Right now, in New York City, the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States is under-way. Right in the heart of Manhattan, where there has been no open land to build on for decades, over 7,000,000 square feet of development is currently underway in the Hudson Yards New York Project. How is that possible, you ask? By building a platform over the existing land use and then building a development on top of that platform.
Hudson Yards New York Project
Prior to the start of this project, the 28 acre site was the location of 30 active Long Island Rail Road train tracks, three subsurface Amtrak rail tunnels and a New Jersey passageway for the Gateway tunnel. Necessary to New York’s public and non-public transportation systems, these assets wouldn’t and couldn’t be removed. Designers and architects came up with a plan to build a development over the top of the existing rail use by building a massive plat-form over the rail yards and then building up towards the sky from there.
The foundation for this massive building platform is the key to the entire development. This platform and the buildings to be built above it are supported by a total of 300 caissons, ranging from four to five feet in diameter and 20 to 80 feet in depth, drilled deep into bedrock at strategic locations between existing railroad tracks and then filled with concrete. Oh, who is the vendor who manufactured and supplied these 300 caissons to support a city within a city in the biggest city in America? Well that would be none other than Pittsburgh Pipe!
Caisson Manufacturing
Beginning in 2014, Pittsburgh began the meticulous process of manufacturing these caissons to the exacting specifications of the developer. Many of these caissons contain turning slots, picking eyes, grout holes and cutting teeth. The photo below depicts some of our caissons being off loaded at the job site in Manhattan.
Throughout all of the project’s construction, the Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak, and New Jersey Transit remain operational.
24 Million People
It is anticipated that more than 24 million people will visit Hudson Yards every year. The site will ultimately include more than 17 million square feet of commercial and residential space, 5 state-of-the-art office towers, more than 100 shops, a collection of restaurants, approximately 5,000 residences, a unique cultural space, 14 acres of public open space, a 750-seat public school and an Equinox® branded luxury hotel with approximately 200 rooms—all offering unparalleled amenities and easy access to transportation for residents, employees and guests. This massive project is literally being supported by Pittsburgh Pipe.
