Lawrence Dwyer, PE provided geotechnical engineering services for the Pilgrim Monument Inclined Elevator featured in the September 2020 issue of ASCE’s Civil Engineering magazine. Located in Provincetown, MA the 18-passenger inclined elevator designed by Fenuccio & Raber Architects, consists of lower and upper platforms with an 80-foot vertical hill of loose sand between them. At the top of the hill sits a monument which is dedicated to the site where the pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact, the first governing document of their new colony. The monument which is nearly 253 feet tall is the highest free-standing granite tower in the United States to commemorate the pilgrim landing, and the inclined elevator improves access to the hill top site. Larry’s notable contribution includes a design change to the helical piles which extend the depth from 20’ to 45’ in the ground. This change ensures the elevator’s full uplift capacity and the safety of its passengers. Due to the location of the elevator at the tip of Cape Cod, it was paramount the design’s structural strength handle hurricane winds and flooding. The elevator will run during the summer and for limited hours during the off season. Learn more about this project.