Large precast prestressed concrete decks over air rights

Abstract

It is anticipated that land presently occupied by transportation facilities will increasingly be considered for supplemental uses in our cities. This will be justified not only on economic grounds but on environmental and aesthetic resasons as well. The construction of two Boston parking facilities is described here; both employed a newly developed precast prestressed concrete phi deck system which has proven to be durable and watertight. The Hancock Place garage straddles the Massachusetts Turnpike. It is situated in a densoly built area close to a 60-story, two million square-foot office building for which 2000 parking spaces were required. The challenge in developing this project was to construct a building which minimized traffic interference on the artery at a location where an entry ramp blended with the highway, and where ground water had been retained by constructing the road on a thick concrete mat. The other facility extends over an area of seven acres near the airline terminals at Boston Logan International Airport.