Below are some of our past projects, detailing the problems presented to Levitator and the solutions we offered. We specialize in unique or unusual jobs, including...



...the tallest building in America, West of the Mississippi.



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 JOB:         WATER TOWER
 LOCATION:    PUGET SOUND AREA, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  WESTERN INDUSTRIAL
 OWNER:       US GOVERNMENT
Levitator erected scaffold and contained this water tower for Western Industrial to sand-blast and paint. The tank is located in an environmentally sensitive area by Puget Sound and need to be contained such that lead paint would not be allowed into the air. Containment was achieved using Monarflex for Total Site Protection.


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 JOB:         PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY RE-PAINT
 LOCATION:    EVERETT, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  C&I PAINTING
 OWNER:       GTE


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This pedestrian walkway is the main entrance to the GTE NW corporate office. Levitator was requested to scaffold and contain the walkway during the wet winter season to allow removal of old paint and minor repairs by C&I Painting. The contractor was enabled to continue work without regard to daily weather conditions.


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 JOB:         NORTHWEST CORPORATE PARK
 LOCATION:    KENT, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  TATLEY GRUND
 OWNER:       TRAMMEL CROWE
This large building (app. 1200 feet long) in Kent required extensive repair of the top chord. As cold weather began to set in, it was necessary to maintain a minimum temperature level. Levitator was instructed to design a movable system that would maintain heat, allow full access to the panel and not intrude into the panel at any point. The system pictured is a unique "hybrid" that fulfilled these requirements. The shell is composed of System scaffolding, and on the inside attached to beams with a dual cable system is a motorized suspended platform. The edge of the platform is visible in the lower right of the picture. Detachable plastic panels are mounted at an angle against the wall and the entire system is mounted on casters making it easy to move from one location to another. For temperature control, heaters and thermostats were installed at the base.


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 JOB:         USS NIMITZ
 LOCATION:    US NAVAL SHIPYARD, BREMERTON, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  RAYTHEON
 OWNER:       US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Levitator was instructed to provide access to all points of the antenna array on the bridge of the USS Nimitz. To accomplish this and other similar jobs, Levitator utilizes "system" scaffolding. This type of scaffolding is more versatile and accommodates irregularly shaped structures more easily. Another point to note for this particular job are the logistics required to work on such a large structure as an aircraft carrier. Due to the tremendous cost of standby time as well as the strict regulatory, safety and paperwork requirements needed to perform work while this ship is in dry dock, it is critical that equipment be delivered and erected in a timely manner. Efficient communication between the Contractor, the Navy and Levitator is key to this type of work. When necessary, Levitator is committed to providing the personnel and office support necessary to meet the demands of documentation intensive projects.

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 JOB:         USS NIMITZ
 LOCATION:    US NAVAL SHIPYARD, BREMERTON, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  RAYTHEON
 OWNER:       US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
This picture represents a problem area that Levitator was given to build a scaffold to. Because of the work going on in the bottom of the dry dock the scaffold could not be built from the ground up. Levitator came up with this concept to access the area which allowed work to continue in the drydock without any obstructions. The base dimensions for this scaffold were 2'7" by 27' and hung down 18' then cantilevered in 16' to the hull. Levitator again designed and built a platform to access a problem area that otherwise would have cost many hours of delays in production for other craft needing to complete work on a tight time schedule.


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 JOB:         STRATOSPHERE
 LOCATION:    LAS VEGAS, NV
 CONTRACTOR:  TAYLOR INTERNATIONAL
 OWNER:       Grand Casinos MN.
The Stratosphere casino in Las Vegas is the tallest building in America West of the Mississippi. During its construction, proper rigging was critical for the various trades who needed to access the building's exterior. Levitator was hired for both design and on site rigging, both key components in implementing the systems necessary to complete this complex job. Due to its height, rigging this building called for custom cabling systems and tie-downs, engineered suspended platform "bridges" able to conform to the variance of the support columns, custom davit designs as well as numerous other rigging activities that were unique to this job. In addition, Systems scaffolding was used to access critical areas in the upper portions underneath the saucer.


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 JOB:         BELLTOWN COURT CONDOMINIUMS
 LOCATION:    SEATTLE, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  TATLEY GRUND
 OWNER:       INTRACORP.
This interesting job was located in downtown Seattle. The building pictured occupied a full city block. Due to a failure of the bonding system in the wall, it was necessary to remove significant portions of the building's exterior while the building remained occupied. The repair process required that a constant temperature be maintained around the repair surface. In addition, since units were still occupied, it was critical that an enclosure system be provided which would guarantee protection against weather intrusion. As the entire building was to be repaired, Levitator was instructed to design a system that was symmetrical, able to be moved efficiently, and capable of withstanding winter temperatures and winds of at least 80mph (in December, winds reached 100mph). Although you cannot see them in this picture, in anticipation of high winds custom tie-ins were fabricated by Levitator Fabrication. The design was critical to the repair process; the custom tie-ins attached at the floor joist thus allowing complete panel repair without intrusion.


