Auto Zone, Jacksonville, FL

Situation

A new Auto Zone store planned for the Jacksonville, FL, area needed support for its freestanding store footprint. The builder, HJB Construction, asked Cantsink's Florida Manager to provide engineering support for an engineered helical pier plan.

The project required helical piers because of an existing three-to-four-foot layer of organic peat between five and seven feet below grade.

These soil conditions could cause the building to settle as the peat decomposes. With Cantsink's patented helical piers bored into dense soil layers far under the peat, the building will have permanent support from stable substrata far below.

Scope of Work

The contractor had already dug all the perimeter footings for the building, which made the helical pier installation more challenging. These footings were 42 inches deep around the perimeter of the building. Cantsink only had access to three sides of this footprint, meaning that some of the piers had to be installed from the inside. All of the helical piers were installed in just a day-and-a-half, allowing the contractor to accelerate his construction schedule.

Anchor System

The crew installed 96 helical piles to an average depth of 14 feet. Pile caps were slipped on the top to serve in compression.

Results

Unlike traditional concrete auger piles, Cantsink helical piers did not delay further construction for curing after the installation. The patented helical piers were quickly and accurately installed in accordance with the plan devised by The Foundation Firm, which was brought in to consult on design and placement by Cantsink. With the precision and speed of Cantsink's experienced crew, the construction company saved time and money in its construction schedule, along with the assurance that the building would be permanently supported, aligned and stable.

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