Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Program

AECOM is leading a multi-disciplinary team that unites landscape architecture, planning policy, urban design, architecture and engineering driven by a shared goal to improve the physical, social and economic resiliency of Lower Manhattan.

The Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) Project is an integrated coastal protection initiative aimed at reducing flood risk due to coastal storms and sea level rise in Lower Manhattan. The 3.5-mile-long project extends from the northern portion of Battery Park City to the Two Bridges neighborhood. In concert with infrastructure resilience measures, the LMCR Project aims to improve access to the waterfront and augment green space in the neighborhoods it will traverse. The LMCR Project builds upon several years of community planning efforts to improve the waterfront. Residents provide critical input to shape the project through workshops, focus groups and numerous other engagement activities, confirming a strong desire for more green space, open space and recreation areas.

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

AECOM Hunt’s work at the United States Tennis Association’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center encompasses Arthur Ashe Stadium’s retractable roof, Grandstand Stadium, the south campus redevelopment, and Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The first phase of construction began in fall 2013, when AECOM Hunt was selected to serve as design-builder for the octagonal, 236,000 square foot, 6,500-ton retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium. Originally built in 1997, Arthur Ashe Stadium holds the most important matches of the U.S. Open, but for many years players and spectators faced rained-out events, so the USTA decided to build a retractable roof.

The roof’s 250’ x 250’ retractable opening is the largest in the tennis world, constructed from 1,700 individual pieces and covered with lightweight and durable Teflon-coated fiberglass membrane fabric (PTFE). The roof is suspended independently from a framework of eight super columns driven 180 feet into the ground to reach bedrock.

At the same time, AECOM Hunt was working on the new 8,000-seat Grandstand Stadium and redevelopment of the Center’s south campus. Grandstand Stadium was constructed in the southwest corner of the site in order to improve overall fan circulation. The south campus tournament courts were redeveloped to accommodate heavy traffic flow. To facilitate this open feeling, ten courts were demolished and rebuilt. This work and Arthur Ashe’s roof were unveiled during the 2016 U.S. Open.

Additionally, AECOM Hunt built Louis Armstrong Stadium, the second-largest venue and second retractable roof stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Construction on Louis Armstrong Stadium began after the conclusion of the 2016 U.S. Open. The 278,000 square foot stadium seats 14,000 people and features two entranceways, an escalator and elevator, visiting areas, storefronts, and concession stands.

World Trade Center Transportation Hub

AECOM Tishman, in a joint venture, served as construction manager for the 800,000-square-foot World Trade Center Transportation Hub, the third largest transportation center in New York City. AECOM also participated in the design of the Hub as part of a joint venture, Downtown Design Partnership, led by world renowned architect Santiago Calatrava.

The Hub connects as many as 250,000 pedestrians daily to 11 different subway lines. From the Hub, pedestrians also have quick access to the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail system, Battery Park City Ferry Terminal, the World Trade Center Memorial Site, four of the World Trade Center buildings, the World Financial Center, and the Winter Garden. Additionally, subgrade pedestrian connections connect the PATH system with the New York City Transit subway system, surrounding site development, and other transit facilities.

The Hub features ample openness to provide passengers with a sense of security as well as clear visual orientation to both interior and exterior building functions. In addition, the Hub facilities incorporate sustainable architectural design and conform to ADA requirements.

The Hub features an “Oculus” design, comprised of 12,500 tons of specially designed structural steel. The concourses emanating from the Oculus link the entirety of the site above and below grade.

New York Public Library Rose Reading Room Restoration

Given the tight logistics, the means and methods of completing the work in the space, a designated New York City landmark, were a key concern. We put in place meticulous protections before work began, shielding the carved wood furnishings, floors, chandeliers and other landmarked decorative elements in the room. An extensive scaffold system erected in both the Rose Reading Room and the adjacent Bill Blass Public Catalog Room further protected the rooms below and provided a work platform – or “dance floor” 10 feet from the ceiling (and 42 feet above the floor) – for artisans restoring the landmarked ceiling murals, plasterwork and carvings. Additionally, in the attic space above the ceiling, special catwalks and platforms were built to enable workers to clean and perform abatement work.

