The Restoration of Boston's Historic Landmark

The restoration of historic masonry structures that preserve our culture and national treasures is a specialized market for Folan. For some time, the Hatch Memorial Shell, a historic domed landmark located on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, had been plagued with water seeping in the dome, which began to cause damage in the structure’s interior. In order to protect it both aesthetically and structurally, Folan was awarded the project to install a new precast outer shell and roofing system.After demolition of the old outer shell material and the neoprene membrane, the concrete substrate was patched and cleaned, ready to accept the new waterproofing system. Two laser scans of the dome were conducted to pinpoint imperfections and determine the elevation of the various shaped panels. Ground penetrating radar was utilized to locate existing reinforcement, so that the new anchors being drilled would not impact the embedded reinforcement in the cast in place concrete structure.

In order to maintain a safe and comfortable work platform, it was necessary to significantly extend the engineered pipe scaffolding inward throughout the perimeter of the structure to compensate for the circular contour of the dome.Despite significant complexity, and various unforeseen conditions, the project was completed on schedule and in time for the Boston Pops’ Fourth of July celebration. DCR Commissioner Leo Roy visited the project upon completion.