CHICAGO | Aqua | 858 FT / 262 M | 87 FLOORS

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by aaron38

I did zero manipulation to my photos. I think the lines just look weird cause those shots were taken at dusk, and in the low light the red color popped out more.

But the red lines are in Djvandrake's pictures as well. As for purpose I don't know, but they seem to be excavating inside the lines.

The red lines are to rope off the site. Like at a crime sceene they use yelow tape, here they use red

[Horio]

Originally Posted by djvandrake

Yeah. Look at the size of the caisson compared to the man inside the ring of rebar. The thing has to be 2 1/2 meters in diameter, and the rebar is as big as the workers arm. This podium site is several hundred feet wide.

The big caissons are 10' in diameter and the threaded bars are #20 bars (about 2.5" in diameter). I've seen them up close and they are massive.

[Untitled]

Awesome photos. Glad to see 'em.

[cbotnyse]

djvandrake, you didn't take enough!!! great shots....so is the foundation done? It looks like we are above ground on this already. Am I way off?

[Horio]

Though this picture might help give you an idea how big this site is (notice that it doesn't actually fit in this picture still).



And here's a close up of those bars (this is one of the smaller caissons for the tower).

[honte]

Very cool, Horio! Thanks. Please keep those coming (and your insightful posts).

[Horio]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

djvandrake, you didn't take enough!!! great shots....so is the foundation done? It looks like we are above ground on this already. Am I way off?

This project is going to be all over the place as far progress goes. You will have parts of the site which will have several levels built before other parts even have grade beams. Watch for the tower to jump ahead of everything else (starting in the near future).

[djvandrake]

Originally Posted by cbotnyse

djvandrake, you didn't take enough!!! great shots....so is the foundation done? It looks like we are above ground on this already. Am I way off?

Basically, yes. I think Horio is very correct that because of the podium were going to see uneven levels of progress. They don't have to do a lot of excavating on this one though, so progress should be vertical from here.

Hey Horio, was that overview picture from inside the BCBS building? Great shot.

[jjk1103]

.....it appears that they drilled the caissons .....and then buried them ? ...I've been over to the site and you can see them digging out the caissons...one by one.....

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by jjk1103

.....it appears that they drilled the caissons .....and then buried them ? ...I've been over to the site and you can see them digging out the caissons...one by one.....

Caissons come up as far as the lowest level, after that they turn into columns. Like with Waterview and Trump. That's also why it take longer to get to the tops of some caissons than others.

[Horio]

Originally Posted by djvandrake

Basically, yes. I think Horio is very correct that because of the podium were going to see uneven levels of progress. They don't have to do a lot of excavating on this one though, so progress should be vertical from here.

Hey Horio, was that overview picture from inside the BCBS building? Great shot.

That picture was taken from the roof of BCBS. Gives a pretty nice aerial view.

[SolarWind]

July 6, 2007

[newstl2020]

Can anyone explain why they did not simply leave the caissons at grade once they were completed? To me this seems like a very impractical way to do cassion/foundation mat construction.

[itsnotrequired]

Originally Posted by newstl2020

Can anyone explain why they did not simply leave the caissons at grade once they were completed? To me this seems like a very impractical way to do cassion/foundation mat construction.

By burying them, it allows excavation/cassion rigs to move around pretty much wherever they want. Their mobility would be greatly restricted if they were left exposed.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by newstl2020

Can anyone explain why they did not simply leave the caissons at grade once they were completed? To me this seems like a very impractical way to do cassion/foundation mat construction.

Caissons come up to the lowest point of excavation for that particular area. If a building is going to have 3 levels underground, they wouldn't have caissons come all the way to the surface because they would be in the way.

It's all structural.

[newstl2020]

I understand all that, I was just curious as to why they would not have completed all excavation and other site prep work before drilling caissons. The only reason that I can think of why they would have done it this way would be scheduling conflicts with the contractors doing the work? I have not been following construction for that long, really only in the past year, but it would just seem easier to get all the site work done before drilling caissons.

[Ryan81]

I'm not sure if anyone has posted this yet.....

http://www.studiogang.net/site/projects_c1.htm

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by newstl2020

I understand all that, I was just curious as to why they would not have completed all excavation and other site prep work before drilling caissons. The only reason that I can think of why they would have done it this way would be scheduling conflicts with the contractors doing the work? I have not been following construction for that long, really only in the past year, but it would just seem easier to get all the site work done before drilling caissons.

Caissons are drilled frist because the topography is easier to deal with. You don't have to maneuver large crane and equipment as much. It's just easier.

[Tom Servo]

:

[wrab]

Originally Posted by Ryan81

I'm not sure if anyone has posted this yet.....

http://www.studiogang.net/site/projects_c1.htm

Great video presentation! Thanks for posting.