As impressive as these inspection folks are, I have to give supreme kudos to the folks that built this structure 57 years ago. The technology and safety measures that they utilized were not what they are today... amazing stuff.
@Rob Mikels OSHA...which was implemented in 1971, has improved not only the safety standards but helped to reduce onsite fatalities. It used to be that when there were major construction projects, there were also fatality estimates. Now, if you had read my post, you would have seen two things. Technology and safety. With OSHA, onsite safety was not a choice but a mandate instituted by the law, secondly, to say that building technology hasn't vastly improved in 60 years, which increases safety and efficiency, only shows that you have no idea what you're talking about.
@@NolanSanchez you are talking like harnesses and people to make sure you dont just blow off a600+ ft object didnt exist until 1971. we read your post but you dont know what your talking about lmao
@@raw1465 TH-cam Trolls...instead of adding any real value to the conversation, you put in your two cents, just to be confrontational. Back in the day, kids like you would just get slapped and the lesson would be learned. Again, safety and technological advancements have made what these folks do, a much safer endeavor.
@@phillhuddleston9445 no doubt the way our neighborhoods work in STL it's like good neighborhood for a few blocks then bam your in the hood..then go a few more blocks and its decent again..
When I was in high school in St. Louis ... my best friend's father was a professional photographer. He was hired by the local utility company's ad agency to go out on top of the arch (there is a hatch at the top) and film one of their techs changing the lightbulb at the very top of the arch. Yes ... there really is a bulb at the top. The photo was used in a print ad with a headline that said something like, 'We Go to Great Heights to Get You the Power You Need'. It was a pretty cool ad. My buddy's dad was a fairly laid back guy & told me that going forward ... he preferred to work on the ground.
We St. Louisans take the Arch for granted. We see it so often that it doesn't even really cross our minds. But in reality, it is a true masterpiece of architecture and design.
Having touched this magnificent structure myself, it is difficult to imagine exactly how those sides of the arch would be cleaned in a practical, safe manner. It's one of the rare large scale shapes I've encountered that is a bit disorienting to look up at, standing underneath it. I suspect that effect is magnified up there on it, looking down.
I've been up about 250 feet in a crane basket and people look like gnats, cars look like ants and the boom of the crane looks about a half an inch wide.
The Arch is about 3 miles from my house. I love seeing it on a daily basis, it means home to me, lol. I’ve been up in it a few times, even tho I’m afraid of heights. They did a massive renovation of the museum underneath it a couple of years ago. The Arch itself was closed for a while for reno as well. This was really interesting.
What year was the museum renovations. Just wondering because. I went their years ago as a kid and saw th museum it was coolest museum I ever saw I was wondering if the one I saw was before or after renovation.
Wonder where they got rope strong enough to hold Dave and is massive balls up there? And notice how when they interviewed him they only showed him from waist up.
I have Aeroacrophobia. There is no way I could do that. My legs trip out and go wobbly just watching this stuff. And to think about all the work I performed on lifts, laders and scaffolding before I developed this super fun phobia.
I don't consider myself scared of heights but damn sure was anxious going up to the top of the Arch. The little pod "elevators" were freaky enough but couldn't get over the curve up there and how you could lean into the windows (so I recall) and look almost straight down. Epic engineering!
I drove from California to Illinois last June to move, it was exhausting but I'll never forget the feeling of excitement I received when I first saw that arch... goosebumps.
You should see me riding virtual reality roller coasters at my daughter's house on their Playstation. Its like actually doing it and wow it gets my heart going.
I'm from Chicago and just a few months ago I visited St. Louis for the first time, with special interest in visiting the Gateway Arch. I tend to always think about things technically, so it's funny how when I was there I was thinking about "How do they clean this thing?" and trying to point out all the difficult access points during my tour while up in the arch and from what I could see on the ground... then I stumble across this video.
My father and my sister we’re delivering a part to the arch when it was being built and they were asked if they want to walk to the top of it which they did. One of the ery first people that were not working there to go to the top of the Arch pretty cool.
Seems like a good candidate for a specialized kind of roomba type robot held in place with a clamp mechanism. Powered via wire and hose fed a cleaning solution it could dedicate off peak visiting times with proper temperature humidity and wind conditions as cleaning time so as to not to displace the visiting public
Pretty much. Plenty of mechanized machines are utilized in the field for inspection and cleaning and maintenance of perilously high or difficult structures/machines.
I was thinking something similar, a powerful drone style design though, the weight of the hose/water probably makes what you’re describing more feasible as the drone would need to be powerful.
@@gaming_sportsaaron1365 no one died during construction, however they prepared/had funds set aside for 13 men in case of any accidents. Fortunately it was not needed.
