Fighting In The Streets

THE LARGEST URBAN CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN HISTORY THE AFTERMATH OF THE CONFLICT WITH IRAQ Eye in the sky Preparation I Because urban Strategists use intelligence to identity areas of interest, optimal corridors for movement and to assess potential threats. Satellites play a vital role in ground operations, transmitting reconnaissance photos and routing some voice communications and data transfers. combat zones are War's environmental scars so complex and dynamic, excellent 1630 1880 1995 Soldiers are briefed on objectives before In spite of its size, the Big Dig pales in comparison with the building of Boston In 1630, the city was 30 percent of what it is today S Boston The early laws were an incentive for landowners to "whart out" the shoreline. In The land-making continued in the 20th century with massive projects, including the creation of the peninsula that holds Logan Airport. criticalce is Back Noddles Island each mission. Boston cientists and relief agency officials have already started to assess the scope of the damage done to Boston S iraq's environment and people during the war. With the lights still out in large sections of Baghdad, the and the civilian intrastructure badly damaged, the recovery effort has just begun. rban environments complicate military operations, posing U specific challenges in communications, transportation and isolating the enemy from noncombatants. Tall buildings and underground tunnels stretch the dimensions of the combat zone and shorten the range of engagement. The heightened level of unpredictability makes military commanders especially wary of bringing a battle to a city. * Disruption of A power, water and sanitation Damage to electrical systems has caused widespread power outages in Baghdad and other cities. Outages increase the likelihood of Boston the 19th century, several large municipal projects were carried out to expand the city Soth Bostor South Boston South Boston * Air pollution from oil-well and oil-trench fires Ol fires raged in the opening days of the war in southern Iraq, causing local and regional air pollution. Dense black smoke over Baghdad from burning oil-filled trenches contained chemicals and particulate threatening the health of the city's population. AWildlife Animals may die after eating ol-tainted vegetation or drinking contaminated water. Buried under Boston Fighting Once the operation command control must react to a constant flow of status reports from the field. A city's terrain can of civilians. change quickly during a battle, with streets becoming impassable because of rubble or large crowds * Unexploded ordnance and land mines diseases and other health In the desert, windblown sand may cover here is light at the end of the tunnel. The Big Dig, the nation's largest public works project, is nearing completion next month with the opening of the southbound Interstate 93. Cosmetic work remains with greenways planned billion project is Boston's answer to its traffic problems. Twenty years in the making, the work is comprised of 161 miles of traffic lanes in tunnels, bridges and roads cutting through the heart of Boston. threats by affecting water and sanitation systems. unexploded bombs and mines. They will be concentrated around heavily targeted areas, such as Basra and Baghdad, where civilians or animals could inadvertently set them off. for 2005. The $14.6 in the • Risk Aspects of an urban area • Intelligence and surveillance A Movement Navigating a maze of unfamiliar streets and buildings streets Knowing the battlefield and the enemy I Communications Coordination amid chaos that present special dangers O A landmark bridge The Leonard Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge will be the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world and the first hybrid design in the United States, using both steel in the main span and concrete in the back spans. A* Livestock and crops Lack of water and the interruption of needed farming supplies, such as animal feed or tools, could damage crop production. Weapons Helicopters .. Used mainly for troop moveme Vulnerable to A Sweeping buildings Rooftop entry allows any enemy personnel inside to be flushed out to the street, where they are vulnerable, rather than face a desperate standoft.Also, ground entrances are likely locations for booby traps. Tall objects on the ground, surveillance and such as towers or telephone contamination Munitions containing depleted uranium used by coalition forces could pose health risks to the civilian population if leftover n complicate Gound- breaker fire polls. , can e low- rocket-propelled grenades. altitude flying and landing. Target restrictions Targeting is complicated by the proximity of restricted buildings, such as schools and places of worship. Two extra lanes il There have been bigger engineering projects completed in the world, but none this big has ever been * O Destruction of military and industrial infrastructure Damaged military hardware and factories have released heavy metals and other dangerous substances into the air, ground and water that hang off the east side of the bridge. "High" priority fragments of the heavy metal are inhaled, ingested or come into contact with the skin. building tan s can The 10-lane roadway is 1,457 feet long. Tank-infantry AI coordination Because tank crews have a limited field of be useful for surveillance Qurposes and planting radio transmitters for wireless Steel cables are attached to two hollow concreta towers, each 270 feet high. constructed Charles River Vision, soldiers on foot act as eyes and ears, directing movement and through a major city. The Big Dig has broken could poison aquifers. communi cations. 