SWING, SWING, SWING, at The Sterling House, 18th & JFK (pt. 3)

As Louis Prima once sang, “Swing, swing, swing” – oh wait, close… “Sing, Sing, Sing – (with a swing)”.

But that’s just what Superior Scaffold did on the third phase of this project (See part 1 – and part 2) – Swing, Swing, Swing.

The Sterling Apartments is a unique building at the corner of JFK blvd and 18^th in downtown Philly. Superior had 2 36’ foot straight platforms on the front and sides of this building so crews could polish the metal on the facade. Very cool.

Here you can see crews working directly from the suspended scaffolding.

The second part of the swing scaffolding on this job came in the back of the building where they are demoing the old weight room and expanding on the 30^th floor. Superior provided 2 corner rigs so crews could work on the outside of the building at the top.

 

Most people actually associate “Sing, Sing, Sing” with Benny Goodman’s famous instrumental classic but it was really Luigi (Louis) Prima who wrote and first performed the song in 1936. I’ve included both versions her so take a listen and you chose which one you prefer.

And just for grins – here are the lyrics in case you want to belt it out!

Sing, sing, sing, sing
Everybody start to sing
La dee da, ho, ho, ho
Now you’re singing with a swing

Sing, sing, sing, sing
Everybody start to sing
La dee da, ho, ho, ho
Now you’re singing with a swing

And when the music goes around
Everybody goes to town
But here’s something you should know
Ho ho baby ho ho ho

Sing, sing, sing, sing
Everybody start to sing
La dee da, ho, ho, ho
Now you’re singing with a swing

And when the music goes around
Everybody goes to town
But here’s something you should know
Ho ho baby ho ho ho

Sing, sing, sing, sing
Everybody start to sing
La dee da, ho, ho, ho
Now you’re singing with a swing

 

And as always, if you need to Swing, Swing, Swing around your jobsite or building – call Superior Scaffold at (215)743-2200 or visit http://www.superiorscaffold.com!

 

#scaffold#scaffolding#rental#rent#superiorscaffold#restoration#inspection#contstruction#facade
#masonry#canopy#protection#howto#erection#install#emergencyservices#masonry#suspendedscaffold
#mastclimber#canopy#philly#philadelphia#pa#electrical#2157432200#pa#de#nj#ny#md#rents
#sales#design#erection#dismantle#deliver#swingstaging#swings#stages#shoring#USA
#nationwide#national

 

Superior Scaffold Suspended / Swing Rental Division

In the last post we talked about our Scaffold Rental Division – but today we are going to look at our Suspended Scaffold or swing department – which is a part of our Powered Access Division.

Suspended scaffolds or swing stages are often used to provide access and working platforms in the construction, alteration, inspection, repair, refurbishment and maintenance of high-rise buildings, industrial plants, bridges and other large structures.

Suspended scaffold is ideal for projects where traditional scaffolding is not practical or cost effective.  We carry the Altrex Modular Suspended Platform System that is super flexible and allows for access to the building at many locations simultaneously, allowing work to be done faster and more efficiently.

Suspended scaffolds  (swing staging, suspended platforms) are great for working safely at heights.

Typical applications for our suspended scaffolds are:

• Inspection
• Construction
• Maintenance
• Renovation
• Painting
• Cleaning
• Concrete repair
• Cladding

Altrex offers solutions for various complex access situations.  With the wide variety of components for the Modular Suspended Platform System many custom-made configurations can be built.   (see above)  The experienced Altrex user can design a platform for safe access to even the most complex contours of any structure and height.  For example maintenance platforms for football stadiums, oil-tankers and silo’s.  (see our blog on adapting to a building’s shape)

Benefits:

There are a multitude of accessories, such as corner and angle sections, double decker & double width kits that can be used to find a solution for almost any access situation.

Flexibility – The user can build any configuration necessary to fit the structure precisely and allow close access to the working surface.

