Designed in 1959 and built between 1960-1962 by Hawaii-Austrian architect Alfred Preis, collaborators Johnson & Perkins and engineered by Alfred Yee, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is the culminating effort of Alfred Preis advocating for a contemplative memorial to honor the fallen of World War II and the victims of the attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Spanning the sunken hulk of the USS Arizona, the 187 feet long memorial vaguely resembles a catenary shape with each seven openings to the top and sides and viewing opening to the battleship and grave of 1,077 sailors below.

The memorial included a spanning platform consistent of 4 posttensioned precast concrete girders each side resting on a battery of 36 80-foot-long precast concrete piles, driven into the harbor sand. The girders were connected onsite and completed with a deck made from 18 precast concrete slabs and beams as well as cast in place custom slabs and a precast concrete access staircase.

The USS Arizona Memorial is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, and it is the only US landmark that is seabound. The structure has withstood the extremely challenging conditions of the Pacific Ocean air, weather, and delicate situation of a sunken, decaying battleship. Through its design, it is an excellent showcase of the versatility, longevity, and necessity of precast concrete in construction and serves as a valid and vital educational tool for precast concrete applications.

PCI-Certified Precast Concrete Producer:

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and IMF of the Naval Sea System Command, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Navy Public Works Center, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Architect:

Johnson & Perkins and Alfred Preis Assoc., Honolulu, Hawaii

Engineer of Record:

Alfred Yee & Assoc., Honolulu, Hawaii

Owner:

National Park Service Pearl Harbor, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Contractor:

Walker Moody Cosntrcution Ltd. & Navy Public Works Center, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Key Project Attributes

• The structure has withstood the extremely challenging conditions of the Pacific Ocean air, weather, and delicate situation of a sunken, decaying battleship.
• Built between 1960-1962, this memorial is to honor the fallen of World War II and the victims of the attach at Pearl Harbor.

Project/Precast Scope

• 187-foot-long memorial
• 36 80-foot-long precast concrete piles
• 18 precast concrete slabs