National Landmark Cathedral Restoration
How to Inspect and Secure Dislodged Roof Pillars at the 230+ Foot National Cathedral without Any Contact with the Building
What was the challenge?
Washington National Cathedral, the majestic gothic cathedral, is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and the second-largest in the United States. Built over 83 years, its two west towers rise to 234 feet, and the height of the central Gloria in Excelsis Deo tower is 301 feet - the highest point in Washington, D.C. As a result of the 2011 earthquake, the cathedral sustained $34M in damage, especially to its high structures. The client hired civil engineering architects to survey the damage and develop a plan of action. They surveyed that the bottoms of decorative pillars at the top of the building became dislocated, and one of the main pillars was very unsafe. According to the quote of potential contractors, it would be very expensive to set pipe scaffolding ($100k plus) around the roof pillars.
Pipe scaffold has a high risk of wall damage because it requires drilling into the building. After the workers drill into the old natural stone, the stone would need to be repaired or replaced. With only a few providers of natural stone repair materials for historical buildings, Washington Cathedral would have waited for a long time and would have had to spend a lot. Drop scaffolding where ropes go around the roof was not an option: the ropes could damage the intricate roof with decorations.
To further complicate matters, the cathedral was built the medieval way - there was no reinforcement between roof pillar stones making its structure very fragile.
The client hired Alpha Platforms for the contactless reach offered by our truck-mounted aerial platforms that’s especially valuable to fragile or historic buildings.
What was the solution?
What was the outcome?
Due to the 31’ jib and its maneuverability of 2 x 80 degrees, the operator was able to bring inspectors front and back 360 degrees around the pillars and inspect them from just one setup.
The client was able to avoid high pipe scaffolding costs, saving multiple tens of thousands of dollars. Our national landmark, Washington Cathedral, was also spared more wall damage and preserved its original stones without having to cover them up for weeks with more scaffolding.
- 12-foot extra large cage
- 1,322 lbs lifting capacity for crew, equipment, and materials
- Side reach up to 115 feet
- Jib length 31’6’’
- Parking in tight spaces 8’6’’ wide
- Cage rotation 2 x 80°
Alpha Platforms has helped hundreds of teams like yours
Customer Testimonials
from Case Studies
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
Excellent service, arriving on time every day, responsible with the load limit, very attentive to the lubrication and controls of the crane.
Excellent team working with us, always willing to do anything for the best
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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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