Design/build practice helps rebuild downtown's damaged infrastructure.Vollmer Associates has participated in several design/build projects, the largest of which is currently taking place in lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York. Lower Manhattan is generally defined as the area delineated on the north by Chambers Street, on the west by the Hudson River (North . Due to the damage to New York's subway subway: see rapid transit. subway Underground railway system used to transport passengers within urban and suburban areas. The first subway line, 3. system as a result of the 9/ 11 attacks, the federal government is funding the reconstruction of the transportation network downtown, including the reconstruction of the South Ferry South Ferry may refer to:
Three segments of active subway lines have to be underpinned; Numerous utilities that lie beneath city streets have to be relocated re·lo·cate v. re·lo·cat·ed, re·lo·cat·ing, re·lo·cates v.tr. To move to or establish in a new place: relocated the business. v.intr. ; The tunnel excavation excavation In archaeology, the exposure, recording, and recovery of buried material remains. The techniques employed vary by the type of site, but all forms of archaeological excavation require great skill and careful preparation. is located not only well below the street surface and the water table adjacent to New York harbor New York Harbor, a geographic term, refers collectively to the rivers, bays, and tidal estuaries near the mouth of the Hudson River in the vicinity of New York City. This is sometimes construed in the sense "the Ports of New York and New Jersey". , but also on one of the most archaeologically sensitive sites in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. ; The tunnel will be realigned through Battery Park (and under the World Trade Center globe), which imposes significant restrictions on working hours; The adjacent construction of several active projects significantly reduces work zone access; The overall schedule for the completion of construction is limited to 27 months. While the success of the typical design/build project involves repetitive design and construction methods, there is essentially no repetitive work on this project given the variable nature of the underground construction. The success of the project will be achieved through the dedication of the design/build team and its ability to work efficiently together. The team consists of the joint venture of Schiavone-Granite/ Halmar, which serves as the primary contractor on the project and manages all aspects of the work. Vollmer Associates is the lead designer for the permanent construction and Mueser Rutledge is the lead designer on the temporary construction. MTA Capital Construction MTA Capital Construction was formed in July 2003 to manage major capital projects for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York) in New York, USA. It mainly focuses on improving transportation infrastructure and facilities in the New York City, upstate New York, and Long , the agency overseeing the project, has provided unprecedented support to the design/ build team. During the preliminary phase, numerous alternatives were investigated to determine the best ways to construct the project for the least amount of money in the least amount of time. Each included restrictions on working hours in Battery Park and in the active subway tunnels that were to be underpinned and/or connected to the new tunnel/station. Several major innovations that were implemented on this project were used to save time and money. The most significant of these was the use of an all reinforced concrete reinforced concrete Concrete in which steel is embedded in such a manner that the two materials act together in resisting forces. The reinforcing steel—rods, bars, or mesh—absorbs the tensile, shear, and sometimes the compressive stresses in a concrete structure. The use of reinforced concrete saves the design/build team from the long lead times that would have been necessary if structural steel had been used and provides flexibility in the construction process, in the event of unforeseen field conditions beneath the ground surface. The all reinforced structure did require substantial additional engineering that was expedited in Vollmer's office. As of this date, the project is essentially on schedule. The design process is almost complete, as are many of the temporary features. It is expected that the project will be successfully completed within the designated period of time. The design/build methodology has served the public well in this case; it will allow for an economical completion of the project in a time period of 27 months in lieu of Instead of; in place of; in substitution of. It does not mean in addition to. the six years that it would have taken if it had gone the traditional route. |
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