As a building Owner, Manager, or Residential Board Member, you’re probably aware that recent changes in the NYC Façade Inspection and Safety Program (formerly Local Law 11-98) now mandate a hands-on façade inspection every 60’0” above a public way (city street, plaza, etc.) on a five-year cycle. The cost of rigging and re-rigging suspended scaffold for these inspections can quickly build to a major expense. If your building has setbacks, it can be even worse, with repeated rigging required at each level. Adding to the cost, is the encumbrance of outriggers, scaffold platforms, electrical hook-ups, roof protection - and days of set-up and removal, potentially tying up building security and engineering staff.
Industrial Rope Access (IRA) offer a cost-effective, time-saving alternative, eliminating the need for scaffolding and facilitating a more efficient low-impact, façade inspection and investigation. Using only ropes, harnesses and specialty descent and climbing equipment, CANY’s experienced team of highly-trained and SPRAT-certified rope access technicians can inspect the facades of any building, meeting or exceeding FISP requirements at a lower cost in a fraction of the time required for scaffolds. CANY pioneered IRA inspection in NYC over 25 years ago; our team are experts in facades and roofs of all shapes and sizes. Tall buildings, complex overhangs, projecting cornices, multiple setbacks, flagpoles and spires: we regularly inspect all of these through industrial rope access. CANY works with a NYC Master or Special Rigger for each building, with a Rigging Plan for every project approved by the Cranes and Derricks Unit of the DOB.
More than just inspectors, the members of CANY’s SPRAT-certified IRA Team includes Senior Leadership, Studio Leads, Project Managers and even one of the company Principals. Our hands-on inspections and investigations are high-caliber, based upon hundreds of projects and backed by licensed design professionals with decades of experience. Our goal is to provide building Owners, Managers and Board Members with the information essential to making informed, cost-effective decisions regarding building enclosure repair and maintenance. CANY can help you craft a plan that fully addresses code-compliance and public safety, but that also acknowledges the realities of budget, active building use and Owner / Tenant wellbeing.
You may have seen IRA inspections similar to what’s pictured here in progress around NYC. CANY has used this method of inspection and investigation from coast-to-coast on buildings as diverse as FAA air traffic control towers, domes and spires, high-rise commercial properties and mid-height residential condominiums – even interior atriums. Whatever the height, configuration or use, IRA provides ultimate flexibility, safety, ease of access and low impact. On many buildings, CANY’s SPRAT rope access team can perform up to ten inspection drops in a day – the time required for a single suspended scaffold drop.
When multiple drops are needed to comply with FISP requirements, to inspect large structures or to access widespread deterioration, industrial rope access services provide the required means of hands-on evaluation at a reasonable cost – often a fraction of what’s required by other available means. On buildings with setbacks, rope protection and redirects allow a continuous path of descent, avoiding the need for costly re-rigging at each level.
CANY’s Industrial rope access services are building-friendly. They don’t require exhaustive coordination with facilities management and other building services. Required equipment is minimal when compared to suspended scaffolding, eliminating intensive use of elevators and stairs. On buildings with BMU’s (house-rigs) there’s no time or money wasted on operator certifications or moving equipment around the roof. On most buildings, our team can rig, gear-up and get to work within 60-90 minutes. And IRA is the lightest touch of any inspection method, eliminating the potential for roof and façade damage.
CANY’s Industrial Rope Access Technicians are also qualified façade consultants. Backed by our experienced architects and engineers, CANY’s SPRAT Certified Rope Access Team not only covers more of the façade more efficiently, we know from training and experience what we’re looking at. We start evaluating your building enclosure problems the minute we step over the parapet. That means we deliver deep insight with straight facts, in context, with the full range of options available for responsible repair and maintenance.
CANY responds to façade emergencies on a regular basis. When you need immediate assessment and interim mitigation of unsafe conditions, there’s no time to waste. Working together, CANY and Master Rigger Cole NYC can be onsite immediately - evaluating conditions, installing containment netting and stabilizing / removing hazards for the protection of Owners, tenants and the public.
Engaging CANY’s SPRAT-certified Industrial Rope Access Team can be the first step on the path to a clearer understanding of the safety, stability and watertightness of your building enclosure. At CANY, we pride ourselves on providing deep insight, real answers, creative solutions and a full range of cost-effective façade repair and maintenance options. Contact us today to discuss how CANY can help find the best solutions for your building enclosure needs.
A Full Spectrum Building Enclosure Architectural and Engineering Services. CANY is a lot more than just IRA and FISP filing. Together, CANY Technical Services LLC and CANY Architecture + Engineering DPC provide a full suite of building enclosure services - from initial inspection and assessment through construction document preparation, bidding, project filing, submittal and shop drawing review, progress inspection, LPC administration and project sign-off. CANY covers all building enclosure systems from roofing to foundation waterproofing, from replacement windows and curtainwall to sidewalk vault reconstruction. We specialize in keeping occupied buildings of all types - residential, commercial and institutional - up and running during repair, maintenance, and even recladding. Our Conservation and Historic Preservation specialists have restored some of New York’s most beloved architectural icons. CANY’s New Construction division assists Owners, Developers and Architects in design and construction of new building enclosures, helping to get things right from the ground up. CANY DPC is an IAS-accredited Special Inspection Agency for curtainwall / panel wall, masonry and EIFS.