I live in st Louis and I've been up in the arch a number of times. From experience, I'll tell you I'd much rather take that outside climb over the little tube they pack everyone inside of as it slowly creeks its way up to the top and back down. I swear I never think I'm gonna make it when I'm in that thing
Yep, the hard part was building an arch that tall, connecting the two legs with center pieces was a huge challenge but they did it. The sad part is today things are so over priced and there is so much government red tape that cleaning it would probably cost about as much as building it back then and may actually take longer to do especially with getting all the permits ;(
Live about 25 miles from the Arch and took my granddaughter in it 24 months ago. They complained about rust streaks. Basically when constructed they ground the stainless with grinder wheels contaminated with carbon steel. But took 50 yrs to notice any rust streak 630 ft up.
I was a boilermaker (retired) and we worked with stainless a lot. You are correct, those polishing wheels were contaminated with mild steel. Also, the temporary strut between the 2 legs during construction were also carbon steel attached to the stainless plates.
Was a Boiler L27 from 1988 to 2000 for Nooter Boiler walking distance south of the Arch. Worked on many alloys in my 13yrs many times no steel contact. They closed shop in 2001 moved overseas. Currently SMWs L36 2000 to present preparing for retirement.
A lightweight wheeled "car wash" cage that rolls up and over on temporarily installed tracks. Motorized rollers to spray wash, scrub, and polish. Pretty much a robotic carwash.
Tracks are unnecessary, think dolly’s used to move oil rigs and gargantuan buildings. Make like you say a cage like structure that can clamp around and drive itself up to the top. Split into two so as both descend the clean. Once at the bottom you can remove all wheels marks. 👍
I have gone up to the top and its scary enough, the ride in that dryer drum was crazy but to know its structurally sound might give me the courage to take the grandkids up for a view now!
OMG, I'm dizzy n f***** up just watching this. I could never do this. I'll never understand how someone has the balls to do something like this. I mean, I'm thankful, but damn... these kind of people should be making a hell of a lot more money just because they've got the balls to do this shit. hahaha
We went to the top of this beautiful structure in June this year, I hate Elevators so I had an anxiety attack there, but it was wonderful when we finally got up there
Seems quite plausible... why not have the wheels what drives the rig up? Like dolly’s you would use to move a building.. but sat sideways and put together in such a way as you clamp around the arch and drive up, polishing as you descend so that when you reach the bottom you can clean all wheels marks off.
The triangle cross-section of the arch isn’t the same size all the way up, it’s much thinner at the top than the base. Unless the rig can expand and contract in size that’s not gonna happen
If you’re claustrophobic and or afraid of heights, this ain’t the place for you. As you look out the observation windows at the top you can feel it sway (which is engineered in to the structure) It nearly put me in a fetal position crying for my mother.
Being born in St. Louis in 1959, then watching them build it when I was a young kid, was something special. As we all know it’s a unique monument. I went up into the Arch a few times with my father. Grandparents. Really cool.
I just watched the one of them building it, with the 2 spans coming up unsupported to 500 feet, within 1/4" when they met? With a crane system riding up the back gradually, amazing engineering.
This seems like a very easy job. You can hire any high rise window cleaning crew come in and probably have it cleaned within a month depending on weather. Job done!
Not at all, It would cost millions and probably take 6-12 months through multiple years due to the nature of stainless steel and particulate stain build up, and as you mentioned weather. Though I'd say a ton of that cost and time is probably to design, build, and plan a better harness system unique to the structure, as it was never designed for getting people under it.
Easiest way to clean it is a one off magnetic scrubbing machine or machines. Clear out the area below and have the super magnet machine climb around the inside while it’s scratch resistant bristle’s clean the underside. It would probably need safety cables or have some sort of multipart breakaway design and could even be transported to other large buildings or structures that need a wash (in other parts of the world)
I love my city and The Arch! I love climbing too! I wish I could do this job! Every time they clean and the guys go up there I get so freaking jealous!
Take this into consideration the arch is 300 ft taller than the statue of liberty that's why it is literally the tallest monument in the united states almost 100 feet taller than the washington monument
Interesting fact about the arch. The husband of my great aunt was a foreman on the arch. After they were done and getting ready for the grand opening which would have Miss St.Louis as the first female to go up in the arch--noooot A few nights before the arch opening my uncle and the crew took his daughter my 3rd cuz up in the arch. So unofficially my cuz was the first female up there-She still lives in St. Louis
Fuck off, you only think STL is a shit hole cause of mainstream media, there is actually a lot of history and many nice places visit, I live in a really nice side of the city
Yeah, no. St. Louis feels no more dangerous than any other city, and I lived in NYC for a good chunk of my life, too. I've never felt unsafe walking through any part of it at any time of day. It's just like any other city: a little common sense goes a long way. A lot of the crime is Chicago gang related anyway, and most of it happens in the Metro East or in North City so just avoid those areas if you're really worried about crime. With St. Louis, the perception is far worse than the reality.
