Slurry Wall
Photo credit: Jin S. Lee
Accession Number: C.2022.28.1
Dimensions: Unavailable
Credit Line: Collection 9/11 Memorial Museum
Description
Located on the western wall of Foundation Hall in the 9/11 Museum, this is a preserved and reinforced portion of the original slurry wall constructed during the building of the World Trade Center in the late 1960s.
Located on the western wall of Foundation Hall in the 9/11 Museum, this is a preserved and reinforced portion of the original slurry wall constructed during the building of the World Trade Center in the late 1960s.
Historical Notes
The terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center not only destroyed buildings above ground; they also caused partial collapses of below ground structures. Engineers and city officials were concerned about the stability of the slurry wall, fearing that the commuter train and subway tunnels would flood if it breached. They were also concerned about the stability of other structures nearby. The movement of multi-ton pieces of equipment over the site’s unstable ground during the recovery period intensified these concerns. Teams of engineers, some of whom were involved with building the original World Trade Center, worked to address and remedy these issues. Although challenged, the slurry wall held.
This section of the original face of the slurry wall was reinforced from behind. It was preserved as a historic asset of the World Trade Center site through the advocacy of landmark preservationists and 9/11 family members.
The terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center not only destroyed buildings above ground; they also caused partial collapses of below ground structures. Engineers and city officials were concerned about the stability of the slurry wall, fearing that the commuter train and subway tunnels would flood if it breached. They were also concerned about the stability of other structures nearby. The movement of multi-ton pieces of equipment over the site’s unstable ground during the recovery period intensified these concerns. Teams of engineers, some of whom were involved with building the original World Trade Center, worked to address and remedy these issues. Although challenged, the slurry wall held.
This section of the original face of the slurry wall was reinforced from behind. It was preserved as a historic asset of the World Trade Center site through the advocacy of landmark preservationists and 9/11 family members.
Curator's Comment
The proximity of the Hudson River posed a significant challenge to the original excavation and construction of the World Trade Center, which began in 1966. River water threatened to seep into or flood the site. The slurry wall technique, not previously employed on such a vast scale, presented a novel solution that led to the construction of a watertight enclosure known as the bathtub. Using technology pioneered in Italy, workers dug a trench around the perimeter of the site and filled it with a mixture of clay and water. This slurry stabilized the trench, allowing engineers to pump in concrete. Heavier than slurry, concrete sank to the bottom of the trench, displacing slurry from the ground up and hardening into a solid, watertight wall. Construction of the slurry wall took 12 months, after which reinforcing steel cables known as tiebacks were drilled into the wall and anchored into bedrock.
HIDE
The proximity of the Hudson River posed a significant challenge to the original excavation and construction of the World Trade Center, which began in 1966. River water threatened to seep into or flood the site. The slurry wall technique, not previously employed on such a vast scale, presented a novel solution that led to the construction of a watertight enclosure known as the bathtub. Using technology pioneered in Italy, workers dug a trench around the perimeter of the site and filled it with a mixture of clay and water. This slurry stabilized the trench, allowing engineers to pump in concrete. Heavier than slurry, concrete sank to the bottom of the trench, displacing slurry from the ground up and hardening into a solid, watertight wall. Construction of the slurry wall took 12 months, after which reinforcing steel cables known as tiebacks were drilled into the wall and anchored into bedrock.
HIDE
