Removable flood prevention system installed in one of New York City's largest office buildings

Directly following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, Plaza Construction was asked to start working on the development of a flood prevention solution for 55 Water Street, one of New York City’s largest office structures with 54 stories and 3.8 million square feet located in the financial district. Hurricane Sandy was the second-costliest storm in U.S. history, with damages to New York City estimated at $50 billion due to storm surges flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city.

Plaza Construction, with a team of experts consisting of EKO Flood USA, architect HLW International, and engineer Thornton Tomasetti, along with New Water Street Corporation, the owner/operator of 55 Water Street managed the planning, design and permitting stages to produce the first permitted flood protection system for 55 Water Street.

The new flood barrier protection system installed at 55 Water Street is designed to protect against an eight-foot flood line, higher than the 7-1/2 foot flood line recommended by FEMA to protect against storm surges for the next hundred years. The building was designed by renowned architect Emory Roth and the flood barrier protection system had to fit with the aesthetics of the building. Basically, it had to be invisible to the occupants and visitors of the building.

“Plaza was contracted by New Water Street Corporation to help them develop a flood protection system to guard against future storm surges that continue to be a major threat to the infrastructure of New York City and its neighboring communities,” said Richard Wood, CEO, Plaza Construction. “Together with our partners, we created a simple, fast and easy solution in a modular set up, take down and store removable barrier flood protection system that is tested to withstand an 8-foot flood line.”

“The new flood protection system at 55 Water Street is designed to protect the entire building from flooding,” said George Acero, Executive Vice President, New Water Street Corporation. “For efficient preparedness, the building management plans to conduct drills on erecting and breaking down the system on an annual basis.”

The flood barrier system at 55 Water Street is based on a removable post and panel flood protection system that easily adapts to the requirements of a particular building site. The system at 55 Water Street is stored in the sub-level of the building and will require 30 men and eight hours to assemble into place, and completely protects the entire building against an 8-foot water line, preventing water from entering the building and seeping into the lower levels.

“The advanced design of the EKO system is new to the tri-state region, as we were presenting a unique concept for storm protection,” said Yu-chi Yang, the Project Architect at HLW International. “The final design resulted in a very comprehensive set of guidelines for reviewing similar proposals in the future.”

According to the Aine Brazil, Vice Chairman at Thornton Tomasetti, “The integration of the flood barrier system with the existing foundation wall was one key to the economic and practical feasibility, minimizing new foundations in the sidewalk, and providing the necessary continuity of the flood proofed bathtub as an extension of the existing 60 foot deep basement.”

Located in downtown Manhattan, 55 Water Street is a virtual city unto itself that provides a fail-safe operating environment. Powerful systems support massive capacities instilling confidence that any crisis can be readily addressed. An extraordinarily advanced technological infrastructure includes multiple redundancies in every major operating system from electric, HVAC, and telecom to life safety and security. Tenants can also avail themselves of sufficient excess power to operate without interruption for multiple days should an emergency situation arise.

“Now with the installation of a removable, flood barrier protection system, 55 Water Street offers added protection in terms of guarding the building against flooding,” adds Mr. Acero.

Studio Gang has completed the Gray Design Building, the new home of the University of Kentucky’s College of Design. In partnership with K. Norman Berry Associates Architects, Studio Gang has turned a former tobacco warehouse into a contemporary facility for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.

Warehouses | Sep 27, 2024

California bill would limit where distribution centers can be built

A bill that passed the California legislature would limit where distribution centers can be located and impose other rules aimed at reducing air pollution and traffic. Assembly Bill 98 would tighten building standards for new warehouses and ban heavy diesel truck traffic next to sensitive sites including homes, schools, parks and nursing homes.

Laboratories | Sep 26, 2024

BSL conversions: A cost-efficient method to support high-containment research

Some institutions are creating flexible lab spaces that can operate at a BSL-2 and modulate up to a BSL-3 when the need arises. Here are key aspects to consider when accommodating a rapid modulation between BSL-2 and BSL-3 space.

MFPRO+ News | Sep 24, 2024

Major Massachusetts housing law aims to build or save 65,000 multifamily and single-family homes

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently signed far-reaching legislation to boost housing production and address the high cost of housing in the Bay State. The Affordable Homes Act aims to build or save 65,000 homes through $5.1 billion in spending and 49 policy initiatives.

Mattamy Homes and QuadReal Property Group released the final designs for The Clove, the first phase of the Cloverdale Mall redevelopment. (CNW Group/Mattamy Homes Limited)

Mixed-Use | Sep 19, 2024

A Toronto development will transform a 32-acre shopping center site into a mixed-use urban neighborhood

Toronto developers Mattamy Homes and QuadReal Property Group have launched The Clove, the first phase in the Cloverdale, a $6 billion multi-tower development. The project will transform Cloverdale Mall, a 32-acre shopping center in Toronto, into a mixed-use urban neighborhood.

3D Printing | Sep 17, 2024

Alquist 3D and Walmart complete one of the nation’s largest free-standing, 3D-printed commercial structures

Walmart has completed one of the largest free-standing, 3D-printed commercial structures in the US. Alquist 3D printed the almost 8,000-sf, 20-foot-high addition to a Walmart store in Athens, Tenn. The expansion, which will be used for online pickup and delivery, is the first time Walmart has applied 3D printing technology at this scale.

Retail Centers | Sep 17, 2024

Thinking outside the big box (store)

For over a decade now, the talk of the mall industry has been largely focused on what developers can do to fill the voids left by a steady number of big box store closures. But what do you do when big box tenants stay put?

Government Buildings | Sep 17, 2024

OSHA’s proposed heat standard published in Federal Register

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a proposed standard addressing heat illness in outdoor and indoor settings in the Federal Register. The proposed rule would require employers to evaluate workplaces and implement controls to mitigate exposure to heat through engineering and administrative controls, training, effective communication, and other measures.

Codes and Standards | Sep 17, 2024

New California building code encourages, but does not mandate heat pumps

New California homes are more likely to have all-electric appliances starting in 2026 after the state’s energy regulators approved new state building standards. The new building code will encourage installation of heat pumps without actually banning gas heating.

Currently Reading

Removable flood prevention system installed in one of New York City's largest office buildings

Tags

Data Centers | Oct 1, 2024

Higher Education | Sep 30, 2024

Warehouses | Sep 27, 2024

Laboratories | Sep 26, 2024

MFPRO+ News | Sep 24, 2024

Mixed-Use | Sep 19, 2024

3D Printing | Sep 17, 2024

Retail Centers | Sep 17, 2024

Government Buildings | Sep 17, 2024

Codes and Standards | Sep 17, 2024

Most Popular Content

Magazine Subscription

Get our Newsletters

Follow BD+C: