Burying Fort Pitt
Crews working for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are burying the Fort Pitt Music Bastion — also known as the “trench” that bisects the city side of Point State Park — to create a flat festival and concert grounds. Here is how the burial will be done:
Earthen wall
On the earthen part of the fort, a half-inch-thick felt-like black fabric, called geotextile, will be laid against the wall. This will locate the fort if people wish to dig it up in the future. The earthen part of the trench will then be filled with construction debris from the Point State Park renovations, including asphalt, concrete and soil. Construction debris Geotextile blanket Trench wall Dimensions Trench is 12 feet deep and 500 feet long Crosssection of filled trench
y River Alleghen
Monongahela River
Ft. Duquesne
Monongahela Bastion Flag Bastion Fort Pitt Ohio Bastion
Grenadier Bastion
Music Bastion
Detail area below Detail area below
12 feet
Music Bastion
Filled trench
Original and restored brick-and-stone wall
The geotextile blanket will also be laid against the wall containing original and restored, 1960s-era Fort Pitt bricks and stone. Then, a 1-foot thick layer of sand and gravel will be laid against the blanket, followed by another blanket. Crushed construction debris will then be placed into the trench in 8-inch layers. Officials believe this will cushion the delicate bricks and indicate the location of the fort. Crushed construction debris
Detail at left
Original and restored brickand-stone wall
Earthen wall
First geotextile blanket Trench wall Ground 1 foot of sand and gravel
Second geotextile blanket
Crosssection of filled trench
12 feet
Crushed construction debris in 8 inch increments
Trench wall
Sand and gravel
Original and restored brick-and-stone wall
CAROLINE M. HIRT/TRIBUNE-REVIEW
SOURCE: PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES