By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

Manhattan College Various Surveying Projects

Tectonic has provided surveying services for several locations on the Manhattan College property.

Tectonic performed topographic surveys in two areas on the main campus, the College’s Quad area and Walsh Plaza. Both surveys were to be utilized for improvements to the drainage systems in those areas. A field survey was performed using traditional survey techniques to map the location of all improvements and the grading. The mapping showed improvements, contours, rims and inverts of existing drainage structures and spot elevations on all flat areas spaced not more than 50 feet apart.

Tectonic also performed boundary and topographic surveys of two other sites on the college campus which encompassed full city blocks. One site was to be used for the purchase of the portions of the block the college did not own, and the other was for the re-design of improvement on the existing college owned property. Tectonic performed full boundary surveys by gathering evidence and records to determine the location of property lines and compared those results to title reports provided by the college. A full topography survey was performed to be used for the repurposing of several of the buildings for student housing.

By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

World Trade Center Site Survey Crews

Tectonic has provided, and is currently providing, engineering, surveying, and construction phase services to the Port Authority of NY & NY (PANYNJ) for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, a 16-acre complex comprised of buildings presently undergoing construction.

Tectonic currently has two field crews working full time on site for several locations including the PATH station, Vehicular Security Center, One World Trade Center, and 4 World Trade Center. Services include maintaining survey control for use by other contractors throughout the site, checking the location and elevation of key structural components, providing as-builts of features and monitoring movement and settlement of adjacent structures. Tectonic’s crews are working on an active construction site, with multiple projects going on at the same time, and are able to coordinate their work with multiple crews and companies on a daily basis to ensure an accurate quality product is produced.

The site features six new skyscrapers, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, transportation hub, PATH station, Vehicular Security Center, Liberty Park, and a Greek Orthodox Church.

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

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

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
By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

USDA Animal Import Center Facility

Tectonic provided multi-discipline services as a subconsultant to government contractor, Clark Nexsen, for the preliminary design, support and oversight of the design-build construction on the New York Animal Import Center (NYAIC) at Stewart International Airport. This 10,000 square foot, LEED-Silver Administration building is one of 2 air/ocean-borne animal import centers on the eastern seaboard that is operated by the U.S. Department of Agricultural Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (USDA-APHIS). The NYAIC was created as part of a multi-phased modernization plan to inspect and quarantine animals before their ultimate release and transfer to their final destination within the U.S.

Tectonic provided the following services:

  • Preliminary design: surveying, geotechnical subsurface investigations, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) screening, New York State Historic Preservation Office (NYSHPO) consultation, and code review.
  • Preparation of NEPA and New York State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) documentation addressing potential environmental impacts, and coordination of the process and determination with the USDA’s environmental liaison.
  • Development of a Program of Requirements (POR) and preliminary site plan to address the functional and operational compliance with USDA design standards, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) tenant construction requirements, airport individual State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit limitations, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) circulars/regulations.
  • Utilization of sand filters, pre-manufactured pretreatment units, and green technologies (stormwater planters and vegetate swales)

The information obtained from the pre-design phase and preliminary site and stormwater designs will be utilized by a design-build team in the final design and construction of the project.

By Juan Lopez 0 Comments

FEMA – Funded Culvert Replacements

Tectonic worked closely with the Town of Warwick to provide multi-discipline engineering services on various culverts and Town roadways that were destroyed after Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in August/September 2011. The Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA) declared the region eligible for disaster relief funding and the project was performed under an expedited emergency repair framework. Tectonic coordinated with municipal staff to assess the town-wide damage inflicted by the storms and estimate damages. Ten locations were determined to be “large” FEMA projects and required engineering and permitting to facilitate replacement.

Tectonic performed multiple engineering services at six of the ten locations:

  • Cascade Road (arch culvert to permit fish passage on a regulated watercourse)
  • Black Rock Road (arch culvert to permit fish passage on a regulated watercourse)
  • Bowen Road (arch culvert to permit fish passage on a regulated watercourse
  • Distillery Road (box culvert)
  • Jessup Road (arch culvert to permit significant flow passage)
  • Ketchum Road (box culvert)

Tectonic’s services included:

  • Topographic surveys
  • Geotechnical subsurface investigations for culvert and wingwall foundations
  • Hydraulic modeling (Federal Highway Administration HY-8 Culvert Hydraulic Analysis Program) of the proposed improvements to size the culverts
  • Design and permitting plans generation
  • Permitting of the site (New York State Office of Parks and Historic Preservation, US Army Corps of Engineers emergency general permitting, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation emergency Protection of Waters, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
  • Construction documents
  • Public bid and construction support
By TECTONIC 0 Comments

Long Beach City Schools

The Long Beach City School District planned capital improvements at three different schools within the district under a $29M expansion and renovation project. The three schools, located on a barrier island off the south shore of Long Island, included the 380,820-sq-ft Long Beach High School, East Elementary School, and the Lido Complex (a combined elementary school and middle school building). Improvements ranged from an elevator addition to building and classroom additions providing latest technology, a more efficient learning center and a firm foundation.

Pre-Hurricane Sandy expansion and renovation, Tectonic was retained to conduct a supplemental investigation and evaluation of the subsurface conditions at each site. The investigation included Seismic Cone Penetrometer Testing (SCPT) to evaluate the in-situ shear-wave velocity profile of the sites. A geotechnical report was prepared with specific design recommendations for each site that included auger cast piles and micropiles. Following Hurricane Sandy, Tectonic performed test pit and test boring investigations to determine the extent of foundation damage that was present at each site.

Pre-Hurricane Sandy expansion and renovation, Tectonic was retained to conduct a supplemental investigation and evaluation of the subsurface conditions at each site. The investigation included Seismic Cone Penetrometer Testing (SCPT) to evaluate the in-situ shear-wave velocity profile of the sites. A geotechnical report was prepared with specific design recommendations for each site that included auger cast piles and micropiles. Following Hurricane Sandy, Tectonic performed test pit and test boring investigations to determine the extent of foundation damage that was present at each site.

By TECTONIC 0 Comments

Elmira Federal Building

Rehabilitation of the Federal Building for the City of Elmira, NY, a 59,492 square foot building comprised on steel and masonry construction and clad with granite and limestone. The building, originally built in 1902 to serve as a U.S. Post Office and Court House, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tectonic provided professional architectural and engineering services as well as facility design related to the rehabilitation. Funded with a Restore NY grant, services included replacing the roof, asbestos abatement, lead paint remediation, window restoration, repointing stonework, railing upgrades with historic considerations to make the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, upgrading the fire alarm system, and some mechanical work.

In an effort to keep construction costs related to the exterior masonry restoration to a minimum, construction supervision was provided to target areas of necessary repair so available grant money could be utilized on remainder building upgrades.