RINER was selected as the geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing (CMT) firm for all three construction phases of this Pasadena, Texas industrial park facility. Phase I was completed in 2008 and consisted of three tilt wall construction warehouse buildings totaling 1,100,000 SF with 1,000,000 SF of heavy duty paving. Phase II geotechnical engineering was completed in 2014 and Phase II construction of four warehouse buildings totaling 830,000 SF was completed in 2016. Phase III construction of one 1,500,000 SF warehouse building and associated paving was completed in 2020.

Soils encountered at the site are of very high plasticity and prone to significant swelling with changes in moisture. To reduce the calculated potential vertical rise (PVR) to one-inch or less within the building pads, four feet of subgrade improvement was recommended. Stabilization of onsite soils for use as select fill was originally ruled out because high lime addition rates were anticipated, making treatment more expensive than importing select fill. RINER performed extensive lime-stabilization testing on the soils, verified that a lime application rate of 4-percent would reduce on-site soil plasticity to acceptable levels, and developed and implemented a quality control protocol for assuring proper placement. Construction cost savings exceeded $1 million. Lime-stabilization of building pad fill materials was implemented during Phases I and II with moisture conditioning implemented for Phase III.

CMT inspection scope for the three phases of work included monitoring of over 510,000 CY of building pad earthwork, private utilities, drilled piers, reinforcing steel, slab on grade and tilt wall panel concrete, and structural steel inspections.

This project is LEED certified.

Phase III was one of the industrial finalists for the 2021 HBJ Landmark Awards.