PROJECT DESCRIPTION
YOUTUBE ENTERTAINMENT SOUNDSTAGE
Playa Vista, California
MORRIS-SHEA PROJECT COMPONENTS
1,000 DEWAAL PILES
400 PC-CIDH Piles
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Morris-Shea installed DeWaal and PC-CIDH pile systems in an historic aircraft hanger in Playa Vista, California. The deep foundation contractor drilled more than 1000 DeWaal piles and 400 PC-CIDH piles throughout the complex. This famed building is being redeveloped as a state-of-the-art YouTube soundstage for the production of movies, television and online video. The hanger was initially used to fabricate and warehouse Howard Hughes’ massive troop transport airplane, the Spruce Goose. The structure later accommodated the filming of movies such as Avatar, Titanic, Iron Man and Star Trek.
PROJECT CONDITIONS
Project considerations included the presence of contaminated soils within the building complex resulting from the site’s previous use as an airplane hangar. The primary concern was that contaminated groundwater perched atop the upper aquifer (Bellflower Aquitard) not be allowed to develop a mechanism to cross-contaminate or pollute the lower aquifer (Ballona Aquifer). Based on the installation methodologies involved in installing DeWaal and PC-CIDH piles, it was determined that their use was appropriate and no significant potential existed for contamination at the site.
