Photo Courtesy of Al Fazzini

L.F. Driscoll Co., Bala Cynwyd, Pa., broke ground on the 628,000-sq-ft, 289-unit tower in May 2006. The lower structure was intertwined with 49 transfer girders, weighing 733 tons and traditional steel framing, with reinforced concrete beam and slab construction through the third floor.

The company used a German automatic-climbing forming system for the concrete placement. It featured a perimeter protection barrier, enclosing the entire working deck, which enhanced safety and provided weather protection. Formwork was easily raised by way of hydraulic lifts and helped to achieve the four-day turnaround per floor once crews passed the 13th floor.

Curtain wall subcontractor, Enclos, proposed using a curtain wall system from China to mitigate the long lead times and reduce the escalating costs that were occurring in the industry at that time. That saved about $2 million in costs compared to a U.S. manufacturer.

Driscoll completed the project in November 2008.