Masonry Magazine September 1977 Page. 11
MONEY-SAVING IDEAS FOR MASON CONTRACTORS
Chicago Mason Contractor Rebuilds Bank
...From Top Down!
TO OUR READERS: This is the second of a new series of features introduced in the June, 1977 issue of Masonry. We invite members and other firms to submit innovative methods and systems that have been used successfully to cut masonry construction time and trim costs. Photos, which will be returned on request, should be black and white glossy prints.-Ed.
THE PROBLEM
A major Chicago bank recently decided to renovate a 35-year-old building it owned to house some of the bank's operations. The project involved a seven-story, 127-foot-tall structure just south of Chicago's Loop and called for a complete renovation of the interior and the exterior masonry shell. The work, too, had to be accomplished while the building was partially occupied with as little disturbance as possible to employees of the bank.
THE SOLUTION
A unique answer to the problem was devised by the general contractor, W. E. O'Neil Construction Company, and the mason contractor, V. S. Wallgren Company, both headquartered in Chicago. Since the exterior demolition of the masonry work had to begin at the top of the building, their unusual approach was to start the renovation also at the top and work down! And as each floor opened for occupancy, the bank employees would not be distracted or inconvenienced by the work either inside or outside their immediate working environment.
I-Beams Support New Masonry
In demolishing the exterior masonry, Wallgren removed the existing outside layer of brick and mortar and cut new window openings. The brick, which were dismantled with pneumatic hammers, were dropped to the ground through a disposal chute running the height of the building.
After the brick were removed from around an entire floor, steel I-beams were attached to the existing core of