Dismantling the 1818 Fairview Tower Crane

It was a two-day job that will play its part in changing the Seattle skyline forever. As part of an ongoing relationship with builders known for their work throughout the West Coast, the crane services team from Omega Morgan’s Seattle office worked on a project that our team members (as well as the residents of the northwest Metropolis) will not soon forget.

Our task: dismantle a tower crane involved in the construction of the new and potentially iconic 1818 Fairview Life Science office building, and place a roof along with glass roof panels in its place. From permitting and planning to a safe execution in tight spaces, our Seattle crane team completed the project to full satisfaction.

The Problem: Major Operations in a Tight Space

Any contractor working on 1818 Fairview encounters both an opportunity and a challenge. This building has the chance to change the face of Seattle. It is ‘designed to create collaboration, camaraderie, and renewal to become one of Seattle’s best workplaces’. In other words, it’s a project anyone interested in the future of the city would be excited to be a part of.

Omega Morgan’s work was specifically designed to disassemble a Liebherr 550 tower crane, which had completed its tasks in the construction and now needed to be removed from the site. The tower crane was 200’ tall with 241’ jib. The 550 ton mobile crane had to set up at a 150’ radius to reach all components of the tower crane in order to dismantle it. This was no easy task. Power lines were de-energized to put the mobile crane in exactly the right spot. Our crane team also worked with the building’s general contractor, BNBuilders, to place the building’s atrium roof and glass roof panels after the crane was removed.

The major challenge was the location. Thanks to a tight road and its waterside placement, 1818 Fairview is difficult to work around. That meant extensive planning, permitting, and prep work had to be done before our crew could start to move in. Fortunately, Omega Morgan was up to the task.

The Process: Expert Planning and Efficient Execution

It began with the planning. In working with BNBuilders and NW Tower Crane, we knew the window of completion was tight. Our crane team began the street use permitting process prior to the job, as part of our turnkey services in the project.

The actual project took two days. For safety purposes, we maintained all required setbacks from the surrounding power lines. Meanwhile, two UPO offers were deployed throughout both days to keep pedestrians and other civilians safe and away from the project. A narrow road with trees and communication wires were obstacles we could easily overcome, thanks to our team’s experience in navigating tight spaces.

The first day consisted of mobilization and assembling the Grove 550 ton mobile crane before the 7am Pre-Lift Safety Meeting. We utilized the 60-ton mobile crane to assemble the 550 ton mobile crane’s luffing jib. After the Safety Meeting, we began dismantling the tower crane. Our Grove 550 ton mobile crane took the lead, assisted by a 60 ton boom truck. Disassembly of the Liebherr, which was protruding through the atrium room, was finished within a single day. That included a 35,000 pound lift of the tower crane turntable at 150’ radius.

On the second day, we focused specifically on the roof. Our Grove 550 ton mobile crane was once again in action, placing both the atrium roof and glass roof panels in the location on the roof where the tower crane had protruded through the building. By the end of the second day, our work was complete.

The Result: Playing a Part in Changing Seattle

1818 Fairview has a chance to become an iconic building in Seattle. Through the crane dismantling, we played our part in making that future a reality. Our partner on the project, NW Tower Crane, has built a reputation for its crane work in the Seattle area. We partner with them frequently on projects like this, thanks to our dedicated expertise and mutually built-up trust in the quality of work.

That was the case once again on this project. We were able to complete both the tower crane dismantle and the new roof placement safely, on time, on budget, and to full satisfaction. It was a routine job for our experienced team. The fact that this building will make an impact on one of the most significant cities in the United States makes it worth remembering.