Walmart Store #3701
Mount Olive, NC
Description
A 156,000 sf Walmart Supercenter built on a 22-acre site.
Challenge
The project site was located in the Coastal Plain Physiographic Province with near-surface soils of silty-clayey soils overlying loose silty sands. Geotechnical investigations indicated that liquefiable soils were present between 15 and 25 ft below ground surface.
Solution
Due to high groundwater tables and caving soils, Impact Pier elements were installed without augering or casing using a filled open mandrel pipe. Once at design depth, the mandrel pipe was filled with grout and stone, raised three to four ft then lowered using vibration and downward hydraulic force. The open-graded stone was compacted using a beveled mandrel head to a height of one ft resulting in a 15 to 18-inch diameter Impact Pier. A total of 3018 Impact Pier elements were installed in approximately seven weeks for foundation support.
Owner
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
General Contractor
Helm Builders, LLC
Architect
Douglas J. Heinrichs
Structural Engineer
BSW International
Geotechnical Engineer
S&ME, Inc
Product