Construction started in 2004 and after many delays is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014. The Fulton Center is a mega hub linking 11 subway lines at 6 sta- tions and will connect to the new World Trade Center by subway and pedes- trian walkway. It features over 180,000 square feet of commercial space which will be used for offices, shops and restaurants. Fulton’s most prominent -ar chitectural feature is the breathtaking domed atrium of glass and steel that magnificently bounces natural light down to the lowest level of the atrium.
The Fulton Center is a $1.4 billion project under construction by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public agency of New York City. The Fulton Center is a complicated, multi-faceted project because it connects half of all the subway lines in New York City and sees approximately 300,000 people pass through the station every day. ReachMaster, Inc. started the initial evaluation of the project in 2003 with the building architects well before building construction start- ed. The next 2 years was spent exchanging drawings, evaluating scale models and in depth consultation to find a solution that would allow a lift to enter the facility under extreme and difficult access conditions.
From the onset it was known that the lift would have to come in via railcar, yet the overall design of the entrance area on the lower level had to first and foremost meet New York City building code and standards, making it very difficult to incorporate features that would allow for easier access of the unit.
The initial project called for a solution where the lift would be stored off-site and brought in on a special built railcar with a turn table. Af- ter evaluating the logistics involved, not to mention the disruptions of the train schedule, it was determined that a better solution was to cre- ate a storage room at the station for the lift to stay in permanently.
The lift project was delayed for a number of years, but was eventual- ly approved in 2012 after the construction was nearings its final stage. In 2013 ReachMaster, Inc. was able to do the first actual evalu- ation of the Fulton Center construction site with several walk- throughs and meetings with the contractors, construction com- panies and other key players in the project, including the MTA.
Project Criteria:
- 120’ work height needed to clean and maintain the glass and steel atrium from below ground level
- Single Door Access
- Load lift onto a train car in the Bronx
- Travel through the subway to deliver the lift to an under- ground level, where it will remain and be utilized
- Offload lift at the subway station onto the platform
- Maneuver lift through doorway and construction work to get into the building
- Perform delivery in 20 minutes while New York Public Transit System is shut down at 2AM ReachMaster Falcon FS121
The Falcon FS121 is the only aerial lift in the world that Due to the complexity of the project ReachMaster created a project team features 121’ work height to coordinate the critical details of delivery of the Falcon FS121 which in- and single door access com- cluded training and logistics personnel as well as employees from Able bined with an extremely Equipment (Deer Park, NY)- one of ReachMaster’s dealer partners. The small footprint and low entire team of people that would assist with the delivery had to under- weight making it the perfect go 8 hours of track training administered by the MTA of New York City. lift for the Fulton Center. After many months of coordinating and analyzing the delivery scenario it was decided that the New York Transit System would shut down one sub- way track for 4 hours in order to deliver the lift safely. Let it be noted, sub- Working Height: 121 ft way trains were constantly traveling in both directions mere inches away Max Outreach: 53 ft from where the FS121 was being offloaded, as it was the only track available. Basket Load: 440 lbs Overall Width: 2 ft 11 in Overall Height: 6 ft 6 in Total Weight: 15,840 lbs The Falcon FS121 was delivered to the rail yard in the Bronx where it was craned onto the railcar by Able Equipment. The lift had to be strapped down tightly to ensure that it did not move or incur any dam- age. The FS121 spent the night on the Brooklyn Bridge and started its journey to the Fulton Street Transit Center at 2AM the next morning.
The railcar pulls into the station with the FS121 on board. Note the height and width of the lift in comparison to the low ceiling of the subway station and width of the railway. Another challenge the team faced was getting the lift onto the station platform that was 6” away and 3” lower than the railcar. Wood and steel plates were laid down to fill in the gap and level the difference. One outrigger on the lift was lowered to a few inches off the ground for safety.
While offloading, there was only 2 inches of clearance between the lift and the concrete columns at the station. The lift did have an inevitable slight tail swing into the operating subway track lane for a very short time while driving off the railcar. Due to many changes of the details between the initial evaluation and the final design, the access area represented an even more complicated challenge than expected as far as location of doors and permanent obstacles while manuevering the lift into the building. Through multiple doorways, under and around concrete beams, the Falcon finally makes it to the main building in the Fulton Center. The FS121 will be used to clean and maintain the glass and metal atrium structure in the main entrance of the Fulton Center from below ground level. The lift could not be placed at street level due to the design of the building which features a narrow walk- way that circles around the outer edge of the open atrium overlooking the level below. The Fulton Station, once complete, will represent a beautiful and significant place to enter and exit the new World Trade Center. It will serve as a beacon of freedom, and demonstrate the resolve of the United States, and the people of New York City. ReachMaster is honored to be a part of such architectural bril- liance and a stunning landmark that will be enjoyed for many years to come.