It really speaks alot to the culture and potential of certain civilizations. I remember being in Africa and seeing mud huts and clay bowls. 'Technology' from the stone age of man. Then seeing the Notre Dam in France built centuries ago(sadly burned down by the former)
There is a Lazer that is made for removing rust and scale from metals. In time maybe someone can figure out an unmanned machine that could fix itself to the arch and move as Lazer works. Some Stainless seals are magnetic, and if the alloy used in the arch is, perhaps a method other than suction cups for it to cling to the structure.
The Liebherr 11200 boom crane (the worlds largest) can reach 550 feet at it's maximum height, and the bridge is 630 feet tall. It seems to me like a strong power washing device could be made with a lot of engineering work so nobody to hand wash. Or a chemical spray that could knock the dirt loose - easier said than done tho lol.
I spent 20 years as a Rescue from Heights Instructor teaching people how to Rescue Others who were trapped at Height and could not self extract themselves.
I don't recall bulbs mentioned. The surface was the topic. The surface isn't damaged. It's dirty. To clean it I recommend hundreds rumbas matrixed together with rubber bands to circumscribe the 3 surfaces and reprogrammed to spend all their battery life going up in a straight line once and rapelling down while polishing till they are exhausted. Recharge and repeat until its so shiny it blinds aircraft pilots. Oh wait, that just puts us back where we started.
LOLLLL, my knees were nearly shaking just seeing the guys on the top. As much as I'd like to be up there, I know if could never happen. My hat is off to them.
No, they actually just put it on hold, though not officially. After it was determined to be no threat to structural integrity the concern was greatly diminished.
My father had a part in building the arch and he told me that they did not expect the stainless steel sheets to ripple like they did, such as that 4:24.
I’m a retired Union Ironworker and a former military rappelling instructor. I would go back to work with these guys. I was also a smokestack inspector and climbed 1,000 foot to get to work.
Damn, that sounds interesting. The only rappelling I did (if even called that) was dropping down straight from a 100 foot old mining railroad trestle. The worst was traversing the bare frame left to the drop point. Do you know of the Anaconda Stack? (585 feet; one of tallest freestanding brick structures in the world) Gd, it looks like CGI. On research I found a story how they used to cap it and hold formal balls up there. During one of these, an Ananconda Company fireman climbed the entire length of an insane ladder affixed to the outside and popped over the edge to great fanfare and a few faints. Spoilsports won't let me try, thank God. Nod to your ironworker and instructor skills sa the rest of the world learns nothing but tapping phone buttons. (Insert twice as much on ironworkers).
I work with someone who used to wash windows on high rise buildings and I'm an arborist myself. I think it's cleanable, but it would be a job and a half. Probably attach via two ropes, coming over each side of the structure, then go up and down those ropes to change your position. The biggest issue would probably be finding the manpower. There aren't that many people with the technical rope access chops, gear and time to do such a massive project.
Anyone else get the impression that the first line in the requirements section for the Gateway Arch Cleaner job listing is: "Must have nerves of steel"
As impressive as these inspection folks are, I have to give supreme kudos to the folks that built this structure 57 years ago. The technology and safety measures that they utilized were not what they are today... amazing stuff.
Yea i was thinking that
@Rob Mikels OSHA...which was implemented in 1971, has improved not only the safety standards but helped to reduce onsite fatalities. It used to be that when there were major construction projects, there were also fatality estimates. Now, if you had read my post, you would have seen two things. Technology and safety. With OSHA, onsite safety was not a choice but a mandate instituted by the law, secondly, to say that building technology hasn't vastly improved in 60 years, which increases safety and efficiency, only shows that you have no idea what you're talking about.
@@NolanSanchez you are talking like harnesses and people to make sure you dont just blow off a600+ ft object didnt exist until 1971. we read your post but you dont know what your talking about lmao
@@raw1465 TH-cam Trolls...instead of adding any real value to the conversation, you put in your two cents, just to be confrontational. Back in the day, kids like you would just get slapped and the lesson would be learned. Again, safety and technological advancements have made what these folks do, a much safer endeavor.
@@raw1465 They really didn’t
I’m not sure how the arch could withstand the weight of those workers balls
Unoriginal internet comments help balance out testicular weight.
