The Laurel at Rittenhouse Square

Project Overview

The Laurel, located at 1911 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, was developed by Southern Land Company. It includes a 52-story, 583,000 square foot residential tower fronting Walnut Street, and a 3-story retail/office building with 2 levels of underground parking fronting Sansom and 20th Streets. The Laurel rose to 604 feet, making it the tallest residential building in Center City. This ultra-luxury complex consists of 65 condominiums and 184 apartments on top of a three-story podium, with 44,000 square feet of retail and dining spaces. A new underground utility tunnel below Moravian Street will connect the tower and the retail/garage building. GeoStructures performed the geotechnical investigation and design for the development at Rittenhouse Square.

Test borings including rock coring were conducted to characterize the subsurface conditions for foundation and construction. A mat foundation was selected as the optimal foundation system with estimated savings of over $2 million versus caissons. A detailed evaluation was carried out by GeoStructures to minimize the impact on the surrounding historic structures. GeoStructures performed pressuremeter testing (PMT) to accurately determine the elastic moduli of the foundation soils. The results were incorporated into a Finite Element Method (FEM) model for mat and underlying soil— both vertically and laterally. The construction sequence for the mat was simulated during the analysis including viable stages. The test results were used to determine settlement of the mat under the tower and its impact on adjacent structures, especially the immediately adjoining Theosophy Building.

GeoStructures is providing special inspection services for the entire construction, including a 4380-CY single mat foundation pour. The superstructure inspection comprised steel rebar and cast-in-place concrete testing for columns, shear walls, structural slabs, floor flatness and levelness, post-tensioning of structural slabs, structural steel, and sprayed fireproofing in addition to laboratory testing of high strength concrete up to 14,000 psi.

Construction Inspection and Materials Testing

Soil-Structure Interaction Analysis and Modeling

Foundation Investigation and Design

Drilling Services and Subsurface Investigations

Our Comprehensive Project Workflow: Step-by-Step Guide

01.

Initial Consultation and Client Needs Assessment

Our team responds promptly to your inquiries, ensuring timely communication and immediate attention to your project needs. We work closely with clients to understand all project requirements, ensuring that we capture every detail and objective from the start.

02.

Development of Work Plan

Our expert project managers extend innovative problem-solving to project planning, resulting in technically-sound, cost-effective work plans to better serve our clients.

03.

Project Proposal and Agreement

We provide a detailed project proposal outlining the scope of work, fee schedule, and agreement terms. The project begins once the proposal is approved.

04.

Execution and Quality Assurance

Our highly skilled team of principals, project managers, engineers, and field staff execute the project with precision, maintaining open communication to ensure alignment with client expectations. Each project undergoes a rigorous quality check by our team of licensed professional engineers, ensuring all deliverables meet our high standards of excellence.

05.

Project Delivery and Invoicing

Upon completion, we deliver the final project and issue an invoice for the completed work, ensuring full transparency and satisfaction.