Heavydrive assembly at the Winthrop Center in Boston

A spectacular new skyscraper is being built in the financial district of Boston (Massachusetts, USA): The Winthrop Center, designed by Handel Architects LLP. Luxurious residential, office and retail space is being created here on 52 floors.

The installation of the façade elements posed a great challenge to the installation engineers. The 2.9-metre (9.5 feet) by 12.5-metre (41 feet) panes had to be placed behind columns under a four-metre deep projection. Because the façade glass is also extremely thick, it weighs 5,443 kilograms.

Heavydrive offered the ideal installation solution for the job: The pane is carried by a monorail system and rolled behind the columns beneath the projection. The VSG 6000 KM H vacuum suction system with a load capacity of up to 6,000 kilograms suctions the glass element. The system can be rotated 360 degrees by a motorised mechanism and tilted 90 degrees hydraulically. This allows the operator to accurately steer the pane towards the opening and insert it by radio remote control.

The Heavydrive VSG 6000 KM H has been in operation at the Winthrop Center in Boston since June 2022. The 210-metre (690.7 feet) tower is scheduled for completion in March 2023.