INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS

INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS
for
Facade Inspections Under New York City Local Law 11 of 1998
and for
Work Positioning for Facade Repairs and Restoration

What is Rope Access?

Rope access is an industrial application that uses a redundant rope system and associated equipment that is specially designed for safe, flexible climbing, descending, horizontal movements and for rescue techniques.

It allows trained personnel the freedom to move around easily in three dimensions, and to perform closeup, hands-on inspections as well as maintenance functions.

It enables them to access even the highest, most difficult structures, allowing them to move around in a safe and controlled manner.

Rope access has been utilized in the UK for more than ten years, both onshore and offshore (on North Sea oil platforms) where these techniques are accepted as a mainstream method of access.

We have performed inspections and work in New York City since 2001.

Industrial Rope Access work is a standardized practice, following the standards set by IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association), SPRAT (The Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians), OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), as well as the New York City Department of Buildings.

May 17, 2002 Work Positioning Demonstration, The Aurora, W. 57th Street, New York NY

Background

A significant cost associated with inspections and maintenance on any structure is access. Providing access also can be unsafe if carried out improperly. The higher and more complex the structure, the greater the cost in both labor and equipment requirements and potentially the greater the risks involved.

As a consequence, a variety of systems have been developed to find a solution to the substantial and rising cost of access, without compromising the safety of personnel. Unfortunately, increased safety often leads to increased costs.

Therefore, we are introducing rope access, the method that not only is safer than conventional access techniques such as scaffolding and cradles, but also is much more efficient, dramatically reducing cost without compromising safety.

Due to its economics and efficiencies, it is our judgment that rope access will replace not only close-up inspections from swing scaffolding, but also visual inspections of façade components from a distance. Distance inspections utilize remote optical devices such as binoculars. They can fail to properly identify unsafe conditions that do become apparent when viewed close-up.

Furthermore, we have demonstrated, with great success, the use of Rope Access for work positioning, with prior approval of the New York City Department of Buildings and with the advice, consent and assistance of the Bricklayers and Allied Crafts Union.

Façade Inspections

Providing access for building inspections is only part of the solution. According to drafts of a standard in the making of the American Society of Testing Materials, ASTM, personnel must conduct building facade inspections to identify threats to property and public safety.

ASTM adds that the inspections should create a baseline study of building facades to enable future periodic inspections to assess the rate of deterioration. It should provide the City and building owners and managers with information to identify prudent remedial and preventative maintenance procedures effectively in order to mitigate the risk to public safety.

Rope access makes it economically feasible to provide this service, utilizing close-up inspections of the façade by qualified licensed professionals and trained inspectors. Working in small multi- disciplined teams, using rope access offers a safe, cost effective approach to accessing the worksite and carrying out the inspections.

Safety and Training

The safety record for rope access is outstanding and is evidence of the level of training and safety management provided by those working within this specialist industry.

Note that the safety and suspended lines are both connected frontally. The typical safety lines used In the U.S. are dorsally connected (in the back) which, during an accident when hanging for over 15 minutes, will cause circulatory interference and even death.

It has its own self-governing association, the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA). IRATA works in association with UK's Health & Safety Executive (equivalent to our OSHA) to ensure that the highest standards are maintained. We have commenced discussions with the City, State and OSHA on the system and have provided them with a demonstration and full technical data on its safety and efficacy.

The Demonstrations

On May 9, 2001 licensed professionals and management personnel from key City, State and Federal agencies as well as contractors and building owners and managers were shown an actual façade inspection utilizing rope access. The requisite senior official of the New York City Building Department whose responsibility includes permitting lift equipment and scaffolding also was present at our second demonstration in Manhattan on May 10th. Both inspections were performed in accordance with the requirements of New York City Local Law 11 of 1998, except that the efficiencies of rope access enabled us to perform close-up inspection of all facades of the structure. The minimum requirement for Local Law 11 is to perform a single drop from the lowest set-back to the street.

The project was sponsored by Ira N. Pierce, P.E., P.C., with additional personnel provided by two large U.K. based engineering firms. Close-up, hands-on inspection was under the direction of Gordon Bisset, now with our firm. Mr. Bisset is former President-elect of the International Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA). He is an IRATA licensed Supervisor (Level IV), the highest level achievable. Additional inspection assistance was provided by IRATA Levels II and III inspectors.

May 9, 2001 -- The efficiencies of rope access enabled our IRATA certified inspection team to take actual measurements of the facade and its problems, while performing the Local Law 11 inspections on the ropes.

The idea of the demonstration was to showcase rope access, the consequent cost effectiveness of total close-up inspections for New York City buildings, and to collect data on behalf of the Buildings Department on its safety and efficacy.

