5 Madison Avenue Clock Tower
New York, NY
GMS was retained to load test and analyze the brick arch floor system in the iconic MetLife tower. The Client was interested in eliminating the tie rods at the bottom of the arches to gain the ceiling height of the full arch. We analyzed the as-built conditions using computer modeling and hand calculations. Then we developed load testing procedures, outlined the instrumentation requirements and established the testing criteria. Five (5) locations were load tested to ensure that the various conditions were adequately analyzed to ensure valid conclusions. The testing proved that removing the tie rods was acceptable.
