Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Monument

LERA is providing structural engineering services for the rehabilitation of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Riverside Park. The monument was dedicated on Memorial Day in 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt, and commemorates the Union Army soldiers and sailors who fought in the Civil War. Significant repairs are needed throughout the landmarked site to restore the Beaux-Arts marble and granite to its original condition. Services include a condition survey, structural assessment and non-destructive testing to better understand the monument and its defects, aging and erosion, such as ultrasounds, ground-penetrating radar, infrared camera scans, CCTV exploration of interior drains and material testing.

The project has posed difficult challenges to the survey team in its inherent uncertainties and limited accessibility. To overcome these challenges, the surveyors used a personnel lift to access the top of the monument, from where they rappelled down the sides to survey and record exterior damage. For the interior of the tower, the team piloted a drone equipped with a hi-definition camera, which enabled them to assess the far reaches of the structure while limiting the risk of causing more damage.

Location

New York, NY 

 

Client  

NYC Department of Parks and Recreation;

NYC Office of Management and Budget

Architect

Perkins Eastman