Facade Inspection and Repairs in Chicago Alpha Platforms Boom Lift A-250

Facade Inspection and Repairs in Chicago

Case Study:

Chicago Blitz: Facade Inspection & Repairs on Four Hotels in Two Days

What was the challenge?

One of our long-term clients, a national engineering company based in New York, routinely inspects Chicago buildings for adherence to the Exterior Wall Ordinance Municipal Code Ch. 14A-6. Chicago street work permits are expensive, charging businesses by the hour and footage of required road closure. And since permits are typically issued for short durations (1-2 days), businesses scramble to work as cost efficiently as possible. As a result, many facade inspections are conducted from scaffolds to avoid high fees.

This project called for inspection of four hotel buildings, like the Hampton Inn located in Majestic Theater, a 1906 city landmark, featuring a lavishly decorated facade displaying major Broadway musicals.

These buildings are adorned with delicate stone carvings, protruding cornices, or overhanging roofs that could be damaged by hanging baskets, making access from above complicated. Additionally, hotel management were opposed to baskets dangling in front of guest room windows or scaffolding turning hotels into construction sites and inconveniencing their guests.

The client sought a solution to eliminate hanging baskets and scaffolding while minimizing parking time and space required by the lift to facilitate all inspections and repairs of identified facade issues.

What was the solution?

Facade Inspection and Repairs in Chicago Alpha Platforms Boom lift A-250
1
Our client engaged Alpha Platforms to inspect four hotels around the city within a remarkably short timeframe.
2
We dispatched the A-250, our second tallest 250-ft boom lift with an impressive side reach of 135 ft. Our lifts require only 10-15 minutes for setup and can be moved away 15 minutes after the job is completed, minimizing parking time at each location.
3
Two of the hotels had two street-facing sides, and one had three street-facing sides. Instead of relocating the lift to park on each side of the building, Alpha's experienced full-time IPAF-Certified lift operator skillfully maneuvered the cage between the buildings, which were located as close as 10 ft apart. The extensive side reach of the A-250 reduced the number of required parking spots, thereby decreasing street yardage and permit fees.
4
Our 12-ft large man baskets can lift up to 1,322 lbs. The client took full advantage of this capacity by placing several contractors in the cage to collaborate with the inspector to immediately caulk and address multiple facade issues that were easy to fix. The inspector immediately attested to each fix, so a second inspection follow-up was unnecessary.
5
This step eliminated the need for additional height access, further reducing the cost of street permits.
6
The specs of our state-of-the-art A-250 lift:
Details

What was the outcome?

The client made an excellent decision by renting our mobile and versatile boom lift, minimizing the exorbitant Chicago street permit fees and presenting a favorable inspection budget that appealed to their clients.

The inspection and repairs of minor facade issues on all four hotels were completed in just two days.

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Our precise German-made lifts have become the height access method of choice for those who try them, as they combine unmatched productivity, safety, and reach.
Notable 250 Foot Boom Lift Capabilities
  • 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

Boruch (Barry) Weinreb
Principal Owner,
Elbe Construction LLC

I called Mike from Alpha platforms at 10am for a emergency facade repair on a 18 stories building and by 12:30 they were mobilized to bring my crew up to remove the falling bricks.

Emily Roberts,
John S. Connor Inc.
Vessel Agent

If you're looking for equipment rental in NY, you should use Alpha Platforms. Not only do they provide certified operators (which is hard to find!), but they're also extremely helpful and professional. I called Friday at 3 pm for a job Tuesday morning and they made it happen - checking the site for safety, planning out the whole operation, and getting all the paperwork done asap. We've used them since and everyone is always very happy with the work that they do.

Carlos Honorio Jr.
Honorio Designs
Architecture,
PLLC

Great experience! First time on the 300 foot boom for a Local Law Facade Inspection. Vadim, the operator, was in complete control of the equipment and made the whole process smooth. Flagmen secured the area below and allowed my Client to operate their hotel without any disturbance. Honorio Designs Architecture, PLLC

Brian Rosado Hernández
The Telecom Company Foreman

Excellent service, arriving on time every day, responsible with the load limit, very attentive to the lubrication and controls of the crane.

Thomas Inciarte
Telecom Company Representative

Excellent team working with us, always willing to do anything for the best

Jon
The Signage Company Owner

It was a pleasure to work with Alpha Platforms, the crew was skilled and helpful, the equipment was top-notch. Our installers appreciated the security of the platform vs working off of a swing stage, it made their job easier and more efficient. From the first meeting thru to the end of the work day everything ran as smoothly as it could. We will definitely be partnering with Alpha Platforms on future projects. Thank you for your help!

Ryan Hughes

I had an emergency project on a 140' high voltage tower and needed Alpha Platforms next day. They were so helpful and expedient walking me through the entire process so I was comfortable with the deal. They showed up to my site next day and cut about 2 days off of the project due to the safety, speed and efficiency of their lift and operators. I'll never rent or hire another lift company. I would recommend Alpha platforms for all your high reach needs.

Liz Jones

Jon told me that it was a pleasure to work with Alpha Platforms, the crew was skilled and helpful, the equipment was top notch. Our installers appreciated the security of the platform vs working off of a swing stage, it made their job easier and more efficient. From first meeting thru to the end of the work day everything ran as smoothly as it could. City Sign Service, Inc. will definitely be partnering with Alpha Platforms on future projects.

Justin N.
President

That is a fine piece of equipment! And the competent, professional group that goes along with it is just the cherry on top. I really appreciate everything. I'm sure we'll be able to use Alpha again in the future as we get these opportunities. In fact, it will only help our business knowing we have a safe, reliable solution to these over 50‘ height challenges.

Byron Nivelo

We had an exceptional experience with Alpha! They are professionals, great operator team. Overall reliable, recommended will certainly return for my future needs hands down.

Nick Muhlon

My company used alpha lifts to clean a 14 floor building and they were great. Very accommodating, always on time, and will work with you to get the job done safe and sound. The lifts they provide are state of the art and can pretty much reach any low rise building under 250 feet. I’d recommend them to anyone doing window cleaning or facade cleaning, or anything king of height access work!

Mike P.
Building restoration services family business owner

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.

Jason A.
Director of operations, family-owned regional electrical services provider

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.

Joseph A.
Head stone mason, national cathedral

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.

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