In April 1996, the Las Vegas-based Stratosphere Corp. will open one of the world's most imaginative casino, hotel and entertainment complexes. A cornerstone of the $400 million project will be the colossal Stratosphere Tower.

The tower, which already dominates the Las Vegas skyline, will soar 1,149 feet - 135 stories - when it is completed. Three times taller than any other building in Las Vegas, it will be the tallest freestanding observation tower in the U.S. and the tallest structure west of the Mississippi.

In a city known for lavish projects executed on a grand scale, the Stratosphere casino complex stands out in many respects:

• A 12-story pod beginning at the 771-foot level of the tower features indoor and outdoor observation decks, a 360-seat revolving restaurant and cocktail lounge, and three wedding chapels.
• On top of the pod, thrill-seekers can experience the High Roller, the world's highest roller coaster, starting at over 900 feet above the ground. There's also the Space Shot, a bungee-jump inspired vertical thrill ride that shoots fun-lovers 150 feet straight up the tower's mast.
• Four high-speed double-decker elevators, traveling at 1,400 feet per minute, will whisk visitors to the top of the tower in 40 seconds.
• And, for those wanting to get to the top of the tower at a more leisurely pace, a 60-foot tall animatronic King Kong is in the works to ferry passengers up along the outside of the tower.

Las Vegas plastering contractor Ramhorn Construction Co., Inc. performed more than a million square feet of plaster and finish application on the Stratosphere Tower and casino complex.

"It's the tallest job we've done - not the biggest, but the tallest," said Stan Greene, president of Ramhorn. "It's a unique project and we're very proud of doing it."

Ramhorn has been active in the project since May of last year, working under managing contractor Taylor International Corp. The plastering contractor's portion of the project included: plastering a leveling coat and acrylic finish over the entire concrete tower and an existing low-rise building; steel framing and EIFS application for the 12-story pod at the top of the tower; and structural and non-structural steel framing, gypsum sheathing and EIFS application for the complex's 550-room hotel, 97,000-square-foot casino and theme restaurants.

"It was an interesting project in that, if someone asked what job you were working on, you could point to it from anywhere in town," Greene said. "There was instant recognition. "

Given the volume of work performed at heights up to 800 feet, Greene said the most notable aspect of the project was how smoothly it progressed.

"It was a smooth running job," said Greene. "This job's really been approached as a team effort. The owners, the general contractor - everyone was involved in maintaining safety on the job."

Playing a pivotal role in the safe completion of the project was Greene's son Mike, who served as the swing stage specialist. The father and son were the first to take the swing stage to the top of tower in a dry run to check out its performance.

"We rode it to the top first," said Greene. "It's a neat view up there."

In the interest of safety, Ramhorn maintained a "roamer" whose only duty was to patrol the job site throughout the project and look for unsafe conditions. Also, the contractor kept close tabs on weather conditions that could threaten the plasterers working on the swing stage.

"The weather and wind were the biggest factors we had to contend with. If the wind got up to 20 miles an hour or higher, we didn't go up," said Greene.

Given the tower's location on Las Vegas Boulevard at the top of "The Strip," pumping or spraying materials were out of the question. The plaster and acrylic coats were mixed on the ground and lifted in batches up to the swing stage, were they were applied by hand. Depending where on the tower the work was being performed, anywhere from four to 10 plasterers hand troweled the plaster and acrylic finish. Ramhorn employed tradesmen from Carpenters Local #788, Las Vegas, and Plasterers Local #797, Las Vegas.

More than 9,000 sacks of Ultra Bond plaster manufactured by Highland Stucco and Lime Co., Van Nuys, Calif., were applied as a leveling coat over the tower's concrete. The plaster was specially colored to match the acrylic topcoat that was later applied. The finish, Silco Shield, manufactured by Sto Finish Systems Division, was also used on the complex's casino and existing 550-room hotel.

Other products used in the project were EIFS manufactured by Sto and structural and light gage metal framing from Western Metal Lath. Atco Building Materials, Las Vegas, was Ramhorn's supplier on the job.

Architects on the project included: Gary Nelson, Architect, Inc., who was principal architect for the tower; Baldwin & Franklin, consulting architects; Paul Steelman Ltd., principal architect for the casino, entertainment complex, hotel and interior design; Cunningham Hamilton Quiter P.A., consulting architects for the pod, base building and hotel; and Ace Architects, consulting architect for tower construction documents.

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