Rope access
Rope access for towers and tall podiums
One technician to a pair of lines, working down the face bay by bay from an anchor on the roof. It reaches glass a lift can't, with no scaffold and nothing on the sidewalk but a cordon.
Good fit for
Condo and office towers
Curtain wall, window wall and balcony glass
Glass past the reach of a boom lift
Buildings with no platform or davits
Included
What a rope-access visit covers
Written on your drop plan, bay by bay, so you can check it against the elevation drawing.
Glass, frames and mullions
Washed, squeegeed and checked from a second angle before the technician moves down.
Balcony and terrace glass
Railing glass and the outside face of balcony doors, with resident notice sent first.
Glass and seals flagged
Cracked panes, failed seals and loose caps are marked by floor in the drop report.
Rinse and a last look
Frames and sills are rinsed so nothing runs onto the glass below.
A visit, in order
How a drop day goes
The same order every day, so your engineer knows what to expect.
- 01
Step 1: Anchors checked
The safety director or lead inspects each anchor and signs the log before ropes go over.
- 02
Step 2: Notice posted
The lobby notice and the cordon go up, and the building contact is told we are on the roof.
- 03
Step 3: Lines rigged
Main and second line, each on its own anchor, with the descender and fall-arrest device checked.
- 04
Step 4: Drop, bay by bay
Technicians work down in a set order. Wind is read at the roof every hour.
- 05
Step 5: Lines down, report out
Gear comes in, the cordon comes down and the day's report goes to your manager.
Limits
What we don't do here
Rope access has a short list of things we won't do.
Work in a wind hold
When readings pass the limit in your plan, the ropes come off the face and your manager is told.
Work alone
A technician is always on the roof at the anchors or paired on the face.
Repair glass or seals
We flag what we find. Replacing glass and resealing are for your glazier.
Questions about this work
Do you need to close the sidewalk?
Usually a cordoned strip below the drop, with cones and a spotter if the plan calls for one. We plan it with your manager and note it on the drop plan.
What do residents see?
A technician outside the window at some point in the day. Notices go out first and say which floors on which days.
How long does a tower take?
It depends on the number of bays, the glass type and the weather. The bid gives the weeks we propose, and the report shows progress each day.
Want the drop plan for your building?
Send the address and the number of floors. A surveyor replies within one business day to set the roof visit.