This project was recently featured in Helical Pile World's industry newsletter and website!
STEP 2 recovery center is a private non-profit organization that has been serving Northern Nevada since 1986 and was looking to add 12,000 square feet to their current site. However, the soils in the area were not conducive for conventional foundation construction.
A deep foundation system was decided to be the best course of action, but due to the soil properties and its inconsistent nature, no one foundation system type could be utilized. VersaGrade was contacted early in the design process to help determine the best and most economical approach for this problem site. It was determined that a mix of deep foundation types that included Ram Jack Helical Piles and Contech Micro Piles would be necessary to overcome these problem soils. Read more about VersaGrade's process in the foundation expansion of STEP 2.
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Installing Foundation Systems on the Playa
Every year on the Black Rock Desert, 60,000 people have one heck of a party! A lot of planning goes into an event that size, and for the last few years, VersaGrade has been consulted and installed temporary foundation systems for the art installations on the Playa. Large structures with no protection from the high winds are erected each year and are safely held to the ground with our anchoring systems (Before being burned to the ground!). We have developed an anchor testing program specifically for the work we complete on the Playa.
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El Dorado Beach Improvement
Helical Pile Beach Improvement
This $4.8 Million LEED Project included site rehabilitation and improvements of the existing city park along the south shore of Lake Tahoe. Helical piles were installed for the foundation system and lateral bracing. Design loads ranged from 26 Kips up to 102 Kips, and were accommodated by the use of a combination of 3-1/2” and 5-1/2” pile shaft diameters. Project requirements included high standards for materials and building systems to promote sustainable building practices. The project is a showcase of collaboration, innovation, and sustainable building practices that will significantly improve erosion control and lake clarity.
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Reno Contractors Install Piles for Bikeway
The Stateline Boardwalk Project was a small part of a larger 30+ mile long Nevada Stateline-to-Stateline Bikeway Project along the East shore of Lake Tahoe. The intent of the project is to create a shared-use path that meets American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards to serve a broad spectrum of users. Since the area the boardwalk spanned was environmentally sensitive, the project prohibited the use of mechanized equipment with tracks or tires. VersaGrade devised and implemented means to install and test the piles by hand without equipment support. A total of 148 Piles and braces were installed, using handheld equipment, on this project by our Reno contractors.
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New Construction Micropile Installation
Truckee Meadows Water Authority planned an addition to their Glendale Plant Office. A standard foundation was not accepted as an estimated 12'-16' of uncontrolled fill consisting of cobbles and boulders was present. VersaGrade installed new construction micropiles through the fill layer into competent native material, improving the bearing capacity of the soils during installation. A high water table was present during installation that required a thickening of the micropile grout column for proper installation.
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IBO Soil Nail and Shotcrete Slope Stabilization
During construction of The Chateau in South Lake Tahoe, construction limits encroached on the neighboring properties. The first phase of this project included nearly 28,000 sf of retail space and 129 parking spaces. To avoid encroachment into U.S. Hwy 50 and adjacent property lines, nearly vertical excavations were required to permit construction of the underground portions of the project. To support the required excavations, VersaGrade was contracted to engineer and install a soil nail and reinforced shotcrete armor system.
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Micropile underpinning in difficult soil conditions
A 1930's aerial photograph showed a large drainage ditch that appeared to have run under the corner of a structure that was built much later. Improper filling and compaction of this ditch was speculated to be the cause of a large amount of settlement under that portion of the building. Excavations revealed large boulder fill and VersaGrade chose micropiles as the most cost effective solution. The structure was underpinned and raised in excess of 6" to relieve the distress & re-level the foundation.
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Basement Wall Repair Using Helical Anchors
A failing drain system, and the additional surcharge created by the installation of a spa, caused the failure of this basement wall. Rather than destroy the backyard to install a repair, VersaGrade completed all work from the interior of the basement. A Tie Back and Waler system was installed along with epoxy carbon fiber straps and Kevlar® joist ties to stabilize the wall and secure it from further movement.
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Spring thaw on the West bank of Lake Tahoe brought runoff waters that threatened to erode the banks of Blackwood Creek and take a residential structure with it. VersaGrade installed the environmentally sensitive anchors that now hold the natural bank protection in place, saving the structure and protecting the clarity of Lake Tahoe.
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Utility Shoring Using Micropiles
Several underground storage tanks were marked for removal at the Veterans Hospital in downtown Reno. Backfilled in pea gravel, these tanks were directly adjacent a concrete raceway containing electrical and communication lines that were essential to the hospital operations. The entire raceway itself was supported using Micropiles with special brackets designed by VersaGrade. As the tanks were removed, the pea gravel backfill unraveled from under the raceway as expected, but the raceway remained in place without issue.
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