@Mark Michon People leaving that overused joke definitely have a gonad fetish.
lol i have the same weight of their balls.....but im only going to have one in abt a yr 😔💔 so lucky its not gonna be 2 going
Never heard the joke before and I loved it.
Michelle Obama's TESTICLES!!!!! th-cam.com/video/9OfGyG3D9HE/w-d-xo.html
First time seeing this, I live in St Louis, and this building aways mystifies me.I love the Arch and it represent us.
My favorite place to visit in the spring and summer.
I used to live in East Saint Louis and I would walk to the Mississippi River and admire it for hours.
I love the St. Louis area. Moving to the Metro east area from Michigan in February. I can’t wait.
@@andrebarnes6750 Just watch which neighborhood you travel to.
@@phillhuddleston9445 no doubt the way our neighborhoods work in STL it's like good neighborhood for a few blocks then bam your in the hood..then go a few more blocks and its decent again..
When I was in high school in St. Louis ... my best friend's father was a professional photographer. He was hired by the local utility company's ad agency to go out on top of the arch (there is a hatch at the top) and film one of their techs changing the lightbulb at the very top of the arch. Yes ... there really is a bulb at the top. The photo was used in a print ad with a headline that said something like, 'We Go to Great Heights to Get You the Power You Need'. It was a pretty cool ad. My buddy's dad was a fairly laid back guy & told me that going forward ... he preferred to work on the ground.
its not hard to imagine there's a bulb at the top when you can actually go inside the arch
@@brubber3326 it's a red light for airplanes
I read that "when I was high in school"
Stephen, I get the willies just watching this, my hats off to all those brave men.
I call bs
We St. Louisans take the Arch for granted. We see it so often that it doesn't even really cross our minds. But in reality, it is a true masterpiece of architecture and design.
So true. I can see it from my front yard, but I haven't gone up in it since sometime in the 1980s.
Having touched this magnificent structure myself, it is difficult to imagine exactly how those sides of the arch would be cleaned in a practical, safe manner. It's one of the rare large scale shapes I've encountered that is a bit disorienting to look up at, standing underneath it. I suspect that effect is magnified up there on it, looking down.
It is interesting that the politicians, engineers, designers and management did not realize or plan for the eventual need to clean the Arch.
Robots
I've been up about 250 feet in a crane basket and people look like gnats, cars look like ants and the boom of the crane looks about a half an inch wide.
@@jamesstreet228 hahahah do you know how tall the arch is
@@jamesstreet228 250 feet lol. I’ve abseiling 90 story buildings here in Australia. . Cars don’t look like ants until at least 450 feet.
This looks like a job for Mr. Clean !
500,000 Magic Erasers.
Underrated
Mr Clean Mr Clean Mr Clean
Mr. Clean needs to have a talk with Pontoon Beach and Granite City just East of The Gateway Arch
@@carlsaganlives5112 you mean rubber?
The Arch is about 3 miles from my house. I love seeing it on a daily basis, it means home to me, lol. I’ve been up in it a few times, even tho I’m afraid of heights. They did a massive renovation of the museum underneath it a couple of years ago. The Arch itself was closed for a while for reno as well. This was really interesting.
i also live in the Stl area, i also remember this. definitely need to take another visit to the Arch sometime
What year was the museum renovations. Just wondering because. I went their years ago as a kid and saw th museum it was coolest museum I ever saw I was wondering if the one I saw was before or after renovation.
I'll bet the residents of Reno were very appreciative.
Nice! In the late 2000s I lived in Kansas with my parents and we went to St Louis once. I remember going up in the arch and seeing the museum.
💯
There is not enough gold in all of FT Knox to get me up on that arch tethered only by a rope. Not only no but HELL NO
How bout a flying suit or a parachute or D Ring air balloon, blimp a 1 seated drone rocket suit would that still be a no
@Jeff Jay BS.
Steve Hammond I’m with you, brother. Maybe, just maybe, when hell freezes over. Nah, not a chance.
Not enough Gold on Earth.
@Jeff Jay
Where do you get your information?
Been to the arch 3 times. Still my favorite modern structure(skyscraper). One of the most amazing designs ever.
@@barrackhussein464 I was in it during a tornado warning. I wasn't nervous. Things aerodynamically shaped.
I see it everyday lol I guess when you live near its no that impressive.
@@midwest_trucker8638 well…yea thts how it works
@@itsjustme9682 Can't anyone just talk without sarcasm?
@@itsjustme9682 same with me. Seeing Statue Of Liberty, Empire State Building, and now The Freedom Tower. I have never visited even one.
Wonder where they got rope strong enough to hold Dave and is massive balls up there? And notice how when they interviewed him they only showed him from waist up.
