Update 1/12

It's been a while since last update. Am sorry about that. The soil program is done for the time being - really it's done completely, but some small settlement is expected and we'll manage that by hand in the spring. All contaminated soils have been removed and all backfilling has been completed, and we are moving everything off site this week.

Crews are completing punchlist items and cleaning the buildings and site. Some powerwash work on the walks and we should be off site in the next day or so.

I want to thank everyone for their consideration and support through all of this. We know it hasn't been easy, but think the end result is a cleaner and safer site for all.

We'll probably post one or two more times depending on final issues, but you can always reach me at rgang@mit.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks again.

Richard

Site Update 12/12

First round of excavation has been completed on the courtyard and the crews have started on the streetside this week. Work started on HJK and working in a counter-clockwise direction, we are now excavating on the Vassar Street side of units DE.

Last night's storm has caused a few problems with access and pooling water, and work was suspended today, but will resume on Monday. We've received some post-excavation sampling results and are going to have to remove another layer of soils from select areas within the courtyard. We don't have all of the data back so I can't define the full extent, but we're planning on having the crews back in the courtyard on Monday. We'd like to finalize as much of the courtyard as we can so backfill can begin.

The snow fencing was a bit weak throughout the complex, so crews have increased the support posts and it should be in fairly decent shape for the near future. We'll continue to monitor and make sure it's secure.

To date we've removed 22 rolloff containers, each with approximately 20 tons of soils.

Good luck with finals next week and as always, feel free to comment or call with questions.

Richard

Site Update 12/7

Most of the initial courtyard excavation has been completed.  Lab analysis is ongoing and we trust that we will not have to dig any further in the courtyard.  As soon as the analysis is verified we will be able to begin backfilling.

Some work has started in the streetside.  We will be excavating soils from around all of the buildings, but will be working in a pattern that is driven by the rotation of rolloff containers.  We only have two locations where these are placed and have bisected the site to limit the amount of machine travel between them.  As one container is filled, we are moving the crews to the opposite side of the site to focus on using the empty container on that side.

This results in some jumping around, but it makes the overall work faster.

We will not be fencing entire areas on the streetside, but rather will be using caution tape and cones to restrict access.  Please use caution when near this work.

Most of  the courtyard will be open this week and only a few gates into the street will be closed at any one time.  

Wednesday 11/26 Update

Temporary construction fence has been installed within the courtyard and across the playground. Openings have been left for access and passage around through the weekend, but these will be closed Monday morning at 8 AM as soil excavation begins.

Exit into the courtyard from units ABC, DE, FG and H will be blocked during working hours (8:30 to 5 M-F) until this work is complete. The gated entrances into the courtyard next to unit A, and from the streetside between C and D and between E and F will also be locked during the working hours as well.

Bike racks, the storage shed, and all strollers outside of these entryways will be moved to the side of the high rise before the work starts. Access to the courtyard side of the highrise will be available, but you'll have to go around during construction hours.

Parking spaces on Audrey Street and Amherst Alley have been set aside for container storage and truck access. These will need to remain clear during the construction as containers and trucks will be moving through as they are loaded.

The courtyard closure should only take a week or a week and a half, depending on how deep we have to go. I'll keep updates posted as we get into it next week.

Thanks and have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

Richard

Tuesday 11/25 Update

The soil excavation program is scheduled to start on Monday, 12/1.  Crews will be on site tomorrow, Wednesday, to begin mobilization of equipment, installing fence, and securing access for equipment.  Our plans are to complete the courtyard first and then move to the streetside.

We've discussed taking a large area of the courtyard as the large equipment is dangerous and difficult for operators to see on all sides.  This taking will only be during the working day and we will open the fences in the evening and weekends to allow access.

We've also posted signage designating two spaces on Audrey Street and four spaces at the entrance to Amherst Alley (between units F and H) for clearance to deliver and remove roll-off containers being used to transport soils.

Building cleaning will continue for a few more days, but this work is almost complete as well.

Thanks.

Richard

 

Tuesday 11/18

Crews are cleaning overspray and paint chips from streetside ABC today. They plan on moving to streetside DE after, but probably not until tomorrow. They are using hand grinders and wire brushes and this noise shouldn't be significant, though a few streetside entrances may be closed while they use lifts and work near doors.

Fencing has been removed from the courtyard. A few have asked about balconies. We are done cleaning them for now, but may be accessing to clean overpsray. It's ok to place belongings on the balcony, but we may have to move things around to clean.

Thanks.

Richard

Friday 11/14 Update

Crews have completed all balcony cleaning and concrete sampling as of 2:15 PM today. An informal walkthrough identified a number of overpray and paint issues that were not completed today and will still need to be done. This work is not loud, but obviously is an intrusion.

This was supposed to have been completed by today, but they missed. The work is planned for next week and as soon as I have a schedule with specific buildings I'll post an update.

