By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

New Cadet Barracks at U.S. Military Academy

Tectonic provided geotechnical, civil and structural engineering as well surveying, construction inspection and construction monitoring during the construction phase of this new $186 million, 287,000 SF barracks that will house 650 cadets.

Sited into the side of a steep hill close to existing buildings, including the historic West Point Chapel, the project required rock cuts up to 80 ft. high and nearly 150,000 cubic yards of rock blasted and removed from the site.

Tectonic performed value engineering of the original rock support design and provided recommendations to mitigate effects of blasting, including the development and execution of an instrumentation monitoring program and associated special inspections. Additionally, Tectonic’s civil engineers developed a construction plan for the shotcrete treatment of the rock face that had been scanned using 3D LiDAR technology by the firm’s surveying team. Surveying services continued throughout construction with particular attention to monitoring during blasting.

Tectonic ultimately provided additional inspection services to monitor drainage, utilities, grading, building foundation and superstructure construction.

By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

NY Wheel ACM Exposure Assessment

The New York Wheel is a 630-foot Ferris Wheel under construction which is located on the waterfront of St. George, Staten Island. The NY Wheel is expected to become one of New York City’s and the world’s greatest landmark attractions with a projected 3.5 million visitors a year. The wheel will be the largest in the world consisting of 36 passenger capsules, each carrying up to 40 passengers, and a maximum capacity of 1,440 people per ride that will provide extraordinary views of the Manhattan Skyline.

Tectonic’s environmental team provided asbestos exposure assessment services during the pile driving operations at the early construction phase conducted at the site of this future exciting world attraction.

The construction is expected to create approximately 600 permanent jobs as well as 350 union construction jobs.

By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

Freshkills Landfill Owl Hollow Fields

Formerly the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills was transformed into today’s Freshkills Park, the largest park developed in New York City in over 100 years.  In addition to providing a park with a wide range of recreational opportunities, including Owl Hollow Fields, the park’s design, environmental restoration and educational programming accentuate sustainability and a transformed public awareness regarding human impact on the earth.  As part of the reconstruction, Owl Hollow Fields includes four synthetic turf soccer fields and LEED gold-certified facilities.

Tectonic was selected as the NYSDEC Independent Environmental Monitor for the remedial capping of an 11 acre PCB and solid waste contaminated site, which is regulated under NYSDEC 6 NYCRR Part 360 regulations. Tectonic’s responsibilities included overseeing the remedial removal of PCB contaminated soil hotspots, monitoring soil excavations and fill placement activities, preparing reports summarizing site monitoring activities for submittal to the NYSDEC and providing public education.

By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

Lehman College Science Center

Tectonic worked with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York to provide construction phase engineering and environmental services at the City University of New York Lehman College Science Center for waste characterization sampling and testing of on-site soils and real time air monitoring of particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOC) during the earthwork and excavation phase of construction of the building.

Tectonic performed the following services on site:

  • Waste characterization sampling of the existing on-site soils and provided analytical testing of the samples. Sampling indicated that the fill was primarily cinders and ash with high concentrations of metals and semi-volatile organic compounds.
  • Preparation of a Community Air Monitoring Plan (CAMP) for the project construction phase in accordance with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYCDEC) guidance and implemented the plan during the construction of the new building.
  • Positioning air monitoring stations, equipped with MiniDate Ram 1000 and a MiniRae 2000 for the particulate and VOC monitoring respectively, at upwind and downwind points near the perimeter of the site,
  • Checking air monitoring stations and making field observations throughout the day to ensure air quality levels were not approaching or exceeding the limits set forth in the CAMP for the project.
  • Notifying the contractor of elevated readings so that dust suppression measures would be implemented until the elevated readings subside.
  • Preparation of weekly field reports containing a summary of the site activities, tabulated summary of the monitoring data for the week (i.e. exceedances, peak and average readings, weather conditions, and monitoring duration), the air monitoring raw data, and any pertinent site photographs.
By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

DASNY Construction Monitoring Projects

Under multiple term agreements held since 1996 with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, Tectonic has provided, and is currently providing geotechnical design and construction phase monitoring services for various state and private facilities throughout New York State. The construction phase monitoring services include performance on preconstruction condition surveys, vibration monitoring, noise monitoring, deformation monitoring, and crack monitoring.

