Tower of Voices at Flight 93 National Memorial

JMT provided construction management services on the Tower of Voices project at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, on behalf of the National Park Service.

The purpose of this project was to complete the last major phase of work in the development of the Flight 93 National Memorial – the Tower of Voices – a 93-feet-tall musical instrument holding 40 wind chimes, representing the 40 passengers and crew members of the fatal crash of Flight 93 on 9/11. It is intended to be a landmark memorial feature near the entrance to the park and a living memorial in sound to remember the individuals through their ongoing voices. The tower is surrounded by a decorative stone plaza and seating areas, and the entire structure is supported by 25 micro-piles driven 80 feet to bedrock. Other features include a paved walkway and trail from the parking area that winds through the pine trees to the raised stone plaza and seating areas.

This one-of-a-kind project included multiple challenges. All construction projects at this site were built on a reclaimed coal mining site where soil conditions were suspect to creating differential settlement. Pad elevations were monitored during loading conditions. JMT was instrumental in advancing the micro-pile operations early, enabling the precast operation to begin earlier and stay ahead of schedule.