Compact Transportation and Storage – The modular construction saves space and makes transportation easy.  A complete 40 foot swing stage fits in the back of a small truck!

Light Weight – High capacity – The smart design of the Altrex system results in high load capacities despite its light weight.

Fast Assembly and Disassembly – The complete Altrex platform can be disassembled quickly and without special tools.

Meets or Exceeds the most stringent Safety Standards.

Here are some popular rental items from our Suspended Scaffold (Swing) division.

We carry the entire Altrex modular staging line and every conceivable part that goes with it.  Check our website or call Bob (215) 743-2200 (ext. 105)

BisoMac 210 Motor  – Is a super strong hoist that has a 1500 pound capacity and can lift tremendously long platforms.

PC1 Power Climber Motor – is a light weight, compact hoist that has 1000lb capacity and is perfect for most situations.

Superior Scaffold is an authorized dealer for BisoMac, Power Climber, Sky Climber and Tractel and supports their entire lines of products.

Whatever you have in your fleet we can service and get parts for it.

We also rent a full line of decorator scaffold (painter scaffold, baker scaffold), debris chutes, netting, safety equipment, and much much more.

Go to our website and check it out for yourself or stop by our shop at:

Superior Scaffold Services
520 East Luzerne Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
(215) 423-2200
For a map click here:

Or you can download some of our catalogs for your own reference:

  

As Dave says, “When it’s time to rent equipment – rent from the best.  Superior Scaffold.”

 

 

 

#scaffold#scaffolding#rental#rent#superiorscaffold#restoration#inspection#contstruction#facade
#masonry#canopy#protection#howto#erection#install#emergencyservices#masonry#suspendedscaffold
#mastclimber#canopy#philly#philadelphia#pa#scaffoldrentalphiladelphia#scaffoldingrentalphilly

 

Superior Scaffold Rental Department: Rent, lease and buy scaffolding

It’s true.  We rent just about everything.  Many people know Superior Scaffold as a premiere scaffolding company that designs and implements scaffolding and access solutions for all types for customers and general contractors.  But for those of you who don’t know we also have a top notch rental department where you can get all kinds of equipment for just about any project.   Here, let Dave give you a quick run down.

So whether you are a general contractor, a do it your-selfer, or a regular scaffolding guru – we have you covered.  I thought I’d feature a few items from frame rental division (all of which can be found on our website.)  We have thousands of items so call Dave at (215) 743-2200 and he will take care of you.

Here are some popular rental items from our Frame scaffold rental division.

Standard Mason, masonry frames (151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 15602)

Ladder frames (123, 124, 125, 126)

Narrow Frames 36″ Wide.  We have a variety of scaffold, scaffolding, narrow frames (136, 135, 133, 13602, 13502)

15606 – (aka J frame) has the widest walk through.
15607 – (aka h frame) The strongest design of walk thru frames

Aluminum deck, decks, Plywood Planks (5307-19, 5308-19, 5310-19)
OSHA grade laminated scaffold plank (ml-06, ml-08, ml-10, ml-16)

Braces, cross braces, single, double

We have scaffold, access ladders, ladders, stairs, railings, guard rails and rope & wheel systems for scaffolding.

Scaffold and scaffolding accessories like screw jack, base plate, caster, coupling pin, pins, saddle, and fasteners.

We also rent a full line of decorator scaffold (painter scaffold, baker scaffold), debris chutes, netting, safety equipment, and much much more.

Go to our website and check it out for yourself or stop by our shop at:

Superior Scaffold Services
520 East Luzerne Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
(215) 423-2200
For a map click here:

Or you can download some of our catalogs for your own reference:

  

As Dave says, “When it’s time to rent equipment – rent from the best.  Superior Scaffold.”

