Buncombe County Courthouse Expansion: Life Safety Tower Addition

Buncombe County Courthouse Expansion: Life Safety Tower Addition

Asheville, NC

KEG provided geotechnical exploration and engineering services for this project in spring 2010 and provided geotechnical consulting and special inspection services during deep foundation construction in spring 2011.

Geotechnical services included performing six soil test borings totaling over 370 linear feet of drilling to determine subsurface conditions in the area. Data gathered during our field exploration was utilized to develop foundation recommendations that included supporting the proposed building addition on drilled concrete piers (caissons) due to the existing subsurface conditions and potential impact of foundation construction on the adjacent courthouse structure. The alternative of using auger cast piles to support the proposed construction was also provided.

Special inspection services for deep foundations included foundation field verification of drilled pier dimensions, subsurface conditions, and estimated capacities, as well as reinforcing bar inspections and concrete testing. As required by the client, this project took place at night to minimize noise disturbance to the existing courthouse during daytime work hours. KEG provided a project engineer and field technicians to perform special inspections for continuous night shifts for the 6-week construction of 58 drilled piers. Combining our geotechnical experience with our local expertise of soil conditions, these services provided an estimated cost-savings of over $100,000 to the owner during deep foundation construction.