Case Study
The Rushmore Building, NYC (US)Mounting of a two tower high-risecomplex above a train tunnel

Decoupling individual floors fromvibrations

Compliance with the required ceiling height with smaller distance
between floors

Vibration Isolationof Buildings

Project description
The Rushmore Building in
Manhattan
ituated on the Upper West Side ofManhattan in New York City, theRushmore building is a 41-story luxury
condo complex. Developed by Real
Estate Developer Extell, The Rushmore is part of New York City’s largest
construction project in the last 50years. The overall project consists of18 high-rise buildings & 7.9 million
square meters of floor space. The exact location of the Rushmore presented a challenge as the two-towered
high-rise was to be constructed direct-SGetzner solution
ly over an AMTRAK railway tunnel.
The tunnel consists of two railway
lines carrying 25-ton axle loads & aplanned future metro line. Due to theclose proximity to the rail line there
was great concern for rail-generated
vibrations. It was these concerns that
had limited construction in this area
until recently. Together with our North
American partner Soundown Corporation, we were able to develop & successfully coordinate the project.
Implementation phase:
July 2007 to spring 2008

Successful use of polyurethane matsfor highly efficient vibration isolationetzner Werkstoffe developed acompletely new method for theelastic mounting of skyscrapers: theindividual floors of the 41-story building are elastically mounted. Two stories are completely decoupled interms of vibrations, like drawers thatcan be removed: the ground floor andmezzanine level are mounted on 9 cm
polyurethane Sylomer® blocks. Neither of the two floors are connectedwith the building in fixed manner.
Sylomer® mats were also used on theGFeedbacksides of the load bearing columns toprotect against the influence of wind.
Together with the architects andstructural engineers, Getzner prepared detailed load distribution plans,
in which the loads on each of 350
bearing points was precisely determined. The ground floor was constructed using support beams and in
the first floor, the isolation is recessedin the ceiling. The new construction
method with T-beams helps minimize
the build-up height.

Getzner Werkstoffe: developer,
manufacturer and installation
consultant
Getzner Werkstoffe is more than just adeveloper and manufacturer of materials for vibration mitigation and isolation. The company is also an experienced consultant in construction engineering issues related to vibration andisolation. Getzner’s experts are deeplyinvolved in system development andrealization of projects right from thevery beginning. Cooperation begins
with definition of the overall design
conditions and often ends with thedevelopment of new, ground-breaking
solutions. Thanks to Getzner’s technical expertise in the field of vibration
isolation, the end result is a smart
system using elastic materials, which
ensure a high levels of costeffectiveness, noise protection and comfort.

What did the general contractor haveto say about the project?
“Our project team was very impressedwith the cooperation with Getzner andSoundown during the course of theplanning and coordination. Both firms
were extremely flexible and pro-activein getting all participants involved in
the project and coordinating the work
together.
Thanks to this approach, it was possible to devise an isolation system
for the building which is successfully
integrated into the structure itself. Installation on-site went very smoothly
and quickly, without interruptions. If
vibration isolation is what you need,
I would not hesitate to recommend
Getzner, Soundown and Sylomer®
products.”
David Ridoutt,
Project Manager
New York, USA

Detail of the pointwise supportof the Mezzanine f loor. Bearing
dimension customized according togiven performance criterias
as well as specific loading.

Facts and figures at a glance
The Rushmore Building
One of New York’s largest construction project in the last 50years (18 skyscrapers comprising 7.9 million square metres).
Key data:
Location:

Getzner Werkstoffe GmbHFoundation:

1969 (as a subsidiary of Getzner,Mutter & Cie)
Chief Executive Officer: Ing. Jürgen Rainalter
Employees:
420
2017 turnover:
EUR 95.2 million
Business areas:
Railway, construction, industry
Headquarter:
Bürs (AT)
Locations:
Berlin (DE), Munich (DE), Stuttgart (DE),Lyon (FR), Amman (JO), Tokyo (JP),Pune (IN), Beijing (CN), Kunshan (CN),Charlotte (US)
Ratio of exports:
94 %AUSTRIA — Bürs GERMANY — Berlin — Munich — Stuttgart FRANCE — Lyon
JAPAN — Tokyo INDIA — Pune CHINA — Beijing USA — Charlotte

References— The Touraine – luxury residentialcomplex, New York (US)— “Four Suns” luxury residential
complex, Moscow (RU)
— Beisheim Center Ritz-Carlton, Berlin (DE)— Drachen-Center, Basel (CH)— Theatro National de Catalunya,Barcelona (ES)— BMW World, Munich (DE)— Welfenhöfe, Munich (DE)— Lufthansa Head Offices, Frankfurt (DE)— Clichy Batignolles, Paris (FR)— Central & Park Panorama Towers,
Arnulfpark, Munich (DE)— Music Centre, Helsinki (FI)— John Jay College, New York (US)JORDAN — Amman
www.getzner.com

CS RS en © Copyright by Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH | 03-2018

130 metres high, 41 storeys, two towers
Riverside (close to Times Square),Manhattan, New York
Vibration insulation: Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH
Investor:
Extell Development (since 2005)