From 2018-2019 ENGEO participated in improvements on the Public Safety Academy, Fairfield Suisun Unified School District’s state-of-the-art facility for students pursuing law enforcement and firefighting careers. Improvements included a gym building with a seating capacity of approximately 400, a two-story library building, and a new fitness center with locker rooms. Associated site improvements included cantilever reinforced concrete site retaining walls, bio-retention areas, exterior flatwork, and landscaping areas.
ENGEO provided geotechnical and geohazard design, geotechnical consultation during construction, geotechnical testing and observation, and structural special inspection during the construction of the project. Specifically, the special inspections included reinforcing steel sampling, shop and field welding, BRB fabrication, concrete placement observation, and sampling, high strength bolting, non-shrink grout observation and sampling, and non-destructive magnetic particle- and UT testing.
The primary geotechnical challenge that ENGEO faced with this project was expansive soil. To reduce potential damage from expansive soil, ENGEO recommended a lime treatment of the structural building pads. ENGEO faced a secondary challenge due to the several weeks of shop and field welding inspection that required very close coordination with the shop and inspector of record (IOR) for the fabrication inspection of the BRBs.
During construction, communication was critical to helping reduce the risk of failed special inspections that could lead to costly construction delays. ENEGO was proactive by engaging in kickoff meetings and communicating regularly with the IOR to keep them updated on our daily activities and the status of work.