🤣🤣🤣
Lol this is great
Now that’s gunny
Funny, not gummy
I have Aeroacrophobia. There is no way I could do that. My legs trip out and go wobbly just watching this stuff.
And to think about all the work I performed on lifts, laders and scaffolding before I developed this super fun phobia.
I don't consider myself scared of heights but damn sure was anxious going up to the top of the Arch. The little pod "elevators" were freaky enough but couldn't get over the curve up there and how you could lean into the windows (so I recall) and look almost straight down. Epic engineering!
Having lived in stl all my life, its easy to take the arch for granted. It really is massive though in person, these photos cant do it justice.
Just take a giant Brillo pad and a 630 foot long stick!
Then we just need a 450 ft glass tube and a 5 ton crack rock. We can light up on the torch in lady liberties hand !
I miss shopping at Kmart
@@newyorktitties8954 Statue of Liberty is only 305'. So you can probably get a cheaper base pipe! LOL
I drove from California to Illinois last June to move, it was exhausting but I'll never forget the feeling of excitement I received when I first saw that arch... goosebumps.
Anybody else witness 4 minutes of increased heart rate while watching this?
Yes indeed!
I'd say hand palms and feet sweating...
Oh, F that S. I'm outta here.
You should see me riding virtual reality roller coasters at my daughter's house on their Playstation. Its like actually doing it and wow it gets my heart going.
I'm from Chicago and just a few months ago I visited St. Louis for the first time, with special interest in visiting the Gateway Arch. I tend to always think about things technically, so it's funny how when I was there I was thinking about "How do they clean this thing?" and trying to point out all the difficult access points during my tour while up in the arch and from what I could see on the ground... then I stumble across this video.
I was exact same scenario also fellow person from chicago I visited the arch on my birthday
I've been to st louis so many times, the arch is such a staple in my life. It's breath taking getting inside it
My father and my sister we’re delivering a part to the arch when it was being built and they were asked if they want to walk to the top of it which they did. One of the ery first people that were not working there to go to the top of the Arch pretty cool.
These people are beyond brave. Can't imagine having the cojones to appear so nonchalant. Kudos to them all.
wow, makes my stomach turn watching this
Seems like a good candidate for a specialized kind of roomba type robot held in place with a clamp mechanism. Powered via wire and hose fed a cleaning solution it could dedicate off peak visiting times with proper temperature humidity and wind conditions as cleaning time so as to not to displace the visiting public
Kind of like the robot for a swimming pool would possibly work
Pretty much. Plenty of mechanized machines are utilized in the field for inspection and cleaning and maintenance of perilously high or difficult structures/machines.
You, buddy, have an inventing mind.
I was thinking something similar, a powerful drone style design though, the weight of the hose/water probably makes what you’re describing more feasible as the drone would need to be powerful.
@@williamsmith8522 We have drones that are capable to drop bombs thousands of miles away. I'm sure that we can rig something to do the job.
I lived and loved this city half my life. And it's a BEAUTIFUL WONDERS OF ART!! And not 1 person died while building this historic monument?
From what I heard it was predicted that 12 or 13 men would die while building the Arch.
People did die
@@gaming_sportsaaron1365 no one died during construction, however they prepared/had funds set aside for 13 men in case of any accidents. Fortunately it was not needed.
@@gaming_sportsaaron1365 who? Documentary said none.
I live in st Louis and I've been up in the arch a number of times. From experience, I'll tell you I'd much rather take that outside climb over the little tube they pack everyone inside of as it slowly creeks its way up to the top and back down. I swear I never think I'm gonna make it when I'm in that thing
they're all like "well, um, really, we really don't think it's possible to clean it". You wussies. That's not the attitude that got the thing built.
Yeah what a bunch of idiots classic fucking humans for ya i guess go and build something and realize its fucked
Well I guess we will have you do it. You seem pretty confident.
Yep, the hard part was building an arch that tall, connecting the two legs with center pieces was a huge challenge but they did it. The sad part is today things are so over priced and there is so much government red tape that cleaning it would probably cost about as much as building it back then and may actually take longer to do especially with getting all the permits ;(
Hi im here in 2021 loll
U would be too scared to do anything close to that
Live about 25 miles from the Arch and took my granddaughter in it 24 months ago.
They complained about rust streaks.
Basically when constructed they ground the stainless with grinder wheels contaminated with carbon steel.
But took 50 yrs to notice any rust streak 630 ft up.
I was a boilermaker (retired) and we worked with stainless a lot. You are correct, those polishing wheels were contaminated with mild steel. Also, the temporary strut between the 2 legs during construction were also carbon steel attached to the stainless plates.
