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The cruncher takes a bite of the former vivarium roof.
Today, the vivarium is gone. Workers sort through the rubble for steel and haul away the debris.
During demolition, the rubble pile grew to the height of a few stories.
The view from Spruce Street.
Now that the courtyard is cleared, work is underway to prepare for tower construction.
Revealing a layer below the soil and rubble.
Digging in progress!
Digging deep, and getting a little wet.
Powerful machinery pulverizes the remaining structural supports of the old vivarium.
The original 1894 Building will get some reinforcement below its foundation, requiring digging deep by hand.
To ensure stability for the sidewalk and the construction area, a reinforcing wall is built.
Notice the pulley and bucket. A big job requires both simple machines and complex machines.
A calm moment.
A side view of the many levels of work.
Still preparing the foundations of the 1894 Building for additional support.
Workers create an ad hoc wood cutting workshop on-site.
Supplying concrete to the new foundation support for the 1894 Buliding.
A lot of activity in the courtyard.
Workers install special bolts to add additional stability to the surrounding foundational structures.
The blue skies smile on the project in a view from Spruce Street.
The ramp gets smaller and smaller as the work space increases.
The crane that will power much of the coming building construction requires its own concrete foundation.
A full view of the construction zone on a pleasant November afternoon.
Months ago, worker dug trenches under the 1894 Building to prepare for the concrete foundations seen here.
Wall forms are erected and supplied with rebar in preparation for the concrete foundation walls.
After the wall forms are built, a massive crane arm delivers the concrete.
Foundation supports are created at the edge of the existing Cancer Research Building.
Looking closely at the center of this image, you can see a new pit readying to receive concrete.
Along the reinforcing wall parallel with Spruce St., diggers dig deeper. In the center, the previous pit is filled.
Below the restraining wall, you can see the natural rock in the wall below street level.
In this view, it's becoming clearer that the new foundational borders are taking shape.
Working at dawn, workers reach for the next piece. This massive crane, affixed to a concrete slab, will oversee construction.
The massive tower crane parts travel down Spruce Street in the early morning.
Crane pieces await their turn on Spruce Street.
A smaller crane lifts pieces to create the large tower crane.
The assembly cranes.
The "arms" of the tower crane are attached to the main vertical element.
Workers reach out to join the pieces.
Having secured themselves (safety first!), workers along the crane arm secure all of the pieces.
A view of the crane with the banner showing the future Robert and Penny Fox Tower.
It's full daylight, and the crane is up and ready for action!
The crane rises stories above the 1894 Building. Watch this space!
Before the steel beams can arrive, the concrete slab must be prepared (yellow area is a vapor barrier).
The concrete arrives via a tube from above, and workers quickly spread and smooth the concrete into the defined space.
The concrete for the slab has been poured. The diamond-shaped areas where the steel columns will be have been left open.
The slab is leveled and a hard finish to the concrete is made using the automated troweling machines.
Next, new, smaller concrete housekeeping pads are created on top to provide extra stability for mechanical equipment.
The chiller equipment, here covered with blue tarps, are lowered into the space using the crane.
Dr. Kaufman is on-site as the first steel column (suspended from the crane hook behind him) arrives.
Members of the executive staff are also on hand at this milestone for the future Robert and Penny Fox Tower.
This view of the excavation from Spruce Street shows bustling activity as the team prepares for the steel’s arrival.
A steel column is lowered horizontally into the construction area.
Workers help to guide the steel as the crane lifts it from the flatbed delivery truck.
The first steel column is carefully positioned into its pre-defined location on the concrete slab.
Workers confer at the edge of the job site. All is going smoothly so far!
Workers are keeping a close eye (and hand!) on the steel column as it is moved vertically.
Moving these enormous pieces requires careful control and collaboration of the workers on the ground and operating the crane.
Meanwhile, work continues. Here, a worker is harnessed safely for his trek along the edge of the new foundation wall.
This team is guiding the first steel column into its proper slot in the foundation.
The first columns are in place!
The cross pieces, which will help create future walls and floors, have been added.
The steel elements that will help to further define the specialized shapes of the new tower are placed.
With the addition of more steel, the progress begins to seem very rapid.
Within a days of the first steel placement, this multi-story array has risen.
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Construction
January 7, 2013
The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA
In our first major building project in 35 years, Wistar is building a new 7-story research tower, named for Robert and Penny Fox, within our current footprint and improving our existing facilities.
We broke ground for the Robert and Penny Fox Tower in September 2011 and now signs of progress are everywhere.
Our capital campaign, Building Wistar, Changing the World, makes it all possible.
