From the latest Construction Alert: new floodlights at railyard; discussions about how to reduce noise during upcoming Atlantic Avenue work

The big news from the latest two-week Atlantic Yards Construction Alert, dated 11/7/11 and distributed yesterday by Empire State Development (after preparation by developer Forest City Ratner) includes:

• Work at the railyard will continue on Saturdays and some Sundays, "due to the need to expedite all of this work for overall schedule maintenance" (in other words, to not fall behind)
• Now that Daylight Savings Time is over, Yard Flood Lights will be turned on at 6am and from dusk to 7:30 pm.
• Work will begin late 1st quarter or early 2nd quarter 2012 on the remaining traffic mitigation work, most of which is made up of raised medians along Atlantic Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue. Given previous complaints about noise, the parties involved are discussing how to "reduce noise intensity."
• Bollard installation is continuing, starting at Flatbush Avenue and Dean Street and is anticipated to be complete around the site perimeter by the middle of December.

I wandered by the site last night and saw a few bollards installed. Based on comments at last Thursday's Atlantic Yards District Service Cabinet meeting, it was my understanding, however, that the city Department of Transportation had not yet approved the bollard plan. (I'll update this when I get it clarified.)

The text below is excerpted from the latest document, with the bolded text indicating what's new compared to the previous alert.

Arena site

Preparation for the erection/installation of a material hoist at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Pacific Street has been cancelled. This hoist is no longer required to service the Project due to the fact that elevator installation will be completed in time to substitute for the hoist transport services.

Excavation

• Excavation for the footings will continue within the footprint of the arena in Area “C” during this reporting period. These footing excavations include the truck elevator and the truck turntable footings.

Exterior work

• Intumescent (fireproof) painting of the structural steel where required as an alternative to spray on fireproofing has started and will continue on a second shift operation during this reporting period. • Roof decking installation has commenced and will continue during this reporting period
• The installation of façade panels at the street level and at the Upper Concourse levels on Atlantic Avenue has been substantially completed. Contractor will return to install the façade panels at the uppermost elevation and in the area of the material hoist at a later date.

Interior work

The waterproofing of the interior walls of the east storm water retention tank will continue during this reporting period. This work may be performed on a second shift.

Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing

 • The boiler is being piped and electrical service to boiler being installed during this reporting period.
The construction fence at the ConEd vault will be revised to allow ConEd to begin installation of primary power conduit and cable to the arena at this point of entry. This will require work in the street by ConEd personnel – installers. Metal plates will cover the cable work in Dean Street while it is underway.
• The elevator/escalator subcontractor completed the installation of the Atlantic Avenue elevation escalator equipment during the last reporting period, and will continue with the VIP entry escalator this reporting period. Elevator installation has started and will continue this reporting period. The vertical transportation contractor is expected to work a second shift during this reporting period.

Subway entrance demolition

• Interior demolition of the new southbound local IRT stair has been completed and construction of the new stair will continue for the next several weeks below grade.

Work outside the subway entrance area fence

• Permits have been secured for the portions of the street immediately adjacent to the “Tip” of the project area. Concrete plank/decking in the roadway (at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic) has been in place for some time. The southern eastbound lane of Atlantic Avenue has now been taken behind an expanded MPT in order to facilitate the removal of the planking/decking to be removed and the installation of temporary roadway restoration. This work is anticipated to occur over the next two to four week period. A pathway for the new water main has been coordinated with the utility team and will be constructed and following the plank removal. This will then permit the next phase of the water main installation to take place which is scheduled for the beginning of the year. This expanded MPT has been approved by DOT.

Waterproofing

• Waterproofing behind the foundation walls is now substantially complete. Waterproofing of the new roof at the tip of the site is now substantially complete and the balance of the roof waterproofing is anticipated to be complete by the end of the year.

Railyard work

Drilling – Support of Excavation, & Tiebacks,
• Drilling of tiebacks will continue in various areas of the yard (BL1120 and Block 1121). These tiebacks are drilled by small rigs, and are required at several elevations as excavation and lagging continue to the final depth of the yard sub-grade. Tieback drilling and placement of the attendant wood lagging will continue for the next two months, as they go together with excavation. Structural bracing of the car shop roof has been substantially completed, except for some additional work required at the east end, and that work should be completed within this reporting period. The contractor has begun removal of the old foundation/retaining wall on the south side of the car shop. This involves use of a Hoe-Ram hammer and will continue for several weeks.

Drainage System

• Posillico/Tully is working from west to east to install deep drainage piping in the yard. They will also continue excavation for the associated storm water manholes. This work will be ongoing for the next 3 months. Formwork and rebar is currently being placed for the second and final pour for the Drainage Ejector Pump Vault at the west end of the site near the 6th Avenue Bridge. Concrete will be placed during this reporting period.

Electrical Ducts and Manholes

• Conduit has been placed and the first of many concrete pours for underground electrical duct banks (for both train traction power and signal) has been made. Precast manholes have been placed at multiple locations. This work will continue for many months.

Carlton Avenue Bridge

Drill pipe has been delivered and is currently being inspected per NYC-DOT requirements. Posillico/Tully will start the installation of the 30 mini-piles required to be installed to support the new North Abutment during the next two weeks

East End (former Gasoline Station)

• Posillico/Tully will continue working on the lagging and tieback work at this location and continue to lower the grade there. Additional pile-drilling has resumed in this area below grade and will continue during the next two weeks. A crane-mounted shroud is being hoisted in place between the pile drill rig and the western Vanderbilt Avenue sidewalk and will continue to be in place while piles are being installed closest to the sidewalk and street. The excavation and associated support work will be on-going for the next couple of months.

Schedule Maintenance

• Due to the need to expedite all of this work for overall schedule maintenance, it will be progressed on Saturdays and (selected Sunday & Holidays).

