SAN ANTONIO | Canopy by Hilton Hotel | 247 FT | 24 FLOORS │ U/C - Page 16

JACKinBeantown · #**301** Posted **Sep 3, 2018, 12:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by txex06

Canopy crane is now peaking its head into the sky. It's right behind the Drury sign.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fryguy

Interesting. Seems a bit tall for construction having just started.

Looks to be about 300 feet. Looks to be kinda dangerous.

KevinFromTexas · #**302** Posted **Sep 3, 2018, 1:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fryguy

Interesting. Seems a bit tall for construction having just started.

It's unlikely that they'll need to raise the crane. Typically, tower cranes are located about 50 to 60 feet over the roof of the building they're working on unless they're at a site with multiple tower cranes where they need to stagger the heights of them so they can swing freely. 300 feet for a crane is tall, but it's not unheard of. In the past few years, there have been at least 2 in Austin that were over 300 feet. I think the tallest was 320, from what I remember from the FAA permit.

Txdev · #**303** Posted **Sep 3, 2018, 5:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

It's unlikely that they'll need to raise the crane. Typically, tower cranes are located about 50 to 60 feet over the roof of the building they're working on unless they're at a site with multiple tower cranes where they need to stagger the heights of them so they can swing freely. 300 feet for a crane is tall, but it's not unheard of. In the past few years, there have been at least 2 in Austin that were over 300 feet. I think the tallest was 320, from what I remember from the FAA permit.

I think that’s about the upper limit for a crane not supported by a building. (Like frost had a beam connecting to te side of the building once it got higher.)

But this one had to be high enough to weathervane over the section of the Drury closest to the site.

babysal · #**304** Posted **Sep 5, 2018, 1:52 PM**

images from the week of Sep 5th

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JACKinBeantown · #**305** Posted **Sep 5, 2018, 1:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by babysal

That is ONE TALL Crane!

It sure is. Thanks for the pics. I love how the old Frost building has crown spikes from the new one in the second picture.

Also, this part of the Riverwalk is going to be very different in a couple years:

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.4251...7i13312!8i6656

Fryguy · #**306** Posted **Sep 5, 2018, 11:17 PM**

Driving back home from work today (south i35 to i10), I noticed something blinking not far from the Canopy crane. It was about the same height as the crane and was a consistent blinking light. I have never seen it before. I wish I took video or a pic, but might anyone know what I am talking about? It was not a small light...it looked pretty large as it stood in the foreground of the Canopy crane.

AwesomeSAView · #**307** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 1:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fryguy

Driving back home from work today (south i35 to i10), I noticed something blinking not far from the Canopy crane. It was about the same height as the crane and was a consistent blinking light. I have never seen it before. I wish I took video or a pic, but might anyone know what I am talking about? It was not a small light...it looked pretty large as it stood in the foreground of the Canopy crane.

Cell tower perhaps??

There are several very tall cell towers with blinking red lights downtown. It actually makes the night skyline look very interesting with the rest of the lit buildings downtown!!

Fryguy · #**308** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 2:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwesomeSAView

Cell tower perhaps??

There are several very tall cell towers with blinking red lights downtown. It actually makes the night skyline look very interesting with the rest of the lit buildings downtown!!

This was not a red light and it was during the day. It was a white light.

Txdev · #**309** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 3:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fryguy

This was not a red light and it was during the day. It was a white light.

I looked this morning and noticed a tower with a white blinking light. I think it’s a cell tower at the 3rd and Broadway telecom building. Seems like it had been there, but we just haven’t been looking in the air as much.

JACKinBeantown · #**310** Posted **Sep 19, 2018, 1:08 AM**

https://instagram.fbos1-1.fna.fbcdn....85540116_n.jpg

The Model · #**311** Posted **Sep 29, 2018, 5:36 AM**

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Hilton Canopy Construction by Raul Medina III, on Flickr[/IMG]

Txdev · #**312** Posted **Sep 29, 2018, 11:56 AM**

Nice view!

That first floor slab should be poured this weekend, and then onward and upward.

