We’re Moving – (our blog)

Hello all!  The big day is here and we’re transferring our blog to our self hosted website – so hold on to your hats…It’s going to be fun and exciting and barely noticeable to you. Ha.

I’m telling you this because when we move our email subscribers will continue to receive email notifications as before but WordPress.com followers will only see new posts in the reader – you will not receive email updates UNLESS you subscribe to receive those on our new site. Make sense?

So, to recap. We are moving our blog to our new website so be sure to check us out there.

Easy. And as always, we are extremely thankful that you follow along with our scaffold travels.

We are thinking about keeping this blog alive for the fun adventures of Superior Scaffold. But until then we hope to see you over at the NEW SITE!!!!

Thank and have a wonderful day!

 

Superior Scaffold
http://www.superiorscaffold.com
(215) 743-2200

 

 

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!

 

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The Sterling House (part 2) – “Can’t you hear me knocking?”

We showed you the brilliant landing platform on the 30th floor of the Sterling House Apartments (18th & JFK) in our previous blog.  See it here: It’s a bird.  It’s a plane.  No, it’s a crane landing platform?  (part 1)  and I promised to bring you the second part.  So here it is…

Overhead sidewalk protection all around this building.

It’s a multipurpose overhead protection system (as you will see in the following pics) not only did it have to provide protection for the pedestrians around this busy apartment building but it also had to provide support for our swing staging all around the facade.  If you look to the right on the photo below you will see the tops of the motors peeking out above the panels.

And to do this – Superior Scaffold deployed the heavy duty 767 Philly canopy frames with steel beams on top.

One of the biggest challenges was to create a canopy over the entryway to the Sterling House down over the sidewalk.  It was quite a distance and at several elevations.  To bridge the gap Superior incorporated a series of system scaffold pieces into the overall design to create the perfect overhead sidewalk protecton for the client.  It’s almost like 2 separate canopies but you can see in the pic below how the one actually rests on top of the other.

This was a creative scaffolding solution to this problem.

 

And I wanted to point out our two latest safety features.  You might have already noticed the long yellow banners attached to the legs of the frame scaffold in the photos.  These say “warning tripping hazard” and are in response to the number of people walking the streets while staring down at their cell phones.

And the second safety change we’ve made recently comes at the bottom of the frame jack where the plate meets the concrete.  We now cut off the sides of the wood to fit the size of the jack plate completely – no more overhanging area for people to get caught up on while they walk and text and surf the web.  We are always looking for ways to make our scaffolding safer to the general public.  We will be constantly updating and improving as new insights become available.

Save some brain power for the Sterling House Pt 3 (“Swing, Swing, Swing”) coming real soon!

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

 

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The resurrection of the old M. Night Shyamalan house.

Judging from the story and the new pics in todays Philadelphia Inquirer piece – the renovation of M. Night Shyamalan’s old house was a smashing success.

Superior provided scaffolding support all around the house during the renovation and even tented the entire structure with an enclosure system.

You can see all of the before pics in our blogpost here:

Superior Scaffold helps with the renovation of M. Night Shyamalan’s Old House

To see what Superior Scaffold can do for you – don’t hesitate to call (215) 743-2200 today.

 

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/260361321.html

 

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#mastclimber#canopy#philly#philadelphia#pa#electrical#2157432200#pa#de#nj#ny#md#rents
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It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a crane landing platform? (part 1)

A lot of the renovation work at The Sterling House Apartments (18^th & JFK Blvd) is being done at the TOP of the building.

1. Updating the fitness center with an additional 1500 square feet, new equipment, personal TV’s, and larger windows with fantastic views of the city.
2. Adding a rooftop social deck with lounge seating, gas fireplace, and glass windscreens all around.
3. They are also doing modifications to the rooftop pool itself.

So, the million dollar question is:  How do they get all of the necessary building material up to the top floor without disturbing the tenants or damaging the interior of the building?

A BRILLIANT IDEA. (Not new, but just smart)

Superior erected a cantilevered LANDING PLATFORM on the 30^th floor so a crane can deposit materials outside and then they can be quickly rolled into the building right where the construction takes place. Brilliant.

Thanks to Karl Kalbach – Competent Person, Scaffold Builder, for the great pics.

The platform can accommodate 2000lbs of material and 2 men. It was rigged out of the back of the building so it’s accessible from the alley behind the complex. There is a ramp down the back so material can rolled directly into the construction area.

Photo by Karl Kalbach – Competent Person, Scaffold Builder

This is beneficial in several ways. First, the tenants can have regular use of their elevators and building while construction goes on. Large pieces of dry-wall and materials that might not fit into the elevators or up the stairs to the 30^th floor can get up quickly without any damage to the interior.  Not a new idea but a very cool one.

