The project was coordinated by Bob Rush with Structure Tone, Inc.

The crenellated parapet at the top of the tower on Keating had bird protection on the top of the walls so we had to lower ropes through the crenels and climb up to the clock which was about a 150’ climb from the roof of the main building below.

The clock hands were pretty big; the hour hand was a little over 6’ long and the minute hand was over 7’ long. We rigged all the hands to lower before loosening any of the nuts or bolts that connected them to the shaft.

One of the minute hands was stuck and we had a really hard time removing it. It typically took us 30-45 minutes to remove both hands on each of three out of four faces but we spent over 3 hours on the southeast face on the first day trying to remove the minute hand without success. It was a little over 20 degrees (Fahrenheit) and the wind was blowing 15 – 20 mph directly into my face so I decided to accept defeat and go get warm before moving onto another set of hands. We came back to the southeast face the next day with a specialty tool provided by Dennis Lindo from The Verdin Company and after a few minutes the hand was free.

We finished up the second day at Martyrs Court which was only about 50’ off the ground but in an area that is difficult to access with a lift. Due to icy conditions on the roof we thought it safer to toss the ropes out to the face of the building and climb up from the ground. After almost 1,000’ of vertical climbing at Keating Hall 50’ was a walk in the park.

When I arrived at the clock face I had the minute hand off in a matter of minutes but the hour hand looked like it might take hours to remove. It was completely rusted onto the shaft and wouldn’t budge. Luckily the entire mechanism is being replaced so Dennis cut the shaft from the inside with a reciprocating saw. The white part of the clock  is just a thin piece of glass (probably 1/8” thick) so we had to saw very carefully. Fortunately we were able to keep the shaft off the glass and the hand came off without incident.