When INTECH Construction, Inc. needed to demolish the existing Locust Club building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to make room for the Curtis Institute of Music, they called GeoSonics/Vibra-Tech to monitor the situation.
Not only did the Locust Club need to be demolished, but two adjacent buildings also had to be torn down—while preserving the historic stone facades of all three buildings that shared party-walls. Re:mote seismograph stations were installed in the basements of surrounding structures to measure vibrations. Biaxial tilt monitoring devices were installed on both facades and party-walls at the second and fourth floor levels to monitor the movement of the buildings. These monitors were programmed to send an email alarm notification to project personnel if movement neared or exceeded the design criteria. The project was a success and the site is now home to the Curtis Institute of Music.
“We engaged Vibra-Tech to help us through the documentation and monitoring effort to ensure that our construction operations did not negatively impact the rail line or any neighboring properties. As usual, Vibra-Tech brought the technical expertise required to thoroughly and efficiently document all existing conditions, and offered creative solutions for monitoring the facades and party walls for any vibration, settlement or deflection during demolition of the existing building, excavation of the hole and underpinning the adjacent foundations, and installation of the new structure. Their efforts were key to the ultimate success of the project.”
– Phil Moses,
LEED AP, Principal, Vice President INTECH Construction, Inc.
Check out our Vibration Monitoring Services or Vibration Mitigation FAQs for more information.