Bronx Parking Facilities & Parkland

The American Council of Engineering Companies - New York presented YU & Associates, Inc. of Elmwood Park, New Jersey with a 2011 ACEC New York Diamond Award for Engineering Excellence in recognition of its unique and innovative subsurface engineering solutions to complex engineering challenges related to the design and construction of the Parking and Sports Facilities at Yankee Stadium. This project also earned the prestigious National Recognition Award in the ACEC 2011 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. The successful application of "soil freeze" - a gain in pile capacity over time – in foundation piles driven to sand for this project would encourage geotechnical engineers to use this design concept for future projects. This innovative application can prevent the unnecessary waste of materials and allow for substantial cost savings in construction. The use of multiple foundation types to avoid adverse impact on adjacent facilities and the community during construction in a densely populated urban environment has contributed to a positive reception of the work by the neighborhood and stakeholders.

As a commitment to the community, three independent parking garages (Garages A, B and C) were built to meet the high parking demand, relieve traffic congestion, and improve air quality resulting from events at the new Yankee Stadium. The three parking garages - one 3-level, one 5-level and one 4-level - have added over 3,100 parking spaces to the neighborhood. A park and sports facility was constructed on the roof level of Garage A to meet the community's need for green and recreational spaces. YU & Associates (YU), a member of the Design-Build team, was the Engineer-of-Record for the project in the disciplines of Geotechnical, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

As the Geotechnical and Civil Engineer-of-Record, YU faced different engineering challenges such as: 1) the proximity of existing infrastructure including a) multiple subway lines both elevated and below grade and an associated substation, b) a busy vehicular viaduct, and c) major underground utilities; 2) variable and complex soil conditions above a sloping bedrock; 3) concerns regarding adverse impact upon the nearby public facilities; 4) aggressive construction schedules and complex logistics tied closely to the seasons' opening dates for the Yankees; and 5) stringent requirements for stormwater management.

YU confronted these challenges by developing innovative and cost-effective engineering solutions to help deliver the project on time and within budget. These solutions included: 1) the strategic use of multiple types of piles to provide a cost-effective solution for foundation support and to minimize impact upon nearby public facilities; 2) the unique application of the "soil freeze" concept to develop high design capacity in sand without the need for driving very long piles to the sloping bedrock, thereby saving time, material and cost in construction; 3) the use of drilled piles to provide the required bearing and uplift capacities in shallow rock areas and to minimize vibration and noise impact to adjacent structures and surrounding community; 4) the use of a localized mat foundation in lieu of drilled piles in close proximity to adjacent sensitive structures to reduce construction influence concerns to negligible levels; and 5) the design of underground detention systems beneath the garage floors for stormwater management.

Through the investigation, design and monitoring work performed by YU, the project was perceived by the public as safe, environmentally conscious, and well-organized throughout construction. The completed project has relieved the traffic congestion in the neighborhood resulting from events held at the Stadium. The air quality in the community has been improved through the significant reduction of vehicles circling the streets in search of parking opportunities. The new facilities have also made the streets safer for residents in the area by reducing the amount of vehicular traffic passing through pedestrian areas and illegal parking that was prevalent in the neighborhood prior to the new stadium construction.