A few have written to ask about wood and other materials on balconies. Any wood or construction debris that is left on your balcony will be removed as this work finalizes.

All entrances on both sides of all units will be open through the weekend and until continued cleanup activities start.

Thanks and have a great weekend.

Richard

11/13 11:15 AM Update

Engineers are going to collect samples on streetside balconies H1, J1, J3, and J4 first today. Once done we will be done with building HJK.

Thursday 11/13 Update

Just heard from engineers and the list of balconies requiring concrete sampling was incomplete. The following are the remaining balconies that need to be sampled:

Courtyard A5, B6, E1, and F5. Streetside B1, B4, B5, B6, C6, E1, E2, E4, E5, F5, G4, G6, H1, J1, J3, and J4. Twenty in total.

Their plan is to be on site this morning at 11 and begin with the ground level (both E1's, B1, H1, and J1 balconies), and then progress to the second and third floor units as the lifts become available.

They are still planning on completing all drilling by tomorrow afternoon. As I get more details I'll forward.

Richard

Wednesday 11/12 Update

Crews are almost done with the CAPSUR work and expect to complete by end of the day tomorrow. Overspray and paint cleanup continues and we hope to have final inspection and signoff by the end of the week on all Westgate buildings.

The post-CAPSUR sampling that has been so noisy is amost done as well. Engineers are planning on returning on Thursday (11/13) to begin final collection. They will need to collect samples from streetside C6, D5, E2, E4, F5, G6, J3, and J4, as well as from courtyard balconies A5, D6, E1, and F5.

I don't have the order of sampling but expect them to move from building to building in a manner that makes best use of the lift. At a minimum, expect the noise to be loud for 10 minutes or so per balcony. If/when I get their detailed approach I'll post an update.

This work should complete by end of the day Friday.

After that, we have the soil excavation program and this will start as soon as final work plan documents are approved and signed - expecting this to begin sometime towards the middle of next week.

We'll be at tonight's meeting and available to discuss in greater detail there. Thanks as always.

Richard

Friday 11/7 Update

Sorry about today's noise associated with the concrete drilling. I know it's not easy to deal with and is especially hard on nap schedules.

We're almost done with the balcony CAPSUR wash and still have to complete streetside H1, J1, J3, J4, and C6. We also have to complete courtyard balconies A5, B6, E1, and F5. There are still a few balconies that have not had post-CAPSUR concrete sampling, but we stopped early today as the noise was unbearable.

All told, we expect to have to take concrete samples from those balconies noted above and from the few remaining balconies that we didn't get to today (streetside D5, E2, and E4). Right now, this is scheduled to begin next Thursday, but if we go earlier I'll try and have Housing get emails out to all. It won't be Monday.

Crews are still grinding overspray and wiping down window sills and balconies, and while this is kind of noisy, it isn't as bad as the rotary hammer drills.

Soil excavation is still planned and I expect we may start as early as the week after next. I should be able to get notice on this by early or mid-week next week.

Have a great weekend.

Richard

Thursday 11/6 Update

We've cleaned (with CAPSUR) the balconies on streetside A1, A5, B1, B2, B4, B5, and B6, and have re-cleaned the balconies on courtyard F2 and F3. Samples have been collected and we should have results before the end of the week.

Today we are performing CAPSUR wash (at least until the rain gets too heavy) on streetside D5, E2, and E4, and we may get to F5 streetside as well. These will probably be re-sampled with concrete rotary drill tomorrow 11/7.

All caulk replacement on the buildings has been completed, and the only remaining building work is the balcony cleaning and continued paint and overspray cleanup.

Soil work is still being determined, but we are hoping to begin within the next week or so. As soon as I have final details on the program we'll forward and/or schedule discussions to present.

CAPSUR Wash and Concrete Samples

Based on sampling analysis, crews will be performing CAPSUR wash on the following streetside balconies: A1, A5, B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, D5, E2, E4, F5, G4, G6, H1, J1, J3, and J4, starting 11/3 (if the weather permits).

We've already performed CAPSUR wash on the following courtyard balconies: C4, C5, C6, D1, D2, D4, E2, E3, E5, H1 and H2.

Concrete chip samples will need to be taken on all of the above balconies post-wash to ensure accuracy and completeness of procedure.

We also washed and sampled F1, F2, F3, F4 G1, G4 and G5 on the courtyard side. These failed post-wash tests and may be re-cleaned and re-sampled, but a decision on this is pending.

As soon as we have information on the progress we'll post any updates. Thanks.

Monday 11/3 Update

The metal work has been completed. Sorry about the drilling into the building, but this had to happen. Crews are applying final caulk on the streetside of buildings FG and then will complete unit HJK.

Crews are also completing final touchup and paint overspray cleaning, and will be sweeping and wiping down balconies and window sills.

