Masonry Magazine June 2004 Page. 29
NT TO SEE A SHORT PERIOD RETURN ON
HE BENEFITS OF MASONRY'S "BIG RIGS."
CAA MEMBER GATES CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, CHARLOTTE, N.C., RELIES on its 24 mast climbers from Hydek, Atlanta, Ga., to help them scale the sides of buildings such as the Sharon Towers in Charlotte. Many buildings in downtown Charlotte do not have much more than the width of a sidewalk in which to place machinery. Hydek mast-climbing equipment allows Gates to work in that limited space.
Recently, Gates Construction needed assistance in preparing to work on the Presbyterian Hospital project in downtown Charlotte. The Hydek staff advised the general contractor and structural engineer on how to cantilever out three floors in the air and then set the scaffold on a tower crane to take it up eight floors.
"Hydek had all their weights figured out and the layout of how the scaffolding needed to be applied, and when they walked away, the architect, the contractor and the structural engineer were all satisfied," says Dink Mitchell, General Superintendent for Gates Construction.
While Gates Construction might be larger than a typical masonry company, their story is not unique in the industry. Mast climbers have been popular with larger companies for several years, allowing them to do the really big jobs faster, easier and safer than would be possible with pipe scaffolding or even some of the competitive non-motorized self-erecting scaffolds. It's unusual to see a large masonry project wrapped in anything but a mast climber these days.
But where does the return on investment (ROI) for a mast climber allow a company to consider this productivity enhancer? What size company or job makes it impractical to consider anything else?
'We liked it so much...'
REMEMBER THE TV COMMERCIAL with the tag line, "I liked the product so much, I bought the company"? In Bozeman, Mont., Anthony Smith of Smith Precision Masonry liked mast climbers from Bennu, Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada, so much, he spun off Big Sky Scaffolding to distribute the units in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming and Washington.
CRANKUP
SCAFFOLDING
THE NAME SAYS IT ALL!
EZ
SCAFFOLD
Heaviest Construction
5 Board Laborer Platform
7000 lb. Capacity
MIGHTY
Removable Mason
and Laborer Tenders
Easy to Maneuver
Most Versatile System
L
62 Base Width
5 Board Laborer Platform
Many Transport Options
All models are made from the highest quality materials, and are fully compliant to current OSHA starndards. Full Factory Warranty Powder Coat Painting of all models Distributor Inquiries Welcome
CrankUp Scaffolding U.S.A.
1633 Blairs Bridge Road
Atlanta, GA 30122
Ph. 770-944-7400
Fax 770-944-7188
(800) 896-9464
Check out our website
www.crankupscaffoldusa.com
CIRCLE 183 ON READER SERVICE CARD
The Voice of the Mason Contractor
June 2004
Masonry
27