Urbahn is responsible for the architectural design of flood mitigation and resiliency measures at 8 subway stations in Manhattan, Bronx, Queens and Rosevelt Island.
In the aftermath of Storm Sandy it became imperative that the MTA provide significant measures to prepare for future superstorms to prevent loss of life/injury, reduce operational disruption, and minimize future costs. This federally funded program addresses flood mitigation and resiliency at stations, tunnel portals, fan plants and a range of other critical assets.
The scope of work at each facility varies depending on local conditions and elevation relative to the flood zone. In general the scopes include preventing water intrusion at station building/stair/elevator entrances, ventilators, emergency exit hatches, conduits entering at services entrances, and miscellaneous openings. At subterranean station levels the scopes involve relocation of critical mechanical, electrical and signals equipment, as well as provision of watertight doors to equipment/utility spaces. Measures to prevent water intrusion include both proven and emerging technologies, such as modular barriers, retractable barriers, and resilient fabric curtains.