The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.Â
The Salt Lake Temple renovation project reached a major milestone on May 3, 2023. The first base isolator was placed on the new footing on the west side of the temple. The new footings surround the towers on the east and west ends of the temple, extending down 35 feet and away from the original structure. This is the first of 98Â isolators.
Base isolators are mechanical devices that isolate the movement of the earth from the building above during a seismic event. A single base isolator weighs 18,000 pounds (8,165 kilograms) but can carry a weight of 8 million pounds (3.6 million kilograms). Installing isolators will allow the temple to move horizontally up to five feet in any direction during an earthquake.
Beginning June 1, a newly completed portion of the plaza south of the Church Office Building will be opened during regular Temple Square hours and accessible from the west side of State Street as well as from a walkway between the Church Administration Building and the Lion House.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.Â
