Keller lays foundation for Aston Martin tower Sponsored

Keller's business units HJ Foundation and Hayward Baker worked on the foundation system of one of Miami’s most prestigious, eye-catching developments – an Aston Martin-branded residential tower.

Aston Martin Residences Miami

Aston Martin is a name associated with some of the world’s most iconic and desirable cars, but in Miami, the legendary Aston Martin brand will soon also become a byword for luxury living. The sprawling 66-story Aston Martin Residences Miami will be one of the most sought-after properties in the US when it’s complete. Designed to represent the pinnacle of elegant living, every aspect of the property has been carefully considered from the superyacht marina to all of the penthouses, each boasting its own private pool. Owner G&G Business Developments calls it a “symphony of curvilinear glass and steel”, with some of the most expensive penthouse suites available for a cool $50 million.

The Challenge

Construction is now well underway, but such towering feats of structural and architectural excellence are only made possible by the hidden ingenuity that takes place underground. Keller companies HJ Foundation and Hayward Baker joined forces to deliver an unrivaled range of products and get this high-profile project off the ground.

One of the biggest challenges the team faced was the site itself. The pie-slice-shaped plot measures just 35,000ft² and is situated between two existing towers on the banks of the Miami River. Access to the site was only possible from a single busy road, made more difficult because it was reduced to one lane of traffic for most of the project due to local government roadworks. This meant careful planning of deliveries was needed to keep everything flowing. The team also had to plan the works and coordinate with the general contractor due to its location abutting the existing sea wall and river.
With excavations going to 25ft deep in close proximity to the river, the key to the project’s success was stabilizing the ground and making the whole excavation watertight.

The deep soil mixing itself wasn’t without its challenges, as HJ Senior Project Manager Nick Feldt explains: “During the soil mix installation and excavations we ran into some unforeseen obstructions; piling from old building foundations. We couldn’t use the deep soil mix tooling in these areas so we implemented alternate specialty techniques.” Once the basement was secured, work switched to constructing the tower’s foundation piles. Because of the building’s high loads and the site’s size, there wasn’t enough space for the number of traditional auger piles needed. So, HJ’s engineers proposed the use of tangent bearing elements – known as TBEs. A relatively new technique conceived by HJ, TBEs are ideal for tall towers with smaller footprints.

Finally, the team excavated the entire mat foundation and turned it over to Coastal for the concrete foundation – one of the largest pours ever in the city.
Despite the lengthy production, this technically challenging project was completed successfully in June 2019, receiving praise from the client. When completed, the 818feet tower will become the second tallest in Miami.

Watch the project’s video below.