
Commercial Signage Removal at 245 Feet
How to Remove a Large Building Sign at 245 Feet Without a Crane or Roof Access in Five Hours
What was the challenge?
Our repeat customer, a nationwide signage manufacturing company, had to remove and replace a large building sign near the roof of a 256-foot, 24-story high-end luxury senior living building in downtown Philadelphia, The Watermark at Logan Square.
- The challenge was to fit the height access equipment in a narrow parking lot. It needed to reach up to 245 feet with only 25 feet of space between the Watermark building and the adjacent garage.
- The height of the signage replacement did not allow for the use of conventional manlifts. In the past, the client would have used a crane and swing to hoist two electricians along with their materials and equipment to the work area.
- The client hired Alpha Platforms for their third project within five months because they trust the extreme reach capabilities and safety of our boom lifts, as well as convenience and cost savings.
What was the solution?

What was the outcome?
The electricians took down the entire sign while requiring only one move of the boom lift truck along the 200-foot building façade. Having the full-time lift operator in the cage allowed the crew to focus on the job at hand, while saving on headcount. Once the historical society and electrical board approve, the new sign will need to be installed reflecting the new ownership.
Alpha Platforms was able to keep height access costs below the expected daily crane rental fees of $6,000 per day. The client also saved on hanging swings and insurance. Safety, speed, and convenience of using our height access service were other key decision factors.

- 12-foot extra large cage
- 1,322 lbs lifting capacity for crew, equipment, and materials
- Cage rotation 2 x 200°
- Side reach up to 130 feet
- Unique "under and up" or "up and over and back" access
- Smooth controlled motions to move close to and around glass and fragile structures
- Jib length 49’2’’
- Parking in tight spaces 8’3’’ wide
Alpha Platforms has helped hundreds of teams like yours
Customer Testimonials
from Case Studies
We wanted to give it a try and see what this boom truck could do. We loved the idea of a wide basket that could reach up to 30 feet and get to the brick wall over the roof. The main reason we loved the truck was how it maneuvered the boom to lower the bricks inside a dumpster, which was located behind the truck. It saved us at least one extra day of work. It all went great.
The project was performed successfully, and we were really glad to have contactless means of reaching the building, as we all know that pipe scaffold might damage the structure, in this case, very very sensitive.
Alpha has the most efficient and leanest site setup time I’ve ever seen. My brother, who is the top climber of our group, first struggled to understand how this cage could go around the tower better than the crane - and when it did the whole 360°, he became a believer. Also, each laborer said how incredibly safe they felt - very different from the small crane basket. We were able to secure and push back the panels in place without the basket ever moving.
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