Loading in of long beams, scaffold members and wood planking was planned around the library’s hours of operation, and access through public spaces limited. Materials that did not fit in the library’s freight elevator were loaded from 40th Street and boomed onto a scaffold tower erected on the roof, then carried into the Rose Reading Room through an existing window, which limited possible damage to the landmarked spaces as well as disruption to ongoing library operations.

Restoration work included securing loose plaster elements, replacing missing and damaged ceiling sections, vacuum cleaning all ceilings and murals, and installing a new mural over the existing damaged mural in the Bill Blass Catalog Room.

AECOM Tishman subsequently completed further work for the NYPL at their Midtown Campus, within both the Schwarzman Building and the former Mid-Manhattan Library, transforming it into the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Safety Focus: Grand Central Terminal – East Side Access Development

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has called on AECOM to help deliver its first expansion project in over a century. The project, known as East Side Access (ESA), will link LIRR services to Grand Central Terminal.

As construction manager, our role is to oversee the work of the general contractor and consultants to manage and administer the project. This includes responsibilities such as quality assurance, environmental performance and safety during construction, as well as contractor documentation.

Our employees in the field are regularly subjected to a high-risk environment that includes coordinating work with railroad activities, handling multiple rigging and overhead operations — such as falling debris or equipment — to keep ground personnel safe and protect workers at heights.

Safety Solutions

All our field personnel have been through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-hour construction safety training as required by the client. We recommended offering OSHA’s 30-hour course to all management and inspectors who are interested in completing it. Frequent safety recognition and rewards such as team dinners reinforce our emphasis on safety as our top priority.

Achievements and Outcomes

The project has had more than two years without a recordable incident involving our employees or AECOM-managed subcontractors.

During the project safety review visit for 2016, many excellent components of a robust health and safety program were evident. We earned a score of 87 percent and presented concrete recommendations that included immediate training and utilization of the AECOM Task Hazard Assessment Tool.

World Trade Center Redevelopment

AECOM Tishman served as construction manager for the original World Trade Center and built towers One, Three, Four, and Seven of the new World Trade Center. AECOM Tishman also built the Vehicular Security Center and retail program, and, as part of a joint venture, the Transportation Hub. In 2013, One World Trade Center was designated the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776 feet.

Rebuilding the World Trade Center — a site imbued with deep national meaning and packed with subterranean, surface-level and vertical infrastructure — presented an engineering, urban design and construction challenge of enormous complexity. The series of projects has reshaped Lower Manhattan, transforming what was a business district into a vibrant neighborhood and a community that is stronger than ever.

Weill Cornell Medical College Belfer Research Building

The first two floors of the 18-floor building contain classrooms, conference rooms, administrative offices and two lounges, while the 13 floors above house laboratories with an open layout, topped by two mechanical penthouses.

We used BIM early in the project, during constructability review, to coordinate the MEP and structural design – since the project required more pipes, ducts, wires and conduits than a typical office project – as well as to manage building life-cycle costs, pre-plan site logistics and ensure Day 2 maintenance access pathways were maintained. To clear the site, three existing four- and six-story buildings were demolished using small machines and hand tools so as not to disturb the surrounding community. Extremely deep rock excavation was also necessary for the below-grade levels. The New York bedrock on the site is, on average, more than 70 feet deep, starting three feet below existing grade on most of the site. Working at such depths inside a mid-block site required that AECOM Tishman line drill and underpin the surrounding buildings’ footings as well as carefully monitor adjacent structures. Blasting was used for a significant portion of the excavation, which meant that our team managed the permitting and monitoring of all activities and transported 60,000 cubic yards of rock excavated from the site.

We procured a single tower crane to serve the project’s concrete operations and remain on site to lift and place the building’s mechanical plant equipment. To accommodate the extremely tight logistics, the team divided the site into nine sections so that crane operations could be performed while other work safely progressed. Finally, the team implemented the use of the cocoon system, an innovative safety net designed to provide the utmost level of protection to construction workers and the Upper East Side community.

