Several building elements, such as the large acrylic viewing windows with thousands of pounds of water pressure behind them, required very precise measurements with virtually no room for error during placement. Through the use of laser scanning and BIM, the construction team pre-coordinated these challenging field installation conditions to ensure that delicate measurements and installations were physically possible prior to the deployment of expensive cranes and labor onsite.
A sophisticated VDC coordination process drove self-perform concrete placement/lift drawings to ensure field install accuracy and coordination prior to pouring structural elements.
Highly skilled artisan labor constructed the rock work and theming, in addition to the other specialty scopes of work, according to the design by PGAV Architects, a planner and designer of unique destinations for six decades. The firm has designed exhibits at other aquariums nationwide, as well as environments for the grizzly bears, polar bears, and penguins and puffins at the St. Louis Zoo.
UNEXPECTED DISCOVERIES
Historic construction restraints limited access to spaces that would house piping—sometimes allowing less than 2 feet of access space. McCarthy successfully coordinated construction in these tight spaces by planning ahead, using compact equipment, and having piping assemblies custom-built for the space and delivered ready to install.
The geotechnical team relied on maps to indicate details associated with the stacked limestone footings and timber pile foundations beneath the original structure, as well as the 50-foot-deep driven concrete piles added in the 1980s to support the redeveloped festival marketplace. To increase loading capacities, the team reused some of the existing foundations and installed an additional deep foundation micropile system capable of supporting the exhibits, mechanical pump rooms and other back-of-house systems.
A PERSONAL PROJECT
Construction for the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station began in November 2017 and the project opened Christmas Day 2019. For the McCarthy team, the aquarium was a very personal project. “As a long-time St. Louis-based company, this project has special significance because not only did we build it, but we get to bring our own families to visit the aquarium now that it’s finished,” says John Buescher, Central Region president, McCarthy Building Cos. “There is a unique sense of pride that goes along with that.”
Retrofit Team
OWNERS // Lodging Hospitality Management and zoOceanarium Group
GENERAL CONTRACTOR // McCarthy Building Cos. Inc.
ARCHITECT // PGAV Architects
CIVIL CONSTRUCTION // Castle Contracting LLC
MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS // Charles E. Jarrell Contracting Co. Inc. and Rock Hill Mechanical Corp.
PLUMBING CONTRACTOR // Franklin Mechanical Inc.
GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT // Geotechnology Inc.
BUILDING ENCLOSURE // IWR Building Systems LLC
MASON // John J. Smith Masonry Co., (314) 894-9500
PAINTING // Jos. Ward Painting Co.
LANDSCAPING // Landesign LLC
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR // Sachs Electric
CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION // Vee-Jay Cement Contracting Co. Inc.
Materials
CUSTOM FIBERGLASS TANKS // Waterdog Products Inc.
CUSTOM CONCRETE TANKS // Concrete waterproofing admixture by Xypex and constructed by McCarthy Building Cos. Inc.
AQUARIUM ACRYLIC WINDOWS // Reynolds Polymer
AQUARIUM FILTRATION SYSTEMS // Longhorn Organics
ANIMAL CONTAINMENT PANELS //
A thru Z Consulting and Distributing
ROCKWORK AND CUSTOM-THEMED ELEMENTS // Nassal
CUSTOM SIGNAGE // Warren Sign
CUSTOM CURVED LED CEILING/WALL DISPLAY // DesignLED
RETAIL FIXTURES // OPTO
RECLAIMED WOOD WALL PANELING // Lost Coast Paneling by TerraMai
CUSTOM ARCHITECTURAL WOODWORK // Gravois Planing Mill
PLASTIC LAMINATE // Formica and Wilsonart
ACOUSTICAL CEILING CLOUDS // MDC, Arktura and Kirei
RESILIENT FLOORING // Assurance II by Mannington
FLUID-APPLIED FLOORING // Stonhard
CUSTOM FLOOR TILE MURAL // Keystones by Daltile
FLOOR TILE // Ragno, Mirage and Daltile
WALL TILE // Ken Mason Tile, Mercury Mosaics and Daltile
STONE VENEER // Indiana Limestone Co.
CARPET TILE // Milliken and Shaw Floors
QUARTZ COUNTERTOP // Cambria
RECYCLED GLASS COUNTERTOP // Geos
WALLCOVERINGS // D.L. Couch
EXTERIOR DECORATIVE CONCRETE PAVING // Exposed Aggregate System by Bomanite
LIGHT FIXTURES // Spectrum Lighting Inc., Rosco, Eaton, Sternberg, Lumenpulse and USAI Lighting
LIGHTING CONTROLS: ETC