Northside Hospital Cherokee Parking Deck
United Consulting performed a geotechnical exploration of an undeveloped parcel on the northeast side of Northside Hospital Canton’s property as part of preliminary planning for a new seven-level parking deck and central energy plant. The Project Site had approximately 90 feet of elevation change and despite the absence of a completed topographic survey at the start of geotechnical exploration, our team successfully navigated the challenging terrain.
At the time of United Consulting’s preliminary geotechnical exploration, the project was in the early design stage, so boring locations were placed in a grid pattern across the site, as well as in areas of interest to the design team. Our geotechnical engineers drilled 21 standard penetration test (SPT) borings to assess the subsurface soil conditions and provide grading and foundation recommendations. In addition, we drilled 14 5-foot-long rock cores at select locations to evaluate the quality and continuity of the rock below the auger refusal elevations. Select rock core samples were subjected to unconfined compression testing in United Consulting’s lab to better understand the rock’s compressive strength. Determining the depth and quality of the rock was a key component of information gathering during the geotechnical exploration, as these factors directly influence foundation recommendations. Lastly, our team performed infiltration testing to meet stormwater runoff reduction requirements and improve stormwater discharge quality.
As the project progressed, Northside Hospital requested that our team conduct L-Pile analysis for drilled pier foundations, following recommendations from the preliminary geotechnical report. After completing the calculations, the client informed us that their foundation contractor proposed an alternative approach for supporting the new parking deck, which involved a hybrid foundation system.
Our experts collaborated with the client, design, and construction teams to evaluate the contractor’s suggested value-engineered foundation solution. After assessing subsurface conditions, we provided geotechnical recommendations for a combination of Auger Pressure Grouted (APG) piles and conventional shallow foundations supported by partially weathered rock or competent rock. This value-engineered foundation system resulted in significant cost savings for the client.
