DCM Erectors employed their unique high speed climbing system on the One WTC project. Safety and operations manager Richard Gilbert says: "It works on three sets of two climbing tracks that are fastened to the building structure. One set of climbing tracks is moved from below the crane to above of the crane for the next move. The crane works when sitting on the middle set of tracks. The hydraulic system moves the crane upward like if it was climbing a ladder. Climbing two floors takes approximately two hours. Installing the tracks is lengthier, approximately four hours."
"The system reduces the amount of tower sections required, and the time of the actual climb. Also there is no need for comeback work either filling in the floors or closing the skin of the building after its climbed, this reduces the dismantling time. For this job it made more sense to minimise the comeback work that would be required if using a top climbing system."
In regards to who could operate such a system Gilbert said that some training was required to show the sequence of the moves. But any good operator could easily be trained for this. The firm said they had a few inquiries about the system already from US and Europe.
One World Trade Center stands a symbolic 1,776 feet high (a reference to the year of American independence), the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and third tallest in the world. DCM said they had great sense of pride to be selected for the project.
