Construction Institute Boston Chapter
Edward G. Breed, ENV SP, Project Manager, Skanska USA Civil, and CI Boston Chapter Chair
It is an exciting time to be in the construction industry. Construction activity in the Greater Boston area continues to flourish with a high volume of projects ranging from heavy highway reconstruction and rehabilitation to major developments kicking off in tech, commercial, life sciences, and higher education. Regardless of where you go in the Greater Boston area, you are likely to see these construction improvements. The members of the Boston Chapter of the Construction Institute have played an integral part in many of these projects, and we have been closely monitoring the construction activity around us.
Our chapter’s mission is to advance the state of construction technology, equipment, and techniques. We encourage the advancement of education and research in construction engineering and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, particularly between designers, contractors, owners, and other professionals associated in the construction industry.
One of the primary focuses of the CI Boston Chapter is organizing presentations and site tours of some of the most notable construction projects underway or recently completed. In September, we visited the North Washington Street Bridge, a critical link between the historic North End and Charlestown neighborhoods of Boston. The new intermodal bridge replaces the 120-year-old, 1,100-foot truss superstructure. Once complete, the bridge will provide four lanes of vehicular traffic, a dedicated inbound bus lane, two seven-foot-wide bike lanes, spacious sidewalks with scenic outlooks, and an improved marine navigational channel below to link the Charles River and Inner Boston Harbor. This $176 million project included staged demolition of the existing super and substructures prior to erecting a temporary vehicular bridge, forty 6’ diameter drilled shafts, 20 piers with tie beams, tub girder spans, and attractive site finishes.
The CI Boston Chapter sponsored a tour of the on-going construction
of the North Washington Street Bridge spanning between Boston’s
North End neighborhood and Charlestown.
Our event was a huge success, with 36 individuals in attendance. The event began with a presentation on the construction staging and challenges given by Chris Barry, the J.F. White Contracting Company project manager, and Ed Baumann, PE, vice president of Benesch, followed by a tour of the structure and project site. Our group walked from the southern approach, crossing the temporary vehicle bridge, stepping down into the old granite abutments from 1898, then walked the concrete decks of new bridge to finish out the tour. One of the highlights of the tour was to learn about the Value Engineering Change Proposal (VECP) of introducing the temporary vehicular bridge that improved construction logistics, alleviated impacts to the traveling public and produced a shorter construction schedule. The team also went into detail about multiple design and construction aspects and challenges of this landmark feature bridge downtown. We concluded the tour with a networking event at a nearby restaurant, where we had a perfect view of this high-profile bridge as the sun set. Thanks to all who were able to attend and help plan this event.
This month (March) CI Boston Chapter hosted another “Project Spotlight” event that included a presentation and site tour of the Air Rights Fenway Center Phase 2 Deck and Foundations that spans over I-90 and MBTA Commuter Rail tracks between Beacon Street and Brookline Ave. This two-acre parcel will be the largest air rights project since Copley Plaza a few decades ago, and will support 500 residential units, 170,000 square feet of office space, 90,000 square feet of retail, and 30,000 square feet of green space. This presentation and tour highlighted the foundation construction, deck installation, and mitigating impacts to the traveling public during construction. The team also discussed multiple design and construction aspects and challenges of this new landmark feature bridging the Kenmore and Fenway neighborhoods.
The CI Boston Chapter sponsored a tour of the Air Rights Fenway Center
Foundations Project over I-90 and MBTA Commuter Tracks on March 14, 2024
We have several events planned over the next few months, so be sure to keep an eye on the BSCES events page to register for upcoming tours, presentations, and gatherings hosted by the Boston Chapter of the Construction Institute. We are always looking for new, passionate members in the construction industry, so if you have any interest in joining, please contact me at ed.breed@skanska.com.