Twenty years ago, when Hurrican Katrina flooded New Orleans, the city’s big public hospital, Charity Hospital, was destroyed. After the storm, officials from the state and from Louisiana State University, which ran the hospital, evaluated the building and deemed it too damaged by water and mold to reopen.
The new $1.2 Billion facility was finished in 2015. The project included: A 560,000-square-foot, 424-bed hospital; an adjoining 746,982-square-foot diagnostic and treatment center; an adjacent 254,765-square-foot ambulatory care building and an adjacent 546,413-square-foot, 1,346-car parking structure. The building was built to withstand Category Three hurricane (winds of 140 MPH) as well as tornadoes and nuclear or biological accident.
Bhate Geosciences was selected by the Design Team based on our extensive experience with pile foundation systems and our track record of practical solutions to difficult site conditions. Because of the highly variable subsurface conditions and structural loading requirements, the pile lengths installed ranged from 170’ in heavily loaded areas to 55’ for lightly loaded construction. Due to subsurface variability over the 34-acre site, the project consisted of three different pile systems including precast prestressed concrete piles, timber piles and composite piles. The total length of piles installed on the project consisted of over 710,000 LF.
Static Pile Load Tests and PDA/CAWAP Analysis: BHATE provided pre-installation static load testing of the various pile systems and PDA testing with CAPWAP analysis during the production pile installation.
Accelerated Construction Schedule: To meet the project schedule, the contractor had six pile driving rigs on the site working simultaneously. BHATE Geosciences staffed this project with highly experienced engineers and technicians to conduct the necessary activities and documentation without any delay or down time.
Noise and Vibration Monitoring During Pile Driving Operations: BHATE strategically installed multiple seismographs in the areas to monitor and document the vibrations. BHATE provided daily vibration reports to the contractor and the design team and assisted them in completing the construction of the pile foundations without any major issues from the surrounding property owners.
How Can BHATE Help?
By providing expert guidance and leveraging our technical knowledge, BHATE can help the construction team achieve significant cost savings while ensuring a safe design that complies with the industry design guidelines and building codes.
- Geotechnical Design: With thorough and competent geotechnical analyses, we can recommend the most suitable pile type based on soil conditions, load requirements, and project constraints. This avoids over-engineering by reducing material and installation costs.
- Use of Technology and Innovation: By using the latest technology BHATE can assist the project to improve design accuracy and reduce construction costs.
- Coordination with Other Disciplines: We work closely with the structural engineers and construction teams to develop specifications and bid documents to avoid conflicts or miscommunication that could lead to costly change orders.
- Risk Mitigation and Problem Solving: By identifying and addressing potential risks early in the design stage, we can help avoid costly surprises during foundation installation.
Our 50 years of pile design and foundation testing expertise can play a crucial role in helping the Owner and Construction Team achieve a successful project.