Blogs

Scaffolding the Statue of Liberty Few structures are as instantly recognizable as the Statue of Liberty. Standing in New York Harbor with her torch raised above the water, Lady Liberty has welcomed generations of immigrants, visitors, and ships approaching New York City. From a distance, she looks solid. Up close, the structure is much more complicated. The Statue of Liberty is not a massive solid sculpture. Her famous green exterior is made from relatively thin sheets of copper supported by an …

Scaffolding Big Ben Few landmarks say London quite like Big Ben. Technically, Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell inside Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster. But for generations, people around the world have used the name to describe the entire clock tower. And when you're responsible for maintaining a structure that recognizable, putting scaffolding around it is no small undertaking. The tower is more than 160 years old. It contains historic masonry, intricate architectural detai …

Scaffolding the Eiffel Tower Some structures are famous because they're old. Others because they're beautiful. A few become symbols of entire countries. The Eiffel Tower managed to become all three. Rising above Paris since 1889, the tower is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Millions of visitors see the finished landmark every year. What they don't usually think about is what it takes to maintain it. The Eiffel Tower isn't a monument that can simply be built and forgotten. I …

Building in Desert Environments When people picture a desert construction site, the first thing they usually think about is heat. And they're not wrong. But heat is only the beginning. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and the southwestern United States, contractors work in environments where extreme temperatures, blowing dust, intense sunlight, limited water, and dramatic temperature swings can affect almost every part of a project. Workers feel it. Equipment feels it. Materials feel it. Ev …

Restoring Ancient Structures in Italy There are old buildings. And then there are buildings that were already old before many modern countries existed. Italy is filled with structures that have survived centuries of weather, wars, earthquakes, changing cities, and generations of human use. Roman amphitheaters. Aqueducts. Temples. Stone walls. Ancient roads. Historic churches and public buildings. Some have stood for well over a thousand years. Others date back more than two thousand. Keeping str …