Hollis Ford Expansion, Truro, Nova Scotia Geopier® Rammed Aggregate Piers

THE PROBLEM

Hollis Ford in Truro, Nova Scotia wanted to expand their facility with a new 6,000 square foot showroom. Unfortunately, the ideal location for the new expansion was on a fill site consisting of up to 15 feet of very soft clay which was deemed unsuitable for supporting the new footings and floor slabs of the expansion.  Traditionally, the solution would have involved removal of the clay fill by excavation and replacement with structural fill but the high costs encouraged the owner to seek alternate solutions.

THE SOLUTION

The Geopier® Rammed Aggregate Pier Intermediate Foundation System was chosen as an alternate solution to over-excavation and replacement.  The choice  resulted in substantial savings and accelerated the construction schedule due to the speed of installation in any weather.  This unique installation process involved pre-augering 30-inch diameter holes through the soft clay and ramming 12 inch thick lifts of well graded aggregate with a beveled tamper to form very stiff, high-density aggregate piers.  This ground improvement technology increased the bearing capacity of the soil and provided settlement control within acceptable standards for the foundations of the new expansion.