Shoring up Norristown, PA parking garage – concrete repair

Check out this cool shoring job at the Norristown, PA Main street parking garage in Montgomery County.

The concrete beams were deteriorating and needed repair.  Superior Scaffold was called in to shore up 5 floors of the garage so crews could remove and replace the bad sections of concrete.  We shored up the supporting joists with our 2′ X 5′ Hi Load shoring frames so crews could work on the main cement beams.

 

The challenge here was that the parking garage only had a clearance of 6 feet so our normal deliver trucks wouldn’t fit.

 

Crews had to unload the Hi-load shoring frames, jacks, and heads onto pickup trucks and deliver the equipment to each respective floor so they could then be put into place.

 

Here you can see crews working on the concrete repair.

The parking garage sits at One Montgomery Plaza
425 Swede St.
Norristown PA 19401

Superior Scaffold (215)743-2200.

Call Pat or visit our website at www.superiorscaffold.com to get an estimate on your shoring job.

 

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Mast Climber Rental Division – Superior Scaffold, Philadelphia, PA

In the previous post we talked about our Suspended Scaffold Rental Division – and today we are going to look at our Mast Climber Rental Division – which is also a part of our Powered Access Division (along with Suspended Scaffolds).

Mast climbing work platforms (MCWP) or Mast Climbers are particularly useful when access to a long span is needed so workers can quickly and easily move across the entire width of the wall or surface, at varying heights.

Marquis de Lafayette, Cape May, NJ

These powered access platforms are popular with masonry contractors because they provide a safe, affordable, efficient access solution.  Superior Scaffold rents mast climbers that come in single, double or custom configurations depending upon the length and shape of the work platform needed.

By using different size platform decks you can erect a mast climbing work platform to fit the lengths of just about any facade being accessed.

Virtua Hospital, Voorhees, NJ

When to use Mast Climbers:

• When working from the ground up is preferable
• Supports from 2,000-8,000 pounds (from 2 to 8 times the capacity of a suspended scaffold)
• Wheelable base unit allows for easy maneuvering and set up

Some places to use mast climbers:  Medical center, school, hospital, factory, silo, church, prison, residential project, casino, warehouse, super market and more.

Some uses for Mast Climbers:

• Inspection
• Window replacement
• Bricklaying
• Construction
• Maintenance
• Renovation
• Painting
• Glazing
• Cleaning
• Concrete repair
• Cladding
• Restoration
• Curtain Walling
• Roof Edge Protection

The Golden Nugget Casino, Atlantic City, NJ

Here are some popular rental items from our Mast Climber Division.

Heavy duty Mast Climber line (MC-3615) Shown in twin configuration.

Light duty Mast Climber line (MC-10) shown in single mast configuration.

Please call (215) 743-2200 and ask for Bob (Ext. 105) or visit: http://www.superiorscaffold.com.

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:

For more information on our mast climbers click on the pics below.

 

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.”

 

 

 

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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

 

Toyota, Superior Scaffold, the Philly auto show and Vermont? An update.

I wanted to follow up on a post we did last month about the ramp we built for Toyota at the Philly Auto Show.  I didn’t have the photos at the time but now I do and boy are you in luck!   These picks are after the skeleton was erected and just as the dirt was bing poured.

It’s not everyday that you get to see the behind the scenes workings of an auto show, especially one where they constructed a ramp and obstacle course to test their vehicles.

The previous blog can be seen here (on how the ramp was constructed)

Let me show you a few pics of what the ramp looked like going up and then I’ll show you the finished product and how it was used.

This is what the space looked like when we were erecting the ramp.

Here you can really see what went into constructing a ramp strong enough to hold dirt, cars, and passengers.

The dump truck unloading all of the dirt for the ramp.

Crews feverishly moving dirt up and onto the ramp itself.

And the moment of truth!  The first test car to go up and over the ramp.  Success!!!

Even though the show was in Philly – Toyota thought it might be more realistic to  have a sign that said welcome to Vermont?  Where’s the love?

This is the Vermont snow that was placed on the side of the ramp and all around the obstacle course.

These are some of the test vehicles that Toyota brought out to take customers out and around the course.

Be prepared for adventure!

This shows you where the course flows once you come down the other side of the ramp.  There is a very large photo of a snowy environmnent and a cross country skier coming right at you – I guess somewhere in Vermont?

