Today’s Viaduct-and-vicinity updates: See the ‘settling’ map; King St. crack in Pioneer Square

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2:58 PM: That map (click the image to see the full-size version) is the main Alaskan Way Viaduct/Highway 99 Tunnel update so far today, six days after first word that some areas in the vicinity have “settled” more than an inch. You might have seen a version of the map on Publicola this morning; the version released by WSDOT this afternoon has added context and a slightly different color scheme. It shows settling of almost an inch and a half in some areas, but does not show the areas of “uneven” settling, says WSDOT, and the text of their update makes it clear this does not show what’s happened on The Viaduct itself:

Crews from WSDOT and Seattle Tunnel Partners are conducting ongoing surveys of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and ground to determine whether settlement is continuing near the SR 99 tunnel access pit. In general, the surveys include:

Twice daily manual measurements at the bottom of both the east and west columns of the viaduct.
Approximately every other day measurements of deep survey points. These are survey points more than 80 feet underground.

Ground surveys of sidewalks and streets from Alaskan Way to Second Avenue and from Yesler Way to South King Street. Some areas are surveyed twice a day; other areas are surveyed once every two to three days.

Surveys of some buildings. Data is collected both manually and automatically and monitored daily.

The data from the ground surveys and deep survey points are represented on a survey point data map. This map does not represent data from building surveys or the surveys of the viaduct.

The map is a computer-generated approximation to show visually the survey results that were shared with the public on Dec. 5, which indicates approximately 1.4 inches of ground settlement near the access pit and a lesser amount of settlement in the surrounding area. It does not show differential settlement, which is uneven settlement that occurs underneath a particular building or structure.

Lastly, the map does not present conclusions about the effect of dewatering. Additionally, the colors have been modified to better show the change in settlement from high to low.

We asked WSDOT earlier today if the tunnel contractor was continuing with access-pit digging, estimated two days ago to have another day to go before they reached a point where they’d stop to evaluate. The reply said only that the December 9th update still applied. We’ve been watching the “live” construction camera, and the excavation equipment does seem to have been in action as the day goes on.

ADDED 4:15 PM: New development – a crack in King St. downtown, not far east of the “rescue pit.” A briefing by the mayor is expected soon.

30 Replies to "Today's Viaduct-and-vicinity updates: See the 'settling' map; King St. crack in Pioneer Square"

  • Peterman December 11, 2014 (3:42 pm)

    Cowgirl is down 1.37″, while Buttnick is hanging in there at 0.73″. This is good stuff.

  • dsa December 11, 2014 (3:44 pm)

    I’m glad that only the people that want the tunnel are going to pay for the damages caused by this settling.

  • SomeGuy December 11, 2014 (4:01 pm)

    The -0.5 settling under Century Link could be just from BEAST MODE. Check Monday and I bet it will be -1.75 after we destroy the Santa Clara 49’ers.

  • Diane December 11, 2014 (4:20 pm)

    king5tv news just showed a pic of King St, giving credit to westseattleblog

    • WSB December 11, 2014 (4:48 pm)

      Diane – I know, and I cringed because all I did was retweet it – it was Mike Lindblom’s tweet, and that’s the way twitter works, if you want to share somebody’s tweet, you “retweet” it … and all the original credit stays with it (you could even see his name on their screen). I suspect Tracy T just dove into twitter at that moment and my retweet was the newest thing up there. KING even had its own crew there – Jim Forman had narrated a helicopter shot moments earlier. We didn’t hear about the mayoral briefing in time to get someone downtown (e-mail sent at 3:55 for 4:15 briefing, I didn’t see it until 4:10). oh well.

  • Rls December 11, 2014 (4:38 pm)

    Oh no if this continues Pioneer Square won’t have an underground tour anymore.

  • clark5080 December 11, 2014 (4:46 pm)

    Not only sinking but a crack on King St near 1st ave

  • quiz December 11, 2014 (5:01 pm)

    What’s the over/under on the viaduct closing permanently before the end of the year? This could get really messy really quickly. Hope they get Bertha running soon so we can get the tunnel open ASAP.

