Fagioli was contracted to install 4 slanted support sections, or "struts", on the 207m tall Isozaki Tower in Milan, Italy. Due to construction delays, a new installation method was needed. Fagioli used their modular lifting tower system, reaching heights of 78m, to lift and tilt the heavy strut sections, some weighing up to 110 tons, into their final positions. Precise engineering and safety planning was required for the complex operation working at such great heights. The project was completed successfully over 4 months without any safety incidents.

1. SC&RA 2015
RIGGING JOB BETWEEN $150,000 AND $750,000
ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN

2. THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN
The Isozaki Tower, at 207M high, is Italy’s
tallest building. There are 50 floors, 46 of
which are to be used as office space. The
building can accommodate up to 3,800
people, over a total floor space of about
53,000 m2.

3. THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN
The Isozaki Tower represents the future business and
shopping district of City Life in Milan.
The skyscraper, comprised of a modular system that can in theory
repeat indefinitely, has six office floors in each of the eight modules
clad with a double-glazed glass skin. The vertical continuation of the
modules, slightly convex, has been designed to create the concept
of a “tower without end”: a slender, “light”, vertical building.
In order to emphasize this “vertical” movement perception the
building is provided with 14 elevators at the side of it!

4. THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN
The tower, with its fast elevators (40 seconds
to cover 200m and get to the top of the
building) is an homage to FUTURISM
(Futurismo), an artistic and social movement
that originated in Italy in the early 20th
century.
This movement emphasized speed,
technology, youth, and objects such as the
car, the airplane and the industrial city.

5. THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN
Four slanted sections called “struts” help to support the tower
along the two main facades (reducing the bulk of the load-
bearing structures in the internal space) and act as one of the
bracing systems. The function of the struts is to increase the
damping of the oscillations and reduce the bending moment at
the base of the tower.
Fagioli was contracted to install the 4 sections which have both
a structural and esthetical value (adding vertical and movable
perceptions to the tower and emphasizing the futuristic concept
of a “building-machine”).

6. THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN
The project has obtained the LEED
Gold Pre-certification, meeting the
environmental sustainability
requirements provided for by the
LEED international standards.

7. THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN
ENGINEERING AND PLANNING

8. Engineering and Planning
Each of the (4) strut sections was composed of an upper and a lower portion.
STRUCTURE USED TO
TILT THE STRUT
the weight of each strut varied from 74-110 ton, 60m in length and about 3m diameter.

9. Engineering and Planning
A delay in the construction of the four sections forced the
client to search for a different solution to quickly and safely
install the sections.
Main Challenges:
-height of the strut
above the pedestal
-necessary outreach to
incline the struts
-surrounding construction restraints
-no room to use cranes of suitable capacity

10. Engineering and Planning
2 FAGIOLI TOWERS 78 METERS HIGH USED TO
INSTALL P3 AND P4 SECTIONS
2 FAGIOLI TOWERS 54 METERS HIGH TO
INSTALL P1 AND P2 SECTIONS. THE TOWERS
WERE POSITIONED AT 21 M Level
LIFTING TOWERS

11. Engineering and Planning
Strand Jacks
4 x L180 Strand Jacks
6 X L100 Strand Jacks
8 x L50 Strand jacks
rollers anchor guy system

12. Engineering and Planning
Fagioli proposed its modular tower system to perform the installation of the sections and strand jacks to
incline them.
-assembled directly on the pedestal with minimal modification to accept tiedowns
-removal of bracings allowed the insertion of struts for their assembly
-strand jacks would guide the strut into position with only the addition of a pivoting connection at base of
the strut

13. Engineering and Planning
The most challenging aspects of the operation were :
-handling of the struts differently than client originally planned
-Fagioli performed structural engineering studies of the struts to
demonstrate the feasibility of the operation
-maintaining stability of the struts and the lifting towers during the
operation

14. Engineering and Planning
Fagioli operations were performed
between September and December
of 2014. A dedicated engineering
team designed the system and
issued the operational procedures.
engineering hours: 500

15. SAFETY
THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN

16. Working at height (80m above ground) required detail planning and step-by-step procedures. A dedicated
HSE manager held daily tool box meetings and close supervision was key to the safe execution of the
work.
External scaffolding was erected outside of each
tower since the internal ladders and platforms
had to be removed for the work.
Strand jack system operated from the ground.
100% safety harness used for working at height.
tower cranes were used as a contigency for help.
Safety

17. THE ISOZAKI TOWER - MILAN
INNOVATION & INGENUITY

18. First Operation: Placing The Strut On The Pedestal
Fagioli had the idea to use the towers
to lift the two halves of the strut. The
upper portion of the strut was lifted by
strand jacks. After removal of the top
tower leg bracings, rollers under the
strand jack support structure were
used to shift the strut inside the lifting
tower.

19. First Operation: Placing The Strut On The Pedestal
The lower portion of the strut was then lowered by the strand jack inside the tower and connected onto a
pivot base structure onto the concrete pedestal (prepared for the first 2 sections) at 21 meters high.

20. First Operation: Placing The Strut On The Pedestal
The upper portion of the
strut was then lifted and
inserted into the tower and
connected to the lower
portion to complete the strut.

21. Second Operation: Inclining Strut To Final Position
Fagioli first installed an anchor guy system.
The tower system was then partially dismantled and 2 x l180 + 2 x l100 strand jacks were positioned at
ground level. Also, guy anchor points were installed onto the top part of the section. The strut could be
maneuvered into position by controlling the strand jacks at the base.

22. Job Statistics – Isozaki Tower (Milan):
4 Fagioli operators
2 supervisors
1 HSE manager
For a duration of about 4 months
(over 2,500 hours worked)
No accidents or incidents occurred
during the project.

23. Chris Layne
Fagioli, Inc.
21310 Hwy 6
Manvel, TX
Thank you !