Recapturing Boston's Heritage

Robison, Rita; ,

Recapturing Boston's Heritage

by Rita Robison, Senior Editor; Civil Engineering, 345 E. 47th St., New York, NY,

Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1991, Vol. 61, Issue 5, Pg. 56-58

Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

Structural upgrading of Boston's Old State House and Faneuil Hall is part of an extensive restoration project undertaken by the National Park Service at a cost of $10.6 million for both. The most interesting structural issue was assessing existing conditions hidden behind historical materials that could not be disturbed. At the Old State House, improvements include fastening the roof to the masonry walls for the first time, adding a steel and plywood diaphragm floor in the attic for seismic strengthening, and replacing some rusted steel beams in the basement, where a subway station had been installed in 1907. At Faneuil Hall, an elevator and emergency exit stair will be installed and the basement slab will be replaced. The work, which required five volumes of specifications and 300 sheets of drawings, is being done under a contract achieved by competitive negotiation, a two-step process that called for detailed technical proposals by the bidding contractors. The buildings will be reopened to the public in 1992, in time for the 250th anniversary of Faneuil Hall.

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