2 Underground downtown records. assigning Forces must rely on nonverbal signals if radio communicationi hindered by intense noise or other factors. Four to six lanes of highway were excavated and a tunnel built beneath a subway and a transitway. The Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street site is the deepest point of the underground highway. Buildings Pose several problems. They offer Concrete footings rest on piles that reach down 100 feet 大 below the river floor. Dirt Siteen million cubic yards of dirt were moved for the * Medical facilities A Hospitals depend on electricity and clean water for washing and drinking Interruptions in the delivery of supplies have affected the availability of some medicines. Some vaccines could be lost it they are not kept refrigerated. Waste management and disease Human remains, medical waste, garbage and other hazardous materials not properly disposed of could cause outbreaks of disease Vermin, insects and dogs could exacerbate the New transitway tunnel South Boston Summer Street Atlantic Avenue snipers concealed points from which to shoot. There is also a danger of falling debris or collapse. CHARLESTOWN Charles River Bridge Tanks and armored vehicles A Stay close to one side of the street when possible, providing cover for the opposite Rear tanks A Fill in to secure advancing positions. Increased distance from targets allows them to shoot higher than forward. armor, since tanks main guns have a limited trajectory. Big Dig. enough to fill 15 football 1-90 I-93 EAST BOSTON stadiums; 541,000 truckloads of dirt have been Areas of dense New Central Artery O Destruction of ecosystems Military vehicles and troops may have caused damage to the desert ecosystems that could take LOGAN AIRPORT threat. Pathogenic microbes in water supplies could cause development can interfere with radio communi- cations. 120 feet carried to landfils - the rest was Boston Harbor DOWNTOWN disease. South Station Ted Williams Tunnel carried by barge. X MIlitary leftovers Unspent ammunition, barbed wire, trenches, sandbags and litter may have been let behind by soldiers in abandoned military camps. Smaller A armored vehicles Provide support on streets too narrow or too littered with rubble for tanks to pass. Tank decades to recover. positions A Red line SOUTH END Fort Point Channel Tunnel Can be taken inside transitway lobby Underground tunnels A. Offer concealed avenues for troop movement. Infrastructure for utilities such as water and electricity often is located underground. buildings to provide fire support from a protected location. Tanks can also create smoke screens to conceal troop YWater contamination A Broken water mains and pipes could lead to the contamination of drinking water. Spare parts such as replacement pumps and fiters are not readily available. Y Human International sanctions prevented "dual use" items from entering the Wildlife Natural Red Line subway Bedrock SOUTH BOSTON country A consequences consequences consequences New I-93 tunnel northbound artery Fresh air The ventilation SOURCES "Hidden Casuabes: Environmental, Health and Political Consequences of the Persian Gult War: "Environmental Ecology The Ecological Efects of N. Rapp; R. Morris AP Polution, Disturbance, and Other Stresses"; World Health Organization; Ceriter For Economic and Social Rights, UN. Environment Program; Associated Press movements. 3 Connecting airport and city O Pushing a tunnel below ground system for the tunnels is the Opened in 1995 the Ted Williams Tunnel was the first part of the Big Dig to be completed. To ensure tunnel construction did not interrupt rail service, tunnel sections largest in the weighing thousands of tons each were cast in pits nearby and then pushed world. At full capacity, the system can clear exhaust and feed fresh air through 131 miles of lanes in less than a minute. Going inside Surprise Buildings are cleared from the top down, entry when possible. If forces do enter at ground level, they might demolish a wall, rather than using a door or window. into place. Greased steel cables around the concorete boxes facilitate the move. O The soil is hauled out by a crane The tunnel is made up of 12 steel tubes, ined with steel reinforced concrete Train tracks Corces only enter buildings when absolutely necessary because of the danger it entails. An analysis should be done prior to entry, using whatever information available. A building's material is relevant because its structural integrity can be compromised by the rigors of war. Floor plans with mobility corridors are valuable, but often unavailable. Marking territory Rooms and buildings are marked with tape, spray paint or chalk as they are cleared Ventilation . Markings point out safe entry points, dangerous areas or signal that a medic is needed within. Casting basin system 325 feet coating. Concealed risk The threat of enemy fire penetrating walls, floors and ceilings heightens risk. At ull capacity. the four-lane tunnel can carry 95,000 vehicles per day. Monitoring SOURCES: U.S. Army: "Street Smart: Inteligence Preparation of the Battiefield for Urban Operations" by Jamison Jo Medby and Russell W. Glenn O Once the sol is removed, N. Rapp, P. SansiVAF traffic The Central Artery, tunnels, and turnpike 40 QA low profile hydraulic jacks push O Road headers dig out the soil - which has to be frozen in advance, to make excavation possible. loader takes the soil to the end the empty space of the jacking pit The landfill and the tunnel boxes into dlay of the harbor bed is too soft to be tunneled. will be monitored 24- hours-a-day by more than 400 video cameras, 130 electronic The prefabricated tunnel sections were lowered into place from a barge. message signs, 30 intrared height detectors and mergency response SIX Ted Williams Tunnel stations. Granite boulders are placed over the top for protection 50-foot-deep, 100-foot wide, 3/4-mile-long trench 6 Burying Interstate 93 O Trenches 3-feet-wide by 10-feet-long are dug beneath and alongside the existing 1-93 artery. Engineers were faced with the problem of constructing a highway through Boston without interrupting traffic and dodging building foundations and subway lines. The elevated highway will be replaced by about 30 acres of open space and park A dense mixture of clay and water is pumped in to prevent the trenches from Once the subterranean roadwork is collapsing Steel beams are lowered into the trenches and the slurry mixture is replaced with concrete. finished and the lanes are open to traffic, the old elevated Struts between Othe walls support O Excavation a deck for the above- and tunnel ground traffic. construction begins. highway will be closed. an American City by Peter Vanderwarker, "The Big Dig" by Dan McNichol: Associated Press SOURCES: Massachusetts Turnpike Authority: "Great Projects" by James Tobin: The Big Dig. Reshaping François Duckett and Nicolas Rapp IAF