New Jersey Considering Facade Legislation

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Vertical Access

Two new bills were introduced in the Senate and Assembly in New Jersey last month proposing the requirement for periodic inspection of exterior walls of certain buildings.

Bill A-3895 (Diegnan/Amodeo) and Bill S-2771 (Norcross/Kean, S.) are strongly based on Philadelphia’s new facade ordinance and each recommend phasing required inspections and reports on the construction date of the building.

The Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee will meet on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 2:00 pm in Committee Room 16, 4^th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ.

The Senate committee meeting on 5/12; time and location to follow.

Vertical Access Top 10 of 2010: Project 8 – Milwaukee Federal Building, Milwaukee, WI

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Vertical Access

Quinn Evans working on aerial platform at Milwaukee Federal Building

In October 2010, Vertical Access performed a hands-on investigation of the tower of the Milwaukee Federal Building to identify potentially unsafe conditions and document existing conditions at the granite exterior using TPAS. VA used industrial rope access techniques to perform its investigation of the tower of the building, while Quinn Evans Architects used an aerial platform to access the lower portion of the building. This project was of particular interest for Vertical Access because it was the third federal courthouse and post office building from the late 19th century that we have worked on in recent years, after Brooklyn Post Office and Courthouse and Erie Community College, which was originally built as the main post office for Buffalo, NY.

Mike and friend on the Milwaukee Federal Building tower

The Milwaukee Federal Building was designed as a United States Courthouse and Post Office by Willoughby Edbrooke, who was Supervising Architect for the United States Treasury Department from 1891 to 1892. The original portion of the building was constructed between 1892 and 1899, with an addition added to the south in the 1930s. The lower portion of the original building is five stories tall, with gabled roofs and dormers and large arched openings at the entrance below the tower. The granite at the tower and other portions of the building is purportedly from quarries near Mount Waldo in Frankfort County, Maine. These quarries produce a coarse-grained, medium gray granite and also furnished stone used in the construction of the main post office in Cleveland, Ohio and the United States Mint in Philadelphia. The 210-foot tall tower rises from the center of the north façade. Like the rest of the building, the ornament of the tower reflects the Richardson Romanesque style of the original design.

Read about Project 1: Union Theological Seminary Brown Tower
Read about Project 2: University of Buffalo Alumni Arena
Read about Project 3: United States Capitol Dome
Read about Project 4: Boston College Burns Library Tower
Read about Project 5: Mayo Clinic Gonda Building
Read about Project 6: Convent of the Sacred Heart School
Read about Project 7: The Galleria

Vertical Access Top 10 of 2010: Project 7 – The Galleria, New York, NY

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Vertical Access

“Ladder” for descending over plexiglass panels

In June 2010, a major wind event passed through New York City and dislodged a large pane of glass from a balcony near the top of the Galleria building in midtown Manhattan, resulting in extensive damage to the glass-enclosed balconies on the south facade of the building. The Galleria, a mixed use building, has an eight-story base with commercial offices and a public atrium, and a 47-story residential tower with “winter garden” balconies above the 19th floor. At the time of its construction in 1975, the building was the tallest concrete-framed structure in New York.

Following the glazing collapse, Vertical Access was retained by Israel Berger & Associates to identify public safety concerns at the winter garden balconies and document the condition of the balconies where the glass had become dislodged as well as the other balconies. The project posed an interesting rigging challenge for Vertical Access, as access to the balconies on the south facade of the Galleria from the rooftop terrace required descending down a curved plexiglass enclosure. To avoid putting weight directly onto the plexiglass panels, founding partner Kent Diebolt and level 3 supervisor Keith Luscinski developed a “ladder” system consisting of aluminum tube spreaders, spanning across the mullions of the enclosure. This allowed VA technicians performing the investigation to safely lower themselves onto the south facade and complete the investigation of the winter garden balconies.

Keith decending down Galleria south facade

Vertical Access Top 10 of 2010: Project 6 – Convent of the Sacred Heart School, New York, NY

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Vertical Access

It is a pleasure to work with repeat clients, and to return to buildings and structures on which we have previously worked. In July 2010, Vertical Access performed a follow-up inspection of portions of the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in New York. The Convent School is comprised of two former mansions that have been renovated to house a private school with programming and facilities for pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The James Burden Mansion, designed by Warren, Wetmore & Morgan and completed in 1905, is adjacent to the palazzo style Otto Kahn Mansion, designed by J. Armstrong Stenhouse with C.P.H. Gilbert and completed in 1918.

