Outstanding Project Award Winner: Lyrik - Air Rights Parcel 12, Boston, MA-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

Lyrik – Air Rights Parcel 12 is an air-rights development built over the Massachusetts Turnpike in Boston’s Back Bay. It is the first air-rights project completed in the neighborhood in more than 40 years. MassDOT’s broader vision for air-rights development is to bridge the gap created by I-90 and reconnect nearby neighborhoods.<br /><br />The project brought together public agencies, designers, engineers, contractors, and specialists. Samuels & Associates was the designated developer, with MassDOT and the MBTA as owners. The team included the City of Boston, Elkus Manfredi Architects, McNamara/Salvia Structural Engineers, VHB, Howard Stein Hudson, WSP, Suffolk, foundation subcontractors Trevi ICOS and Keller North America, and experts in site work, instrumentation, and surveying.<br /><br />Building above an active highway and near transit infrastructure created significant construction and foundation challenges. Work included completing a secant pile wall and excavating the site, with movement monitored during construction. An automated, remote monitoring program tracked conditions on the rail tracks using an Automated Total Station. The presentation highlights lateral movement after the wall was completed in May 2021 and vertical movement during excavation in October 2021. Rolling roadway closures were also used to install a steel beam for the decking.<br /><br />The project’s success depended on collaboration and coordination among the many stakeholders and technical teams. The presentation also noted broader public benefits, including encouraging STEM education and careers in architecture, engineering, and construction.

Keywords

air-rights development

Boston Back Bay

Massachusetts Turnpike

MassDOT

I-90

construction monitoring

secant pile wall

Automated Total Station

structural engineering

STEM education