Carrasquillo Associates (CA) and Carrasquillo Engineering Services Group (CESG) played an important role in the colossal Christopher Columbus Statue project located atop a hillside on the northern shores of the Island of Puerto Rico. This project consists of the erection of a statue twice the height of the Statue of Liberty without its pedestal, and so tall that it could interfere with air traffic once erected. The statue is scheduled to be completed by late summer 2015 and was originally crafted by the great Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, the creative mind behind many unique sculptures such as Bayonne’s 9/11 Teardrop Memorial which honors those who died in the tragic 9/11 attack.
The over 2,000 pieces that make up the 600 ton Christopher Columbus Statue which include, copper and bronze exterior pieces connected to an interior structural steel frame, were initially constructed in 1991 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ 1942 arrival to the Western Hemisphere. CA and CESG provided consulting services regarding the mat concrete foundation including structural design, specifications and construction as well as the condition assessment of the structural steel. Specifically, CA and CESG were in charge of developing the concrete specifications, mixture proportions, concrete placement sequence, executing the quality control, implementing the use of maturity and monitoring the internal concrete temperatures, and early age protection of the concrete in the massive concrete foundation. In total, over 1,500 CY of concrete were placed in approximately 8 hours without any concrete deliveries being rejected, without experiencing cracking of the mat foundation, and the concrete meeting the specified design strength in less than 7 days.