That's no use. Lots of us still can swim and climb stuff. ;)

Based upon the basement drawings, I do not believe that the trench is part of the permanent building construction. There is only one concrete basement wall and only one layer of sheet pile walls shown.

The pedway is an open walkway passing through the parking garage similar to the Millennium and Grant Park South garages from the point where it enters the site mid-block on the Canal side to where it exits to street at the corner of Van Buren and Clinton.

^ Which sucks! This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a link to the Blue Line (or half of a link) and have a developer pay for it.

But yeah, it does look like this is a temporary construction. Maybe there are some utilities under the site that need relocated around the perimeter.

Excellent mindset, adecila. A missed opportunity.

February 28, 2020

A win is a win! :banger:

3 feet? Seriously? That's not even one meter.

March 5



Positioning the Tremie pipe - used in deep shafts to prevent the concrete from mixing with the slurry on the way down. The concrete is heavier so it displaces the slurry up the caisson from the bottom.

Are we looking at early april to start going upward?

What is that SE corner ramp going to? Any chance connector for the pedway?

I really hope there's some sort of connection to the blue line, which in effect would connect Union Station to the CTA.

^ this was discussed on previous pages.

I noticed there is an I bean laid across the caisson today. Are they trying to pull out one of the caisson sleeve now?

With a big blue frame ? and the mother of all block and tackle ? that is the pulling frame which was on site last week.

Otherwise they use some pretty hefty beams to hold the rebar cage in place during the pour.

March 11, 2020

^Great set, Solar. Thank you for getting out there and risking it all for SSP!

Looks like the caisson work is done. :cheers:

March 13

Chicago | BMO Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | BMO Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | BMO Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | BMO Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | BMO Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | BMO Tower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Looking at webcam. What is all the gravel for that just got dumped off for?

March 23

Chicago | BMOTower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Chicago | BMOTower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Starting the pit - the corrugated tube is the sump.
Chicago | BMOTower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

The west edge of the pit.
Chicago | BMOTower by Harry Carmichael, on Flickr

Is this project abnormally slow for some reason Im unaware of? The comparable tower on Wacker started drilling on May 30th and pouring the mat on Aug 17th 2018. They started drilling here on Dec 28th and arent that close on April 15th.

Seems more like an archaeological dig than tower construction.