#scaffold#scaffolding#rental#rent#superiorscaffold#restoration#inspection#contstruction#facade
#masonry#canopy#protection#howto#erection#install#emergencyservices#masonry#suspendedscaffold
#mastclimber#canopy#philly#philadelphia#pa#scaffoldrentalphiladelphia#scaffoldingrentalphilly

Adapting to the building’s shape – innovative solutions at The Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia, PA

The angled exterior design of the Rittenhouse Hotel by architect Donald Reiff allows stunning views of Rittenhouse Square and the city below but poses an interesting challenge for crews that need to work on the facade of the building.

Traditional wisdom would say hang a work cage and move it ten thousand times or a standard platform across the jutting corners and try your best to reach in to work on the windows.  But that’s where traditional wisdom ends and sheer innovative genius begins.

The guys at Superior Scaffold wanted something safer and more cost effective.  And sometimes when we come up with something that’s never been done before it’s necessary to turn to the designers of the equipment we use for assistance.  And in this case, it was Bee Access.  In collaboration, Superior Scaffold’s Bob Sarkisian and Bee Access’ designer Tom DeJong came up with a brilliant solution for this complex problem:  Saw-toothed porch brackets that mount directly to the modular staging and allow crews total access to the exterior of this uniquely shaped building.

If you ask Bob – he’ll tell you he designed it and Tom blessed it but if you ask Tom he’ll say he designed it and Bob implemented it.  Either way, it is one of the coolest designs we’ve created.  One thing is for sure, Tom’s ability to think outside the box (coupled with his ability to put his stamp of approval on Superior’s designs) has lead to a most fruitful collaboration on many projects.

Here, you can really see how these brackets are mounted onto the side of the staging as our guys were installing them prior to their deployment.

You can see just how incredibly well these brackets fit inside of the corners of the building.

Tom must have sounded like Dr Frankenstein saying “My Creation…It lives!” when we sent him these photos.

It’s another example of just how adaptable our Altrex staging can be.  We have done many odd shaped jobs with great success.  You can see additional work on our website.  Even Frank Llyod Wright can’t design a building we can’t figure out how to access.

The Rittenhouse Hotel has a long and fascination history.  Read more about it here.

Photo linked to the world property channel.

Here is a shot of what the exterior of the entire building looks like.

If you need innovative solutions to your access challenges call Superior Scaffold at (215) 743-2200 or visit http://www.superiorscaffold.com today.

#scaffold#scaffolding#rental#rent#superiorscaffold#restoration#inspection#contstruction#facade#masonry#canopy#protection#howto
#erection#install#emergencyservices#masonry#suspendedscaffold#mastclimber#canopy#philly#philadelphia#pa

Suspended Scaffold & Overhead Protection at Rittenhouse Plaza, Philadelphia

Deep in the heart of Philadelphia’s most prestigious historic district (Rittenhouse Square) is this gem of a pre-war building called Rittenhouse Plaza at 19^th and Walnut.  The historical structure of this building is being preserved to retain the integrity of the original design (1926).

Superior Scaffold was called in to help get crews all around the perimeter of this 21 story art deco building while they give it an extensive exterior restoration.  Our experience working with historic buildings gave us the upper hand in designing a suspended scaffold plan to get crews onto the facade.  Bob Sarkisian, V.P. of Suspended Scaffolds worked extensively with the client on the best approach to complete this job.  Ultimately, there were multiple suspended scaffolds working simultaneously to finish the job.

 

Because it the building’s design and limited access to the roof area, Sarkisian spent many hours working with the clients designing the rigging and platform layout for utmost access and safety.  You can see in this photo where he had to place the outriggers and counter weights to balance the suspended scaffolds.  If you look carefully at some of these other photos around the back and sides you can see the swings and the outriggers.

And in these photos you can see the shape of the building and how the staging was building to accommodate the corners (to get the most real estate for crews)

Superior also designed a fully functional overhead protection system that allowed the work to continue overhead while everything went on business as usual down below.

Crews were able to complete the restoration work on time and within budget helping make the Rittenhouse Plaza shine to its proper glory.

