Straight Line Construction's Collaborative Foundation Repair at Cherry Knolls Shopping Center Cherry Knolls Shopping Center, a prominent retail destination, underwent a major renovation to accommodate new vendors. During the renovation, it was discovered that a former dry cleaning resident had been dumping hazardous chemicals down a drain, contaminating the soil around an interior shared wall. To address this issue, Straight Line Construction, known for their expertise in foundation repair, and Fortified Engineering Solutions were brought in by the shopping center's management. Sundance Environmental Consultants, Inc. provided environmental assessment support.
Fortified Engineering Solutions designed a repair plan that involved using (21) Ram Jack driven piers, spaced 5' apart and alternating on either side of the wall. Each pier included an external sleeve to increase lateral stiffness and allow for soil removal. After removing the contaminated soil, the foundation was extended using concrete flow-fill, encasing the pier shafts. Clean fill soil was then imported and compacted.The project faced challenges due to the indoor work area, contaminated soil and neighboring restaurant. Straight Line's experienced team quickly adapted to the situation. Air handlers were provided by the general contractor along with monitoring equipment. If the off gassing of the soil reached hazardous levels, work was paused to allow the air handlers to exchange the toxic air. The hydraulic power pack used to power the drive cylinders was located outside the building and hoses ran to each pier protecting the work area from exhaust fumes. Noise was kept to a minimum during lunch hours by starting early and pausing certain power tools later in the day. Straight Line Construction successfully completed the installation of the 21 driven piers with depths ranging from 42' to 49'.
Through innovative problem-solving and proactive measures, Straight Line Construction and Fortified Engineering Solutions implemented an economical and environmentally friendly solution. This prevented the need to demolish the structure and dispose of it in a landfill. The project's successful completion allowed for the remediation of the contaminated soil, while minimizing construction costs.
