Photo Op: Four-Man Inspection Team to Rappel From Atop UAB Shelby Building

This week, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Project Management Services will conduct a final inspection of the exterior of the Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building. As part of the routine inspection, on June 17-19, a four-man team of engineers from Wiss, Janney & Elstner Associates Inc., will rappel from the top of the 12-story facility to the ground to inspect the building’s limestone panels.

June 15, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -  This week, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Project Management Services will conduct a final inspection of the exterior of the Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building. As part of the routine inspection, on June 17-19, a four-man team of engineers from Wiss, Janney & Elstner Associates Inc., will rappel from the top of the 12-story facility to the ground to inspect the building's limestone panels.

The rappelling method will allow engineers to complete the inspection in less than a week rather than in six weeks using more traditional inspection methods, said UAB project manager Jerry L. Corvin. The rappelling method will save time and lower costs, he said.

This will take place June 17-19 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, 1825 University Blvd.

The Shelby Building opened in 2006 and has more than 323,000 square feet of research and office space.