One World Trade Center

In 2004, AECOM Tishman was selected to provide preconstruction and construction management services to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for the iconic 104-story, 3.5 million SF tower. As the builder of the original Twin Towers in 1973, AECOM Tishman has a long history at the site, and had already been onsite assisting with 9/11 rebuild efforts beginning in 2001, ultimately managing more than 11 million square feet of new construction.

We implemented an innovative safety cocoon system, resulting in zero total incidents of significance on the project. The cocoon enveloped 16 floors and rose with the building to protect initial floor trades: steel, concrete and spray fireproofing. This was the first cocoon on a hybrid steel-and-concrete building.

We brought together all of the architects, engineers and subcontractors — including electrical, plumbing, fire and life safety, concrete, and others — into one centralized Building Information Modeling command center located in the project field office at 7 WTC. This enabled each subcontractor to add their components to the models as they were created in direct collaboration with the other subcontractors. One World Trade Center has won numerous awards, including a 2015 “Best of the Best” award in the Office/Retail/Mixed-Use category from Engineering News-Record.

Through carefully devising solutions for affected thoroughfares and transit facilities, coordinating with teams on adjacent projects and efficiently managing the various trades and their nearly 2,000 workers, AECOM Tishman’s diligent work on this national icon led to its successful completion – all while the world watched.

Lincoln Center

It’s one of the world’s largest sites for the performing arts. New York City’s iconic Lincoln Center is a 16.3-acre (6.6-hectare) cultural campus on Manhattan’s Upper West Side that has been transformed through a recent $US1.2-billion redevelopment that modernized venues, facilities and public spaces, and connected them to the bustling city that surrounds it.

AECOM is providing program management services for the multiphase program to renovate and transform the world’s largest and most complex performing arts campus and home to twelve cultural institutions, including the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, and the Julliard School of Music. AECOM worked on Phases I and II of the project, as well as on the Atrium at Lincoln Center, which opened on Dec. 17, 2009.

The renovation effort includes the $850-million 65th Street Redevelopment Program, which will create a dynamic “Street of the Arts” along 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, uniting Lincoln Center with the surrounding urban landscape and encouraging the interaction of artists, students and the public.

Phase I included:

  • The 100,000-square-foot expansion of the Juilliard School;
  • The complete renovation of Alice Tully Hall (which re-opened in February 2009); and
  • The complete transformation of the North Plaza, including a new bosque, reflecting pool, and signature restaurant.

Phase II included:

  • Encompassing the $190-million Promenade Project, which focuses on the Josie Robertson Plaza, with its iconic central fountain;
  • New grand stairs, flanked by glass canopies, improvements to concourse spaces between venues and connection to nearby subway lines.

The $25-million David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center houses the main visitors’ center, ticketing facilities, a café, and a free performance space. The Atrium has applied to be the first LEED-certified, “green” building on the Lincoln Center campus, and features:

  • Two vertical gardens;
  • A floor-to-ceiling fountain;
  • A media wall with performance information, which also serves as a canvas for video presentations; and
  • 16 “occuli” lighting fixtures that bring natural light into the Atrium space.

Partners
FXFOWLE |
Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

Initially, as Owner’s Rep, we helped ownership develop the master plan for the project, assisted with the selection of the architectural team, prepared project budgets based on numerous schemes, and provided preconstruction analysis for a new curtainwall system and roof as well as upgraded building systems and amenities. For the renovation and expansion, the priority of accommodating visitors during construction necessitated extensive preplanning to ensure the work was phased correctly and minimize any inconvenience to trade show participants, exhibitors and the general public; we also developed a rigorous safety plan to ensure visitors’ safety.

The massive project had several key components. In the main building, AECOM Tishman managed the removal and replacement of 6,000 panes of glass with new, low-e glass. AECOM Tishman installed a new roof, which includes the largest green roof in New York and new high-efficiency rooftop mechanical units (RTUs); painted the interior structural space frame; and upgraded life safety and MEP systems. Additionally, a new, LEED Silver, 110,000-SF expansion was constructed adjacent to the existing center.