Tower of the Convent of the Sacred Heart School

VA had previously performed a hands-on investigation of the numerous facades of the building, including those facing a courtyard on the north side of the site, the walls of the courtyard between the two original buildings and the street facades. The purpose of the follow-up investigation was to help the project team, led by Easton Architects with structural engineer Robert Silman Associates, P.C., identify potential areas for masonry probes. In 2010, Convent of the Sacred Heart School received a Lucy G. Moses Project Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

Vertical Access Top 10 of 2010: Project 5 – Mayo Clinic Gonda Building, Rochester, MN

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Vertical Access

Mike Gilbert investigating the curtain wall of the Gonda Building

At the end of June and early July, Vertical Access technicians Mike Gilbert and Evan Kopelson were in Rochester, MN working with Minneapolis-based Buildings Consulting Group, Inc. on the facade inspection of the Gonda Building. The Leslie and Susan Gonda Building, constructed in 2000 and 2001, is situated at the center of the Mayo Clinic campus in downtown Rochester. Viewed from the exterior, the building consists of two distinct sections, each 21 stories tall. The northern section has a curtain wall system with granite spandrel and column panels. Stainless steel covers with round and square profiles are used to cover the joints between panels and at the window surrounds. A stone-clad elevator bank rises to 22 stories on the north side of the building. There is also a seven-story skyway that connects the north side of the building to another Mayo Clinic building across the street. The southern portion of the building, which has only east and west façades, has an undulating curtain wall system consisting entirely of glass panels. Painted aluminum covers with a round profile are used at the vertical joints of the glass curtain wall and painted aluminum covers with a square profile are used at the horizontal joints. The design team for the original construction was led by Ellerbe Becket and included Cesar Pelli & Associates. Centex Rodgers Construction was the general contractor for the project.

Evan Kopelson documenting conditions at the skyway of the Gonda Building

The primary focus of VA’s partial façade investigation was to identify any conditions of immediate safety concern and document conditions of deterioration for planning of maintenance and capital planning projects. A total of 32 inspection “drops” were performed, including the two swing stage drops, allowing hands-on access to cover approximately 50% of each façade. The drop locations included areas on all façades of the building, including the skyway that connecting the Gonda Building to the Charlton Building across the street. As part of the partial façade investigation, the location, severity and quantity of conditions such as loose curtain wall cover pieces, failed gaskets at the covers and windows and cracks and spalls in the stone panels were recorded on elevation drawings using Vertical Access’ Tablet PC Annotation System (TPAS). Deliverables for the project included a condition survey report with photographs, annotated AutoCAD drawings and a spreadsheet of condition quantities. The Mayo Clinic, in commissioning the hands-on investigation of their building that was just 10 years old, demonstrated a proactive approach to facility management.

ICRI Philadelphia Facade Symposium

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Vertical Access

The Delaware Valley Chapter of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) presents a Philadelphia Facade Symposium on March 4, 2011 to be held at WHYY Broadcast Center in Philadelphia, PA. Vertical Access partner, Kelly Streeter, is a panel participant, along with Michael Luciani of Hill International, Inc, Carl Dress of Heritage Design Collaborative, a representative from the Philadelphia Department of License and Inspections, and Joe Gabarino of the Masonry Preservation Group. Preregister by Feb 24 on the event’s website at www.icridelval.com where you’ll also find more details.

Vertical Access Top 10 of 2010: Project 4 – Boston College Burns Library Turret Investigation

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Vertical Access

Turret at top of Burns Library Tower, June 2010

In June 2010, Vertical Access conducted an investigation of the colonettes and free-standing pinnacles at the turrets at the top of Boston College’s Burns Library Tower. This was a follow-up inspection to VA’s original investigation of the the Burns Library Tower completed in July 2007. At the time of the original inspection, vertical cracks were observed and documented on some of the projecting architectural limestone elements that adorn the tower, including the colonettes and free-standing pinnacles. As part of the recent investigation, cracks and spalls caused by the ongoing corrosion of the original mild steel dowels and more recent anchors were documented.

Burns Library Tower, during Vertical Access’ 2007 investigation

This project highlights Boston College’s proactive approach to the repair of their historic buildings. Although a restoration project was not planned for Burns Library, Boston College commissioned a comprehensive hands-on investigation of the building, with a follow-up inspection at an appropriate time. The project also highlights VA’s continued involvement with the preservation work undertaken by Boston College and led by architect Wendall Kalsow of McGinley Kalsow & Associates and conservator Ivan Myjer of Building and Monument Conservation. Vertical Access partner Evan Kopelson will present with Wendall and Ivan a paper entitled “Architectural Preservation at Boston College Campus: A Systematic Approach” at the International Facility Management Association Facility Fusion 2011 conference. The presentation will focus on the work completed at Gasson Hall and how this project fits into Boston College’s ongoing preservation efforts at the historic central campus area.

