flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Removable flood prevention system installed in one of New York City's largest office buildings

Removable flood prevention system installed in one of New York City's largest office buildings

55 Water Street is a virtual city unto itself, with enough excess power to support tenants for multiple days 


By Plaza Construction | March 31, 2014
Directly following Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, Plaza Construction was asked to start working on the development of a flood prevention solution for 55 Water Street, one of New York City’s largest office structures with 54 stories and 3.8 million square feet located in the financial district.  Hurricane Sandy was the second-costliest storm in U.S. history, with damages to New York City estimated at $50 billion due to storm surges flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city.
 
Plaza Construction, with a team of experts consisting of EKO Flood USA, architect HLW International, and engineer Thornton Tomasetti, along with New Water Street Corporation, the owner/operator of 55 Water Street managed the planning, design and permitting stages to produce the first permitted flood protection system for 55 Water Street. 
 
The new flood barrier protection system installed at 55 Water Street is designed to protect against an eight-foot flood line, higher than the 7-1/2 foot flood line recommended by FEMA to protect against storm surges for the next hundred years. The building was designed by renowned architect Emory Roth and the flood barrier protection system had to fit with the aesthetics of the building. Basically, it had to be invisible to the occupants and visitors of the building.
 
“Plaza was contracted by New Water Street Corporation to help them develop a flood protection system to guard against future storm surges that continue to be a major threat to the infrastructure of New York City and its neighboring communities,” said Richard Wood, CEO, Plaza Construction.  “Together with our partners, we created a simple, fast and easy solution in a modular set up, take down and store removable barrier flood protection system that is tested to withstand an 8-foot flood line.”
 
“The new flood protection system at 55 Water Street is designed to protect the entire building from flooding,” said George Acero, Executive Vice President, New Water Street Corporation. “For efficient preparedness, the building management plans to conduct drills on erecting and breaking down the system on an annual basis.”
 
The flood barrier system at 55 Water Street is based on a removable post and panel flood protection system that easily adapts to the requirements of a particular building site. The system at 55 Water Street is stored in the sub-level of the building and will require 30 men and eight hours to assemble into place, and completely protects the entire building against an 8-foot water line, preventing water from entering the building and seeping into the lower levels.
 
“The advanced design of the EKO system is new to the tri-state region, as we were presenting a unique concept for storm protection,” said Yu-chi Yang, the Project Architect at HLW International. “The final design resulted in a very comprehensive set of guidelines for reviewing similar proposals in the future.”
 
According to the Aine Brazil, Vice Chairman at Thornton Tomasetti, “The integration of the flood barrier system with the existing foundation wall was one key to the economic and practical feasibility, minimizing new foundations in the sidewalk, and providing the necessary continuity of the flood proofed bathtub as an extension of the existing 60 foot deep basement.”
 
Located in downtown Manhattan, 55 Water Street is a virtual city unto itself that provides a fail-safe operating environment. Powerful systems support massive capacities instilling confidence that any crisis can be readily addressed. An extraordinarily advanced technological infrastructure includes multiple redundancies in every major operating system from electric, HVAC, and telecom to life safety and security. Tenants can also avail themselves of sufficient excess power to operate without interruption for multiple days should an emergency situation arise. 
 
“Now with the installation of a removable, flood barrier protection system, 55 Water Street offers added protection in terms of guarding the building against flooding,” adds Mr. Acero.

Related Stories

K-12 Schools | May 7, 2024

World's first K-12 school to achieve both LEED for Schools Platinum and WELL Platinum

A new K-12 school in Washington, D.C., is the first school in the world to achieve both LEED for Schools Platinum and WELL Platinum, according to its architect, Perkins Eastman. The John Lewis Elementary School is also the first school in the District of Columbia designed to achieve net-zero energy (NZE). 

Healthcare Facilities | May 6, 2024

Hospital construction costs for 2024

Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a three-story hospital across 10 U.S. cities.

Engineers | May 6, 2024

WSP acquires AKF, expanding its Property & Buildings Practice across the U.S. Northeast

WSP Global Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of AKF Group LLC. Headquartered in New York City, AKF is a specialized mechanical, electrical, and plumbing firm that designs complex healthcare, science and technology, and mission-critical facilities. Its 365 professionals operate throughout the eastern U.S., with an additional complementary presence in Mexico.

MFPRO+ Special Reports | May 6, 2024

Top 10 trends in affordable housing

Among affordable housing developers today, there’s one commonality tying projects together: uncertainty. AEC firms share their latest insights and philosophies on the future of affordable housing in BD+C's 2023 Multifamily Annual Report.

Retail Centers | May 3, 2024

Outside Las Vegas, two unused office buildings will be turned into an open-air retail development

In Henderson, Nev., a city roughly 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas, 100,000 sf of unused office space will be turned into an open-air retail development called The Cliff. The $30 million adaptive reuse development will convert the site’s two office buildings into a destination for retail stores, chef-driven restaurants, and community entertainment.

Codes and Standards | May 3, 2024

New York City considering bill to prevent building collapses

The New York City Council is considering a proposed law with the goal of preventing building collapses. The Billingsley Structural Integrity Act is a response to the collapse of 1915 Billingsley Terrace in the Bronx last December. 

K-12 Schools | Apr 30, 2024

Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for resilience with microgrid design

The River Grove Elementary School in Oregon was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid. 

AEC Tech | Apr 30, 2024

Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption

Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI. 

Codes and Standards | Apr 30, 2024

Updated document details methods of testing fenestration for exterior walls

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a document serving a recommended practice for determining test methodology for laboratory and field testing of exterior wall systems. The document pertains to products covered by an AAMA standard such as curtain walls, storefronts, window walls, and sloped glazing. AAMA 501-24, Methods of Test for Exterior Walls was last updated in 2015. 

MFPRO+ News | Apr 29, 2024

World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods

The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




MFPRO+ Special Reports

Top 10 trends in affordable housing

Among affordable housing developers today, there’s one commonality tying projects together: uncertainty. AEC firms share their latest insights and philosophies on the future of affordable housing in BD+C's 2023 Multifamily Annual Report.

halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021