Moving Cudecom Day 7

October 2, 2012

Continuation from Moving Cudecom Day 1 - 6

Day 7

Today we carry out the installation of the ‘Muscle’ that will actually move the building, by pushing it from the north end, and the corresponding Hydraulic pumps. Six hydraulic ‘Jacks’ will be used, instead of eight, because two of them will act on two rows of columns simultaneously. This is one of the ‘Steering’ methods used to keep Cudecom in a straight line, changing the point of application of the force of those ‘doubled’ Jacks. As the building moves south, each piston will also move forward and placed on a new anchor location, averaging moves of about 3 feet (1 Meter) each time. We also need to make sure all the communications devices are installed and working. The rollers left behind as the building moves forward will be relocated to the front of each column. The equipment for detecting seismic activity during the displacement, and also the Registers for small deviations as we push will be showing their information. In summary, all mechanical and electronic equipment will be working fully.

The above images show the storage of the 1000 Rollers grouped in carriages of 5 each. Also the Jacks being taken out of their crates, and the Pumps required to ‘feed’ them. This equipment was rented from a firm in New York City; imported ‘In Bond’, it was exported back after the move. Locally obtained, or made, were other essentials such as Deviation Controls, Seismographs and Accelerometers, communications devices (Radios, Walkie Talkies, TV, direct lines, megaphones, etc). Even two Helicopters for photography and general information.

Day 8

ANECDOTES RELATIVE TO THE GENERAL PROJECT OF

MOVING THE CUDECOM BUILDING

· This Project was considered also as a teaching opportunity to students and professionals alike. Over 2000 University students were toured and tutored by guides on the job, explaining all the steps; during the displacement they were allocated a special section where they could witness the work close at hand. Architects and Engineers were also guided on special visits and by individual invitations during the actual move, inside the job site.

· A strong Earthquake occurred in Lima (Peru) a week before the scheduled move, which reached Bogotá with an intensity of 5.1, at 10 PM. My father immediately drove to the site, although the building was already sitting on rollers running N to S, same as the tremor and it would simply “rock” a little. The problem arose when my father got there, and since the night watchman had never seen him and would not let him in while aiming his shotgun at my father! He drove his Land Rover through the fence, jumped out and disarmed him, because he would not believe that my father owned the building. By then some of his Engineers had also arrived and the problem was solved.

· Lloyds of London contacted my father about the type of insurance he should carry for the move. His answer was quick and clear: “If I thought there was any chance of failure, I would not have attempted it”. Cudecom moved without insurance and everything worked exactly as planned, OK.

· Two Seismographs and two Accelerometers were installed, one on the command platform and another on the top floor. The tremors were recorded at different acceleration of the displacement; very interesting results, good for a Thesis comparing them with the calculated values.

· 300 “Special Guest” were invited to get an up close view of the move except 500 showed up instead; a bleacher section accommodated all of them successfully. They would be taken by guides to the ‘Tourists Platform, so they could witness every command and direction first hand. The other two platforms built over the ‘Moving Structure’ were the Equipment and the Command ones.

· A Dietician was responsible for the food to be dispensed to the Labor Force, the Engineers, and the guests. Three restaurants were available inside the building, under the direction of ‘Blue Ribbon Chefs’ to guarantee top quality. Our family had a complete special apartment finished for them on the second floor. The Building was also stopped for 1 hour during lunch..

· Two Psychologists were hired to provide guidance to the manual laborers, and orientation. They had never been involved in job like this, and welcomed the help.

· The only situation not pre-tested was the reaction of Labor and Engineering personnel to an unexpected event. My father scheduled a “mock” move two days before the actual date, at night, but had instructed his head mechanic in charge of the pumps to carry out a real move when so instructed by my father. The pumps started, everybody was in place – a prelude to the real thing they thought – when the building following my father’s secret signal to his Chief Mechanic, started to move! We had indeed not tested their reaction to a truly unexpected happening.. It moved only a little over a foot and a half, with a minor initial tremor (properly registered by our Seismographs at 7.1 magnitude and lasted 1 second) and everybody stayed at their post.

