Precision beside
an active taxiway.
Foundation stabilization and lifting at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.
- Facility
- USAF Weapons School classroom
- Performed by
- Foundation Tech, Inc.
- Role
- Subcontractor
- Method
- Torque-verified helical piles
The base kept operating
around a settled building.
A ruptured water main washed soil from beneath the classroom. The structure settled, its block walls fractured, and the building was evacuated.
Beside it, F-16s continued to use the taxiway. Equipment access, staging and foreign object debris controls shaped every part of the repair.
Restore support
from below.
Caissons were ruled out because of the excavation, spoil and trucking they required. Helical piles provided support to lift the structure back to elevation while generating very little spoil. Jerold Bronstrup supplied the design criteria and load calculations.
Each pile’s capacity was verified through torque monitoring during installation.
Keep the operation
clear of the work.
Daily tire-tread inspections at the entry control point and end-of-shift vacuuming kept adjacent areas clear. The prime contractor handled the interior restoration after the foundation work.
10 days ahead of schedule
The structure was lifted back to elevation with no safety incidents, no FOD events and no disruption to the taxiway or training.