Boston, MA
Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Callahan Tunnel Vent Buildings
Scope/Solutions
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) owns several buildings housing large air exchangers to ventilate the Callahan Tunnel that connects East Boston and downtown. On the East Boston side of the tunnel, the buildings’ walls exhibited ongoing deterioration, including visible out-of-plane bowing, detachment of the brick masonry from the cinder-block backup wall, and partial collapse. SGH served as the structural engineer of record for the assessment and restoration project to address the distressed masonry walls.
SGH evaluated the 1950s vent buildings to understand existing conditions and evaluate options for repairs. Highlights of our work include:
- Using findings from our hands-on survey with laser scanning performed by another firm to develop topography plots showing the magnitude of outward bowing
- Assessing the stability of the buildings’ composite masonry walls
- Developing construction documents to restore and replace portions of the brick and masonry facade elements, while maintaining the buildings’ aesthitics and character
1 of 4
Project Summary
Solutions
Repair & Rehabilitation
Services
Structures | Building Enclosures
Markets
Infrastructure & Transportation
Key team members
Greggrey Cohen
Managing Principal, Structural Repair and Rehabilitation, Boston
Additional Projects
Northeast
Lowell General Hospital
Lowell General Hospital planned to expand the existing parking facility and required a design team with experience in designing vertical additions to parking garages and the flexibility to accommodate the hospital’s operational needs.
Northeast
MBTA Haymarket Tunnel Station
SGH supported the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) by identifying damage potentially caused by the collapse and analyzing the effects from the impacts on the tunnel that carries the MTBA's Green and Orange Lines.