At Live Oak Contracting, our collaborative approach ensures that each project is completed on time and within budget, providing clients with peace of mind and confidence in our ability to meet expectations. We’re proud to share a phase of our Jacksonville riverfront project, One Riverside, which exemplifies our commitment to teamwork, communication, and quality workmanship.
Challenge
One Riverside project consists of two 7-story buildings with 5-stories of wood-frame on a 2-deck podium, situated on waterfront property. With the help of the Menard, (deep foundation contractor), Gardner (site contractor) Genesis (concrete contractor) and Terracon (environmental and materials) teams, we were challenged with the installation of rigid inclusions beneath the parking garage as well as both residential buildings.
The ground was unstable, filled with voids, and various debris from its past life as a yacht basin and maintenance center, making the project’s deep foundation challenging. The project team navigated challenges such as voids in the earth that we encountered, the water table (because it’s a riverfront site), the unidentified structures, and significant debris fields from previous construction activities. The rigid inclusions had to be drilled to an average of 35 feet deep, which created a multitude of opportunities for discovery of issues. As excavation continued, the team overcame unexpected factors such as a 35’ wide by 16’ deep voids and large underground concrete structures.
Strategy
Our project team’s primary strategy was to focus on communication, safety and teamwork. We moved nonstop around the site, preparing working pads for Menard and doubling back to excavate and backfill the voids that had been uncovered. We worked efficiently to avoid daily standby costs and keep Menard drilling and pumping. This required us to create site access for both Menard and the Genesis pump truck.
We were diligent during pre-planning and stayed nimble to handle unexpected challenges along the way. For example, after discovering areas of debris and questionable soil, our project team exported nearly 500 cubic yards of unsuitable/contaminated soil and imported nearly 1,800 loads of dirt to achieve the necessary elevations for building pads. Our project team was able to accomplish this in roughly two months.
We made daily logistics plans and held daily meetings to ensure that every member had safe egress access and to keep everyone informed on the project’s progress and challenges. This allowed safety to be our top priority as everyone went above and beyond to maintain a safe working environment.
Maintaining a safe working environment with multiple pieces of heavy equipment in a small area was essential. Our team’s focus on safety and communication enabled us to overcome many of the challenges we faced.
Outcome
Although the One Riverside project is not fully complete, this phase was finished ahead of schedule. With the help of Menard, Gardner, Genesis and Terracon our project team kept on track to successfully navigate the unstable ground conditions, unsuitable soil and debris. This ensured the safety of every member on site as well as the general public, who were able to continue using the Jacksonville RiverWalk during the construction activities.
Our team approached the rigid inclusion installation project with positivity and determination. Despite facing unforeseen obstacles along the way, our dedicated team members remained flexible and adaptive, devising new solutions on a daily basis. As a result of our proactive and diligent efforts, our team now has maintained the scheduled delivery of this phase without any delays.
