Installing large-scale equipment on a high-rise building rooftop — The many hurdles we faced
HVAC repair and upgrade work for Shiba Park Building | 2004
We won the contract to upgrade the HVAC systems at the massive Shiba Park Building. This project involved installing large-scale equipment on the rooftop using an extra-large crane, and we overcame numerous hurdles along the way to completion.
A large-scale project requiring a monster crane
The Shiba Park Building, measuring 140 meters in length, 50 meters in depth, and standing 14 stories tall, is commonly known as the "Battleship Building". In 2004, more than 20 years after its completion, we won the contract to upgrade the building's aging heat source systems. This was a major project involving the installation of large gas-fired chiller-heaters and air-cooled heat pump chillers, as well as the installation of new cooling towers and chilled-water pumps and extensive piping work. The project was carried out in a total of four phases.
The installation site was the building's rooftop. Installing such large equipment required a crane, and transporting it to the rooftop of the 14-story building required a 360-metric-ton-class crane of the type used in bridge construction.
When pushed to the limit, we came together to find solutions
However, an issue arose regarding the ground strength required to set up the crane, something that could not have been identified during the preliminary site survey. We also faced one hurdle after another, including complaints about noise from heavy machinery and construction work during periods when security guards were not on duty. As a result, changes to the work schedule led to continuous day-and-night operations, pushing the staff to the limits of their endurance.
Although the site was in a difficult situation, everyone involved came together to develop solutions and tackle the challenges. These included ensuring that the giant crane, assembled in an extremely tight space right next to the building, was never moved under its own power; protecting the crane installation area with steel plates and thoroughly checking its strength; implementing noise-control measures for nighttime construction; and coordinating the construction schedule with the security guards' shifts.
Looking Back on the Project
This was a project in which we pooled our efforts to overcome each challenge we faced, one by one. By overcoming these issues during the first of the four construction phases, we were able to proceed smoothly with the remaining phases. On large-scale projects like this, it is crucial to never give up, stay focused, and, above all, work as a team.
K. K., General Manager of Engineering Department