I know you are like me. You see climbing cranes on a high-rise building under construction and the cranes are lifting everything that goes into the building from structural steel to glass, studs, drywall, flooring, fixtures and furnishings. Somewhere in the back of your mind is the nagging question - “Okay, the building is topped out and generally finished; how are they going to get the cranes down?” If you are an architect like me, you still are amazed that the contractors and those fearless ironworkers can even get them up there, much less get them down.
What if the tower is over 2,000 feet in the air like the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai?
Here is a series of photos that will show how they did it. Oh yes, you will see them over a thousand feet in the air without tethers, not something any contractor I know would let you do. As my Dad used to tell me, “It is not the fall that kills you, it is the sudden stop.” Take a look, and then share what you learn with your friends.
For all you ironworkers out there, you guys are crazy good at what you do. Be safe up there.
Enjoy.
