Project Overview:
The Senate Hart Building in Washington, D.C.
RK HydroVac needed to vacuum 1.5” to 2.5” large crushed stone from an IRMA roof system (Inverted Roof Membrane Assembly) 130 feet high. All the work needed to be completed from one access point on the ground, so this required RK to vacuum the stone over 650 feet. There were 12 different roof areas, and large areas, that were lower than the main roof, which meant RK had to vacuum the large stone up from the lower levels. All the vacuuming had to be completed between 6:00 pm and 4:00 am and the vacuum truck had to be removed from the job site at the end of each night. The project had to be started and completed while the Senate was on vacation or in recess. The stone was to be recycled as per LEEDS.
Project Challenges:
Night Work: Each night the crew would need to bring the vacuum truck and equipment through the security, and had to call the recycling center to arrange for them to open so that RK could dump the truck during the night.
Multi-level: The main roof was 130 feet high and was surrounded by two lower-tier perimeter roofs. The first perimeter roof was 15 feet lower than the main roof and the second perimeter roof was 25 feet lower than the main roof. Additionally, the main roof had three courtyard-type roofs that were 20 to 30 feet lower than the main roof level and were full of skylights. RK’s crew had to position the vacuum line across the main roof and around the lower roof levels, over 500 feet, before lowering the line 15, then 25 feet, onto the lower perimeter roofs. The crew had to work from retractable fall arrest systems while vacuuming the lower levels.
Long Stretches: RK was provided with only one ground-level access point from which they had to vacuum the stone over 600 feet to complete the job.
Time Constraints: The vacuuming could not start until after the Senate went on recess (vacation), and it had to be completed before they returned, which was about 30 days. RK’s crew started work on August 5th and completed the work on August 26th.
Safety: RK personnel had to use a fall arrest system with retractable lanyards for all the roof areas lower than the main roof. The roofing contractor provided the necessary lighting to work at night.
High Security: All personnel were required to pass comprehensive background checks, and were also subject to about an hour of security procedure prior to entering the job site each day.
End Result:
RK’s crew worked each night from August 5th through August 26th and completed the job in 21 days while the senate was in recess.
