How The Dwyer Company Reached Bearing 60 Feet Down for a New Chipotle Building in Bellevue, Kentucky
- Project Type: Commercial
- Project Services: Deep Foundation Systems, Helical Piles
A new Chipotle building went up in Bellevue, Kentucky on a site carrying 8.5 to 11 feet of existing fill soils. The Dwyer Company developed a helical pier foundation that left the fill in place, working with general contractor Brandicorp and engineer Civil Solutions. Conditions in the ground varied from the geotechnical report, so the piers extended 60 feet, well past the 14 feet the report proposed. Twenty-three piers went in, each designed for 25 to 29 kips in compression and 5 kips in tension.
Geotechnical report not matching what the crew finds in the ground?
Quick Facts
- Bellevue, Kentucky
- Project Type: Commercial – New Construction
- Structure: New Chipotle building
- Foundation System: 23 helical piers
- Pile Capacity: 25 to 29 kips in compression, 5 kips in tension
- Pier Depth: 60 feet installed, against the 14 feet proposed
- Soil Conditions: 8.5 to 11 feet of existing fill; conditions varied from the geotechnical report
- Partners: Brandicorp (general contractor), Civil Solutions (engineer)
The Challenge
The site carried 8.5 to 11 feet of existing fill. Excavating that out and building back up on conventional footings was one route, and it costs time and spoils handling on a pad this size. A pier system that reached below the fill offered a way to leave it where it was.
The larger surprise came during installation. The geotechnical report put competent bearing around 14 feet down. The piers found otherwise and had to advance to 60 feet before meeting capacity. A change of that size in the middle of a job moves the material quantities and the schedule everyone planned around.
Key Project Details
helical piers installed for the new building
The Solution: Helical Pier Foundation System
The Dwyer Company designed a helical pier foundation for the building, which kept the 8.5 to 11 feet of existing fill in the ground. Twenty-three piers went in, each carrying a design capacity of 25 to 29 kips in compression and 5 kips in tension.
Depth was the variable nobody planned for. Competent material sat well below where the geotechnical report placed it, so the piers kept advancing until they met capacity at 60 feet. A helical pier is installed to its design load instead of to a set elevation, which is what allowed the system to absorb the difference. Coordination with Brandicorp and Civil Solutions carried the change through the field.
The Impact
Bearing reached at 60 feet
The piers advanced until they met capacity, well past the 14 feet the geotechnical report proposed.
Fill left in the ground
The pier system carried the building past 8.5 to 11 feet of existing fill without excavating it.
Capacity in compression and tension
Each of the 23 piers was designed for 25 to 29 kips in compression and 5 kips in tension.
A field change absorbed
Coordination between Dwyer, Brandicorp, and Civil Solutions kept the foundation moving after the ground came back different.
Why Helical Piers?
Helical piers let The Dwyer Company keep 11 feet of fill in the ground and chase bearing to whatever depth the site turned out to have.
- Bypasses existing fill – Piers advance past uncontrolled material and land in the soil below it.
- Installed to capacity, not to an elevation – Each pier advances until it meets its design load, so a site that differs from the report does not stop the work.
- Compression and tension – A single pier can be designed for both, which matters on light commercial structures that pick up uplift.
- Extendable in the field – Shaft sections add as the pier advances, so depth follows the conditions found.
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 when the ground in Bellevue came back different from the report. Working alongside Brandicorp and Civil Solutions, our crew installed 23 helical piers to 60 feet and gave the new building bearing the site would actually support.
Have a site where the borings and the field are telling different stories?