Aerial view of Met 2 site during production ACIP pile installation (Courtesy of MDM Development Group) OPA Contender Features Innovative ACIP Pile Test The Metropolitan Miami development, a downtown mixed-use complex developed by Miami-based MDM Development Group, has weathered the economic downturn by adapting to the needs and pressures of the local market. The development (a.k.a. Met Miami) epitomizes the term “mixed-use urban development” with its combination of condominium ownership, rental apartments, hospitality, office and retail components within Miami’s urban core. Initially conceived and conceptualized in 2004, the development has gone through several concept changes. Today, the global USD $900 million development approaches completion. The foundation evaluation, design and construction for this development included the use of innovative and state-of-the-art augered-cast-in-place (ACIP) piles. The testing for these elements AUTHORS: Carlos Ortiz, P.E., Senior Project Manager, Matthew E. Meyer, P.E., Senior Associate Langan Engineering & Environmental Services Andres M. Baquerizo, P.E. VP and Director of Engineering, HJ Foundation 8 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2012 included (1) the first-ever, multi-level O-cell load test of an ACIP pile, (2) a world record 5,200 ton (46,261.5 kN) equivalent top load test of an ACIP pile, and (3) continued the advancement of the ACIP pile industry to include the deepest and largest diameter pile installation to date. Those dimensions were up to 36 in (914 mm) in diameter, and 120 ft (36.6 m) deep. The project showed ACIP piles were a proven alternative for structures exceeding 70 stories in South Florida. The development includes four parcels. Met 1 and Met 2 are completed, and the construction of the Met 3 development is just beginning, with completion expected in 2014. Once the Met 3 development is completed, the design and construction phases of the project will have spanned a decade. The Met Square portion of the development, which will be a retail and cinema component, is proposed for the parcel between Met 1 and Met 2. The project site of approximately 6 acres (2.4 hectares) comprises three city blocks, an elevated mass-transit rail system and the surrounding city streets. Met 1, constructed first, consists of a 41-story condominium tower that includes 11 levels of parking and a ground floor retail area. Met 2 includes a 47-story office tower, a 44-story hotel tower, and a 19-story podium with a central, long-span ballroom and numerous parking levels. Met 3,
