Extensive planning results in successful completion of 9,635-cubic-yard, three-night concrete pour for spec research laboratory building under construction for Wareham Development

Orchestrating a massive 9,635-cubic-yard concrete foundation pour that took place over three nights earlier this summer took careful preplanning, precise timing and flawless execution from DPR crews at work constructing a new ground-up speculative research laboratory facility for Wareham Development in Emeryville, CA.

Located on a large site in busy downtown Emeryville, the new steel-frame building, known as EmeryStation East, will feature four stories of laboratory space, totaling 245,000 sq. ft., over a two-level, 170,000-sq.-ft. parking garage. The project also includes a 3,000-sq.-ft. café and 2,000 sq. ft. of retail space at street level.

Laying the foundation for the building’s huge footprint represented a major milestone for the DPR project team, which self performed the concrete work on this largescale complex project. The sheer size of the concrete foundation required that installation take place in three overnight pours of roughly 3,000 cubic yards of concrete each. Each of the three pours required some 320 truckloads of concrete and involved the work of approximately 75 people.

The team needed to obtain approval for the night work from the Emeryville City Council weeks in advance, due to strict regulations on when construction work can take place in the high traffic area around the site. Any deviation from the 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekday construction window required not only city approval but also pre-approval from the local police department, as well as neighboring buildings. And simply asking the City Council for approval of overtime work had to be planned far in advance, since the Council meets only once every three weeks and their meeting agenda is set at least two weeks prior.

One major concern for the city was the noise impact from the concrete trucks and three concrete pumps that would be required for the overnight work. To help alleviate those concerns and minimize noise, as well as address traffic impacts around the construction zone, DPR devised a plan to install soundboards at each concrete pump and developed a traffic logistics plan that would minimize the backing up of the trucks, thereby, reducing the noise impact to the neighborhood.

Ensuring the safety of the crews was a primary consideration during the night pours. The foundation design called for 1.8 million pounds of rebar to be laid over a three-inch concrete slab that protected the surface. DPR then used wire mesh on top of the rebar to make sure that it was secure enough for crews to stand on during the three pours for the three- to four-ft.-thick flat slab.

After all of the preplanning, the night pours themselves were a study in timing and precision. Each pour started at exactly 10 p.m., when trucks began lining up. Forty-five to 50 concrete trucks were used each night to deliver the concrete over the course of 12 hours. Every truck needed to be unloaded within 90 minutes to ensure the structural integrity of the concrete. Work continued into mid-morning hours and at 10 a.m. street barricades needed to be removed to accommodate morning traffic.

Thanks to extensive preplanning followed by successful delivery, the pours went off without a hitch. The City of Emeryville has since complimented DPR on its work and efforts to minimize the noise impacts to the neighborhood.

In addition to the intricate planning required for the foundation pours, the EmeryStation East project site has presented additional challenges due to lack of storage area for materials. All materials deliveries are required to be made just prior to when they are needed, requiring detailed coordination for the just-in-time deliveries and constant traffic control measures.

Work on the EmeryStation East project, which began in February, continues on track with an anticipated completion in May 2007.