by Katherine Marr
Shoring towers were installed to support the interior of a warehouse roof.
During the snowiest season in recorded history, Boston area residential and commercial properties have undergone tremendous strain as heavy snow loads tested their structural integrity. Routinely a relatively quiet month, February turned out to be a boon this winter with Marr Scaffolding Company, Marr Crane & Rigging, and Isaac Blair & Co. working around-the-clock to keep up with the demand for snow removal and installation of shoring to help minimize building damage from roof failures.
The nature of Marr’s work involved taking preventive measures through snow removal and emergency response to shore buildings whose structures had or were likely to become compromised. Working together and independently for various customers, Marr responded to a number of requests over January and February.
Readville-Dedham roof snow failure on Sprague Street
A notable job for Marr Scaffolding Company’s Shoring Division involved a warehouse in Warwick, R.I. Working for Noonan Construction, Marr installed shoring towers inside of the building to support a partially collapsed roof due to heavy snow load. Isaac Blair & Co. also provided nonstop preventative and emergency work. A building partially collapsed in Hyde Park after an area of its roof (40 ft deep by 200 ft long by 22 ft high) caved in and fell onto Sprague Street, thereby closing the road that runs through Readville and Dedham. Along with road closure, there was residual damage in the form of down utility poles and bursting water pipes.
For this collapse, Isaac Blair shored what remained of the building so that the collapsed structure could be safely demolished. “There was urgency to shore the building in order to avoid closing the street indefinitely,” said Lou Giunta, V.P. and General Manager of Isaac Blair.
Additionally, Marr Crane & Rigging played an active role in the Boston area snow removal. One example is Empire Historical Restoration utilized Marr’s Link-Belt 90-ton rough terrain crane to remove the massive snow drifts from the roof of Boston University’s Agganis Ice Hockey Arena.
MARR Crane & Rigging helps remove snow off the roof of Boston University’s Agganis Arena
The university was concerned that the weight of the snow would compromise the structural integrity of the roof. The crane allowed for three Bagsters, which remove up to 3,300 lbs. of snow each, to be in continuous rotation on and off the roof until project completion.
While the stormy winter was hard on area residents and businesses, there is no denying what makes up hearty New Englanders: perseverance and resiliency. And as an old New England company, several crews from Marr embodied those qualities and will continue to meet the challenges of each and every season to come.
