Fenway Center Development: Air-Rights Project Uses High-Capacity Micropiles to Support New Buildings in Boston, MA-Video

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Video Summary

Phoenix Foundation’s presentation covered the micropile work for Fenway Center, a planned million-square-foot development spanning the Massachusetts Turnpike in Boston. With no ground-level site and only a 14–18-foot-wide work zone between the highway and commuter rail, the team faced severe constraints on access, deliveries, spoils handling, and safety.<br /><br />Over roughly a year, the crew installed 262 micropiles, mostly 200–275 feet deep, totaling more than 60,000 linear feet. Three rigs worked long day shifts, followed by installation crews, while overnight highway closures provided a narrow window to deliver casing and rebar and remove spoils. The team also managed long-distance water and grout lines, winterized equipment, and used backup rigs and grout plants to protect the schedule.<br /><br />Sonic drilling was added to core through reinforced remnants of an old highway barrier. Work was further complicated by permitting delays, underground tanks, COVID-related staffing shortages, the Boston Marathon, and difficult boulders and bedrock. Despite these challenges, the project finished several weeks early, with more than 25,000 labor hours and no lost-time incidents.

Keywords

micropile work

Fenway Center

Boston development

Massachusetts Turnpike

sonic drilling

construction logistics

highway closures