Total façade inspection coverage, close-up, can be accomplished in the same time and at a competitive cost to a single drop using typical swing scaffolding.

Video and digital cameras recorded the inspections. The team also completed a series of technical inspections to investigate the cavity and the structural steel behind the façades of what actually were two connected buildings, one completed in 1910 and the other in 1978. In part, this required drilling through the façade. Our team now has the capabilities of utilizing camera-mounted probes into the brickwork, which can reduce the costly removal and replacement of the brickwork; and we also can chart structural steel rust utilizing electronic equipment.

Additional demonstrations of rope access were undertaken at The Aurora, a 32 story high rise building on West 57th Street, Manhattan -- for close-up inspection in January 2002, and later in May 2002 for work positioning. The latter demonstration of work positioning proved to our firm and to several invitees from key public agencies (including NYC DDC, the Fire Department, MTA and others), that IRATA certified Rope Access works well. The project demonstration included IRATA personnel trained in the appropriate bricklaying and allied crafts of pointing, cleaning and caulking, as well as minor concrete repairs. The IRATA personnel were assisted ably by local personnel of the Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts,, who served in a supporting function. The Union personnel, themselves, expect to be trained and certified in IRATA rope access. This demonstration of work positioning showed that trained personnel on the ropes can provide certain contracting tasks more efficiently and safer than on traditional methods of access (e.g., swing scaffolding, cradles).

Bridges

Rope Access Inspection of The Forth Bridge, Scotland, UK

It should be noted that our IRATA certified bridge inspection personnel, working in small multidisciplined teams and utilizing Rope Access, also offer a double advantage; namely, a safe, cost effective approach to accessing the worksite while carrying out the inspections.

Work and Inspection Positioning, Rapid Deployment of Netting

We provided NYC City DOT, NY State DOT, the Thruway Authority, OSHA and others with a demonstration and/or lecture with full technical data on the cost effectiveness, safety and efficacy of Rope Access as an alternative to traditional inspection access systems.

What is done for inspecting the underside of the bridges is to use either work positioning netting, a lightweight span especially designed for installation using Rope Access -- up to 20m (75feet), or just plain Rope Access. The netting is made in sections so that it can be handled manually; i.e., less than 25 kilos. Everyone who uses the system must be Rope Access trained.

Netting, quickly deployed, for inspection and work positioning by and with Rope Access.

The netting is knotted and therefore it will not unravel. A third generation nylon (photo above is second generation) is used that is low absorbent/low stretch. As it deflects very little, it enables the engineer to perform the close-up inspection while standing right on the netting (while on the ropes, as well. It is required!). This netting is used to advantage for inspection and also is used for work positioning (spanning up to 50m (165ft) to access the underdeck of oil rigs) with only end anchor attachments. For the bridge under-deck, tension parallel wires are deployed across (underneath) and either the netting is quickly pulled out, or the wires are used to attach onto -- with the ropes as safety back up -- and the inspectors will winch themselves out. The latter is very quick. The spacing of the parallel wires depends on how large an area one requires access. In order to reach the soffits between the bridge beams, we use a variety of methods; special Hilti bolts, beam clamps, etc. The netting also is used for debris control.

Rope Access in NYC

Our technicians painting the ceiling of Madison Square Garden, between events, in 2003.

Painting the ceiling of Madison Square Garden, in 2003.

Inspecting the landmark American Express building, Downtown Manhattan.

Inspecting the stone facade of the American Express building, Downtown Manhattan.

Awards

The Greater New York Construction User Council (GNYCUC) for 2001 gave its Safety Award to the Rope Access Demonstration project at the November 20, 2001 Construction Industry Partnership's Safety Conference and Awards Luncheon.

The 2001 SAFETY AWARD program is co-sponsored by The Building Trades Employer's Association, the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and McGraw Hill's publication, "New York Construction News."

Conclusion

Using rope access, the entire façade inspection for the aforementioned buildings (going around the structures in multiple drops) was completed in hours, as compared to what would have taken days using traditional swing scaffolding. Due to its economics and efficiencies, it is our judgment that Rope Access will replace most close-up inspections from swing scaffolding and buckets, as well as permitted visual inspections of structural components from a distance. Using Rope Access, the entire inspection can be completed in a fraction of the time it takes using traditional inspector positioning techniques. Also, we eliminate the several hours it takes to make each move with traditional swing scaffolding. Likewise, by utilizing rope access for work positioning, we were able to complete the contracting functions - including pointing, cleaning, calking and concrete repairs, in a most efficient manner. Rope access provides work positioning for virtually every part of the structure to be repaired or inspected in a safer, more affordable and certainly more comprehensive manner for a multitude of contracting assignments.

Cutting Mortar Joints at The Aurora on the Ropes at The Aurora, A Union Job, May 2002