Braun Intertec was retained to assist with expansion of the Walker Art Center, which encompasses a total of 157,000 square feet.

An underground parking ramp for the City of Minneapolis is being constructed adjacent to the Walker Art Center expansion. The ramp will be used by the public, including Walker visitors and employees, and Guthrie Theater patrons. It houses 680 parking stalls and extends four levels below grade. The ramp extended as close to the groundwater as possible (within five feet), to maximize the space below grade.

Challenges

A famous Minneapolis destination, the Walker Art Center is an important storage facility for sculptures and paintings. Therefore, it would be imperative to maintain meticulous attention to detail during a relatively accelerated work schedule that included winter construction and placement of 26,000 yards of concrete in one year. Onsite soil contamination and groundwater issues were considerations during the project.

Solutions

We conducted vibration monitoring of construction activity and observed removal of 267,000 yards of soil. Our seasoned field technicians and engineers provided offered extensive knowledge to help address key areas of concern -- contributing to timely project completion.