Also, back in the late 70s, I talked the tour guide at the top to let me walk down the steps inside. Never forget that.
Was a Boiler L27 from 1988 to 2000 for Nooter Boiler walking distance south of the Arch.
Worked on many alloys in my 13yrs many times no steel contact.
They closed shop in 2001 moved overseas.
Currently SMWs L36 2000 to present preparing for retirement.
My dad worked for nooter for 12 years and I was a member local 27 field construction from 1973 to 2007.
I'm going to watch this clip every morning before I go to work. That way I'll complain less or maybe not at all. LOL
Jason1Pa how’s that working for u
@@Quickicecarreviews123 Worked for a couple days!!! LOL
A lightweight wheeled "car wash" cage that rolls up and over on temporarily installed tracks. Motorized rollers to spray wash, scrub, and polish. Pretty much a robotic carwash.
Tracks are unnecessary, think dolly’s used to move oil rigs and gargantuan buildings. Make like you say a cage like structure that can clamp around and drive itself up to the top. Split into two so as both descend the clean. Once at the bottom you can remove all wheels marks. 👍
Can't take away the fact workers are in the wind. The thing is scary high from the inside
Was thinking the same thing. I just look through comments to see if any other people have the same idea or close to it. 👍👍
I have gone up to the top and its scary enough, the ride in that dryer drum was crazy but to know its structurally sound might give me the courage to take the grandkids up for a view now!
Yeah good luck with that, it's certified structurally sound and the Titanic was unsinkable, lol
Simple solution. Just get some drones retrofitted with some scrubby brush extenders..wahlah!
Wahlah?
I like your idea. By the way, it is Voila that you are trying to say. It is French for there you have it.
Ok genius tell us how to get rid of 45?
@@GuadalupeFlores-kk3pf What you mean?
@@genevie1998 he means viola
Edit: a space
My husband and I went up and it swade and I screamed let's get the HELL down !! Underneath is a great museum.
What an amazing piece of engineering...50 years later and structurally flawless.
I get the chills just watching this video.I would recommend that they have a parachute 🪂 on in case they fall.
OMG, I'm dizzy n f***** up just watching this. I could never do this. I'll never understand how someone has the balls to do something like this. I mean, I'm thankful, but damn... these kind of people should be making a hell of a lot more money just because they've got the balls to do this shit. hahaha
You're Dave though! The guy who climbed this!
💯
He didn't have to worry about falling because his huge balls would have padded his landing.
I imagine they’re heavy drinkers, I would be😁
@@thomasthepromise8430 LMAO 🤣
I have been up on the Arch a few times, it has a great view.
I have trouble getting off a ladder at about ten feet.
I don't like going on the roof to check the gutters on a 1 story house.
It's St Louis, there are plenty of dope fiends that'll put on suction cups & clean that arch up like a fat person cleans a plate. Lol
Not only could I never do this, I can;'t even watch it.
We went to the top of this beautiful structure in June this year, I hate Elevators so I had an anxiety attack there, but it was wonderful when we finally got up there
Build a rig that wraps around the arch and has wheels and can be pulled up.
You can’t do that. That makes too much sense. Be careful thinking like that, it could get you shadow banned or something. Lol 😝
Seems quite plausible... why not have the wheels what drives the rig up? Like dolly’s you would use to move a building.. but sat sideways and put together in such a way as you clamp around the arch and drive up, polishing as you descend so that when you reach the bottom you can clean all wheels marks off.
The triangle cross-section of the arch isn’t the same size all the way up, it’s much thinner at the top than the base. Unless the rig can expand and contract in size that’s not gonna happen
@@alexsiemers7898 that’s exactly what I had in mind
the problem is not the rigging required, its that the angle the higher you get would be extremely disorienting in long periods of time
If you’re claustrophobic and or afraid of heights, this ain’t the place for you. As you look out the observation windows at the top you can feel it sway (which is engineered in to the structure) It nearly put me in a fetal position crying for my mother.
At least your honest 🤣👍🏻
I couldn’t believe it allows for 18” of sway. Thank goodness it didn’t move the day we went. ❤
I love the Arch. I think it is the most beautiful structure in the U.S.A.
I’ve been up there a few times and it’s pretty spooky when it’s windy.
🤷🏻♀️
My literal dream climb having built towers as well as done lots of line work in saint Louis this is so cool
Being born in St. Louis in 1959, then watching them build it when I was a young kid, was something special. As we all know it’s a unique monument. I went up into the Arch a few times with my father. Grandparents. Really cool.
I just watched the one of them building it, with the 2 spans coming up unsupported to 500 feet, within 1/4" when they met? With a crane system riding up the back gradually, amazing engineering.