AECOM Tishman used BIM to facilitate logistics and scheduling so that most of the building remained accessible to, and completely safe for, the public at all times. Further, AECOM Tishman provided BIM modeling to ownership as a means to show potential clients what the building would look like while their convention was in progress.

In terms of our approach to completing the work while keeping the center operational, in the main expo hall, a scaffolding system with a 25-foot-high roof deck, designed for 300 pounds per square foot, was created to separate the public from the work above. We divided the ceiling/roof work area into nine construction phases – “slices” of 90 feet each – running east to west, and to further isolate the public from the work above, partitions were set up consisting of self-standing 10-foot-high finished panel walls with acoustic fabric panels extending to the roof deck above. Three passageways through this section, constructed of the same panel system, with movable sections and doors, allowed workers to enter the partitioned space to reach the platform above. As work was completed, partitions were broken down and set up in three-day windows between trade shows.

In another innovation that helped us successfully deliver this project, AECOM Tishman, in collaboration with structural engineer Weidlinger Associates, developed a concept design to enable the replacement of ninety 20,000-pound RTUs without using a crane, which would have necessitated closing the center. Our innovative haul road and gantry system enabled RTUs to be pushed into place by workers standing on the rooftop. Working with the New York City Department of Buildings, AECOM Tishman developed acceptable criteria for transporting these units in an operating facility.

Grand Central Terminal – East Side Access Development

Every day 750,000 visitors pass through Grand Central Terminal (GCT), making it the largest hub for train traffic in the world. Congestion on crowded regional rail lines is common during morning and evening rush hours, and passengers rely on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to take them where they need to go.

AECOM, a member of the General Engineering Consultant team for the new East Side Access project, is providing all structural engineering and architectural design for the new LIRR terminal within GCT. This is the largest construction project ever undertaken by the MTA.

The East Side Access project will increase rail capacity into Manhattan by nearly 50 percent and save LIRR’s East Side-bound travelers 30 to 40 minutes a day with its “one seat ride” direct connection into GCT. The primary components of the project include the following:

  • New tunnel connections in Queens, in the vicinity of Harold Interlocking within Sunnyside Yard, to connect the LIRR Main Line and Port Washington Branch to the 63rd Street Tunnel under the East River;
  • New hard-rock tunnel boring machines tunneling deep under midtown Manhattan from the 63rd Street Tunnel’s lower level at Second Avenue to a new LIRR terminal directly beneath the existing lower level of GCT;
  • New station caverns—each with an upper and lower level separated by a mezzanine level—directly below the GCT train shed; and
  • A new passenger concourse, located within the footprint of the existing Madison Yard on GCT’s lower level, will include escalator, elevator, and stair connections to Grand Central’s dining concourse and the old arrivals waiting room, along with connections to the 45th Street and 47th Street cross-passages.

NY MTA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

AECOM has successfully undertaken the following bus rapid transit (BRT) projects for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) in collaboration with New York City Transit:

34th Street Transitway—This 2.2 mile BRT project traverses Manhattan on East 34th Street from the Hudson to the East River. The project includes exclusive bus lanes, off-board fare collection, and enhanced passenger stations with raised platforms for easier boarding and alighting from the vehicles. The project was a recipient of an American Council of Engineering Companies New York, Engineering Excellence Award and became operational in the fall of 2011.

Utica Avenue—Utica Avenue in Brooklyn has been identified by NYCDOT as a priority corridor for transit and safety improvements. AECOM focused primarily on changes to the roadway geometry, such as offset bus lanes that could be implemented in the near future, and also recommended longer-term capital improvements.

LaGuardia Airport to Manhattan BRT—NYCDOT, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, New York City Transit, and the Port Authority of New York New Jersey, contracted with AECOM to explore transit access to LaGuardia Airport through western Queens to Manhattan. The BRT will have a broad array of alignment and service pattern options suitable for different areas of the corridor and will become operational in the spring of 2014.

Webster Avenue Select Bus Service–-AECOM completed detailed conceptual design plans for a phased implementation of BRT services on this 5.3-mile corridor from the hub at East 149th Street and Third Avenue, through Fordham University to the White Plains-Gun Hill Intermodal Terminal. This BRT project began operations in the summer of 2013.