The Halcrow designed Pier 86 on the Hudson River, New York, supports the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum.
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Video produced in 2008
The Intrepid aircraft carrier is the centrepiece of the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum at Pier 86 on the Hudson River in New York City. She participated in decisive World war II engagements, recovered Mercury and Gemini spacecraft and served in the Vietnam war. In 1982 she was established as a floating museum.
In 2006 the Intrepid was towed away for repairs and a new coat of a paint. While she was away Pier 86 was rebuilt to accommodate the refurbished Intrepid.
The new Halcrow designed 150 ft x 780ft pier supports the Intrepid as well as other permanently- moored and visiting vessels. The new pier deck is designed to support the new stair towers, lanscaping and the Concorde which had previously been on display on a barge alongside the old pier.
Meeting the deadline for the design and construction of the home for a New York City and national icon was critical and non-negotiable. All deadlines were met, allowing the refurbished Intrepid to return home in October 2008.
Steel pipes piles up to 175ft long were used to reach the deep rock below the river and to resist the forces of the moored carrier. Each pile was sleeved in a fibreglass jacket and grout was injected in the space between them - protecting the steel from the corrosive river water while eliminating the need for ongoing maintenance.
New stair / elevator towers were designed to provide public access to the vessel. The towers were delivered to the site by barge in very large sections and lifted into position on the pier deck by a barge mounted crane. The smaller 40ft tall towers were lifted in single sections while the 70ft tower required two major lifts.