Yards Lights

• During the week, to facilitate early start and late finish of work, Yard Flood Lights will be turned at 6am and from dusk to 7:30 pm.

Utility work

• The sanitary sewer and water taps on Dean Street are complete, inspected, backfilled and paved.

• Storm water discharge into the sewers is still in progress. The discharge at Flatbush Avenue is complete but has not yet been inspected. The discharge at 6th and Pacific Streets will be made during November and may begin in the next two week period if permits are received. The work will include a trench and associated sheeting or lagging approximately 17 to 20 feet deep to reach the bottom of the existing sewer main which the storm system will connect to. Because the main is almost in the center of the road and traffic will be limited until it is plated, and subject to DOT and OCMC approval, the trenching can be cut off at grade and plated over. This will work be coordinate with DOT, NYPD, FDNY as well as the arena contractor.

(The previous report stated that this should be done at night. Block 1129)

• The installation of gravel driving base started November 2 in the Block 1129 material lay down lots and may continue during this reporting period.

• Subject to alternate space being made available by Hunt, a portion of Staging area used by the utility and traffic mitigation contractor may be relocated from the Dean Street side to an area closer to Vanderbilt Avenue during this reporting period.

Demolition

Sign off on the removal of the one-story addition to 754 Pacific (aka 752 Pacific) is expected during this reporting period.

Traffic mitigation site work

• The Pacific and Flatbush curb extension is complete.

• The curb extension on Dean Street, west of Flatbush is complete.

• The Pacific Street & 4th Avenue curb extension is complete.

Atlantic Avenue Medians

Work will begin late 1st quarter or early 2nd quarter 2012 on the remaining traffic mitigation work, most of which is made up of raised medians along Atlantic Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue. Work will commence when weather permits. The work will be performed during the 10 pm to 6 am shift because traffic lanes must be taken out of service on either side of the median. The arena block, Carlton Avenue Bridge reconstruction and DDC utility work between Carlton and Vanderbilt Avenues also take lanes out of service. Therefore, the median work must be scheduled block by block to coordinate with the other work schedules and MPT configurations. Because the work is a few feet directly above the LIRR tunnel into Atlantic Terminal, the means and methods must be reviewed and approved by the LIRR.

Noise issues

The traffic mitigation work to date required the use of jack hammers due to the requirement to install new conduits for new traffic signals being installed at the 4th, Flatbush and Atlantic intersections and the existence of thicker than normal road bed in many locations around Times Plaza. This second condition was due to the proximity and thickness of IRT and LIRR tunnel roofs, causing the inability to use larger more efficient equipment (i.e.: excavators and hoe rams) which would have reduced the duration of the noise substantially. After the pavement was saw-cut down to approximately 18”, jack hammers were required to be used to do remaining work removing pavement. The upcoming Atlantic Avenue Median work means and methods are being discussed with the LIRR with the goal of performing the pavement removal in a more efficient, rapid way to reduce noise intensity and duration while conforming to LIRR requirements for work in proximity to their facilities.

Arena Site Work

The revised Flatbush Avenue MPT is allowing work to continue on the installation of the Flatbush Avenue façade and the installation of bollards along this same stretch. The MPT revisions are now complete. Part of the overall site work for the arena block, bollard installation, commenced at the intersection of Dean and Flatbush in the area of the southern vents and will continue north along Flatbush, eventually continuing around the entire block. The bollard work is anticipated to be complete by the middle of December. Other work that will be done as part of the site work includes sidewalks, installation of pavers, street furniture, street trees, light and signal poles, way finding signage, hydrants and the canopy to the new subway entrance. Additional detail on the work will be provided as the contractor progresses.

Anticipated Nighttime & Weekend Work

During this reporting period the following work will be performed either at night or during the weekend as noted. All work will be done pursuant to approved permits:
• Long Island Rail Road/Vanderbilt Yard/ Carlton Avenue Bridge:
o Construction hours are 6am – 4:30pm.
o Construction work will take place on Saturdays during the hours of 7am – 5:30pm
o Construction work may take place on Sundays during the hours of 8:00 AM – 4:30PM
• The weekend work being performed could be in any area of the yard, and within MPT areas for which permits are on hand.

• Arena Site:
o Arena weekend work will be scheduled no later than close of business on the preceding Thursday, where make-up work due to weather or other delays makes it necessary. Saturday work is expected to continue for this reporting period.
o Subject to receipt of permits, a second shift shall be continued throughout this reporting period, from 3 – 11 PM, Monday-Friday only. Also subject to receipt of permits, a third shift shall be instituted during this reporting period, from 11 PM – 7 AM, Monday –Friday only.
o Hunt has been granted a permit to allow for deliveries from 6 AM to 7 AM to the Arena site from the dispatch center. This work allows for an additional hour of deliveries to take place outside the neighborhood peak traffic patterns and reduce congestion and interference with the local traffic.
o The Developer has been requested to advise ESDC and STV of what contractors will be working over the weekend and what they will be working on. The second shift arena contractors are noted within the arena summary above.

• NYC Transit Improvements:
o Temporary concrete road decking is substantially complete, however, in the event there is a need to do any related work, such work will be performed at night per DOT regulations. Traffic will be restored every morning according to DOT stipulations.

As noted above, work will be performed to repair steel within the BMT Tunnel and will be conducted under a BMT GO during the weekend of November 26th as approved by the NYCT. Additionally, work related to of the BMT structure and below grade concrete, steel and MEP work may be conducted on Saturdays November 12th and November 19th, during this reporting period.

• Block 1129 – staging area:
o Contractors conducting night work may have cause to enter and exit this area as it serves as a staging and material/equipment storage area.

FINAL AY Construction Alert 11-7-2011