PROJECT DESCRIPTION::
The project work consists of The New Education and Research Building (NERB), a nine-story 350,000 square foot structure, to be constructed on the campus of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Medical School in Worcester, MA. The building is conceived as a LEED Gold, Net Zero-ready, research facility providing research and amenity space that contributes to the continued growth of the biomedical wet lab research and medical education programs on the UMass Medical Center campus. This building will complete the west face of the campus green and require the removal of a portion of the First Road garage. It will also function as an important interior space connector between the Sherman Center and the Lazare Research Building (LRB).
SCOPE OF WORK:
Baystate Blasting, Inc. (BBI) was contracted to perform drilling & blasting services to remove bedrock up to about 22 feet deep for the foundation of this nine-story building. Due to the proximity of the existing occupied buildings surrounding the worksite, our main goal was to avoid any interruptions to both the faculty & students and to keep PPV levels at or below 0.75 inches/second.
To accomplish our goals, BBI first had to line drill the perimeter of the foundation. This technique allows for a cleaner sheer wall after blasting and also helps reduce the vibrations traveling through the bedrock. BBI also timed the blasting to most effectively mitigate impact on the abutters. Due to this we were able to achieve the work with no interruption to the academics going on at the campus and finished ahead of schedule.
Location: UMASS Medical Center – Worcester, MA
Schedule: Completed
