[SRC Admin]

Chicago | Wanda Vista

 

[bennessb]

Get more info in our http://skyrisecities.com/news/2015/10/wanda-vista-could-become-chicagos-third-tallest-buildinghttp://skyrisecities.com/news/2015/10/wanda-vista-could-become-chicagos-third-tallest-building.

 

[george1]

11/30

 

[bennessb]

I'm looking forward to work starting on this!

 

[Edward Skira]

A lot of people are.

 

[bennessb]

Construction to begin on Vista Tower

The Vista Tower is ready to go.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today that the developers of the 95-story riverside tower designed by Jeanne Gang will break ground on the project this summer. At nearly 1,200 feet tall, the high-rise in the Lakeshore East development will be the third-tallest in Chicago.

 

[harryc]

Back in the '70s when I brought people into Chicago for the first time I had a standard route, which would end up at the circle interchange race under the post office and then quickly drop down onto lower Wacker - with the old green lights - going too fast - I'd cut off at lower Michigan race between some buildings and pop out in a field with train cars, tracks, a massive billboard, and one white minimalist building (Standard Oil). from down there, with the elevated roads around you the rest of the city was invisible. As I try to figure out exactly where that was my best guess is the site of the new Wanda tower.


Aug 19

Looking S where Lake Shore Drive ran before the straightening.


Part of the old billboard ? The easily climbed one at the corner as you headed south on LSD

Railroad ties and trees buried for 30+ years

Aug 25
An optimistic curb cut put in several decades ago.

 

[harryc]

Official groundbreaking was held on Wed at the park near the lot.

Sept 07
Before the groundbreaking ceremony (which was not on the site) pulling out pieces of history. The wet Chicago clay preserves the wood beautifully.

These are pines pounded in upside down - here is the pointy end of the stick

 

[harryc]

Overhead video from ABC

 

[Momin]

Project Update: http://skyrisecities.com/news/2016/09/chicagos-future-third-tallest-building-breaks-ground

 

[harryc]

Almossst started (In Chicago we don't count it as started until the first concrete is poured.
CASE is the biggest foundation contractor in town, that is all they do.

Sept 15

 

[harryc]

Drilling started yesterday - biked over during lunch today.

Still getting stuff set up, 2 upright rigs doing the small stuff around the periphery, putting together a larger (Manitowac 999) rig for the big stuff.

Drill baby Drill

changing drill bits

gotta have just the right size re-bar.

Some assembly required.

 

[harryc]

Oct 04

Augars to extract the soil

These crew was really cranking with the the drill, up, rotate, spin, rotate, drill routine.

Job Pressure (connecting all the air compressors)

Nifty connection that allows the compressed air to pass down the spinning square drive shaft (bar).

The end of the bar - with a cap for standing it up.

Motor for turning the shaft

Pneumatic grinding bit

 

[harryc]

Oct 08

For holding the rebar in just the right spot ?

 

[harryc]

Nov 11

Building a cage - note the diameter

Keeping up the pressure

Catching Pokemon ?

The place where the pressure meets the T-Bar this rotating collar is on the top of the long shaft that has the drill at the other end.

The crains have 2 or more winches, here one is being attached to the collar. The compressed air after driving the hammers causes a convection current which deposits the tailings (sp ?) on the top of the bit.

And out it comes - the crane operator shook the bit back and forth first which settled out the gravel (de-watered ?). After the deluge he then lowered the collar and used it to scrape off most of the remaining gravel.