I was lurking around it this morning, man that thing is deep! No deeper than the garage it abuts though, so that goes down at least this far. Again makes me wonder if they're going to tear into the wall of the existing garage and expand it out into this void with more underground parking that will tie into the already completed entrance/exit ramp in the middle of the site as a whole.
I saw them pulling old trees and logs out of the clay, looked round and caked in mud like they've probably been down there since they fell ages ago - not cut logs like they're laying down to move the heavy machinery. Those would be some old logs to be buried this deep.
Is Chicago’s clay really that much harder or more expensive to dig in than elsewhere?
They build underground parking in reclaimed land in coastal cities. How is that any easier?
The city should still start requiring that parking is underground. If that means less development, so be it. Above ground parking destroys neighborhoods.
My gradfather's first job when he moved from the old country was digging old freight tunnels by hand digging out that Chicago clay. He was a strong man but it nearly killed him. He was worked so hard he said he literally used to sweat blood sometimes.
Tunnel under construction in 1902. The freshly cut clay ahead of the concrete work shows clear knife marks.
Trackwork in a typical grand union where two tunnels intersected, photographed before 1906.
How many parking spots were granted for the east building? And looking at the pictures it would be silly to not connect this to the original garage with that blank wall there. Being the same developers and im sure same parking company. Unless it would cause some massive structural issues.
Is Chicago’s clay really that much harder or more expensive to dig in than elsewhere?
They build underground parking in reclaimed land in coastal cities. How is that any easier?
The city should still start requiring that parking is underground. If that means less development, so be it. Above ground parking destroys neighborhoods.
I agree, quality > quantity for us at this point with construction.
What an impressive dig. Its wonderful they spent the money to bury the parking on this site, its just too important and visible of a place to stick an ugly podium.
I'm surprised to see it go so deep with sheet pilings. Must be possible with those heavy reinforcements, I dont remember the sheet piles being this long when they drove them in.
I remember reading that One Chicago Square will have such deep parking they cant even use sheet piles. They are going with the more expensive secant wall on that site.
On a side note what's the hold up on OCS? I take it the alderman didn't get a big enough cut wich is why he's the only one holding this project from entering the construction phase...
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