The only remaining work is the CAPSUR chemical wash on select balconies and the soil excavation work planned for areas in the courtyard and on the streetside.

Since we are taking soil from the courtyard and will be using large excavating machines to do so, we will be restricting access to half of the courtyard during this operation. This will be a larger area than we have taken in the past, but it is necessary to ensure a complete separation between children and these large machines. We'll send a PDF plan of the area shortly.

There will be concrete chip sampling required after we complete the CAPSUR wash on the balconies. This is to ensure the completeness of the cleaning process. It's noisy, but relatively short in duration.

As always, feel free to email or call with any questions or concerns.

October 24 News

Been a while since a posting -sorry about that, was away. Crews have completed metal panel installation on both sides of ABC and are now moving to install on the streetsides of DE, FG and HJK. They will probably be done in less than two weeks.

Crews are also following behind and installing caulk. They have 2 or 3 weeks left as well.

We are almost done with the CAPSUR wash on the courtyard balconies and have several to do on the streetside. I'm waiting for all test results to be returned, but will post those that need to be cleaned and those that can be used again (but for now, bear with us while we continue cleaning).

The soil excavation plans are coming together. We have to take soils from in front of ABC, DE and FG, and are trying to figure out the best way to get them out without creating unneccessary hassles. Also have to take soils from streetside units almost all the way around.

As soon as these plans are final we'll post. We're open to another community meeting if anyone wants to discuss how this will play out.

Thanks as always and feel free to stop by or call if you have questions or concerns.

Richard

Tuesday 10/14 Update - Out of Office

Crews are almost done with paint application on the side of ABC, and are focusing on brick and paint overspray cleanup and CASPUR (chemical) wash on select balconies.

I am going to be off site for the remainder of the week and wanted to ask anyone with questions to reach out to Zhanna Davidovitz at zhanna@mit.edu while I'm away.

We should have the metal panel crews back on site by the end of the week and work will continue in that area then. We still have to complete the courtyard side of ABC and all streetside surfaces with metal flashing and then install final caulk.

Thanks again.

Richard

Remediation Update 10/10/08

Hi everyone,

Great news - we've completed all caulk removal and will not have to cover any of your windows going forward (yea!!!). We've completed almost all of the encapsulation on the remaining brick surfaces and should be done with this phase by the end of next week.

Crews have started paint overspray and drip cleanup and this is a bit noisy, but it's moving pretty quickly. We've also completed most of the balcony testing (loud), and are scheduling the chemical wash on only those units that will need it. The good news is that many are passing and won't need to be washed, the bad news is those that do (fail) will need to be retested once cleaned to be sure we've made the cleanup criteria, but this should be relatively short in duration.

Some scheduling difficulties with the contractor installing the metal panels, but we hope to have this resolved by next week.

In short, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We still have soil excavation, but this should be less intrusive as it doesn't impact your apartmnt units.

All doors and entrances on the courtyard and streetside will be open this weekend. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend and great fall weather. We certainly know you deserve it.

Thanks as always.

Richard

Wednesday 10/8 Update

Crews have started the CAPSUR wash on balconies that have been identified with concentrations of PCBs greater than regulatory limits. Not all balconies will be treated as not all 'failed' during testing (this was the noisy hamer drilling that's been taking place).

The fumes associated with the CAPSUR materials are noxious and we are only performing this step on units where the caulk hase been replaced. If your unit is adjacent to one that is being cleaned we may push your windows closed. We are also taping seams closed on windows, and any loose panels that appear to have open joints are being taped closed as well. This is only temporary for the couple of hours it takes to clean a balcony.

Similar precautions go for the crews that are grinding paint overspray off of brick and concrete surfaces. We are closing windows that are adjacent to the work to prevent dust from entering your units.

Thanks as aways for your patience with this.

Richard

Friday 10/3 Update

I apologize for the lack of updates. We've been busy and it just slipped.

Crews have completed all caulk removal activities on the entire project. They've also completed all painting in the courtyard of all units. We are now in a race to complete the metal panel installation on courtyard ABC, the replacement of caulk on courtyard units FG, DE and ABC, and the re-mobilization to the streetside to paint the brick work and install the same metal and caulk before the weather turns any worse.

We should have the poly sheeting off of units ABC by today, but certainly by end of the day Monday. The crews are on the streetside units installing and painting starting with HJK and will be moving around the complex from HJK to FG, to DE, and then ending with ABC.

Since we're not covering your windows for this phase we may push any open windows closed while we are close to a unit to minimize paint fumes. We've been leaving the fans on now that the caulk removal phase is over as the moisture and mold issues were causing bigger problems.

We are still accessing balconies for testing, cleaning and caulk replacement. There will be times when we will tape your windows closed to apply certain cleaning agents, but will not be installing poly.

I'll try to post another note shortly.

Richard