The Salt Lake Temple has been closed for renovation since December 2019. The Church Office Building plaza closed for an upgrade in February 2021. The following is the latest in a series of regular updates about these projects.
The “jack and bore” process, a key component of the seismic renovation system of the Salt Lake Temple, continues to move forward. Pipes filled with reinforced steel, post-tensioning strands and high-strength concrete are placed under the existing foundation. These steel pipes are 3.5 to 4 feet in diameter. Soil is removed from inside the pipes as they are gradually inserted horizontally. Each pipe is 40 feet long, made from two 20-foot-long pieces welded together. So far, five of 92 such pipes have been installed and three have been filled with concrete.
Temple-Square-Renovation-October-2021
Excavation under the foundation of the Salt Lake Temple continues as part of the seismic strengthening process called jack and bore, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Deep excavation continues on the north side of the temple to prepare for three additional lower levels. These lower floors will include sealing rooms, two baptistries, administrative offices, changing rooms and a tunnel entrance to the temple from the Conference Center parking garage.
The excavation is nearly at the bottom level. The next steps will include pouring concrete slab as a working surface before formwork begins on the lowest floor of the temple addition.
All five rows of walers (horizontal bracing beams) in the large secant wall have now been installed to further reinforce the vertical steel and concrete columns that form the secant wall.
Temple Square Renovation October 2021
Horizontal bracing beams are installed to reinforce the vertical columns of the secant wall of the temple, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Temple Square Renovation October 2021
The north side of the Salt Lake Temple, with the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to the left, covered by scaffolding and surrounded by construction equipment as crews continue the renovation project started in 2019, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Finials and stones of various sizes continue to be removed from the towers and the upper north and south walls of the temple. Each stone is carefully cataloged and labeled before being taken to a storage place. Each stone will be reinstalled at the very same location it was originally placed. The picture below shows the original black markings used by the early Latter-day Saint builders to label each stone location.
Additional roof trusses have also been installed alongside the original trusses, which will remain in place. All new trusses will brace the upper north and south temple walls as part of the seismic improvements.
Temple Square Renovation October 2021
Finials and stones that must be removed from the towers as part of the renovation process are carefully catalogued and labeled and wait to be moved to safe storage, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Temple Square Renovation October 2021
Some pieces of original, pioneer-era stonework are removed and carefully catalogued and stored in order to be returned to their correct place at the end of the project, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Workers wear protective suits as they work on the stone removal.
Temple Square Renovation October 2021
Workers wear protective suits as they work on the stone removal and preservation, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Reconstruction work on the Church Office Building plaza is proceeding. New concrete has been laid and waterproofed. An elliptical concrete structure is being built to display flags in the plaza.
Temple-Square-Renovation-October-2021
View from the west side of the Church Office Building plaza where new concrete has been poured and waterproofed, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Temple-Square-Renovation-October-2021
View from the west side of the Church Office Building plaza where a new elliptical structure can be seen on the right where country flags will be displayed, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Temple Square Renovation October 2021
The makings of a new concrete elliptical structure on the southeast side of the Church Office Building plaza where country flags will be displayed, Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2021.© 2021 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.The last photo shows a view of the temple from the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. On the east side of the temple is a new utility bridge to provide additional power for the vertical drilling work. This drilling will run the length of the walls and towers from top to bottom to further reinforce the building's stonework.