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 JOB:         WESTERN STATES HOSPITAL
 LOCATION:    TACOMA, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  LONGS SERVICES
 OWNER:       STATE OF WASHINGTON
The ninety year old exhaust stack pictured required asbestos removal from its exterior. Originally, specifications were called to encircle the stack and scaffold up from the roof. However, after investigation by the Owner's engineers, it was determined that the roof was structurally inadequate to support the load. Shoring the roof would have been difficult and expensive; all boiler machinery is located in this area. After consideration, Levitator proposed that a shoring tower be built from the ground up with a 4-point rigging attachment built by Levitator Fabrication supporting a suspended platform. This solutions worked out well; access was quicker with a motorized system versus a static system as originally called for. Another benefit was the fact that plastic sheeting could be attached to the platform to trap the debris as it was removed from the stack.

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 JOB:         ROCKY REACH DAM
 LOCATION:    ROCKY REACH, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  IRS ENVIRONMENTAL
 OWNER:       STATE OF WASHINGTON
On this job, IRS Environmental needed to access the tainter gates for rust repair, lead abatement, and sealant. Levitator was instructed to provide a work platform that would span the full length of the gates. The final design used on this job consisted of placing two aluminum platforms side by side then decking between them to establish a work deck. The advantage to this was that the components were modular and thus could be craned into position. The assembly process is depicted in the image below.

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 JOB:         UNITED AIRLINES TERMINAL
 LOCATION:    TORONTO, CANADA
 CONTRACTOR:  UNITED AIRLINES
 OWNER:       UNITED AIRLINES
On this job, the contractor wanted access to the full surface of the aircraft. In addition, the rigging had to be extremely mobile so that the aircraft could be positioned within the rigging points with minimal delay. This was accomplished by using systems scaffolding towers with beams mounted on top. These tower systems were fitted with steel casters and mounted on tracks for easy repositioning. As you can see in the image, a double beam system has been used. The addition of this extra support cable eliminates the need for an independant safety line, requiring rather that the worker be tied off to the platform. In those rare instances where a swing stage provides best access but safety line tiebacks are not readily available, Levitator has provided these systems. Please see the Department of Labor and Industries consultative visit report.


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 JOB:         NORTHWEST CORPORATE PARK
 LOCATION:    KENT, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  TATLEY GRUND
 OWNER:       TRAMMEL CROWE
These images illustrate a process in which swing stage and system scaffolding were used to shore, stabilize and provide a work deck for a sophisticated concrete repair job. The first image shows the panel before repair began. Levitator elected to position a swing stage on the front of the repair area. It was felt that a swing stage would provide the lowest impact work surface and material lift unlike a forklift or JLG which would have the possibility of striking a "blow" onto the work area. The subsequent images evidence this need.


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Here we see the work surface almost ready for repair. The contractor needed to pour concrete around the panel you see here. At this stage, rebar tying the panel into the main wall is still visible, but before the pour it was completely removed. Levitator was instructed to shore, brace and "fix" the panel into position so that it would not deviate more than 1/16th of an inch. In other words, this panel was completely "free floating" with only the systems scaffolding and bracing holding it in place. An added difficulty was that on the opposite side of the wall and inside the building, a Boeing supply depot was situated which limited the distance in which our shoring and bracing could be positioned.


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Now we see the manner in which the panel was shored. To compensate for limited width, the shoring was jacked into the roof for added stability. Bracing was maneuvered through the shoring and into the work surface. During the pour, through use of a dial indicator, the standard of 1/16th of and inch was met by use of this system.


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 JOB:         LAKE MERRIT TOWERS
 LOCATION:    OAKLAND, CA
 CONTRACTOR:  HARMON GLASS
On this job, the contractor needed to traverse the radial surface for a glass curtain wall. The glass pieces were large enough that the contractor requested that we set up our platforms to conform to the complete arc. The image indicates how this was done: a weight and counterbalance system was set up on the roof, attached were suspended scaffolds with radial breaks.


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 JOB:         NORTHERN STATES HOSPITAL
 LOCATION:    SEDRO-WOOLLEY, WA
 CONTRACTOR:  STATE OF WASHINGTON
 OWNER:       STATE OF WASHINGTON
Here we see a basic frame scaffold set-up. For this particular job, the contractor needed a scaffold with a top deck which could be used to remove asbestos tainted tiles from the roof. This was accomplished by using three foot wide frames from the ground up with a solid work deck on top.