Courtesy Karl Kalbach – Scaffold Builder

Crews use the crane to get the necessary materials up to the desired floor.  It’s all set up behind the building so it won’t disrupt the busy traffic out front.

Here you get to see the crane in the background – as well as Superior Scaffold’s awesome overhead protect and swing staging working on the facade of the building.

Superior had all of it’s disciplines represented at this job –  I will detail those in part 2 (“Can you hear me knockin’?”)

We just don’t get to see debris chutes very often and sure enough – we had one down below on this job – so here you go.

For all of your scaffold, scaffolding, equipment rental, needs call Superior Scaffold at (215) 743-2200 today.

 

 

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#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

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.”

 

 

 

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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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How to add floors to an existing building – high exposure cantilever scaffold

This is amazing to me.  How do you add 3 floors to an already existing building?  You probably haven’t thought about that before.  I know that I hadn’t but the people at Superior Scaffold have many times.  In downtown areas space is a valuable commodity so sometimes the only place to expand is up.

But this leaves a myriad of challenges.  The biggest one being how do we do all of the necessary heavy work outside of the building that needs to be done?  Well, by creating working space outside of the area being built.

And in this case at the Parc Rittenhouse – there needed to be enough room and support to handle all of the weight for construction materials and the guys laying the bricks, facade and masonry work on the new addition.

Check out how Superior Scaffold engineers solved the problem.  It wasn’t from scaffolding from the ground up (impossible on this job – the lower roof wouldn’t support it) but from beneath the floors that were being added onto.  They used a high exposure cantilever scaffold system with giant weight supporting aluminum beams.  Check out the photos!

These huge beams are levered inside the floors below and stick out the windows.  They are then counter-balanced with another set of aluminum beams up against the ceiling joists to hold the weight outside of the building.  The ceiling beams are shored up and the system is balanced.

It’s a crazy system but makes total sense.  Let the existing building take the weight and leverage to support anything outside on the beams.  See the photos.

In some cases, like on the corners, crews had to actually cut holes into the brick to stick out the aluminum beams.  And then, they would deck them and add scaffolding.

Then, the crews deck it and put any scaffolding onto it to get up the next level.  I don’t know the weight ratio of what it can hold (I’ll have to ask the engineers and get back to you) but it’s a tremendous amount.

Superior  then erected a 45′ high systems scaffold to allow worker access to each of the floors as they were constructed.  They also added several man material hoists to get building materials and equipment up to the top.  There are suspended scaffolds on the job too helping install the new balconies.

Superior also had to install overhead protection all of the way around the building. This was quite an extensive job.

The building exterior also underwent a makeover bringing it back to its former glory of almost ¾ a century ago.

Here are a few (never before seen) shots of what the additional floors and subsequent penthouses looked like in their finishing stage.  If you look carefully, you can still see some of the cantilever beams sticking out through the brick.

All in all, this is a very cool way to add additional floors to an already existing structure.  Superior scaffold has done this many times and are experts at it – so don’t try this at home.  Give them a call at (215) 743-2200 or visit them at www.superiorscaffold.com today.

So say it with me, 3 times really fast.

High exposure cantilever scaffold system

High exposure cantilever scaffold system

High exposure cantilever scaffold system

The Parc Rittenhouse is at 225 South 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA

Superior Scaffold doing double duty

In this edition of “Scaffolding Philadelphia” we get to show you how we can do double duty with our scaffolding creations.

This particular story was previously documented in the number 1 hit blog “Bend Me, Shape Me” that detailed the versatility of the altrex staging used by our suspeded scaffold division.  But this soon to be number one blog hit “Double Duty” (I can see Foreigner singing the theme song here or since this is a Tony P job – even Journey with Steve Perry) details the lower half of the job at City View.

Not  only did this overhead protection have to protect the general public from all of the window and facade work going on above them but it also had to become the platforms for the swings to sit on at the end of the day.

This is a fairly extensive canopy that had to allow for the entire walkway, entryway, and even shops to remain open during the entire phase of renovation.

The people at 2001 Hamilton St, Philadelphia, PA 19130 were more than gracious while Superior Scaffold erected this sidewalk shed out front.  Here’s a shot of the  job as it is being built.

 

Here’s a shot from the roof where you can see the outrigger for the swings dangling below.

And this is a shot of the building’s setback that the swing department had to negotiate.  See the shots below on how they managed that – or read the “Bend Me, Shape Me” blog.

 

The day I was “up air” super salesman, Anthony Pini, provided coffee and donuts for the crew.  It obviously paid off because not only did the overhead protection do the job but it looked great as well.

You can see the extensive work crews did to keep this patio restaurant open for business.

If you need a sidewalk shed, overhead protection, a canopy or even a custom swing (Suspended Scaffold) job call Superior Scaffold today at (215) 743-2200 and ask for Tony P.

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.