Town Center Construction Photos

September 4, 2007

This wall will be sprayed with concrete-like material, and dirt will be filled in on the outside in order to support it as a wall and foundation for the parking garage.

The rebar towers that will soon be the support columns for the underground parking structure are complete. Next, the rebar will be enclosed by wood, and cement will be poured inside the wood and rebar frame for maximum support.

Excavators, bulldozers and loading trucks work non-stop over two weeks to remove the massive pile of dirt from the excavation. The trucks bring the dirt to other nearby construction sites that need the dirt.

Workers on Mathilda and McKinley replace pieces of the underground water pipes to supply water to the Town Center.

The water pipe is temporarily shut off, then these endpieces are assembled and a T-shaped pipe is fastened in between the endpieces.

Workers adjust the bolts on the water piping.

This water pipe is one of a few that supply the entire Town Center with water.

Water trucks continue to minimize dust on and around the construction site.

Below, the underground parking garages, layered blocks of rebar are woven and assembled to form a flat base. The blocks will be filled with cement to make a solid base that is designed to withstand an earthquake by "floating" on the surface of the Earth without going too deep.

This massive cement cynlinder acts as a filter for storm drainage, sending only debris-free water back to the bay.

The drain is dug very deep into the ground.

Excavators fill in the spaces surrounding the cement with a fine rocky material.

These walls will be surrounded by cement and dirt to support the underground parking structure. Ground level can be seen with the fence on Washington to the right.

This tree is being preserved and slightly moved throughout the construction process. Ditches will be dug around the tree far enough on all sides to preserve its roots. Then supports will be run beneath the dirt and roots of the tree, and a massive crane will lift the tree so that it can be moved several feet to its new location.