The Week of January 29, 2018 — The Skeleton Continues to Rise and Take Shape

This week was long awaited. Monday, January 29, 2018, would be the first day that the crawler crane located on the southern edge of the pit paralleling Barton Road would boom up and begin operation joining the taller crane positioned on the north side of the site. both cranes would be working at the same time.The north crane would continue to the lift the vertical columns, girders, and metal decking into place while the crane to the south would lower the spline beam nodes and steel splices into place on the south side of the pit. With both cranes in operation, it will be incumbent upon the steel companies to keep on schedule delivering the steel.

Swinging a sledgehammer with a 10-pound head while kneeling on a girder. The ironworker is driving barrel pins through the holes of the connecting plates to align the holes for the bolts.

In case you missed the import of the activity going on in the photo above: Here is a closeup of the ironworker swinging the sledgehammer.  Test your skills: kneel on your concrete patio and swing a sledgehammer with a 10-pound head repeatedly hitting a steel railroad spike. Once you have mastered that skill, make your way to the top your roof (single story will do) and kneel on a 1 X 12 plank with your feet hanging over the sides. Remember to use your safety harness!  Be sure you place a toolbelt around your waist with all the paraphernalia used by an ironworker stuffed in the pockets and hanging to your side. Now, take a railroad spike and begin driving it through the board. Imagine doing the same exercise 17, 24, or 75 stories in the air. No wonder they call these ironworkers the “Cowboys of the Sky.”

At the southwest section of the pit, the south crane lowers a connecting girder to be spliced to the nodes.

Down in the pit on the southeast corner, an electrician is pulling electrical wires through the conduits into a junction box. These wires will bring power to the man lifts and the temporary LED lighting for each of the floors. Mable, the weight and size of the wire is far heavier and thicker then any extension cord you’ve used to connect to the lights of your Christmas tree.

Also down in the pit, a telescopic forklift operator is relocating a portable welding generator to another section.

There are six items in this photo that beg for description as to what they are. Number (1) at grade is a diesel generator that provides electrical power to the bank of multi-process welders (2), which are stationed in front of the generator. All of the cables (3) connected to the multi-process welders stream down from the cap slab to “B” level. There is one cable that feeds the welding equipment on the decking. (4) is the rebar that will be laid on the decking to provide additional strength to the nine-inch slab that will be poured. (5) Corrugated decking. (6) mechanical pipes.

Two banks of multi-process welders and to the right, out of view, are another two banks.

A view of the steel columns from the west end of the moat. The BRB (Buckling Restrained Brace) cross bracing system has been installed. The inside of the brace contains a yielding core with an un-bonding grout material running through the center with bolted connecting steel at each end.  In the foreground is the workstation the carpenters are using to constructs a proper (OSHA approved) bridge so the ironworkers can cross the moat from the ground floor decking to the cap slab (at grade).

The Bridge that will replace the narrow catwalk is slowly being lowered in place. Victor, looking up at the boom of the lift, supervises the construction of the catwalk.

A view of the steel skeleton from grade as viewed from the northeast side of the pit.

A view from the pit (“B” level): The center columns rising from the spline beams, which are bolted to the isolators.

A view from the pit (‘B” level): Another angle of the center columns and two levels rising from the spline beams.

TIME OUT FOR SOME 360 FUN

A view of the ground floor corrugated decking which was scattered today and now cast an afternoon shadow over the “A” level decking. Notice the plank (catwalk) in the right foreground which spans the moat from the steel girder to the western cap slab. This catwalk allows the ironworkers to enter the construction site at ground level.

The ground floor as viewed from “B” level.

Three floors from grade: The ground floor, “A” level, and “B’ level.

A closeup of the vertical columns and decking.

A north view of the construction site from the top floor of the Faculty Medical Offices patient parking lot. The building columns and the metal floor decking are clearly visible.

Sights and sounds of the construction from the top floor of the Faculty Medical Offices parking structure, which is located on the south side of Barton Road.

On the first Monday, after the project began to go vertical on Thursday, January 25, 2018, more columns and girders would be added to the skyline. By mid-afternoon 12 columns rising two floors above grade (the cap slab) looking something like a skinner version of the Easter Island Statues.

The mid-afternoon sun, which rivals the welders’ torch down in the pit, accentuates the massive columns as they rise above the pit.

The Floors delineated by columns. Note that the second floor top line approximates the second-floor roof line of the existing building.

Looking west, a head-on view of the columns from the floor of “B” level.

The column corridor looking east from grade.