On-going and/or completed monitoring projects to date include:

  • Lehman College Science Center
  • CUNY York College
  • Baruch College
  • Bronx Community College
  • CUNY ASRC Utility Tunnel
  • SUNY Albany Liberty Terrace
  • South Beach Psychiatric Center
  • SUNY New Paltz Dormitories
By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

Verrazano Bridge

Tectonic provided construction phase monitoring services as a subcontractor for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge reconstruction project. Tectonic prepared and submitted a Monitoring Plan that was implemented during the potential vibration and displacement construction activities throughout the site. The plan identified proposed monitoring locations, means and methods for monitoring, reporting procedures and data reporting requirements. The purpose of the monitoring program was to reduce the likelihood of construction-induced damage to the adjacent structures and to detect early signs of displacement or structural distress.

Prior to the implementation of the monitoring plan, Tectonic performed pre-construction condition surveys along all of the adjacent structures within a 200-mile radius of the construction limits. Tectonic also performed numerous onsite monitoring services, which consisted of the installation and monitoring of several inclinometers, deep benchmarks, real-time vibration and tilt monitoring throughout the foundation excavation and construction. Tectonic prepared weekly data submittals and provided immediate notifications once any threshold levels were reached.

By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

NYC DDC Monitoring Projects

 Tectonic has provided, and is currently providing, engineering services to the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Under various term contracts with the agency, Tectonic has provided geotechnical engineering and construction phase services at multiple locations throughout New York City’s five boroughs. Construction phase geotechnical services have included base line vibration monitoring, performance of preconstruction condition surveys on neighboring buildings, pile driving inspection, subgrades, fill placement, compaction testing, inspections of sheeting and shoring, and asphalt/concrete pavement inspections. Projects have included large diameter water mains, sewer/storm drain systems, building structures, pump stations, outfalls, and emergency boardwalk and beach station improvements/repairs after Hurricane Sandy.

Recent monitoring projects completed to date under this contract include:

  • Elmhurst-Queens Library, Elmhurst, NY
  • Queens Library at Kew Gardens Hills, Flushing, NY
  • New York City Hall, Manhattan, NY
  • New Brighton Beachfront, Brooklyn, NY
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New NY Bridge (Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement)

Tectonic is providing inspection and testing services as a subconsultant to the design build team for the construction of the New NY Bridge, formerly known as the Tappan Zee Bridge. The existing bridge is an essential component of the regional roadway network connecting Rockland and Westchester counties and provides integral access to the New York Metropolitan Area.

The services Tectonic is providing are guided by the Quality Assurance and Quality Control program for the project, which was developed using ISO 9001 standards, 23 CFR Part 637 requirements and the project’s contract document. Tectonic is responsible for all components of special inspections and materials testing, including:

  • Pile driving inspection & monitoring
  • Steel inspection & non-destructive testing of steel components
  • Geotechnical inspection of earthwork, subgrades & backfill
  • CIP & precast concrete inspection & testing
  • Asphalt paving inspection & testing
  • Establishment of an on-site materials testing laboratory

The new NY Bridge is designed for a 100-year service life and will be mass-transit-ready. It will feature twin 3-mile structures, each with 1,200-foot cable-stayed main spans and 350-foot steel girder approach spans. The Bridge will provide 8 general traffic lanes, emergency lanes, extra-wide shoulders for express bus service, a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian path on the northern span, and scenic overlooks with anti-climb fencing and security cameras. A new toll plaza will include at least 3 highway-speed E-Z Pass lanes.