H&M Powerhouse in Jersey City Has a Much Needed Check Up

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Vertical Access

Yesterday, February 27, Mark Hinkel brought Geoff Smith of Robert Silman Associates and Evan Kopelson of Vertical Access to the top of one of the three remaining smokestacks at the former Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse in Jersey City. Mark owns a 200′ Bronto lift, one of the few in the country and the only one in the Northeast. Fortunately, the lift was available for one day between long-term rentals, and the day happened to be sunny, 55 degrees with relatively calm winds.

Geoff Smith and Mark Hinkel looking down into one of the smokestacks

The up-close inspection of the three smokestacks was performed to assess the condition of the smokestacks, an iconic feature of the H&M Powerhouse. The powerhouse was designed by John Oakman of Robins & Oakman and constructed between 1906 and 1908. The building has been underused or vacant for most of its history. The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency and Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy have been spearheading the effort to save the building and give it new life. Leading the design team for the project is Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners.

More on the redevelopment of the H&M Powerhouse and the close-up inspection can be found on the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency’s news page: Powerhouse Has a Much Needed Check Up | Jersey City Powerhouse Official Website.

Eight Years Later: A Return To The Hanging Flume

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Vertical Access

Vertical Access technician Donn Hewes surveying remaining elements of the Hanging Flume near historic Uravan, Colorado.

Driving along the San Miguel River near the historic town of Uravan in western Colorado, one has to study the cliffs to find remnants of a 10 mile long structure built 120 years ago. Constructed by the Montrose Placer Mining Company between 1889 and 1891, the Hanging Flume ended its service life in 1903 and has since succumbed to weathering, rock fall and plundering by locals in need of timber.

With much of the structure long gone and few existing original documents and photographs, myriad mysteries surround the construction process. Did the workers use a steam engine powered drill, or were the thousands of anchor holes in the sandstone drilled with only a hammer and chisel? How were the frames weighing more than 300 pounds moved into place? These and other questions have stirred up a “flume fever” in residents of neighboring communities. It is known that at its completion, the Flume was a 10-mile long series of wooden and earthen troughs carrying 80 million gallons of water per day to gold mines.

In 2004, Vertical Access teamed with Robert Silman Associates, Anthony & Associates and Western Colorado Interpretive Association (et al.) to document representative sections of the Flume. Eight years later, VA technicians returned to the Flume to begin a new phase of work.

A 1/8 scale model of the Hanging Flume, built by Vertical Access.

Keith Luscinski and Donn Hewes were on site February 10-12 to gather more information on one particular “hanging” section, that is, a section that was built on the side of the cliff. Taking dimensions and recording deterioration, the two technicians gathered information to prepare for reconstruction of the 50-foot long section that is slated to take place in April. The building process will not only help answer questions about the original construction techniques, but also provide residents and visitors of the area with a representation of the original structure.

Vertical Access will be working with other members of the project team over the next two months to acquire the necessary timbers and arrange construction logistics. As part of the preparation process, VA has constructed a 1/8-scale model of two sections of the Hanging Flume. The model has already proved valuable by providing insight into the assembly process. Stay tuned for updates on the final product in April!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu6Bnr91THM]

Vertical Access Documents Toronto’s Heritage

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Vertical Access

In the heart of the Toronto financial district is 1 King Street West, a hotel and residential tower that exemplifies both Toronto’s architectural heritage as well as the city’s more recent building boom. The current building on the eastern portion of the site was built in 1914 as the headquarters of The Dominion Bank. The 14-story masonry building has a granite base and terra cotta at the upper floors, with neo-classical ornament fitting for a bank building of the period. In 2005, a 51-story residential tower was appended to the historic building, making it one of the tallest residential buildings in Toronto.

[slideshow]

Continue reading Vertical Access Documents Toronto’s Heritage →

Documenting Movement Over Time

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Vertical Access

As part of our work investigating buildings and structures, Vertical Access documents existing conditions and collects data about a specific moment in time. In most of our surveys, when we collect information about condition quantities, such as crack width and amount of displacement, it is a snapshot of the current condition. In some cases, it is important to document changes over time. When this is the case, instrumental monitoring can be incorporated into the investigation.

Wire crack gauges installed at plaster ceiling and plaster truss

One type of instrumental monitoring employs electronic gauges that collect and record data in real time. An example of a project where electronic monitoring has been employed is Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. In 2009, a study was conducted of the roof system and plaster ceiling in the sanctuary of the church. The design team for the project was led by Helpern Architects and included Robert Silman Associates and Vertical Access. Following a survey of the ceiling and development of repair documents, RSA and VA worked together to design a monitoring program to record movement at representative areas of the plaster ceiling, masonry walls and wood roof trusses.