University students learning and touring Cudecom

My father speaking with Professionals at Cudecom

Construction workers having lunch day of the move.

My parents and grandparents having lunch day of the move.

Documentation of the official first move of the building. October 4, 1974 at 8:30pm 45 cms.

Seismograph located on main floor.

One of my best friends Mariana Serna and I with our hard hats the day of the move prior to it starting. I was 11 years old .

My sister Victoria Páez, top photo is with the chefs the day of the move. Lower photo is with my grandfather Eduardo Páez Sayer and my mother Ruth Páez. Victoria was 9 years old.

Facts

Antonio Páez Restrepo. Civil Engineer, with BCE and MCE degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York (specialized in Soil Mechanics and Foundations). He met his wife Ruth Martin, there.

By the time he moved the Cudecom building he was 46 years old, and had accumulated 23 years of very practical experience in his field, all over Colombia and in South America.

He has received two National Engineering Prizes, one for the Avianca Building’s Foundation, and the other for the Cudecom move.

Friends used to say that Tony’s ‘Hobby’ was “to have Hobbies”. Excellent sportsman, golfer, water skier, Scuba diver, stamp collector (Colombia), Gemologist (Colombian emeralds), writer of short stories. Good Chess player.

Traveled extensively for professional reasons, and always accepted advice and information from local Engineers whenever he was called as a consultant.

Received a ‘Silver Medal’ from Spain for his rebuilding of the San Felipe Fort in Cartagena.

Day 9

Saturday October 5, 1974

This day was used to calibrate pump pressures and jack outputs. 5 short movements were required for the fine-tuning of the equipment, in preparation for Sundays final move.

Sunday October 6, 1974

The sun seldom rises without a drizzle in Bogota, but today being the day for the move of the Cudecom building it showed up in all its glory. We are starting the displacement of 29 Meters at exactly 7:40:10 am when the pumps are turned on and at 7:40:30 am Cudecom starts its move. It has been a fantastic journey to arrive to this day, with everything in ship-shape condition. All the hard work and commitment from everyone involved has made it possible. To avoid paralyzing the City on a workday, a Sunday was chosen for the move, allowing this way also the presence of many 'Bogotanos' on this day of rest; they wanted to witness history in the making (a 'World Record'). With thousands watching very close by, the move started in earnest. It was transmitted by TV to most of Colombia, and many Countries in South America.

Mesa de Control. El Alcalde de Bogotá moviendo Cudecom.

Gente mirando el traslado, y el mejor sitio para verlo.

El Edificio listo para su traslado.

A critical point during the move. One of the neighboring homes could not be bought and demolished to create proper room for the building at its new location. This forced the Cudecom to be moved at an angle of 2 degrees 18 seconds, with a clearance of only 1.5 centimeters between both structures. My Father inspects the location just before reaching it.

Day 10

These are the images corresponding to the end of a fantastic journey. I have managed the impossible, by moving ‘from A to Z’ in 10 days a building that in real life took six months of preparation and construction of the rails over which it moved, and 10 hours of actual movement. All this was done while establishing a ‘Guinness World Record’ for the biggest and heaviest structure to be moved successfully in the Planet, at that time (1974)and lasted 30 years. Hope you have enjoyed it!

Top pictures show two aerial pictures of Cudecom 10 minutes before reaching its final destination. Center photos show the leading support 10 seconds before getting there, and at the exact moment of reaching the goal. The two bottom pictures show the building as it looked the next day after the move, and next to it how it looked after remodeling and adding two floors plus a 4-story aerial parking garage in the

back for the users.

When the Cudecom building reached its destination, there was a spontaneous cry of pride by everybody watching it, or working to make it complete its journey: “VIVA COLOMBIA !”. I still hear that echo..

The stamp that was issued to commemorate the move.

Day 10

We have worked so hard for the past 10 days. Congratulations you have done it. Sit back and relax. Enjoy these 2 videos of the move. This has been a real learning experience for me as I hope for you. A day to never forget and always believe that you can do it.

You Tube: Cudecom Transformation Pre-Move

You Tube: Cudecom Traslado