I would like to see a time-lapse of it's construction. Gonna go search for one. I never thought much about it until now.
I got to go up in it when I was a little girl. I want to go back so bad. I love the arch.
Me and my grandson just went to the top yesterday.. Beautiful renovations 🎉
Even better Views from the top 😊❤
I truly love My City 🙏💋‼️
This seems like a very easy job. You can hire any high rise window cleaning crew come in and probably have it cleaned within a month depending on weather. Job done!
Not at all, It would cost millions and probably take 6-12 months through multiple years due to the nature of stainless steel and particulate stain build up, and as you mentioned weather. Though I'd say a ton of that cost and time is probably to design, build, and plan a better harness system unique to the structure, as it was never designed for getting people under it.
Yea thats a rope acess gig, probably a couple months at minumum
Easiest way to clean it is a one off magnetic scrubbing machine or machines. Clear out the area below and have the super magnet machine climb around the inside while it’s scratch resistant bristle’s clean the underside. It would probably need safety cables or have some sort of multipart breakaway design and could even be transported to other large buildings or structures that need a wash (in other parts of the world)
A helicopter drond that has a fire hose & made especially for cleaning it possibly would be the best way to do it
i like about 20 minutes from the arch and i love seeing it as i drive downtown. so many big buildings it just makes me feel happy-
I love my city and The Arch! I love climbing too! I wish I could do this job! Every time they clean and the guys go up there I get so freaking jealous!
You are a brave man
Go for it you only live once 👍🏻
My family and I went there the first year it opened. Yep, in 1963 when I was 4 and a half years old. I haven't been able to get back there since.
Building doctor!? Where did they get their PhD in buildingology?
Rimshot
Crickets
I watched the Arch being built when my Aunt took us to Busch Stadium. My Aunt just turned 99 last October.
Thank you Aunt Mary.
$50 an hour plus union and hazardous pay, I am in!
I make that and i keep both feets on the ground
well just under that..
U should get more then 50$ . 75.00 $ + hazard pay should do it .
Yeh Dave had some ideas on how to clean it because he cleans his massive stainless steel balls everyday. That dude is a legend.
Just build a huge scaffold, they did it on the statue of liberty..
Dave Smith we don’t have an infinite amount of money
I mean our roads are pretty sad so I doubt there's the money for that
Inside curve, so that doesn't really work
Take this into consideration the arch is 300 ft taller than the statue of liberty that's why it is literally the tallest monument in the united states almost 100 feet taller than the washington monument
NO scaffolding used .. ignoramus. Do you ever pay attention ??
Interesting fact about the arch. The husband of my great aunt was a foreman on the arch. After they were done and getting ready for the grand opening which would have Miss St.Louis as the first female to go up in the arch--noooot A few nights before the arch opening my uncle and the crew took his daughter my 3rd cuz up in the arch. So unofficially my cuz was the first female up there-She still lives in St. Louis
Afraid of heights? This is not the job for you.
Afraid of getting shot, mugged, kidnaped, or a combination of the three? This is not the CITY for you.
Walsinork Where do you live in a bag?
Walsinork Go sit yo scary ass down somewhere!!😂😂👌🏽💵💯
Fuck off, you only think STL is a shit hole cause of mainstream media, there is actually a lot of history and many nice places visit, I live in a really nice side of the city
Yeah, no. St. Louis feels no more dangerous than any other city, and I lived in NYC for a good chunk of my life, too. I've never felt unsafe walking through any part of it at any time of day. It's just like any other city: a little common sense goes a long way.
A lot of the crime is Chicago gang related anyway, and most of it happens in the Metro East or in North City so just avoid those areas if you're really worried about crime.
With St. Louis, the perception is far worse than the reality.
KroneYT Thanks for the early warning.
I am born and raised in St Louis there is no way that light up there will be so dark waiting on me to change it
It really speaks alot to the culture and potential of certain civilizations. I remember being in Africa and seeing mud huts and clay bowls. 'Technology' from the stone age of man. Then seeing the Notre Dam in France built centuries ago(sadly burned down by the former)
Some civilizations advanced and some left themselves to be exploited for the sake of the rulers(warlords) ie non colonized africa.
I'm an acrophobe & just _watching_ stuff like this gives me the chills...
I'd clean it with drones.
There is a Lazer that is made for removing rust and scale from metals. In time maybe someone can figure out an unmanned machine that could fix itself to the arch and move as Lazer works.
Some Stainless seals are magnetic, and if the alloy used in the arch is, perhaps a method other than suction cups for it to cling to the structure.
