HITT’s construction team used dozers, excavators, pile drilling rigs and three tower cranes in starting the building. The Fredrick Douglass Memorial Bridge is in the background.
(HITT Contracting photo)
The mantra for exceptional real estate has always been: "location, location, location." Developer Redbrick LMD has captured that spirit by building an almost 1 million-sq.-ft. apartment building with 757 units.
This upscale building is in a busy section of Washington, D.C., that has seen remarkable growth over the past decade. The location of the building will make it easy for residents to connect with all types of entertainment, shopping and business. It is at the foot of the Frederick Douglass Bridge where future residents can cross the Anacostia River into Washington, D.C. It is a unique location:
- four-minute walk to the Anacostia metro station;
- 20-minute walk to the Nationals' baseball stadium and 81 home games a year;
- 20-minute walk to downtown D.C., the wellspring of many jobs and contracts;
- short walk to Buzzard's Point and Audi Stadium, home to DC United men's soccer stadium and other events including concerts; and
- close to D.C.'s Wharf District, a 1-mi. stretch of waterfront in southwest D.C., and the home to high-rise buildings, restaurants and boating.
Location matters, of course, but often construction workers and planners must do serious work to make all the magic possible. For the construction of this project, Redbrick LMD chose HITT Contracting, a firm experienced in making large construction projects happen in D.C., northern Virginia and around the country. ZGF is the architect.
One of the first concerns for construction planners was the high water table and the Anacostia River at its doorstep. HITT Contracting's Eric Masciantonio is the project executive for the job. His team has built two floors below grade and deals with tidal surges from the nearby river.
"Our team built a dewatering system that consists of 25 wells around the building," said Masciantonio. "The wells are pumping the water out of the building footprint and redirecting the water below elevation. We have used 180 soldier piles to retain earth."
The soldier piles were driven into the earth vertically. As excavation continued, lagging forms were added behind the piles to act as retaining walls and prevent earth and water from entering the basement foundations.
HITT's construction team used bulldozers, excavators, pile drilling rigs and three tower cranes in starting the building. Masciantonio described the area as a "greenfield site" with no significant demolition of existing structures.
The building superstructure contains more than 50,000 cu. yds. of concrete — so much so that a batch plant was erected on an adjacent site to ensure quality and timeliness to meet the schedule.
Approximately 400 workers are at the project daily. Currently, the project is approximately 25 percent complete as the concrete framing for the 13-story building is under way. Cranes and concrete pumping trucks are on site often as the structure begins to take shape. Workers also have begun installing mechanical systems like HVAC and plumbing.
The building has several unusual elements including the surface of the building covered with Terra Cotta tiles from Spain. NBK, a German firm, fabricated the system, which calls for the workers to drill flanges into the concrete surface. The flanges will support the tiles.
The walls will use three different types of tiles to create a visual separation of the sections. The building will have terraces, a roof-top swimming pool, two levels of below-grade parking and special areas to assist with the modern "work from home" trend.
The construction team is working toward an ILIF certification for the building.
"This certification recognizes efforts to minimize the carbon footprint of the structure," said Masciantonio. "We are being efficient in our installations as well. The building will have solar panels on the roof, use heat pumps and be all electric in an effort to be a low energy use building."
The next steps in construction will take several months to "close the envelope," enclose the structure so work can continue inside as the weather becomes more of an issue. "We will be using cranes to bring the day's materials to each floor and make the work continue at a rapid pace," said Masciantonio.
The HITT team will use standard safety measures during construction.
"We will have netting on each floor and fencing at the slab," he said. "The netting will prevent falls and help catch tools and equipment from sliding off the edge and endangering workers below."
The building will occupy a unique place in a unique part of Washington, D.C.
"Redbrick invests in long-term technological and societal trends with a hyper-local strategy," said Thomas Skinner, Redbrick managing partner. "We hope to create long-term value for our investors, the community and tenants."
HITT will be partnering with several subcontractors to accomplish the construction. Key partners include Anderson Excavation, Schuster Concrete, Tricon, Shapiro and Duncan, Power Design, American Automatic Sprinkler and PCC Construction Components. CEG
Chuck MacDonald
Chuck MacDonald is an editor, blogger and freelance feature writer whose writing adventures have taken him to 48 states and 10 countries. He has been the editor for magazines on pavement construction, chemicals, insurance and missions. Chuck enjoys bicycling, kayaking and reading. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. Chuck lives in Annapolis, Md. with his wife Kristen. They have seven grandchildren.
Read more from Chuck MacDonald here.
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