Laying the foundation for a medical center
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If you've been really sick in Magnolia, Ark., chances are you've been to Magnolia Hospital. This municipal facility has been a healthcare beacon for the city and surrounding community since 1939, when its doors first opened. So, in May 2007, when the city of Magnolia passed a sales tax to fund the construction of a $37 million replacement, it was big news around the small town in southwest Arkansas.
Before construction began in April 2008, the geotechnical engineer examined the site and found that the subsurface contained interbedded layers of dense sand and clayey silt. Groundwater was encountered in the borings at depths ranging from four to 13 feet. The Geopier Impact System was recommended, in part, to reinforce the heavy column loads and potential for excessive settlement within the marginal strength of the upper zone soils.
To support the new 96,000-sf, three-story hospital, 370 Rammed Aggregate Pier elements were installed at depths of 12 feet. According to Gary Strack, project manager with general contractor Nabolz Construction, the hospital was constructed much faster and the process went more smoothly by incorporating the Geopier Rammed Aggregate Pier elements.
Geopier Foundation Co.
Input No. 201 at BDCnetwork.com/quickResponse
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