Riverside: Revolutionary elastic mounting for New York’s skyscrapers

Vibration insulation specialist Getzner joined forces with a group of experts to develop an innovative solution for the new complex — elastic mounting for individual floors of the 41-storey building. To reduce vibrations, two floors are completely decoupled, like removable cupboard drawers. As Andreas Stofleth, a project manager at Getzner Werkstoffe in Bürs, explains, “The ground floor and mezzanine level are mounted on 9 cm thick polyurethane Sylomer® blocks. Neither of the two floors have a fixed connection with the building shell. Sylomer® mats were also used on the sides of the load-bearing columns to provide wind protection.” Getzner worked with architects and structural engineers to prepare detailed plans specifying the loads distributed to each of 350 bearing points. The ground floor features support beams, and on the first floor the insulation is recessed in the ceiling. The new construction method ensures the required room height while reducing the clearance between floors.

Besides developing and manufacturing materials for vibration reduction and insulation, Getzner Werkstoffe is also an experienced consultant for vibration insulation issues in construction engineering. Getzner’s experts are closely involved in system development and project implementation right from the outset. “The collaboration begins with specification of the construction engineering parameters and often leads into the joint development of innovative solutions,” explains Roland Pfefferkorn, Managing Director of Getzner Werkstoffe. Thanks to its technical expertise in vibration insulation, Getzner is perfectly placed to develop smart systems featuring elastic materials, which in turn ensure cost effectiveness, noise protection and user comfort.