Every obstacle course needs a water hazard complete with rocks, sand and mud!

Superior Scaffold was proud to work with Toyota on this ramp for their course.  It weathered 3 days of constant abuse without a scratch.  There was much more to the actual course but I just wanted to give viewers an update to the ramp we constructed.  It’s fun to see just how the finished product looks and functions sometime.

For all of your scaffold, scaffolding needs call Superior Scaffold at (215) 743-2200 or visit http://www.superiorscaffold.com

Ask for Pat.  He will take good care of you.

 

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

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Double Wide, frame vs. system scaffold – when to use

At first glance, what do you see?  A double-wide canopy spanning the entire sidewalk?

If you did – you would be correct but there is more to it than meets the eye.  You don’t think we would just toss up a double wide sidewalk shed using our famous 767-00 “Philly” frames would you?  Of course not.  What you have to remember is that this a large span we have to cover so the facade resoration can go on overhead.  And there are certain regulations that are mandated by our state as to the amount of weight this canonpy must support.  In Philadelphia it’s 300lb psf.

My first thought was; why didn’t they use a system scaffold to bridge the gap?  I understand that there would have to be two foot towers to support the beams and that would be a bit of cluster (you know what).  But I’m no engineer.  So then I thought, why don’t I just ask Superior Scaffold top engineer, Mike Leone?  After all, he’s the man who has to design all these scaffold projects to meet code.  I’ll let him tell you in his own inimitable way.

“You can make system scaffold work in a situation like this, but you would have to configure it properly and have enough posts/verticals and watch your leg spacing to get 300 psf rating.  It would be a lot more pieces than using the canopy frames and would take longer to erect.  So this is faster and less expensive and you get the same rating,” said Mike. “The City of Philadelphia’s Department of Streets Code requires a minimum interior opening of 6 feet. The Philly frame, as the name implies, was made specifically to comply with these codes.”

So there you have it.  Not only is up to code but can also be faster to erect.  I noticed another feature of this type of set up as well.  It could help with the pedestrian traffic flow.  It creates an isle-like walkway where traffic can flow easily in both directions just like on a highway.

And I just love to see the photos of how they erect these projects.  Take a look.

They also painted the wood panels to help match the decor of the building.  That’s another little added touch that Superior offers.  Very cool.

We at Superior are always spanning the globe for unique scaffolding solutions to bring you.

That reminds me… Cue the music.  “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of scaffold… the thrill of erection… and the agony of having to take it down… This is Philly’s Wide World of Scaffold!  Sorry, it just brought me back there for a minute.

If you have a large sidewalk or area that needs overhead protection (canopy, sidewalk shed) call Superior Scaffold at (215) 743-2200 or hit the website at 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

Emergency Scaffold Services – Canopy and facade restoration

Here’s the deal.  Nobody likes to hear the word emergency.  Not even us at Superior Scaffold.  But the truth of the matter is that life does happen and we can help.

Sometimes things just wear out or a truck backs into something or water leaks in.  But when it happens to your building, property or project we are there.  We are one of the few scaffolding companies that have an emergency services line set up just for this type of event.   (215) 743-2200.  And in most times we can be onsite within hours assessing the situation and implimenting a plan to getting you and your project, building or site up and running safely.

Our website is populated with examples of where Superior Scaffold jumped in at a moments notice to provide scaffold support in emergencies.

I just grabbed this one at 16th & Walnut where a piece of the building’s facade actually came loose and fell off.  Luckily, no one was around when it happened.

But Superior was called in and was able to quickly provide a solution in a canopy and overhead protection for pedestrians.   A facade rebuild was required when inspectors found the entire exterior was damaged.  A much larger system scaffold was erected to address that facade and remodel. Containment wrap was also used to help keep debris locked in and out of the way.

I just love seeing the during and after shots of the project!   You kind of get an idea of what the guys on the crew have to go through the erect one of these.

If you should find yourself in need of emergency scaffold services call our hotline at (215)743-2200 and follow the prompts.  If it’s after hours don’t despair, just follow the prompts and one of our estimators will call you back.