Read about Project 1: Union Theological Seminary Brown Tower
Read about Project 2: University of Buffalo Alumni Arena
Read about Project 3: United States Capitol Dome

Vertical Access’ Top 10 of 2010: Project 2 – University of Buffalo Alumni Arena

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Vertical Access

The second project Vertical Access completed in 2010 and would like to highlight is the exterior investigation of Alumni Arena on the north campus of the University of Buffalo. VA performed the work for DiDonato Associates in April, focusing on the exterior masonry walls.

Alumni Arena, also called the Health, Physical Education & Recreation Building, was designed and constructed in two phases. The main field house on the south side of the structure was constructed as part of Phase I in 1982. This portion of the building was designed in 1978 by a project team including architect Robert Traynham Coles and structural engineer Sargent Webster Crenshaw & Folley. Phase II was designed by Robert Traynham Coles with consulting engineer Ammann & Whitney in 1982 and constructed in 1985. The Phase II project comprises the north half of the building and includes pool facilities, ball courts, locker rooms and other physical education spaces. Overall, Alumni Arena is over 500 feet long in the north/south direction and 426 feet wide in the east/west direction, with the highest exterior walls reaching nearly 80 feet at the field house. A distinctive feature of the building is the space frame truss employed in the field house. The general wall construction at both the Phase I and Phase II portions of Alumni Arena consists of concrete masonry unit (CMU) back-up separated from the face-brick by an air cavity.

Vertical Access used a combination of aerial platforms and industrial rope access to perform the hands-on investigation of Alumni Arena. As part of the investigation, VA used a wall tie locator to map out the location of wall ties at representative areas. VA documented existing conditions using TPAS. The annotated drawings produced with TPAS helped to identify fault patterns. Quantities collected during the survey with TPAS were used to produce repair budget costs. After analysis of the initial survey data, VA performed additional investigative work using borescopes. The purpose of the borescope investigation was to confirm the presence of wall ties and connections between relieving angles to the back-up masonry at representative areas. See video footage from two borescope probes here.

Read about Project 1: Union Theological Seminary Brown Tower.

Vertical Access’ Top 10 of 2010: Project 1 – Union Theological Seminary Brown Tower

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Vertical Access

As we start 2011, Vertical Access would like to thank our clients with whom we have collaborated by in the past year by highlighting ten projects completed in 2010.

The first project, performed in January 2010, is the Brown Tower at Union Theological Seminary in New York, NY. Union Theological Seminary (UTS) was constructed in 1910 and is comprised of a quadrangle of connected structures. It was designed by Allen & Collens, who later designed nearby Riverside Church, in a Collegiate Gothic style. The Brown Tower rises from the southeast corner of the UTS quadrangle. Like the adjoining buildings of the seminary, the exterior masonry is Manhattan schist with limestone trim and ornament.

Working for the New York office of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Vertical Access performed a hands-on investigation of the tower’s four facades. Because of concerns about the attachment of cast stone pinnacles at the four corner spires and other projecting elements, hands-on access was critical to perform the investigation. Vertical Access documented existing conditions at the pinnacles and other areas of the exterior masonry using TPAS. Three VA technicians were on site for two days, to complete the work.

Union Theological Seminary Brown Tower, photography by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

Helmet Video Cam

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Vertical Access

On a recent project with Gale Associates in Boston, Vertical Access used a helmet video camera to perform a close examination of existing conditions. The helmet camera is a compact, high-definition video camera made specifically for use in extreme locations. For this project, a VA technician used Gale’s helmet camera on five drops over the course of one day, recording the audio and video to the camera’s SD card. Watch an excerpt of the video below (footage provided by Gale Associates).

After this onsite use and review of the video footage, we are very impressed with the ease of use and picture quality and are incorporating the helmet cam in the services we provide. Wireless transmission to a monitor on-site is coming soon. This would allow a VA technician to observe conditions up-close with the video while simultaneously transmitting the live video and audio wirelessly to a monitor on site where our clients and project team members could interact with the inspector. This technology will net dramatic savings in project setup time compared to traditional video while increasing the quality of our deliverable.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CQL75qEn0k&w=450&h=345]