Some fun facts about The Plaza:

*The building is a Co-Op and not a condominium.
*1901 Walnut St. is finished in an Art Deco Style, and has one of the most visually interesting lobbies in town.
*When first constructed in the 1920’s, the building was designed in such a way that it basically could be split down the middle,
and would be the same on both sides. Two elevator banks, serving 3 units per floor.
*Elevators were manned until the mid 1990’s…today, they are fully automated 🙂

http://www.centercitycondos.com/high_rises/rittenhouse_plaza.html

Call Superior Scaffold today for all of your suspended scaffold and overhead protection needs.  (215) 743-2200

Superior Scaffold hangs a whopper of a job at Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, NY

This is a monstor of a job.  We promised some photos and since we, at Superior Scaffold, keep our promises – here they are.

 

It’s hard to believe that this all hangs 40 feet ABOVE the entire gaming room floor while people are hustling and bustling about underneath.

They sit above the interior that is the size of 2 full length football fields.

   

These wings or fingers are 300 and 400 feet long!

   

What this project entails is getting crews up underneath the ceiling while the casino remains open for business as usual so they can get the new HVAC and mechanicals installed.

 

The solution came in the form of what is called a multi-point suspended scaffold.  It’s not only wide, but stable enough to hold equipment, rolling towers, HVAC piping, etc.

These giant work platforms actually hang from chains from the arched trusses at the ceiling.  It’s netted in so nothing can fall off of the sides and its sturdy enough to support just about anything you can put onto it.

       

We’ve done these before (see blog on Hanging bridge platform) but never at this scale.

   

The ceiling has giant arches which of course curve and give different elevations along that curve.  So the challenge for our crews was to get the lengths of chains correct over the entire spans of this platform while they were assembling them to keep the platform perfectly level.

 

The segments had to hang at different elevations from the trusses to accommodate the particular ducting and venting going on up there.  Some lengths would be 20 feet while others would be 10 and so forth.  But once our guys go the proper lengths in place the platform was installed, level and sturdy.

Here is a video so you can see in real time what these platforms look like.

There aren’t many comapanies that can or will undertake an immense job like this.  Our star estimator, Anthony Pini, made it his personal mission to come up with solutions to solve this engineering problem – and his team succeeded without incident.

The new HVAC and mechanicals are installed and everyone at the Seneca Niagara Casini can literally breathe easier!

Call Superior Scaffold today at (215) 743-2200 for solutions to your unique scaffolding project.  Ask for Tom Cruise, AKA Tony Pini.

How to have a positive experience with a setback – Porch brackets at 1900 Rittenhouse, Philadelphia

It’s time to pay tribute to the outsiders in our company.  Yes, it’s the swing department.  In fact, I hate to admit this but they came up with that very clever headline.  I wish I could take credit for it but I can’t.

Is our swing department the “bad boys” of the company?  You tell me?  In their spare time all they do is race cars (fast cars) build hot rods, snowmobile through the frozen tundra (very fast) talk about driving fast, and taking chances.  Have you detected a theme here?  All except for the one VW building hippy who just likes to putter around at 50 brake horsepower thinking he’s going really fast…  But then again, he’s got the pop-up camper lid and big screen TV in case he wants to take a nap.  He’s the exception. (Also the one who came up with the headline – not to name names) He actually said, “Some might think that in this day and age of airbags and crumple zones driving a vintage VW bus is kind of  living on the edge.”  He’s a rebel..

I just thought about it for a second – and maybe I’m bestowing too much onto their “bad boy” image.  It seems to me that the regular scaffold guys are just as loony.  I mean, you would have to be to climb around on the outside of buildings held on only by a harness and your brute strength.  At lest the boys in the swing department have a (sort of) cage to protect them AND motors to elevate them up and down whereas the scaffolding men have to climb up and down under their own power.  Hmmmm.

I guess this debate could rage on for pages.  Can we at least agree on one thing?  No matter what reputation our guys have off the job – they do some pretty incredible work and they won’t take chances with safety.

