BHS mixers in use at the ambitious "Pier 55" project in New York

July 2022

The reference at a glance

Project

Production of precast concrete wedges for "Pier 55" project at Fort Miller plant

Technology

Two BHS twin-shaft batch mixers of type DKXS 3,00

Operating site

New York, USA

Industry

Buildingmaterials

Application

Mixing concrete for precast elements

Solution

Two mixers provided the necessary high-quality concrete for architectural elements

At the former Pier 55 along the Hudson River in New York, a bed of concrete tulips now rises out of the water: 132 of these precast tulip elements, mounted on 267 prestressed concrete piles, form a 2.4-ha artificial island and are the new eye-catcher of the waterfront. For the ambitious project, precast producer and supplier of the concrete flowers Fort Miller Co., Inc. used the proven mixing technology of BHS-Sonthofen – two BHS twin-shaft batch mixers of type DKXS 3,00 ensured concrete of the highest quality.

The planning phase for Pier 55, now known as "Little Island," dates back almost ten years, with the foundation stone being laid in 2018: Concrete piles had to be driven into the ground to make the island, designed for several thousand people, possible. BHS-Sonthofen was already involved in the project during this first phase. Precast concrete manufacturer Coastal Precast Systems from Chesapeake/Virginia uses BHS mixing technology at three of their sites. They supplied the necessary 267 up to 60 m long post-tensioned precast concrete piers for the substructure - each with a load capacity of 250 - 300 tons. In the subsequent project phase with Fort Miller from Schuylerville/NY, the architecturally appealing concrete structures were placed.

Highest concrete quality for aesthetics, expediency, and durability

Each of the 132 tulip heads weighs 90 tons, and at the same time is to appear delicate and function as an oversized flowerpot for entire trees. Fort Miller accepted this challenge and purchased two BHS twin-shaft batch mixers for this and other ambitious orders, each with a discharge of 3 m³ per batch. "Concrete components in close proximity to the tidal sea water are subject to constant corrosion. The mixing technology from BHS-Sonthofen ensures the highest mixing quality, which is essential in such projects," explains Scott D. Harrigan, president of Fort Miller. The proven technology enabled the production of 655 individual tulip leaves, which were transported to the port by truck and assembled before being barged to the site. The landscape park was opened in 2021.