REDCOM's Innovative Solution to Support a Sinking Warehouse

25 Enterprise - Secaucus, New Jersey Repair Project

Sagard Real Estate, formerly known as EverWest, is a national real estate investment advisor and operator. The floor of a warehouse acquired by Sagard in Secaucus, NJ was cracking, indicating significant structural issues and jeopardizing the operations of the building’s tenant. Sagard enlisted REDCOM to assess the situation, find a solution and perform the construction needed to get the warehouse back in order.

 

Property Overview

The 148,000 square foot building at 25 Enterprise was erected in 1980 on a site with inadequate soil conditions to support the building’s weight. As a result, the warehouse floor was caving in. 

sinking warehouse

Initial tests by REDCOM found the original support piles were failing and cracking and that the soil had sunk 8-10 inches beneath the slab.

Project Challenges

To get the structure back to full operational capacity, Sagard required that the ground be able to support a weight of 250 pounds per square inch.

REDCOM performed weight-bearing capacity of the existing slab floor. The slab in areas that supported the weight was left alone. The slab in areas that showed significant movement and inability to hold weight so the underlying ground could be treated.

The next and key question then became how best to correct the soil so that new slab could be placed on it. REDCOM brought its full creative and engineering expertise to the challenge. Over the course of multiple project discussions, the team generated 15 potential solutions and ultimately created two unique proposals for Sagard with the most viable options.

Foam and Floors

REDCOM’s initial attempt to fortify the ground involved injecting foam under the slab to support the existing structure and fill the space where the ground had sunk. This plan had several advantages. It was straightforward, minimally invasive, and relatively quick to implement. Minimizing client downtime during any project is a primary consideration, and the efficiency of this option was a key benefit. Unfortunately, the foam failed to support the floor as the soil was still too soft to provide an adequate base and a more robust solution was needed.

Enter the helical pile.

Piles and Plates

Installing helical pulldown micro-piles was a unique approach. The micro-piles (also known as screw piles) consist of circular steel plates welded to a central steel shaft. The piles are screwed into the ground until a desired depth is reached or until the soil can bear the required weight. The steel shaft extends from the plates in the ground to the surface to provide structural support and transmit the loads from the structure to the helical plates below.

The REDCOM team selected helical piles to repair the ground at 25 Enterprise for several reasons:

  •  Versatility – the plates can be installed in various soil conditions, such as soft soils, clay and sand.
  • Rapid installation – the installation process is efficient and does not require curing time, allowing for immediate load transfer.
  • Load testing – load tests can be conducted during installation to verify the load-bearing capacity of the piles.
 
sinking warehouse construction NJ

REDCOM repaired 60,000 sq ft of slab, installing 450-500 screw piles in each slab that went 48′-50′ into the ground.

Results

In the space of 2.5 months, REDCOM reinforced the compromised areas of slab, enabling the team to move ahead with the renovation of the warehouse. In 14 months, the total project was completed, and the warehouse was back online.

To view the 25 Enterprise project page, click here.

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