Collier Memorial

Cambridge, MA

Collier Memorial

structural engineering, special structures Services

Höweler and Yoon Architecture, LLP, MY Studio Architect

Sculpture made of solid granite stone blocks working as a structural vault

Project

With the sculpture designed by Höweler + Yoon Architecture on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) a lasting memorial to Officer Sean Collier and his service to MIT was created. The structure consists of five radially arranged walls made of massive granite stones each weighing several tons, which merge into a vault-like structure in the center.

Smart and innovative structure made of solid granite stones

Assembly Strategy

knippershelbig supported Höweler + Yoon Architecture with the structural design of the sculpture and, taking into account the architects' design intentions, developed sophisticated, invisible connection details that preserve the structural integrity of the sculpture under all load case combinations. In addition, knippershelbig also advised on the creation of the test program to determine the load-bearing capacities of the connection details and the test evaluation thereof and was intensively involved in developing a strategy for assembly as well as carried out checks on the construction site.

Volumetric finite element analysis to analyze the load path

Compression forces in the vault

The 32 massive granite blocks where sourced from US quarries and were robotically and manually machined with high precision to achieve the specified geometry with minimal tolerances. The vertical deadloads are transferred between the granite blocks via arching action and thus via contact pressure. Below the ground surface, a reinforced strip foundation prevents horizontal displacement of the granite blocks by connecting the horizontal force components and transfers the vertical loads onto micropiles.