Case Study: D.C. Metro Station Shoring Project to Add Support for Train Line Columns

Posted on June 1, 2022 in Case Studies, News

The Metro line running from RFK Stadium down to Benning Road in NE Washington D.C. needed retrofitting. The aging column piers that supported the trains and roadway above were getting closer to the end of their service life.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) hired contractor W.M. Schlosser to undertake the massive job of providing additional support to the metro train line columns, which would provide for a much longer lifespan. 

W.M. Schlosser turned to Scaffolding Solutions for help installing shoring platforms around existing columns on the metro train line. The work would help support the framing and load for adding pier caps to the columns.

The Challenge

To install the pier caps on the columns, W.M. Schlosser needed site grading for areas of shoring over soft soil and heavy vegetation. They also needed to install shoring platforms at precise levels, high elevations, and over uneven grades with tolerances of less than ¼”.

The January weather in Washington D.C. only added to the challenge. The shoring installers would need to deal with unpredictable snow, high winds, freezing rain, and cold temperatures. 

The project also wound its way through various community areas such as soccer fields, a golf range, roadways, and the highly secure PEPCO power station–where workers would need to obtain special access.

However, W.M. Schlosser’s biggest concern was validating that the shoring platforms could support the load of the concrete poured for the pier caps. 

The Solution

W.M. Schlosser had already partnered with Scaffolding Solutions on previous WMATA projects and understood their values, attention to detail, and commitment to the project’s success—which made Scaffolding Solutions the perfect team for the job.

Scaffolding Solutions immediately got to work and came up with a highly detailed shoring design to support various loads added to each column that ranged in weight from 100k to 300k pounds.

They implemented an OCTOsystem as shoring to create the design for the platforms and made sure they were level and plumb—with tolerances of no more than ¼” over a 30’x20’ area.

The Result

Thanks to the complex shoring work performed by Scaffolding Solutions, W.M. Schlosser was able to add the necessary pier caps to strengthen the columns and increase their lifespan.

The approximately 2.5 million dollar project is still ongoing and scheduled for completion in January 2023. W.M. Schlosser is thrilled with the production and workmanship performed by Scaffolding Solutions.

Duke Gamble, Sales Engineer/Project Manager, Scaffolding Solutions, remarked:

“I’m excited the detailed plan we prepared for the project has kept us ahead of schedule, and thankful for all the hard workers in the field and behind the scenes that helped make the project a success.”

Shoring for Large Construction Projects

Do you have a current or upcoming project that requires shoring? At Scaffolding Solutions, we’ve worked on some of the largest construction projects in the V.A. and Washington D.C. areas. Our decades of experience allow us to jump in and solve the toughest of shoring challenges. Contact us today to learn how we can help.

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