How do They do That? Hanging a GFRC Panel Under an Overhang

The featured image for this blog is of the northwest corner of the Adult Hospital tower. It is under the overhang that the ironworkers have to maneuver and install two GFRC panels. This endeavor will be a tricky and time consuming operation.

Perhaps you have seen the images and video of the GFRC panels (prefab curtain walls) being hung on the north side podium. So far the process has been a straight forward process: the crane lifts a panel off of the low-bed transport truck, the crane operator swings the panel to the side of the building, and the ironworkers attach the panel to the steel frame of the building. The process for hanging two panels under an overhang is similar, but far more tedious as illustrated in the following images and video. The video of an approximately one and a half hours operation of installing the first panel is condensed down to seven minutes in length. Ed, the gentleman barking out instructions and encouragement to his crew is the owner of Willis Construction Co, Inc. Ed, is a very hands on guy and loves to be where the action is. For informational purposes there are two gentlemen in the video who appear to be slackers—not part of the action—just hangin’ around. The guy with the blue hard hat and blue coveralls is one of the two crane operators who is watching the operation and will relay signals to the crane operator in the cab. The other gentleman, is the contractors onsite GFRC installation/safety foreman.

The northwest corner of the building on which the GFRC panels will be installed.

It is under this overhang that the ironworkers must install the two GFRC panels.

The Process

Images

The ironworkers prepare for hanging the big panels.

The first of two panels is being hoisted off of the low-bed.

Up and Away!

Clearing the corners: The image to the left shows the panel clearing the northeast corner of the Adult Hospital Tower. The photo at the right shows the the panel as it completes the arch over the building to the northwest side where it will be lowered.

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Just after the panel was lowered a medevac helicopter came in for a landing on the south helipad. I heard the flack, flack, whop, whop, flack, whop, whop, flack sound of the engine  before I snapped the images. I poised the camera hoping against hope that the pilot would make his approach from the south: I lucked out! This image is comprised of three separate photographs staked on top of each other, which depicts the path of the helicopter as it comes from behind the building and then hovers over the parapet as it prepares to land on the helipad.

The stacked images in the previous photo deleted the dust storm the medevac helicopter kicked up as it passed over south side of the construction site.

The back (reverse) side of the panel as seen from a distance.

Stairs in My Window

On my return from taking the above photo, I looked and spotted these reflections in the east tower’s windows. Each image in the windows reflect the stairs (floor by floor) in the building to the west.

After many lifts, pushes, and pulls, the crew inched their way to  the anchor spot. In this image, Ed (the company owner) checks out their handy work and pronounces their effort VERY GOOD! Now, after a short break, on to the second panel.

The day after the panels were installed, I made my way over the northwest corner and took a few shots of the completed project.

The Video

This is an interesting video on how the panel was lowered to where it would be slung under the overhang, and slowly, via chains and pulley’s, slid into place. The second panel will come in from the east end of the overhang. Ed told me that he and his crew did panels similar to this on a building in Los Angeles at a height of 17-stories. Brave Hearts!