Vibra-Tech was engaged to implement the system, which included vibrating wire crack gauges at the ceiling, vibrating wire strain gauges at the roof trusses and temperature and relative humidity sensors. These crack gauges were installed in February 2011, several months before the planned start of the roof repair and plaster conservation work, to measure and report crack displacement of existing cracks in the sanctuary ceiling, strain on the steel tie rods of the existing roof truss system in the church attic, and temperature and relative humidity in both the attic and sanctuary. Data from the gauges is transmitted continuously to a data center in the church. The real time data is available to the project team on a web site. There are also automatic notifications via email or text messages to the project team when movement thresholds are exceeded.

Wire crack gauges installed at plaster ceiling

Another type of monitoring uses crack gauges that must be physically examined to record the data. This more traditional system of monitoring employs crack gauges with sliding plates installed on either side of a crack. One plate has a grid and the other has crosshairs so that any future movement at the crack can be compared to the initial reading. Typically, the crack gauges are affixed to masonry or the other substrate using epoxy. One of the drawbacks of this system of monitoring is that it relies on visually checking each monitor to know whether there has been any movement or not. However, in cases where the purpose of the monitoring is to document any change that may be associated with a known event, this is a reasonable protocol.

Vertical Access presents at International Facility Management Association Facility Fusion 2011

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Vertical Access

Vertical Access Technicians inspecting the tower of Gasson Hall in 2006.

At the end March, Vertical Access partner Evan Kopelson was a co-presenter at the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) Facility Fusion conference with Wendall Kalsow of McGinley Kalsow & Associates and Ivan Myjer of Building and Monument Conservation. The three presenters discussed the team’s systematic approach to Architectural Preservation at the Boston College Campus, focusing on the restoration of the school’s main building, Gasson Hall. The team has worked together on the investigation of five buildings at Boston College, beginning with Gasson Hall in 2006 and continuing with Bapst and Burns Library, St. Mary’s Hall, Devlin Hall and Lyons Hall. With the investigation of each of these buildings, Vertical Access’ role has been to gain hands-on access to all areas of the buildings and perform unit-by-unit documentation of existing conditions using TPAS. The data collected by VA was then evaluated by McGinley Kalsow and Ivan Myjer to prepare treatment recommendations and assist Boston College with prioritizing future capital repair projects.

Mike Gilbert inspecting masonry conditions at St. Mary's Hall in 2007

IFMA is a member-based organization comprised of facility managers and professionals who provide services to them. The Facility Fusion 2011 conference in Boston included three days of presentations, inspiring keynote and power lectures and an exhibition area with product and service vendors.

You can view and download a pdf of the presentation here: IFMA presentation 8.06 021811

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.

April Newsletter

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Vertical Access

Check out our April 2011 Quarterly

Vertical Access Top 10 of 2010: Project 9 – Union Station, Toronto, ON

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Vertical Access

Toronto Union Station Great Hall

The Toronto Union Station is a grand monument to the age of railroad travel, which continues to serve as a major transportation hub both for local commuting lines and international inter-city travel. Located in Toronto city center, the railroad station was designed by Ross & Macdonald, a Montreal architecture firm with connections to Carrière and Hastings. Construction commenced in 1914 and the station was officially opened in 1927. Incorporated into the Beaux-Arts building are barrel vault ceilings by the Guastavino Company, including the coffered vault of the “Great Hall,” which measures 250 feet long by 84 feet wide and rises 88 feet above the floor at its apex. In 2009, the City of Toronto began a wide-reaching revitalization project that includes improvements to the railroad services, pedestrian traffic and retail facilities in the building.

Toronto Union Station coffered ceiling

Working with NORR and the Montreal-based architecture firm of Fournier, Gersovitz & Moss Architectes Associés, Derek Trelstad of Robert Silman Associates, Eric Jokinen of Jokinen Engineering Services and Kent Diebolt of Vertical Access were on-site in November 2010 for a close-up examination of a section of the Guastavino barrel vault in the Great Hall. The team examined the coffered face of the ceiling as well as the barrel vault exposed in the attic of the structure. The purpose of the investigation was to better understand the construction of the barrel vault and identify any fault patterns and conditions, at the small representative area, that should be planned for as part of the station revitalization.

Coffered ceiling detail

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
Read about Project 8: Milwaukee Federal Building

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.

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.