  • 35thSteve December 11, 2014 (5:12 pm)

    Hmmm. Given the proximity to C Link, the rumblings of Marshawn and all the foot stomping of the fans this could in fact cause more sinking on Sunday. Perhaps we should be neighborly and offer West Seatle Stadium for the Santa Clara – Hawks game

  • Pigeonpoint Ben December 11, 2014 (5:26 pm)

    Hey, they’ve got a lot of bright minds on this projects. People who hear about cracks in the road and a sinking half century old double decker highway and sinking century old buildings and the worlds largest boring machine stalled for over a year are freaking out over something they can’t understand. People need to calm down and be patient because your 4 billion dollar express to Aurora’s massive job center is but a few short years away from reality

  • Bertha DeBlues (@BerthaDeBlues) December 11, 2014 (5:36 pm)

    Hmm, I gotta say, this sure is looking like the rescue pit may be to blame. NOT me, though!
    @BerthaDeBlues

  • Kevin December 11, 2014 (6:22 pm)

    @PigeonPoint Ben: I really hope you’re being sarcastic. I’m otherwise extremely interested in how you’ve gauged our capacity to understand the problems with this project.

  • JanS December 11, 2014 (6:51 pm)

    Pigeonpoint Ben…tell us who the bright minds are, so we know to go after then when Pioneers Square disappears. Thanks :)

  • Pigeonpoint Ben December 11, 2014 (7:36 pm)

    Definitely being sarcastic. It seems every time something goes sideways with this poorly conceived and executed money pit someone comments that it is all going to be OK and critics are overreacting.

  • Mike December 11, 2014 (8:51 pm)

    Could this be caused by the tunnel project, yes. Could this more likely be caused by high tides with heavy rain and no place for the water to drain effectively, yes. But hey, lets keep the viaduct, they’re safe…right?
    http://www.engineering.com/Library/ArticlesPage/tabid/85/ArticleID/73/Cypress-Street-Viaducts.aspx

  • Vanessa December 11, 2014 (8:54 pm)

    Just fix the viaduct. Get your money back on the drill. LotsaLuck.

  • dbf December 11, 2014 (9:26 pm)

    Please don’t keep using Cali. collapse as a example. Wiki, Cypress st. viaduct… Poorly engineered, built on bay clay, 10 miles from notorious San Andreas fault, built to move in earthquakes as a single
    structure. These contractors have no clue what they’re in for.

  • Kevin December 11, 2014 (9:57 pm)

    I can’t fathom the total price of the completed tunnel when I consider the potential costs of litigation, compensation for lost real estate, construction overruns, and the additional countless hours people spend in traffic resulting from this project. Unfortunately, I think we’re about to find out.

  • WSince86 December 11, 2014 (10:01 pm)

    Good one Pigeonpoint Ben! Cracked me up! That’s called humor folks!!

  • dsa December 11, 2014 (11:34 pm)

    I’m calling on the new governor to halt this project.
    .
    Can he do that?

  • Bunnyfer December 11, 2014 (11:55 pm)

    Sarchasm: the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it. Thanks Ben!

  • Brian December 12, 2014 (6:45 am)

    PigeonPointBen got real close to fully realizing Poe’s Law there.

  • Mike December 12, 2014 (7:36 am)

    Dbf, ours is built on landfill, liquifaction

  • sam-c December 12, 2014 (11:33 am)

    Peterman- I thought those were funny as well !

  • dsa December 12, 2014 (1:36 pm)

    Mike, the piling penetrates the landfill and was driven to what is called refusal (won’t go no more).
    .
    Several years ago we had the privilege to talk to one of the equipment operators who actually drove (pounded) the pilings for the structures.

  • JanS December 12, 2014 (6:15 pm)

    SIL works in Pioneer Square near 1st and King. They were told today that their building has “sunk” two inches…of course,that could be natural “settling, after all this time…right? RIGHT?

  • JanS December 12, 2014 (6:18 pm)

    Pigeonpoint Ben…saw lots of comments about overreacting today by our lovely group of pseudoengineers in this city…

  • matt December 12, 2014 (8:51 pm)

    dsa,that is not what the point of refusal is- google that for geo/pile lesson. the piles for the pit had a can forced into the ground, then another attached until they got to their desired depth. then a clamshell went down the center and extracted the muck. the can was kept full of water for the obvious.

    they are refusing to admit what the map clearly shows. they continue to lie to the public. at first concealing the initial seal problem, now concealing the sinking and minimizing its effects.

    I think Ive probably rode that viaduct for the last time.

  • Laura December 12, 2014 (11:46 pm)

    Seems to me the physical evidence related to problems will soon tell the story. I am waiting for the blame game to start.

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