Case Study: Sheraton Hotel, Bloomington
Cleaning a full interior atrium with rope access while the lobby stayed open.
Project Snapshot
| Client | Sheraton Hotel |
|---|---|
| Location | Bloomington, Minnesota |
| Service | Interior atrium window cleaning |
| Access method | SPRAT-certified rope access, beam-to-beam traverse (horizontal aid climbing) |
| Core problem | Clean every atrium window without a lift or closing the lobby |
The challenge
The hotel’s lobby sits beneath a tall glass atrium, and every one of those interior windows needed cleaning. The usual answer is an electric boom lift brought into the lobby.
The client didn’t want a large lift inside their lobby, and asked whether the windows could be cleaned without shutting the whole space down. That meant working from above. The only places to anchor were the steel support beams along the ceiling, high over the lobby floor, and we had to reach them and move between them safely.
The Solution: Traversing the Ceiling Beams
Our SPRAT-certified team set an initial rope system, then traversed from one ceiling beam to the next along the perimeter of the atrium. At each beam, the lead technician set temporary anchor points and a rope system. A second technician then climbed each rope and cleaned the windows by hand on the way down, while the lead technician moved ahead to rig the next section.
- Set the initial rope to reach the ceiling support beams.
- Traverse from beam to beam along the atrium perimeter.
- Set temporary anchors and a rope system at each section.
- Second technician climbs the rope and hand cleans the glass while descending.
- Repeat around the perimeter until every window is done.
Only the strip along the atrium perimeter was closed off, and only where our technicians were working at the time.
Proudly veteran-owned and operated.
The Result
Every interior atrium window was hand cleaned, and about 95% of the lobby stayed open to guests and the public throughout the job. The hotel also paid no rental fees for expensive electric boom lifts.
| Boom lift in the lobby | Rope access from the beams | |
|---|---|---|
| Lobby use during cleaning | Lift and work zone take over the floor | About 95% stays open |
| Area closed off | Large sections of the lobby | Only the perimeter where we work |
| Equipment on the lobby floor | Large electric boom lift | None |
| Lift rental fees | Yes | None |
Have a building with a tricky access problem? Call 763-260-3048 or request a quote and we’ll find a way to reach it.
Superior High-Rise Exterior Maintenance
We keep your building safe, compliant, and looking its best.
The crew is SPRAT rope access certified and fully insured.
Reviews From Our Clients
Backed by 1,000+ five-star reviews across our Kahuna sister company.
