Chinatown TOD Senior Housing Project

The City of Oakland has a project aimed at providing 97 new affordable homes for low-income seniors in the vibrant Chinatown area, adjacent to Lake Merritt, known as the Chinatown TOD Senior Housing project. Located directly above the Lake Merritt BART station, the Chinatown TOD Senior Housing project offers unparalleled transit access for residents, allowing them to easily navigate the city and access essential services and amenities.

One of the key challenges associated with this site was the potential surcharge a new public park would impose on the existing underground BART station. To effectively mitigate this concern, Lightweight Cellular Concrete (LCC) was selected as a lightweight fill material. This innovative choice not only reduces the overall load but also addresses the unique requirements of the site.

The project involves several intricate challenges, particularly in placing material with a compressive strength of 500 PSI and a max density of 58 PCF while managing a peak height-of-heat (HOH) of only 130 degrees. Careful monitoring of heat transfer to the top lid of the underground station is crucial to ensure the integrity of the waterproof membrane. In some areas, LCC was placed to a depth of 90 inches, successfully achieving the maximum threshold of 130 degrees.

LCC is one of the few fully customizable lightweight fill options call us to learn more about this project or to help you on your next project.