‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky – Scaffolding the New Dover High School Auditorium

Jimi Hendrix might have been thinking of other things when he wrote those lyrics but if he was around today in the new Dover High School auditorium (Dover, DE) he’d be singing about Superior Scaffold’s ability to get crews up to the ceilings of very tall structures, just like this state-of-the-art hall.

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And that’s just what we did on this very cool job.  Crews needed a way to get to very top of the new auditorium so Superior devised a system scaffold platform that was able to span the entire length and width of the space from the stage across the sloping floor all the way to the back.

  

System towers were built and then spanned with 14 foot horizontal trusses.  The entire surface was covered in plywood making a dance floor-like surface for crews and their equipment to gain easy access to those hard to reach spaces.  What’s great about these photos is that they are 30′ in the air – but the super steady platform makes it look like they are sitting on the ground.

 

It’s a 2 phase process.  The first phase was designed to get crews to the ceiling for mechanicals, electric, etc.  Then phase 2 will drop the entire platform down 16 feet so they can install a special suspended material.

You can see the sheer size of the area to “kiss the sky” so to speak.   Who knows, maybe Jimi Hendrix would have even played here…
(rendering courtesy of http://www.ediscompany.com)

This is all part of the $114 million new high school being built on a 100 acre site just west of Dover along Rt. 8.  The school will be home to 1,800 students.  It’s slated to open in September 2014.

 

See these sites for additional information:

http://www.doverpost.com/article/20130531/NEWS/130539988/1001/NEWS

http://www.ediscompany.com/Current-Projects/New-Dover-High-School

http://delaware.newszap.com/centraldelaware/122776-70/114m-dover-high-construction-project-in-full-swing

When you have a very special building that requires some high flying expertise – call Superior Scaffold – “We’ll get you – up aire,” says Superior estimator, Pat McAndrew.

Call (215) 743-2200 today.

Superior Scaffold to provide scaffolding support for Philadelphia Energy Solutions turnaround at old Sunoco refinery.

Superior Scaffold has entered into a deal with Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), to provide scaffolding support for a turnaround at their large Philadelphia plant.  This is the Point Breeze refining complex – which is the old Sunoco plant in South Philly.

Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) is the longest continuously operating refinery on the East Coast, processing 330,000 barrels of crude oil per day into various refined products.

Superior will provide all of the necessary scaffolding support during this shutdown.  “Our guys are currently working with PES planning and organizing the massive turnaround so everything goes smoothly,” said Lou Collins, Superior Scaffold estimator.   “We anticipate about a 12 week pre-to-post timeframe to complete this job.”

For those who don’t know, a turnaround at a refinery is a planned, periodic shut down (total or partial) of a refinery plant or unit to perform maintenance, repair and overhaul operations and to inspect, test and replace process materials and equipment.

Superior will be working with the exchangers, drums, towers, internal reactors and Re-gen and much more all around the complex.

We are proud to bring our 50 years plus of refinery experience to one of Philadelphia’s finest companies.  And will keep you posted as we move through this turnaround process.

For all of your industrial scaffolding needs call Lou Collins @ 215 279-8123 or lou@superiorscaffold.com.

Univeristy of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology completes phase 2 of $15 Million renovation

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology |
at 3260 South Street | Philadelphia, PA 19104 | (215) 898-4000 has just completed
phase 2 of it’s extensive rennovations.

Widener Lecture Hall now looks like this after a complete restoration – thanks to the many craftsman and companies that took part – including us – Superior Scaffold.

The completion of the Widener Lecture Hall marks the end of the second phase of the Penn Museum of Archeology and Anthropology’s $15 million renovations of its west wing, which began in 2010.

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This is what it looked like when Superior was brought in to provide scaffolding support so crews could get to the arched ceiling for mechanicals, electric, HVAC, sprinklers, and more.  The challenge was to get workers to the hard to reach areas while allowing the ground below to remain open for access.

 

Superior used system scaffold towers connected with trusses up top to free up space for other trades below.  Everything was decked in high above the ground to make a safe working platform.

The new space got air conditioning for the first time in its history, as well as new windows, lighting, and a state of the art audio visual system.

Built originally as a lecture hall in 1899, Widener Lecture Hall has most recently been used for woodshop exhibitions.

 

The first phase of the renovations of the west wing of the Museum was the renovation of the second and third floor galleries.
Following the completion of the Widener Lecture Hall, the third phase of the project will be the renovation of the conservation labs and teaching labs, which are on the first floor of the building.

For more information check out these sites:

http://www.penn.museum/

http://www.thedp.com/article/2013/05/penn-museum-completes-phase-two-of-renovations

http://www.penn.museum/press-releases/610-penn-museum-begins-a-major-renovation-including-climate-control-of-its-west-wing.html

http://www.penn.museum/upcoming-exhibits/111-support/capital-campaign/840-building-renovations-project.html

For all of your scaffold / scaffolding needs call Superior Scaffold (215) 743-2200

Changing ceiling tiles is MMM MMM good at Campbell’s Soup Headquarters.

This is one of those, once in a lifetime, cool jobs that you just have to brag about.  Superior Scaffold was called out to the Campbell’s Soup Worldwide Headquarters in Camden, NJ to rig a special scaffolding in the boardroom.

This is the same boardroom where one of  the original Andy Warhol Campbell Soup Can paintings lives.

And even cooler was the job.  We had to come up with system to allow crews to change the ceiling tiles over the handmade wood table that resides in the boardroom.  Sounds simple, right?  Not really.  The table is 8 feet wide by 30 feet long and could not be moved.  It was hand picked by the Dorrance family (heir to the Campbell fortune) and cost over $100,000.

 

Needless to say, they needed a company with a history of preserving priceless artifacts to erect scaffolding around this table without causing any damage.

The table was first protected with poly, then foam, and then plywood as a precaution.

Superior built scaffold over and around the table using 2 foot wide X 34’ long towers on either side and then connected them with 10’ trusses.  This made a solid platform.  “Then we decked it in solid – so the crews would have a nice safe place to work,” said Superior estimator, Pat McAndrew.

They decided to install long life light bulbs while they were up there.

The job came off without a hitch and the Warhol is back presiding over the elegant table (with new lighting and ceiling tiles in place).

And just for fun – I couldn’t resist:

http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/