Challenges Climbed, History Restored

The Freedom Tower in Miami is a historic landmark with a rich and diverse history. Built in 1925, it originally served as the headquarters and printing facility for The Miami News, one of the city’s major newspapers. Designed by the architectural firm Schultze and Weaver, the tower’s design is inspired by the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain, embodying a Mediterranean Revival style that adds to its iconic presence in the Miami skyline.

In the 1960s, the Freedom Tower became the Cuban Assistance Center, offering essential services to Cuban refugees fleeing Fidel Castro’s regime. Nearly 100 years of age necessitated extensive exterior restoration of the Freedom Tower. Sunbelt Rentals Scaffolding provided the access needed to complete this project. Thornton Construction was commissioned to undertake comprehensive rehabilitation and repairs of the building envelope. The scope of work included concrete and steel maintenance, repair of steel lintels at existing openings, masonry upkeep, and cement plaster (stucco) repairs. Additional tasks involved the replacement of joint sealants, flashing, and copper roofing maintenance, as well as the reinforcement of exterior walls at new louver locations. The project also included repainting and related work to ensure the building’s structural integrity and aesthetic appeal.

Sunbelt Rentals Scaffolding was tasked with providing access for the extensive exterior restoration of the nearly 100-year-old Freedom Tower. To achieve this, we erected

100 feet of supported scaffolding from the 14th floor to the top of the cupola, covering 40 feet in length on each elevation. Due to limited space on the jobsite, a special crane was required to lift materials only on the south elevation, as the building’s tiny, unreliable elevators made this the only viable option. Consequently, the south elevation had to progress behind the rest to allow for material transport.

The soft terracotta exterior and the spacing of the columns and slabs necessitated reengineering from slab ties and wall ties into long threaded rod through-bolt ties and numerous yoke ties. A lack of tie locations at the top of the cupola led to the creation of a complex clamping system within a very narrow crawl space at the structure’s peak.

DH Charles Engineering designed, and Sunbelt Rentals Scaffolding installed, a double cantilevered system to provide access above the four turrets on each corner of the building, with the scaffolding continuing upward from these cantilevers. As the building narrowed at each level, constant adjustments were required, especially when the old blueprints didn’t match field conditions and architectural features obstructed the build. Some sections of the building proved too unstable to support scaffolding legs, adding to the challenge.

Installing the rigging for the swing stages proved even more complex. Two-foot, one­ inch-wide rigging towers were fitted between the two-foot-ten-inch-wide supported scaffold bays. The front fulcrum point rigging towers were tucked inside each turret, with beams extending through the curved window openings. Each fulcrum tower supported two rigging beams going in different directions.

Supported scaffold landing platforms were installed at the base of all four elevations to support the suspended scaffold stages. Additional shoring was provided by the general contractor to allow the simultaneous erection of supported scaffolding and the suspended scaffold rigging. Bee Access played a crucial role in the project by providing essential support and expert product knowledge throughout the entire suspended scaffold phase.

Despite numerous challenges, including space constraints, structural instability, and the need for constant adaptation, Sunbelt Rentals Scaffolding successfully completed the project, ensuring safe and comprehensive access for the restoration of this historic landmark.