PROJECT NAME: 1521 SECOND AVENUE

CONTRACTOR: OPUS NORTHWEST

Malcolm Drilling was approached to perform this shoring out project in the Spring of 2003. In the summer of 2006 the job was underway. The existing site conditions left little to be desired. Within the top 15' of soil lie the demolition debris left behind from the old Liberty Theatre. To the north and south of the project were older buildings, one being 3 stories with one level of underground parking, the other being 7 stories with varying footing types at multiple elevations. Both structures required underpinning and the alley to the west of the site was loaded with utilities as much as 16' below road elevation. With this said, the site demanded a very carefully thought out shoring plan and with the help of it's designer MDCI delivered. 30 underpinning
piles 65' in length were utilized to hold up the existing buildings, all of which were drilled and installed using a water head to maintain hole stability. Underpinning was also used in the alley to support various vaults which were flush with the shoring limits. In addition, strong backs were installed beyond the alley to help reduce the huge cantilever loads. In all, the MDCI design build system performed as expected with little movement of the buildings or City right of way.