How The Dwyer Company Set the Foundation for the New Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in One Day
- Project Type: Commercial
- Project Services: Deep Foundation Systems, Helical Piles
A tornado took the Our Lady of Fatima shrine in Russells Point, Ohio in March of 2024. When the replacement shrine was designed, soft soils in the upper 8.5 to 13.5 feet meant a conventional footing had nothing dependable to sit on. Working with general contractor Tuttle Construction and Civil Solutions (engineer), The Dwyer Company installed 16 helical piers designed to support 15 kips, extending through the soft material to bear in the very stiff to hard soils below. The full foundation system went in during a single day on site.
Building new on soft soils?
Quick Facts
- Russells Point, Ohio
- Project Type: Commercial – New Construction
- Completed: November 13, 2025
- Duration: 1 day
- Foundation System: 16 helical piers
- Pile Capacity: 15 kips
- Pile Depth: most piers extended 14 feet, one pier extended 28 feet
- Soil Conditions: soft soils in the upper 8.5 to 13.5 feet over very stiff to hard soils
- Partners: Tuttle Construction (general contractor), Civil Solutions (engineer)
The Challenge
The site had soft soils running 8.5 to 13.5 feet deep before anything competent showed up underneath. A shallow footing placed in that material would have carried the new shrine on ground that could not hold it, so the foundation had to reach past the soft zone entirely.
Depth to good bearing also moved across the footprint. Most of the site allowed a 14-foot pier, while one location needed twice that. Crews had to set depth in the field, pier by pier, since no single number on the drawing would have covered the whole footprint.
Key Project Details
helical piers installed to support the new shrine
designed to support each pile
Most piers extended 14 feet, with one pier taken to 28 feet
complete foundation system installed
The Solution: Helical Pier Foundation System
The helical pier system was designed to bypass the soft upper soils and land the shrine’s load on the stiff material underneath. Sixteen piers went in, each designed for 15 kips. Most reached competent bearing at 14 feet. One location took 28 feet before the pier found the same conditions, which is the kind of variation helical piers absorb without a redesign, since installation torque tells crews when the pier is where it needs to be.
The whole installation ran in a single day. Tuttle Construction had the site staged so The Dwyer Company crew could move pier to pier without waiting, and Civil Solutions carried the engineering behind the design. Fast pier installation kept the rebuild schedule tight for a community waiting on the new shrine.
The Impact
A rebuild like this one gets measured by how quickly the site is ready for the next trade. Here is what the work delivered.
Foundation complete in one day
All 16 piers were installed in a single day on site, so the shrine construction could move forward immediately.
Load carried below the soft soils
Every pier extended through the 8.5 to 13.5 feet of soft material to bear in very stiff to hard soils.
Depth adjusted where the site required it
One pier was taken to 28 feet, double the depth of the others, without changing the design or holding up the crew.
Coordination with the general contractor
Tuttle Construction and The Dwyer Company sequenced the work so a one-day install stayed a one-day install.
Why Helical Piers?
Helical piers gave the new shrine a foundation that reaches competent soil, without the excavation and cure time a deep conventional footing would have needed.
- Installed and loaded the same day – no grout, no concrete cure, so the next trade is not waiting on the foundation.
- Depth set in the field – piers advance until they reach bearing, which handles soil that varies across a site.
- Capacity verified as installed – installation torque correlates to capacity, confirming each pier as it goes in.
- Small equipment footprint – installation works on tight or sensitive sites where large rigs would not fit.
- Minimal site disturbance – piers generate no spoils and little vibration, which keeps the surrounding grounds intact.
Why Choose The Dwyer Company for structural integrity?
Deep History • Solid Choice
The Dwyer Company’s proven track record in commercial and industrial foundation systems made us the trusted partner for the Our Lady of Fatima shrine rebuild. The team designed around the soft soils on site and handed the foundation back to the builder in a single day.
Have a new build sitting on soils that will not carry it? Let us take a look.