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How to erect a canopy – Aramark Tower, Philadelphia

It’s not every day that you get to see just how we erect a sidewalk shed (canopy).  We usually concentrate on the finished product and how well the client liked our work.  But today is another story.  You get to see just what it looks like before, during and after we install overhead protection on a job site.  We are going to look at the work done in the middle of one of Center City’s busiest intersections at 11th and Market – the Aramark Tower.

Crews usually start at night to avoid the massive traffic that will ensue during the daytime.  In this first shot they have started building the base framework which consists of the 2 inner and outer main posts (or tubes), the bracing frame (s), the jack (s) and the intermediate plate (s).

Here we see crews are just starting to put the steel beams on top of the aluminum posts.  These will be placed all the way down the run and act as support for the aluminum joists to follow.  Rolling towers are used to get crews up high enough to place the beams.

You can see here how the Superior Scaffold trucks deliver the equipment to the job.  Again, in the evening or early in the morning to avoid traffic.

This shot shows the main framework as well as the steel beams that will support most of the weight overhead.

Crews have carefully designed the layout so that doors and staircases are still accessible to pedestrians.

The aluminum joists are then laid over the steel beams for added support.   These will handle the weight of the planks and/or corrugated steel panels that will lay over top.

You can see how the pieces intertwine to create a super stable base for anything going up on top of it.

You can see how the height of the rolling tower is adjustible to reach diffrerent eleveations.

And then finally, in this case, the Microlam wood planks are added to the top of the sidewalk shed.  In downtown Philly, canopies have to have a 300 lb/sq foot rating so you can put suspended scaffolds on top or even additional scaffold, if needed.

And the last part of this very long process is adding the 4X8′ debris panels that can be painted to match the client’s decor (which these will be) or left a beautiful Superior Scaffold red.

As a finishing touch, temporary lights will also be strung beneath to illuminate the walkway at night.

And in a very simplified form, that’s how a canopy, sidewalk shed, overhead protection is assembled.  There are many different types of sidewalk bridges too – some made from scaffold frames, some from bridge columns and some from aluminum posts.  You can go here and see the different options we have available at Superior Scaffold.  Call (215) 743-2200 today if you need one of these beauties for your project.

Superior Scaffold ramps up for Toyota at the Philly Auto Show

The Philadelphia Auto Show runs from February 8 – 16, 2014 at the The Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia PA 19107

Toyota set up an indoor track complete with traction ramps, water hazards, sand traps and suspension bumps giving the user the ultimate car buying experience.  Patrons are invited to ride along inside the new line up of Toyota vehicles to get a real world idea of how they will perform.

Toyota contacted Superior Scaffold to build the ramp that would test the climbing and traction control of their vehicles.  We jumped at the chance.  The ramp is 8’ high by 14’ wide and 53’ long.  (see pic)

The challenge here was that the ramp not only had to support the weight of the cars driving up and over it but also the 100 tons of dirt that would be put on top of it.

Superior engineers put pen to paper and calculated weight ratios and all of their super mathematical formulas and came up with a superior design (which was stamped and authorized).

Work set out using beams, system scaffold, and shoring materials to construct the ramp.

Details: 14’ aluminum beams on 2’ centers were used at the ramps, 14’ steel beams at 2’ centers were used at the top (flat) section.  3’ and 4’ spans were used going side to side, and 2’ spans going ramp to ramp.  They also used U-Heads on the flat sections and swivel U-Jacks on the ramps.  Then they crossed everything with 18’ aluminum beams on the ramps at 1’ centers and 12’ aluminum beams at 1’ centers on the top section.  And then the entire thing was skinned with 3/4’” plywood.

It’s a wild looking design that ultimately holds ton’s of weight. It’s so sturdy in fact that Superior Estimator, Pat McAndrew, and foreman, Kenny Foreman were putting finishing touches on beneath the ramp and Pat said, “We were under there for at least 20 minutes and unbeknownst to us – cars had been driving over it the entire time.  We never felt a thing.  It’s that sturdy.”

We were glad to help Toyota show off their new line up of vehicles.  Now, if we can get a test ride around the track a few times we will be happy.

Call Superior Scaffold at (215) 743-2200 for all of your scaffold needs.

Visit www.superiorscaffold.com today.

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#buildingmaterials#construction#equipmentrental#rent#rents#ladders#offroad#track#show#auto#superiorscaffold