Structural Engineering Projects

Challenge

When the need for a new school building became apparent, parents, teachers, and the board of directors of Riverview School made a commitment to locate the school on its current site on the Henderson riverfront. The challenge was to design a foundation system that addressed the problems of constructing a conventional building on a site whose soil is unstable fill material.

Solution

Hodge Structural Engineers designed the structure and foundation of the building so that it could accommodate foundation movements without rendering the building dangerous or useless to the occupants. The rigid concrete mat foundation is designed to withstand severe settlement. The building's structural steel frame is attached to the mat foundation at discrete points. As the foundation settles, the frame can be released from the foundation, leveled, and reconnected.