Which brings us to the actual job.

I posted this because this isn’t something you see everyday.  While doing facade restoration and window replacement at the high rise at 1900 Rittenhouse Square – our guys at Superior Scaffold used 3 foot and 6 foot porch brackets to allow contractors access to the setback facade of the building without having to reach out dangerously or make additional drops  in work cages.

What are porch brackets, you ask?  They are those unique pieces that so handily clip right into the Altrex staging that fill the gaps.   In the photo above you can see one single 3 foot section on the left and two (3’ sections side-by-side) to make the 6’ section. They not only save time and money but also make it much safer for crews while working on buildings with setbacks and bump outs.

This 50’ section of staging spans the entire façade and fits perfectly on either side of the window balconies.  The porch brackets allow workers direct access to the façade in one sweep.  This superior scaffold is also rigged with the Bisomac 210 hoist for super strength and reliability.  We can give a shout out to our supplier BeeAccees who provides us with all of these cool items.  This just goes to show how versatile accessories like porch brackets can be when planning out a restoration project.

In this photo you can see the guys working on the windows actually standing on the porch brackets.  Without them it would be an infinitely harder job and certainly more time consuming.

So, as the debate rages on – swing department = “bad boys” or not – we can be assured that the crews of this job at 1900 Rittenhouse had a positive experience with a few setbacks!

A bit of history on 1900 Rittenhouse:  1900 Rittenhouse Square Apartments is a historic high-rise building on Rittenhouse Square in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built 1923–1926. The 58-meter-tall, 18-story building has been converted to condominiums.

If you need a positive experience with a few setbacks call Superior Scaffold today – (215) 743-2200.

www.superiorscaffold.com

Bend Me, Shape me – Superior Scaffold swings at the CityView Condos

Who would have thought that the 1960’s cult hit from the band The American Breed would have been a perfect fit for this suspended scaffold job at the CityView Condos.  But once you see what Superior Scaffold can do with modular swing stages you will understand the significance of,  “Bend me, Shape Me”.

 

Every now and then you run into a job that doesn’t have a flat surface – like here at 2001 Hamilton St, Philadelphia, PA 19130.  The building is unique, in that, it has 45 degree corners.  This poses a challenge for most contractors trying to do any façade or window work.  But with our staging we helped the contractors configure this job with the least amount of suspended scaffold.

 

We have the ability to configure the swings to almost any shape.

Thanks to our friends at who provide us with the necessary equipment to make that happen.  Take a look at some of these photos.

   

This particular building has a total of 8, 45 degree corners and is approximately 240 feet in length.  We were able to cover then entire building using 6 suspended scaffolds.

 

Superior scaffold also provided 400 ft of overhead protection.

So the next time you hear:

Bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
Long as you love me
It’s all right
Bend me, shape me
Anyway you want me
You got the power to turn on the light

Think about Superior Scaffold’s ability to custom fit any swing to access those hard to reach areas.

And for those nostalgia people – check out these videos.

(the back and white version) 

 

If you prefer color – it’s here…

No mics, no horns, no orchestra… crazy stuff…

Superior Scaffold and Mission Impossible at Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, NY

They said it couldn’t be done.  They said it was too far away.  They said it was too costly.

But they were wrong.  Only the awesome staff at Seneca Niagara Casino and one lone salesman at Superior Scaffold had the vision for this $26 Million dollar remodel of their main casino floor.  And as part of the massive redesign the Casino is investing $6 Million toward a new HVAC system to greatly improve the air quality throughout the entire casino.  This will be the first major renovation of the original casino since it turned the old Niagara Falls Convention Center into the Seneca Niagara Casino back in 2002.

  =   

Think of Anthony Pini as the Tom Cruise of this corporation, a rogue, a rebel, determined saboteur of the nay sayers…  It was his lone persistence to make the 8 hour drive many times through many negotiations that led to Superior Scaffold’s participation of this very unique project.  I mean, look at the similarities.

