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Welcome to our new City Hall Project update page! Your source for the most up-to-date construction information on the City's new City Hall. When completed, the new building will enable us to serve our customers better and provide a collaborative, dynamic workplace for City employees.
Stay in the loop, visit this page often!
September 18, 2024
This week we will do a bit of a recap of activities that crews have completed and then look forward to what we can expect in the next few weeks.
As we saw in last week's construction video, the contractor completed the main tower foundation. Before pouring the nearly 3,420 tons of concrete, crews installed a rebar network that helps maintain the concrete's integrity. Before the rebar installation, they drilled about 30 to 50 feet down and installed more than 100 deep foundation peers. In short, our new City Hall has a solid foundation.
Crews are forming the basement walls. Rebar is being installed, and in the next couple of weeks, the team will pour the concrete into the wall forms. After completing the basement walls, they will waterproof and backfill around them.
The team is also working on a foundation pad for the backup generator for the new building.
September 4, 2024
A Foundation for Our New City Hall
The rebar is in place, and the site is ready for the foundation. Crews are scheduled to place the concrete foundation next week. The team will close Hargett Street on Monday, Sept. 9, and it will remain closed to traffic throughout Wednesday, Sept. 11.
The foundation will take around 180 truckloads of concrete and about 20 hours of continuous work. The first concrete truck is scheduled to arrive in the late afternoon or early evening on Monday, Sept. 9, and the last truck is expected to leave the site mid-afternoon on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
During this work, there will be some noise from the trucks entering and leaving the job site and the generators needed for pumping the concrete.
We know that construction noise, especially during the overnight hours, can be disruptive, and we appreciate your patience as we work to build our new city hall.
August 22, 2024
Last week, crews constructed the rest of the tower crane’s base support. The base support is the foundation of the tower crane, located at the bottom of the structure. It is typically attached to a concrete pad on the ground, providing a solid, stable base.
Crews finished the deep foundation work needed for this part of the project, and the drill was removed from the construction site for now. However, some deep foundation work remains to be completed later in the project.
What is next?
The team will start getting the site ready to install the mat foundation. Currently, crews are clearing the soil away from the deep foundation piers and will install the mat foundation rebar supports.
What is a mat foundation? A mat foundation is a concrete slab resting on the soil that extends over the entire footprint of the building, thus supporting the building and transferring its weight to the ground and, in the case of our building, also on the deep foundation peers.
August 6, 2024
The tower crane is in place.
If you were in or around the Raleigh Municipal Building last Friday, you would have seen the tower crane's assembly. Some work is still being completed at the crane's ground level, but Hargett Street has reopened to traffic.
Storm precautions
With wet weather on the way, crews are working to ensure the job site is prepared. Any loose materials on the site will be tied down and secured, and the tower crane will be put in weathervane mode, meaning the horizontal section can rotate 360 degrees in the same direction the wind is blowing. This keeps the load balanced, reducing the risk of the crane becoming unbalanced and toppling over.
How is a tower crane assembled?
It all starts with the tower crane’s foundation, which is important because it ensures the crane stays in place. The foundation includes deep foundation piles and a concrete block.
Once the foundation is completed the first part of the tower is built. To do that, crews take tower sections called masts and bring them together to create the base. This part is completed with a crane; the first mast is what you see in the picture to the right. After the initial part of the crane is done, they will install the climbing unit. The climbing unit will allow the crane to build up later in the process.
The slewing assembly is the next phase. This section is the horizontal section of the crane and can be assembled separately and then lifted onto the base with a crane.
Lastly, the crane can be made taller by using the climbing unit and a hydraulic jack.
And, that is how a tower crane is built.
July 17, 2024
Construction crews have been busy working on the deep foundation for the new tower.
What is a deep foundation?
First, let's talk about a foundation. A foundation creates a stable, solid base for a building. A deep foundation is used when the load-bearing soil or rock is deep below the surface. It transfers weight from a building's upper layers to stronger soil or rock layers below. In short, it distributes the weight over a larger area and prevents excessive settlement or movement that could compromise the structure's stability and integrity.
Pile foundations are the most popular deep foundations and what our crews are currently installing. They are made of columns of concrete reinforced with steel rebar.
June 26, 2024
What's been done
Crews have finished their work on the shoring and lagging walls on the north and east sides of the job site. The basement excavation is complete, and the central building pad is established. The team also installed test piles. The piles are part of the deep foundation, and testing is conducted to determine their strength and soil resistance. Results from the test are expected to come in throughout the next few weeks.
What’s next
Crews are getting ready for the tower crane, which is scheduled to be delivered at the end of July. Before the crane can be installed, it needs a foundation, which is scheduled to be completed in the next few weeks. There will also be some grading work to allow access around the crane to the NW corner of Hargett Street. Stay tuned for more information on the tower crane.
June 12, 2024
Groundbreaking Event Recap
The Groundbreaking event was not just a success, but a testament to our collective efforts and dedication.
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day for the groundbreaking event. The sun was out, a slight breeze blew, and the temperature was perfect.
The event started around 9:30 a.m., with people gathering at Nash Square. Our Engineering Services Department Head, Rich Kelly, was the MC for the event. We were also honored to have Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin as our first speaker. She talked about the importance of the building for the future of Raleigh. The next speaker was Daniel Baumann. Daniel is a Partner and Design Director at Henning Larsen. He graduated from the University College of London and currently resides in New York. During his speech, he talked about the collaboration with his team, Ratio, the lead design firm, and City staff. Next up was Eric Perkinson. Eric is the Regional Vice President at Brasfield, and Gorrie is the construction contractor in charge of building our new City Hall. Eric spoke to the construction and efforts of the City team to bring this project to life. Our last scheduled speaker was our City Manager, Marchell Adams-David. She spoke about the time that projects like this can take. She had former City Manager Ruffin Hall join her to talk about the importance of this building and bringing City Employees under one roof and the enhancements to our customer experience when they visit Raleigh City Hall. One thing that stood out throughout everyone’s speech was the dedication and collaboration of City staff on this project. Once the speeches were over the spotlight turned to the ceremonial groundbreaking, and people mingled and viewed renderings of what the new building will look like.
June 7, 2024
Groundbreaking Celebration Tuesday, June 11
We're having a groundbreaking celebration! Join us at Nash Square on June 11 at 9:30 a.m. This event is a great opportunity to learn a little bit more about the inspiration behind the buildings design, hear from our City leaders on what this building will mean to City staff and the public, and even learn a little bit more about the construction process.