I’m from STL and never had the balls to go up inside. Couldn’t imagine being asked to do this 😂🥶
Even stainless steel can stain and rust. Cleaning the dirt and superficial surface damage and a good acid wash will shine it right up, just like new.
Attach a robot.. simple
The Liebherr 11200 boom crane (the worlds largest) can reach 550 feet at it's maximum height, and the bridge is 630 feet tall. It seems to me like a strong power washing device could be made with a lot of engineering work so nobody to hand wash. Or a chemical spray that could knock the dirt loose - easier said than done tho lol.
Use Jet packs .
the only existing jetpacks only work on water
@@itseli2475 Well not anymore.
Pretty sure the jet packs of today only allow flight for about a minute, so there's that.
Oh, HELL no! There's no way I would go up the side of that thing. Respect to these guys.
how about ufos
I spent 20 years as a Rescue from Heights Instructor teaching people how to Rescue Others who were trapped at Height and could not self extract themselves.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
A. Nameline it's called preventative maintenance . change the bulb before it goes out. ie: goes out and causes a plane to crash.
I don't recall bulbs mentioned. The surface was the topic. The surface isn't damaged. It's dirty. To clean it I recommend hundreds rumbas matrixed together with rubber bands to circumscribe the 3 surfaces and reprogrammed to spend all their battery life going up in a straight line once and rapelling down while polishing till they are exhausted. Recharge and repeat until its so shiny it blinds aircraft pilots.
Oh wait, that just puts us back where we started.
I'm surprised this doesn't have more views. Quite interesting.
the city of st louis $4M dollars
15 mexicans .. 200 feet of rope and some fabuloso
LOLLLL, my knees were nearly shaking just seeing the guys on the top. As much as I'd like to be up there, I know if could never happen. My hat is off to them.
If you think this would be nerve wracking, you should see how they inspect the cable used for the Sandia Tram in Albuquerque.
Was there late spring '87. The elevator ride was wholly unique. And the view amazing!
They couldn't pay me enough to do a dangerous job like that.
I like the man at the end, basically saying yeah give me the weekend and I can do it
100% I could clean it.. quickly, safely, and underbid anyone just for the opportunity. I have all the certs and have worked in similar environments.
Whew, I just get butterflies in my belly looking at them high up at the topside of the arch, looking down at the structures below!
What about large drones with jet washers, might take a lot of flights but probably only need to do the underside for now
Have they figured out how to clean it yet? I think this would be a fascinating engineering challenge for some kind of robotic sweeper system.
No, they actually just put it on hold, though not officially. After it was determined to be no threat to structural integrity the concern was greatly diminished.
My father had a part in building the arch and he told me that they did not expect the stainless steel sheets to ripple like they did, such as that 4:24.
I wish I could show everyone how sweaty my hands are just watching this lol!
I’m a retired Union Ironworker and a former military rappelling instructor. I would go back to work with these guys. I was also a smokestack inspector and climbed 1,000 foot to get to work.
Damn, that sounds interesting. The only rappelling I did (if even called that) was dropping down straight from a 100 foot old mining railroad trestle. The worst was traversing the bare frame left to the drop point. Do you know of the Anaconda Stack? (585 feet; one of tallest freestanding brick structures in the world) Gd, it looks like CGI. On research I found a story how they used to cap it and hold formal balls up there. During one of these, an Ananconda Company fireman climbed the entire length of an insane ladder affixed to the outside and popped over the edge to great fanfare and a few faints. Spoilsports won't let me try, thank God. Nod to your ironworker and instructor skills sa the rest of the world learns nothing but tapping phone buttons. (Insert twice as much on ironworkers).
I have a cousin who paint water towers. He said a co worker froze shitless on the Very top , my cuzz had to rescue him.
One guy told me ..."at a certain point ..if you fall you're going to die anyway..."... THAT made me feel MUCH better.
WOW! It really is an impressive building.
Can we take a second and command these men for doing this job!? I would never . Nooo thank you!
I work with someone who used to wash windows on high rise buildings and I'm an arborist myself. I think it's cleanable, but it would be a job and a half. Probably attach via two ropes, coming over each side of the structure, then go up and down those ropes to change your position.
The biggest issue would probably be finding the manpower. There aren't that many people with the technical rope access chops, gear and time to do such a massive project.
How can those guys wear safety harnesses with such giant balls?!? Even for a billion dollars, I would not do that job.
You're safer up there than you are in many neighborhoods near that arch.
I rode up the arch on the 2 people pod. Noone told me it SWAYED in the wind!! 🤯
Anyone else get the impression that the first line in the requirements section for the Gateway Arch Cleaner job listing is: "Must have nerves of steel"