And what a project this has turned out to be.  Gigantic doesn’t begin to describe the size of this job inside the main gaming floor.  The interior is the size of 2 full length football fields.

What this project entails is getting crews up underneath the ceiling, while the casino remains open for business as usual so they can get the new HVAC and mechanicals installed.  Look at the photos…  Not only is the expanse vast, but it’s over 40 feet off of the ground and has to be self contained so people can come and go as usual below.  How will they do it?  How could they do it?

Leave that up to Tom Cruise, I mean Anthony Pini, to devise a Multi-Point Suspended Scaffold System to do the job.  Yes, it is like something out of the movies… Giant work platforms actually hang from chains from the arched trusses at the ceiling.  It’s netted in so nothing can fall off of the sides and its sturdy enough for crews to get their HVAC ducting and all necessary pieces parts onto it.

 

A Multi-point suspended scaffold system.  Yes, it’s a mouthful but it’s also something quite incredible to see.  We’ve done these before (see blog on Hanging bridge platform) but never at this scale.  It’s 300 feet long by over 300 feet wide!  That’s a massive undertaking.  Check out the E shaped design drawings.

    

And look at the rendering.  If you think it was easy – you’d be wrong.  The ceiling has giant arches which of course curve and give different elevations along that curve.  So the monster challenge for our crews was to get the lengths of chains correct over the entire spans of this platform.  The segments had to hang at different elevations from the trusses to accommodate the particular ducting and venting going on up there.  Some lengths would be 20 feet while others would be 10 and so forth.  But once our guys go the proper lengths in place the platform was installed, level and sturdy.

We will be getting much more detailed photos – but you can see that this is something quite impressive and something that doesn’t happen very often.

Truly a mission impossible of a job.  We are just proud to be a part of this prestigious job in Niagara Falls.

Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is home to the largest hotel in Western New York and received the impressive AAA Four Diamond certification every year since 2005.  The casino floor has an area of 147,000 sq ft (13,700 m²) with 99 gaming tables and 4,200 slot machines.  It is the largest hotel in New York outside of Manhattan.

Performers from Nelly Furtado, Lynyrd Skynyrd to Smokey Robinson and Johnny Mathis are regulars at the Seneca Niagara Casino.

http://www.senecaniagaracasino.com/

http://issuu.com/senecacasinos/docs/seneca_niagara_casino_2013_construc/1

New facade for hotel tower at Caesars Casino & Resort Atlantic City, NJ

Atlantic City, NJ is vying to become the destination spot of  choice on the East coast.  Much like the growth a few years back in Los Vegas, Atlantic City is pushing to modernize, update, and transform into the premier hotspot on the coast.

Caesars Atlantic City Resort has been expanding and renovating constantly in the past decade with a new hotel tower, parking garage and shopping center.  It opened as Atlantic City’s second casino in 1979 as the Caesars Boardwalk Regency.  Like it’s counterpart in Los Vegas, Caesars has an ancient Roman theme and boasts 145,000 square feet of gaming area, 3400 slot machines and is now one of the largest resorts in the area.

  

Superior Scaffold’s swing stage department was called in to help with the EIFS facade replacement on the towers.  On this multi-phase job, Superior had to install a roof perimeter guardrail, duct protection and system scaffold beneath the swings.  Superior used 3 full Swings, 2 Corner Swings, 1 C shaped swing (4 hoist platform), System scaffold and 1 material hoist.

  

The major challenges faced on this job were the odd shapes and capacity swings that had to be built to allow crews access to all areas of the exterior of the building.

  
  

We also had a very rapid turnaround time.  In the end, the job was done in time and on budget allowing Caesars to have their new facade ready for their summer rush.

  

Caesars Entertainment operates the casino in Atlantic city.  (from their web site) Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada more than 70 years ago, Caesars has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casino resorts on four continents The company’s resorts operate primarily under the Harrah’s, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names; Caesars also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker.