A Web of Challenges

Numerous utility lines, including those being used by the neighboring research and hospital facilities, sat silently under the demolished parking lot and a single-story building in the area where Marsico Hall would eventually be built. One of these utilities included the highly important chilled water lines. The improper and untimely shut off of these lines could consequentially ruin research being contained and preserved in nearby facilities. With extreme caution and great synchronization between the University and Choate, trucks with mounted chiller equipment were brought in and connected in order to provide an uninterrupted service to the neighboring facilities while the existing lines were being rerouted. The coordination, shut off, and rerouting of all the utilities took several months.

To make room for the two below-grade levels that would house the cyclotron and other imaging equipment, Marsico Hall’s site required deep excavations and shoring systems on all sides. Excavating below the grade level already posed a challenge because of the tight jobsite, but blasting was also limited because of potential vibration concerns in nearby medical buildings. Extensive rock plus ground and trapped water on the site required vast amounts of underslab-drainage and waterproofing systems. Vibration sensors were used to make sure that site vibrations stayed under the near zero amount.

The team worked off-hours and on weekends to ensure excavation would not interfere with the strict vibration limitations.