Introduction
In 1977, four Stanford marine biologists proposed the idea of building a state-of-the-art aquarium on Monterey Bay, the largest protected marine region in the Northern Hemisphere. Featuring one of the most diverse collections of marine species in the world, the aquarium promised to ignite the interest of the public and inspire the next generation of conservationists. With over 100 galleries and exhibits, the now world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium has more than lived up to the expectations of its creators.

The aquarium has drawn over 42 million visitors since it opened in 1984. The main building is located on the site of the former Hovden Cannery on Monterey's historic Cannery Row. Bay Area architects, EHDD, designed the aquarium to blend with the industrial landscape.

In the early ’90s, the aquarium embarked on the second phase of construction. The addition of the Outer Bay Waters Wing more than doubled the size of the building and involved the construction of a one-million-gallon seawater tank featuring the largest acrylic window in the world at the time. Rutherford & Chekene provided structural, civil, geotechnical and life support engineering services for the first and second phase of construction, as well as for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in nearby Moss Landing.

History
The mission of the marine biologists who conceived the Monterey Bay Aquarium was to create a non-profit institution to educate the public about the importance of preserving the oceans. This would never have been possible without a $55 million grant and the ongoing support of Bay Area philanthropists David and Lucile Packard. MBARI, the research arm of the aquarium, has likewise been funded in large part through the generosity of the Packard Foundation.

Design Challenges
The major challenge in constructing the Monterey Bay Aquarium was the site on which it is located. In order to showcase the bay, a portion of the aquarium was built on a raised platform extending over a tidal zone. Due to restrictions placed on dropping structural supports in the tide pools, no shear walls could be used to support the platform. R&C’s team developed a lateral bracing system that relied on fortified columns jutting out of the seawall. To protect the concrete columns from saltwater corrosion, the design team developed a new preservation technique, involving the use of epoxy-coated rebar and a special dense concrete mix. This was the first use of fly-ash, now a common technique in sustainable design. Further challenges involved seismically bracing the two 350,000-gallon reinforced concrete tanks installed on the decks.

The Team
Structural, Civil & Geotechnical Engineering: Rutherford & Chekene
Architect: Esherick, Homsey, Dodge & Davis (EHDD)
Contractor: Rudolph & Sletten
Owner/Client: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Awards & Citations
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has earned numerous awards over the years, including a National Honor Award from the American Institute Architects; an Award of Merit from the American Concrete Institute; and an award of Excellence in Engineering from the Consulting Engineers Association of California. To learn more about the Monterey Bay Aquarium and MBARI, please visit www.mbayaq.org and www.mbari.org.

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