Rocky Fork School Campus - Smyrna TN

Collier Engineering performed the final geotechnical engineering study for Rutherford County Schools. The project included constructing a 162,000 SF, 1-story middle school building, recreation fields, parking, driveway, and detention infrastructure. Site grading also involved preparation and initial fill placement and site development for the infrastructure and building pad for the future 130,000 SF elementary school.

The exploration included borings advanced with conventional drill rigs for soil sampling and rock coring and air track drilling to investigate the near-surface bedrock profile for depth of weathering and karst features. Geotechnical work was conducted in two phases during the preliminary study for the raw land, and the final investigation was completed once the site layout and building orientation were completed, and the site clearing had been performed. A total of 55 soil/rock borings were utilized for the subsurface exploration. The project site is located in a geologic setting containing soluble limestone, and the Smyrna area is known for sinkholes, caves, springs, and other surface expressions of karst activity. Site development and grading involved much rock removal due to relatively thin soil cover, depth of required excavations, the size of the construction footprint, and sloping terrain.

Collier Engineering also provided materials testing services during construction. Services included observation and testing of fill constructed with shot rock and soil materials, documentation of foundation subgrades and reinforcing steel, sampling and testing of cast-in-place concrete, reviewing and testing asphalt paving operations, and special inspections for structural steel connections and masonry construction.

Client:
Rutherford County Board of Education