Safe Access for a glass project in Burbank, CA
The Pointe is a 14-story Class-A building in Burbank, California, nestled among extensive gardens among some of the biggest names in entertainment. With Disney, Warner Brothers, and ABC Studios nearby, this building stands out with a glassy, angled edifice and first-class amenities.
Although the structure is less than 15 years old, issues with the glass façade recently drove a complete glass replacement. Sky Climber Access Solutions California supplied equipment and services, working with Ironworkers Local 433 and a team from New Hudson Facades to perform a complete reglazing.
As with any high-profile occupied building, there were a few challenges in executing this project.
To begin, glass exchanges had to be done from the exterior only. To access the envelope without the possibility of safety lines becoming entangled with wire ropes and power cords, a total of four (4) wire rope swing stages were used. The access platforms (Sky Stage Ultra) were suspended from davits in some locations and beams with weights in others, thus allowing the platforms to be hung side by side.
Material hoists were used to haul more than 4400 replacement glass pieces up to iron workers positioned on the suspended scaffolds. To reach longer horizontal expanses, a 50-foot-long monorail was installed with one end protruding past the 30-foot-long suspended platform. The glass could then be raised by winch to platform level and be moved horizontally over to installers waiting on the platform.
The tapering inboard on one side of the building’s façade presented another access challenge. To remove and replace glass in this area, an outrigger beam was designed to protrude thirteen feet beyond that edge. Replacement glass panels could then be hoisted, avoiding the protruding structure, and trolleyed inboard to meet the recessed area of the structure.
In total, Sky Climber Access Solutions California supplied a wide array of rental equipment to provide safe access to this building:
- Four (4) Sky Stage Ultra suspended access platforms;
- Eight (8) swing stage hoists and four (4) material hoists
- Two (2) fifty-foot (50’) monorails;
- One (1) thirteen-foot (13’) projecting counter weighted winching beam;
- Nineteen (19) 400-foot wire ropes;
- Seven (7) counter-weighted outrigger beams;
- Seven (7) davits;
- A 10-lb. fork lift; and
- A Scissor lift.
Sky Climber Access Solutions California worked together with Mike Silvey at Ironworkers Local 433, a team from New Hudson Facades, and the engineering team at Sky Climber LLC on this project. Collectively these teams reglazed The Pointe’s contemporary glass façade successfully, restoring the contemporary building to its intended status in Burbank’s popular media district.
