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In support of the ongoing design of the North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project (NWBPCR), BPCA is continuing its geotechnical sampling work, otherwise known as test piles, at four (4) locations across Battery Park City to verify subsurface conditions at critical locations within the project area.
Similar to NWBPCR support work that has been previously conducted (March 2022, May 2023, February 2024, March 2024), the implementation of the micropile and drilled shaft test pile programs is scheduled to begin at the four locations as follows:
Work at these locations involves first removing the surface fill in an area approximately 20’ by 20’ to ensure that the proposed pile locations are free of existing utilities.
Test pit work will be followed by — depending on location — either two shafts or five micropiles being drilled to a depth of approximately 80 feet, followed by installation of structural bars with concrete or grout. After successful curing of the concrete or grout, steel frames with jacks will be used to test the capacity of the piles to confirm geotechnical properties and engineering assumptions used for design.
This work will be conducted from November 27, 2024 through February 7, 2025. Passersby will see fenced-in enclosures, consisting of construction fencing, noise blankets, silt fence, and catch basin protection. In addition, vibration, survey, noise and air monitoring will be performed at each location.
The work will require several pieces of equipment, including drill rigs, excavators, compressors, generators, grout plants, concrete trucks, and small tools such as concrete saws and welders. When not in use, the rigs required for this work will be safely fenced off from public access.
Test pile drilling will take approximately 7-10 days at each location, and will occur during regular citywide construction hours of 7AM-6PM, Monday through Friday. After drilling, the testing of the piles must occur continuously, 24 hours per day based on NYC Department of Buildings code, with work estimated to take 3-4 days at each location. Testing of the piles involves smaller equipment, such as jacks, which are not louder than ambient noise from traffic and other environmental sources.
For more information about the NWBPCR test pile program click here.
