DESCRIPTION

Construction of a 163,000 sf manufacturing plant that attaches to the distribution facility via a conveyor bridge built over a busy county road in upstate New York.

CHALLENGE

A portion of the site was previously occupied by a waste treatment lagoon, approximately 10 to 15 ft deep, which was filled in to make way for the new building. In some locations, borings showed loose silty sand to a depth of 20 ft below the existing ground surface while other areas revealed pockets of dense granular soil. Column loads range from 370 to more than 1,100 kips. This job was originally designed with 300 kip helical anchors and pile caps.

SOLUTION

Helical anchors did not achieve required capacity during the load testing so GeoStructures came in at the last minute and provided a fast-track solution. A Geopier Impact® system was selected that facilitated a fast-track schedule and provided substantial savings through the elimination of pile-supported foundations and slabs. Working around the clock, 580 Impact® elements were installed in 11 days at depths ranging from 10 to 29 feet. The specially-designed Impact Pier mandrel and high energy hammer were crucial in penetrating both the loose soils and dense pockets without predrilling, thus keeping all the spoils on-site. The installation crew worked in close proximity to the existing buildings with no adverse impact on adjacent foundations or plant operations.