The blue "cocoon" increases safety of the future tallest U.S. skyscraper

The Port Authority is now erecting 1 World Trade Center (WTC) with added safety. The new blue “cocoon,” an innovative perimeter protection system, is now in place at the top of the tower and will continue to rise with the building. The cocoon wraps all four sides of the tower’s top floors, which is now above 275 feet from street level, in a scaffold covered in layers of protective netting. The system protects both workers inside the building, as well as people outside by containing construction materials inside the structure. Because the system is modular, it will be raised as more floors are added and the cranes are jumped to higher elevations.

A similar system was used in the construction of Beekman Tower last year, as well as on other high-rise developments around the city.

Construction at 1 WTC is progressing steadily, with steel now rising above the 26th floor. Concrete is being installed on the tower’s walls and decks, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) work below grade is progressing smoothly. It is on schedule to open in 2013.

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