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PROJECT CASE STUDY
world trade center - vehicle security center
New York, NY
decade after the devastating
a
attacks on the heart of New
York, the city continues the
remarkable process of rebuilding the former
site of the World Trade Center (WTC).
Nicholson has been at the site and an integral
part of the process from the beginning
– from securing the area for search and
rescue to being a part of the extraordinary
and ongoing reconstruction work, which
began in 2006.
Project Background
With the opening of the World Trade Center
Memorial, slated for September 11, 2011,
downtown New York City will become
more congested than ever. On a normal day
in the city, 200 commuter buses make daily
stops in the Financial District, in addition
to the dozens of tour buses canvassing the
streets at any given time. With the opening
of the WTC Memorial, it is estimated that
an additional 200 tour buses will be making
their way into the city on a daily basis. The
additional buses compound an ongoing
problem for New York City in that parking
is at a premium, but they also echo the
security concerns that have become a reality
for the city’s visitors and tenants since
the attacks. In response to these issues,
Owner:
The Port Authority of New York/New Jersey
General Contractor:
EE Cruz, Yonkers Contracting Company
Technique(s):
Anchors, Diaphragm Walls, Jet Grouting,
Secant Pile Walls, Micropiles
Subsurface Conditions:
Fill over sands and silts with till and/or decomposed
rock over hard Manhattan schist bedrock
Approximate Key Quantities:
Diaphragm Wall 40,000 square feet
Jet Grout Columns 122
Secant Pile Wall 10,000 square feet
Slurry Wall
6,000 square feet
Tieback Anchors 285
world trade center - vehicle security center

as well as 160,000 cubic yards of bulk excavation,
10 jet grout columns, 320 rock bolts,
6,000 square foot temporary slurry wall, castin-place
concrete, compensation grouting and
pipe struts.
The diaphragm walls installed by Nicholson
will form the southern part of the VSC, which
will include a parking area to accommodate
the increased number of tour buses entering
the WTC.
In March of 2011, Nicholson began working
for Yonkers Construction on the earth support
and water cutoff phase of development, which
includes 10,000 square feet of secant pile wall,
75 tieback anchors, 15 micropiles (200 tons)
and 122 jet grout columns with lengths ranging
from 15-40 feet.
The result
Working in the heart of one of the most heavily
populated cities in the world creates a unique
Pictured Clockwise: Anchored diaphragm wall, jet grouting, secant pile wall installation
and ongoing set of challenges. Nicholson’s
exposure to those challenges, beginning with
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
commissioned the construction of the World
Trade Center Vehicle Security Center and Tour
Bus Parking Facility (VSC.) The VSC will function
as part of the comprehensive, state-of-theart
plan for the screening of buses, trucks and
cars entering the WTC and its parking facilities
through the basement level. This below-grade
structure requires a five-story deep basement
with connecting ramps into the West Bath tub
Area, which includes the 9/11 Memorial Site
and Museum, the new Freedom Tower and the
PATH subway line.
The work
Nicholson has served an integral role in
the construction of the World Trade Center
Vehicle Security Center and Tour Bus Parking
Facility (VSC).
The initial scope of Nicholson’s work at the
VSC, which was carried out in JV with EE
Cruz, was to create a water-tight excavation,
measuring 220 ft. by 450 ft. and reaching a
depth of 60 ft. The first phase of the project
included the installation of a 40,000 square
foot diaphragm wall with 210 tieback anchors,
the initial excavation of the site following the
attacks, and continuing on through the latest
phase of the VSC’s development, has been a
critical success factor.
The VSC, which is slated to open in 2012, will
contain approximately 50 tour-bus parking
spaces in total, which should effectively accommodate
the additional tourist traffic entering
the newly rebuilt WTC.
world trade center - vehicle security center