Union Depot: Assessment of Historic Concrete and Timber Pile Structures

Rehabilitation of the historic Union Depot railroad terminal in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA hinged on whether the 90-year-old structure, which exhibited widespread and locally severe deterioration, had sufficient remaining capacity or could be effectively and practically repaired to support the anticipated loads of the rehabilitated facility. The unique approach used to assess the concrete superstructure and timber pile foundations of this very large facility, which relied on comprehensive field inspections followed by targeted testing and structural analysis, allowed most of the original structure to be salvaged and effectively repaired for the desired service life of 50 years.