JACKinBeantown · #**313** Posted **Sep 29, 2018, 7:04 PM**

This will be a great place to stay for people going to see a show at the Aztec Theatre. They have something happening pretty much every night.

http://www.theaztectheatre.com/

Fryguy · #**314** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 6:44 AM**

I had a feeling they were going to do a late night/ early morning concrete pour, which is what is taking place now. Anyone know why they do the concrete pours so early?

KevinFromTexas · #**315** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 11:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fryguy

I had a feeling they were going to do a late night/ early morning concrete pour, which is what is taking place now. Anyone know why they do the concrete pours so early?

It's mostly because they have to bring in the concrete with a lot of concrete trucks, and as a way of avoiding traffic and pedestrians, they do it early. Doing it later in the day would mean a steady stream of concrete trucks rumbling through downtown among all the daily buzz.

Txdev · #**316** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 12:16 PM**

Agree w Kevin, and also concrete is stronger when it cures slowly and at not-so-hot temperatures, so they try to avoid pouring it at the heat of the day.

Fryguy · #**317** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

It's mostly because they have to bring in the concrete with a lot of concrete trucks, and as a way of avoiding traffic and pedestrians, they do it early. Doing it later in the day would mean a steady stream of concrete trucks rumbling through downtown among all the daily buzz.

Thanks.

Any ideas as to where they will be the concrete pump within the building?

Txdev · #**318** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 3:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fryguy

Thanks.

Any ideas as to where they will be the concrete pump within the building?

Im not sure. I assumed it would all be outside of the building.

Keep in mind when you look at the aerial that the building is actually a lot smaller than the current work area implies. Behind the crane is the elevator pit, and just to the left of that is the exit stair, which is actually the corner of the building. So the crane, and electric vault (bottom right hole) are outside the building. Will be more obvious soon once the next floor goes up.

kmack · #**319** Posted **Oct 1, 2018, 8:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fryguy

Any ideas as to where they will be the concrete pump within the building?

Most obvious place for a pump (if looking at the above picture), would be either beside the green generator (with truck staging being at the gate entrance on that side), or near the track-hoe equip. on the opposite end (with truck staging near that entrance). My money would be next to the generator, since that gate entrance is wider.

As for early morning concrete pours, there's a lot of reasons.
(1) Traffic issues - concrete starts to set up as soon as they add the water at the plant. You don't want a cement truck stuck in traffic with concrete getting hard.
(2) By by-passing traffic issues, you get a better supply of concrete. What I mean is, you get more of it constantly. @ trucks at the pump, at least 2 trucks staged and waiting, with potentially 2-3 trucks on their way to the site. Rinse/repeat... Big pours, they usually try to get at least close to 100 yards an hour thru the pump. Time is money.
(3) Finishers don't get paid by the hour. They work based on yards poured. If they start early, they could potentially get a second pour in somewhere else (smaller pour of course). More money in their pocket.
(4) Outside temps - the cooler the weather, the easier it is to work the concrete and get a better finish, along with less cracking. Especially on larger pours.

Of course, there are issues with pouring early. Like when it's close to residential areas. Most folks don't like being woke up at 2 am to the sound of trucks reversing and the roar of a big concrete pump!

KevinFromTexas · #**320** Posted **Oct 2, 2018, 2:10 AM**

I've always assumed they'd want the pump to be near the outside closer to where the trucks would be, but site constraints sometimes don't allow for that. Also, I think there are two types of pumps if I'm not mistaken. One kind allows them to place it anywhere on or within (on top of) the building, while the 2nd kind is on a large truck.

I did a little photo/video montage years ago for a project in Austin (this was from 1/8/07) showing the concrete pumper in action. I went back and looked at the photos I took the month earlier to get a better look at it, and at least in those photos the pumper was a truck. I think the one from the video though was from the "building mounted" kind.

https://www.facebook.com/kevin.lehnh...8347343186651/

You can see another pumper truck in the foreground here. The cleared site in the foreground was the building's parking garage.