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Campus Review
July 7, 2014
Page 24
Update on Construction of the New Science Building
The month of May brought McCarthy
Building Companies, Inc., to the comple-
tion of the settlement of the building pad,
by means of utilizing previously installed
“wick drains” to help allow water to be
“wicked” out of the ground up to 30 feet
below the building’s foundations.
Approximately 1300 wick drains were
originally installed, allowing for a faster
settlement of the building than a normal
surcharged load of soil theoretically
would have provided.
Soil settlement monitoring was completed
in order to allow for analysis by the soils
engineer to help make sure that there was
not going to be a large differential in the
soil settlement in different areas of the
building foundation. Once settlement had
slowed to within the soils engineer’s
desired range, it allowed for a portion of
the building’s soil surcharge to be
removed in support of new construction.
Also in May, the area that will become the
basement and loading dock was excavated
to its full extent. After the basement area
had been cleared, aggregate piers were
installed.
After completion of the aggregate piers,
McCarthy proceeded with the concrete
foundations. Additional excavation
occurred in the basement area and contin-
ued on up the east and west sides of the
building, starting from the south and
heading north. These excavations allowed
for rebar and concrete footings to be
installed. Each footing cast will end up
getting a wall or column installed on top
of it.
Early June saw the pouring of multiple
sections of the basement retaining wall as
well installed the casing for what will
house the elevator’s hydraulic jack. June
also saw the continuation of the comple-
tion of the basement walls and putting up
the shorter walls on the sides of the build-
ing foundation.