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Sign Installation: Trump International Hotel & Tower

Chicago, IL

Contractor: Brand Scaffold, Poblocki Sign Company

Project Scope

The customers required access to the façade of Chicago’s second tallest skyscraper, Trump International Hotel and Tower, for the installation of the massive stainless steel, LED backlit ‘TRUMP’ letters to the building’s 15th floor level. 

Challenges

  • Weighing an average of 900 lbs, each letter varied in size. Collectively the signage spanned 140 linear feet.
  • The structure’s unique rigging challenges required a thoughtful solution to access the 15th floor level while minimizing disruption to the building’s occupants. 

Solution

Brand Scaffold rented and rigged two 40-ft swing stages powered by Spider’s SC1000 traction hoists and equipped with walk-thru stirrups for the six-week duration of the project. This granted the installer, Poblocki Sign Company, safe and secure access to the façade for the sign installation.

Additionally, a monorail trolley beam was installed at the 17th floor level to enable an SC1500 material hoist to be mobilized and repositioned as needed when lifting each of the massive letters safely into place.

When considering the structure’s unique rigging challenges, Spider collaborated with contractors to temporarily remove a section of windows on the 17th floor and anchor the outriggers directly into the concrete floor slabs two stories above the installation site. A staging area was established on the ground level to store and assemble the swing stage equipment prior to the installation, and a portion of Chicago’s famous Riverwalk below the installation site was closed to pedestrian traffic throughout the project’s duration to ensure public safety. 

Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago

“As a long-time customer of Spider equipment, we couldn’t be happier with their equipment’s ease of use. Even with multiple rigging changes, all trades involved on this complex project worked seamlessly together to safely install the signage according to the tight timeline.”

Mark Eesley | Installations, Service and Building Manager, Poblocki Sign Company