Earth Retention

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Project Partner: Skanska-Traylor-Shea, A Joint Venture

Challenge:
Limited access work zones adjacent to live vehicle and pedestrian traffic posed challenges for the installation of the 95 foot 20,000 plus pound soldier pile beams. Drilling through the tar impacted sands at the Fairfax Station resulted in difficulties unique to that specific area of the La Brea Tar Pits. In one area at the Fairfax station, Condon-Johnson routinely cored through 5 levels of existing abandoned bar anchors at every soldier pile location.

Overview:
Condon-Johnson was contracted by Skanska-Traylor-Shea to perform the soldier pile installation as part of the support of excavation on the Purple Line Extension Project, Section 1. Condon-Johnson installed 1,545 each soldier piles drilling approximately 120,000 feet and hoisting over 23 million pounds of steel for the shoring at the three new stations and tie in. Condon-Johnson began installation at the La Brea station in December 2015, the Fairfax station in August 2016, the La Cienega station in March 2017 and completed the Western tie in shaft in February 2018. Throughout this four mile stretch along Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, Condon-Johnson encountered a variety of challenges from the tar-impacted sand of the La Brea Tar Pits at the Fairfax station to the logistical challenges of heavy civil construction on active and congested city streets.


Results:
Condon-Johnson successfully completed the installation of 1,545 each soldier piles, drilling approximately 120,000 feet and hoisting over 23 million pounds of steel safely without any serious injuries or incidents. Condon-Johnson completed its work on schedule avoiding any delay to the project.