New York City Housing Authority Maintenance Garage, New York
by Jonathan McGaha | 31 May 2010 12:00 am
As of May 2009, the New York City Housing Authority is the largest housing authority in the country with 178,480 apartments in 338 developments throughout the city’s five boroughs. Maintaining the vast expanse of properties is a major economic activity for the city, and over the past 16 years, NYCHA has invested more than $6.1 billion in improving and modernizing their properties.
Keeping the program running requires a vast fleet of maintenance vehicles, part of which is housed at a garage located in the shadow of the historic Queensboro Bridge and adjacent to the Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing development in North America. Located in Long Island City in Queens, the 3,142-unit complex opened in 1939 and is home to nearly 7,000 people.
The Queensbridge maintenance garage was recently added to the neighborhood to house the NYCHA equipment, including backhoes, oil trucks, dump trucks and vacuum trucks. Providing reliable access in and out of the complex are three Wilson Premier vertical bi-folding doors from Wilson Doors. Two of the doors measure 10 by 16 feet (3 by 5 m) to handle the heavy vehicle traffic, and one door is 8 by 16 feet (2 by 4 m) for cars.
The doors for the Queensboro facility are custom made and designed to fit the special needs of the building users. In addition to handling a high stream of vehicle traffic, the doors must also help secure the premises.
To provide that, and handle the size of the door itself, the frame is constructed of 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum, making it 40 percent lighter than steel, yet stronger, minimizing stress on the building structure. The raw mill finish provides a clean, crisp look and eliminates the need for the NYCHA crews to paint it every few years.
While the manufacturer provides the doorframe, drive mechanism and controls, the architect and end-user are able to select the door’s covering. In this case, the NYCHA chose a brushed stainless steel covering with glass inserts, which allows natural light through the door and effectively securing the opening.
Bi-fold doors: Wilson Doors, Elkhorn, Wis., www.wilsondoors.com
Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/projects/new-york-city-housing-authority-maintenance-garage-new-york/