Philadelphia | Washington, D.C. – Keast & Hood Co., in collaboration with Mills & Schnoering Architects, LLC, is the structural engineer-of-record for the year-long $27.25 million renovation of the Statue of Liberty. Work began on October 29th of this year, the day after the 125th anniversary of the statue’s dedication in 1886.

Though the statue itself is not directly affected, the work includes the gutting and reconstruction of the interior of the monument’s 10-story pedestal. The result will be a transformed interior with two new enclosed, fire-rated stairs, an elevator shaft, and new mechanical systems to enhance comfort, life-safety, and accessibility for the thousands of visitors who enter the monument each year.

“We are proud to be part of the team entrusted with this complex and technically demanding undertaking,” said Keast & Hood Co. principal-in-charge, Thomas J. Normile, PE, while noting that the task of weaving structural systems to support the work through the tight space littered with obstacles, including the statue’s wind-stabilization girders, was “not for the faint of heart.”

Normile added that the firm’s direct client, Mills & Schnoering, was an “amazing partner” in solving the intricate design challenges posed by the project.

Keast & Hood Co. has been part of the multi-disciplined team charged with raising the life-safety standards within the Statue of Liberty since 2009. Work evolved from minor improvements that enabled the reopening of the crown to visitors on July 4th of that year to the present reconstruction of the pedestal interior. The pedestal work was designed and documented completely in Revit.