Houston, TX:  As the commercial building market heats up, McDonough Elevators has noticed a trend in building renovations and expansions.  The company recently completed a hospital expansion project in West Houston that required some “out of the box” thinking to meet the client’s needs.

Due to the sensitive nature of the location in which the hoist would be operating, McDonough was faced with the challenge of installing a temporary personnel/material hoist on a 6 story structure without having to make multiple attachments to the client’s building.  With limited options for locating the hoist at grade elevation, the elevator had to be placed adjacent to the hospital’s critical care units which would be occupied for the duration of the expansion project.  Potential construction noise and vibration was a concern for hospital officials given the proximity of the hoist to the critical care units. 

Drawing from past experience, McDonough recommended its proven method of utilizing a “free-standing” tower-crane support structure to properly secure the hoist tower.   This allowed the personnel/material hoist to travel to the upper floors and roof level where the expansion work was being performed without disturbing the patients in the critical care units below.  “We have used this strategy on many occasions and have found it to be an extremely effective method when the client needs to minimize impact to the existing structure,” stated Steve Ridout, Southwest Regional Manager.  “We are constantly searching for safe, cost-effective solutions to meet our client’s needs.”