Background

The Socony-Mobil Building is considered a Landmark building in the mid-town area of New York. The exterior wall construction consists of steel frame, curtain wall, and stainless steel paneling. The building has a main roof accessible from the 45th floor bulkhead and several setback roofs at the east and west elevations. The 4th floor, 14th floor, and 15th floor roofs are comprised of an existing stone ballast and insulation. The parapet assemblies consist of exterior brick veneer, concrete masonry units (CMU), and metal or glass panel cladding. The roofs at the 9th floor, 14th floor, 15th floor, and penthouse (42nd floor) are locations with restricted access.

Services Provided

Jones Lang Lasalle requested that Rimkus, A Rimkus Company identify any issues and/or concerns with respect to the repair recommendations and assessment that parapet alterations must be performed.

Upon completion of our peer review, it was identified that the Owner could avoid the installation of railings at two (2) of the four (4) locations recommended by another design professional and minimize the cost of the project for approximately 50% of the overall cost. Rimkus, A Rimkus Company, approached to the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) Facades Unit to obtain written confirmation regarding the railing requirements. As such, the DOB confirmed that the 14th floor and 15th floor roofs do not require a new guardrail due to the lack of accessibility to the roofs for the public; this would likely be grounds for an exemption to the rule, provided that building staff who access the roof are equipped with proper fall protection.

Rimkus, A Rimkus Company, was retained to move forward with the design of the railing projects at the 4th floor and 45th floor roofs. As the project moved through the design process, we assisted with the filing requirements for the Department of Buildings and Landmarks Preservation Commission of NYC, and eventually leading to the construction administration of the project.

• Performed a peer review to assess the architectural drawings prepared by a third-party design professional for the FISP Cycle 8 recommended repairs
• Developed a design package for the railing installation
• Assisted with NYC Department of Buildings Filing
• Assisted with NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Filing
• Construction administration services
• Coordination with Contractor and Owner
• Attended weekly progress meetings
• Conducted on-site field inspections

Project Cost

• $716,000.00

Completion Dates

• Rimkus’s Services: 2019-Current
• Construction: 2020-2021

Deliverables

• Peer Review Letter
• Design Package
  • Construction Drawings and Details
  • Design Specifications
• Field Inspection Reports
• LPC Letter
• Closeout Package
  • Contractor Warranties
  • As-built Drawings