September 7, 2008

This piece of equipment (a clam shell bucket crane) arrived on the work site about 2 weeks ago. I believe that it will be used for the deep excavation of the slurry walls, which will make up the outside edges of the 2nd Avenue TBM (tunnel boring machine) launch box.



Also, a second rotary drilling rig (a Bauer BG 28) arrived on the work site about 2 weeks ago -- so now there are 2 drilling rigs, working between 92nd and 93rd on the west side of the avenue, starting at 7 AM M-F.



These long steel beams were placed into the drilled secant pile shafts and the shafts have now been filled with concrete.



These metal forms are used to construct a sort of "guide shaft" that is used when the rotary drilling rig drills out each hole for the secant piles. Concrete is poured around the form,and then when the form is removed, there is a set of 5 large circular holes that provide a sort of guide for the drilling equipment.



This odd looking piece of equipment, which sort of looks like the Apollo Lunar Module, I believe is used to measure the depth of the drilled secant pile shafts. The piece at the end of the spool of cable is metal weight.



A closer look.



Various parts and pieces for one of the cranes.



Rigging for one of the cranes.



I'm not sure what this is.
I looks, to me, like a fox (or a small dog?) that was cut out of a piece of corrugated steel and then painted orange.



This very long trailer, with reinforced steel cage for the slurry wall trenches, is parked between 95th and 96th, on the west side of 2nd Avenue.



And I noticed that this new poster is now hanging in many of the store fronts in the construction zone.

August 17, 2008

This neat piece of Second Avenue Subway artwork appeared on the Wired Magazine web site a few days ago.
(left-click on the image for a larger view.)
The artist's name is Peter Grundy.

The article from Wired, with 2 other images, can be found on this link.


Here are a few images from this past Sunday -


btw. 92nd and 93rd, W side of the avenue
Work continues on the construction of the west side of the launch box.
These piles have been drilled and the forms are now waiting to be filed with concrete.




A closer view of one of the secant pile concrete forms.
Each form is 42" in diameter, I believe.
For further details on this construction technique look at the presentation (pages 39-52) that the MTA made to the CB8 Second Avenue Subway Task Force on 06/18/08, on this link.



96th, S side - looking N
Here's a picture of the concrete slurry plant, just north of 96th street, that was setup over the past 2-3 months. The slury plant will prepare the concrete slurry mix that will be used for the slurry walls.



97th - looking S, through the perimeter fence
Another view of the slurry plant.



near 95th street
A picture of the recently assembled Liebherr crawler crane. At the moment there are a total of three (3) very large crawler cranes on the work site.
The black pipes, I believe, will be used to transport the concrete slurry mix from the new plant in the 96th street yard to various points on the work site.



92nd, N side - looking S
If you look closely you'll see that the owner of this restaurant decided to paint the logo for the 2nd Avenue Business Association on his wall. (click on the image for a closer view.)

- - -

In legislative news ---

The NYS Assembly bill that was supposed to establish an economic grant program for the Second Avenue Subway construction project area (Bill No. A10595) was vetoed by Governor Paterson on 07/21/08.

Apparently this bill was vetoed as part of a larger package of 34 separate vetoes that were issued by the governor in late July, in an effort to curb new spending.



Here's a listing of the recent additions to the left-hand
column of The Launch Box:

Under Community Board 8 - Second Avenue Subway Task Force:
CB8 presentation on 72nd and 86th Street Entrance Options; Alignment Changes; NEPA Environmental Assessment discussion - 07/29/08

Under Posting of Note:
An updated listing of stores in the 2nd Avenue Subway Construction Business Zone that have closed since construction started back in April 2007.
(a copy of this posting is also shown below also.)

August 2, 2008

93rd - looking south,
through four pieces of 42" steel drilling pipe.



92nd, near the NW corner - looking SE
Here workers are preparing to lift a piece of 42" steel pipe.
Each section of pipe will be hoisted up over 92nd street and then placed very carefully in front of the Key Food store between 92nd and 93rd.






All vehicles, and pedestrians, were stopped while this very heavy piece of pipe was moved through the air.













btw. 92nd and 93rd - looking N
This rotary drilling rig, a German made Bauer BG 40, was setup on the job site last week. In this series of pictures workers are drilling holes for the secant piles that will make up the west edge of The Launch Box.





















New steel I-beams.



Various pieces of the drilling equipment.



93rd - looking S

94th, SE corner - looking W

A little further north on the work site a brand

new Liebherr HS 855 crawler crane sits partially assembled.

Another view of the new crane.

July 12-14, 2008

Saturday, July 12th


near the SE corner of 92nd - looking N
Work started earlier than normal on Saturday (at 8 AM) as workers pushed hard to finish work in this block so that the work zone can be shifted to the west side of Second Avenue next Tuesday.



a little further south, but still looking N
(lots of work still to do.)



92nd, NE corner - looking S
(same general work location)



91st - looking N
Four men digging in a trench by hand. Hard work on a hot day.



94th, near the NW corner - looking E
The big crawler crane has was recently moved to this temporary parking spot on 94th street.



Workers here are clearing some of the "Jersey Barriers"
from 2nd Avenue.






btw. 94th and 95th, looking E
Here very heavy steel "road plates" are being removed from the work site in preparation for the repaving of the east side of the avenue.



95th, NE corner - looking south
Again, more prep work before this intersection is repaved on Monday.


Sunday, July 13th


92nd, looking N



94th, looking S


Monday, July 14th


94th, looking N
Most of the east side of Second Avenue was paved today.
(Note the two new rat traps on the right, near the curb.)

- - -

These two posters were taped up on most of the store fronts up and down Second Avenue on Sunday, July 13th:






- - -

The NYC Department of Buildings came around in late June 2008 and posted Vacate Orders (for the cellar only) on a number of buildings in the area.

I found orders (sample copies below) posted on the following Second Avenue store fronts: 1772 Second Ave (an empty store front), 1804 Second Ave (the Bagel Express), 1808 Second Ave (Global Locksmith), 1819 Second Ave (vacant - formerly Hilte), 1830 Second Ave (vacant - formerlt Doner Kebap), 1832 Second Ave (the parking garage) and 1834 Second Ave (Five Luck Chinese Restaurant & Normandie Wine).

I've been told that the Vacate Orders were issued because the cellars at these location now only have a single means egress, when two are required. This happened when the MTA's contractors removed the street vaults in late 2007.

Most likely these orders will remain in effect until the street vaults are restored near the end of Phase I.

This can't be good news from for the effected stores in the area, and one would have to assume that this will make it even harder to rent out the vacate store fronts at 1772 and 1830 Second Avenue.


1752 Second Ave


1754 Second Avenue