Scope of Work:
The Steeplejack Brewery, a new brewery, taproom, restaurant, and coffeehouse, located in the former Metropolitan Community Church in Northeast Portland, opened to the public in the Summer of 2021. Before the long-awaited opening, the former church underwent a significant remodel to convert the building into one that could support the multifaceted commercial operation. Central Geotech was contracted by a nationally renowned commercial construction company to perform a Geotechnical Investigation in support of the remodel.
The scope of our investigation and construction observation included providing geotechnical recommendations for the increased structural load associated with the remodel. Soil parameters and construction recommendations were provided for the construction of embedded wall footings, a structural slab on grade to support brewing tanks, and new interior spread footings. Our firm conducted subsurface explorations both inside and outside of the building to accurately understand the soil conditions specific to these areas. Our team utilized hand-carried exploration equipment in limited-access areas that otherwise wouldn’t be reachable with drill rigs or other heavy machinery. To better understand the engineering capabilities of the site soils, our in-house soils laboratory performed a number of laboratory tests on soil samples collected during our investigation.
Features:
- Subsurface explorations both inside and outside of the building
- Geotechnical recommendations for an increased structural load
- Utilized hand-carried exploration equipment in limited-access areas
- Conducted work on a tight timeline
- Oversight of slot-cut excavations associated with underpinning of existing foundations
Results:
After discussions with the design team, it was understood that this project required a tight timeline in order to meet the project deadlines. Our firm enjoyed working quickly on this project in close coordination with the structural engineer to facilitate timely completion of the project.
After our finalized conclusions and recommendations were presented to the project team, our firm was swiftly retained to provide observation and documentation of geotechnical aspects of the remodel. This work included in-place moisture/density testing of structural fill, subgrade evaluations, and engineering oversight of slot-cut excavations associated with underpinning of existing foundations. As a result of our construction observation work, the owner was assured the earthwork was performed in accordance with our engineering recommendations and specifications, and in compliance with the jurisdictional requirements.
After the project was completed, the Central Geotech team came together on the opening day of the brewery to raise glasses and celebrate a job well done.
