Pinnacle Uses Leica System to Keep NYC High-Rise Plumb

When the new Extell luxury high-rise building goes up at 217 West 57th Street in Manhattan, the vertical alignment of the core-wall structure will be crucial to success. This internal core structure will rise almost 1,500 feet above the ground and will be the reference for all other building construction, making its construction one of the most mission-critical aspects of the entire project, according to Leica Geosystems.

Pinnacle Industries, the concrete contractor responsible for building the structure, has invested in an innovative core-wall alignment system. Consisting of advanced GNSS and robotic total station solutions, the Vertical Alignment System from Leica Geosystems will be used as each floor is constructed to ensure the overall vertical geometry of the structure. High-end training from Leica Geosystems will provide the support and knowledge transfer needed to achieve successful adoption of this innovative approach.

The project is noteworthy for a number of reasons. With an overall roof height of 1,479 feet (1,775 feet to top of spire), the new building will dominate the Midtown skyline and will be the tallest residential building in the world. It will also mark the introduction of Nordstrom Inc. to New York City. The architect of record, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, is the firm behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest commerical building in the world.

According to David Rutledge, director of structural monitoring for Leica Geosystems’ Monitoring Solutions business in North America, Pinnacle Industries chose the Leica Geosystems Vertical Alignment System for its ability to reliably and quickly make alignment adjustments to the forming traveler that will be used to construct each floor. The Leica GM10 GNSS instruments in particular were chosen for their ability to produce highly accurate 3D position coordinates.

“It’s very exciting to be involved with the soon-to-be tallest residential building in the world,” Rutledge said. “Pinnacle is an industry leader in this type of construction, and we feel honored to have been selected by the team. Leica Geosystems’ solutions provide exceptionally high accuracy and outstanding performance, making them ideally suited for the high productivity demanded on projects like this. We’re thrilled to be able to play a supporting role in this significant and historic project.”