Salt Lake Hardware Case Study

Façade Access Solution for Historic Building

The Salt Lake Hardware building is a historic structure that was built in 1909 as a response to the development of the great transcontinental railroads. At that time, it was the largest warehouse building west of Chicago and possibly the largest in America. Now this 110-year-old building has undergone a major renovation and is a trendy and popular office and meeting space. Layton Construction contacted Diversified Fall Protection to assist in bringing the building into compliance for window cleaners and façade access workers to safely work at heights.

71 anchorages, 49 rigging sleeves, and 2 outrigger beams were installed to provide a comprehensive façade access system.
The system allows window cleaners and façade workers to operate safely without altering the building’s architectural aesthetics.
The entire project was completed in six days with minimal disruption to building tenants.

The structural members of the roof are composed entirely of wood with no anchor points from which window cleaners or façade access workers could tie off. The building also features a 48” cornice over the side of the building that made it very difficult for workers to get close enough to the windows to clean or work on the building. Window cleaners in particular were forced to swing in toward the building to latch on to the windows with suction cups, and this would often cause the windows to break because they are only single pane and not strong enough.

Diversified Fall Protection (formerly Rooftop Anchor) engineered a custom anchorage and rigging system that preserved the building’s historic integrity while ensuring safety and compliance. To avoid costly roofing repairs, 71 anchorages, weighting 96 lbs each, were installed by cutting 5-inch holes in the wood deck and securing them to the underside of the joists. A block and tackle system lifted the anchorages into place, minimizing roof membrane disruption. Work was conducted overnight to prevent tenant disruptions, completing installation in just six days. Additionally, 4-inch rigging sleeves were installed through the decorative cornice, enabling safe worker descent without damaging historic features. Two outrigger beams provided secure connections for tie-back anchors. These improvements made it possible for window cleaners and façade access workers to safely descend off the building without destroying the decorative historic features, ensuring a solution that respects the architecture and brings the building into OSHA compliance.