The new Fireboat Station No. 35 floats atop a steel barge in San Francisco Bay. Pinned to four guide piles, the two-story, 14,800 SF structure is designed to rise and fall with the natural tide and adapt to the projected 100-year sea level rise. Fabricated in China, the steel barge was transported by cargo ship to San Francisco’s Treasure Island where the fireboat was built on top. Once complete, the entire structure was floated three miles across the Bay to its final location at San Francisco’s Pier 22.

Working on behalf of the City, OCMI collaborated closely with the project’s design engineer to develop the baseline schedule and perform monthly schedule reviews and updates, time impact analysis, and delay fragnet evaluation. OCMI was instrumental in planning for permitting and approvals by nine local, state, and federal agencies to allow construction to progress on time. We also diligently planned for the coordination, partnership, and hand-off between dozens of specialty designers, trades, public stakeholders, and building users.

Scheduling the final transport and installation of the barge was no easy task. The team carefully considered the exact date and time to avoid any risks posed by tides, currents, boat traffic, or whale encounters. The barge was moved overnight, guided by tugboats, without incident.

Photography courtesy of San Francisco Department of Public Works