Heavy Foundations

Our design teams are comprised of engineers well versed in the challenges faced on projects, whether they involve anchoring in land or water. By working closely with our customers from the beginning, Crowder can create solutions that are cost effective, safety driven and accurate. These solutions also meet the exacting standards and inspections that regulatory agencies demand.

Heavy Civil Construction

At Crowder, our Heavy Civil division specializes in providing heavy foundations. The structures above the surface must be anchored sufficiently in order to protect their integrity and stability. This is accomplished by transferring the weight of the load from the weak layers of topsoil to the stronger soil that is located below the surface. While the method used varies on the particular project, we typically utilize a variety of proven techniques. These can include, but are not limited to, the following:

Drilled Shafts
Steel Pile Installations with Tieback Systems
Mass Concrete Footings
Concrete Piles
Cofferdams
Caissons
Steel Piles

Value Engineering Component

Our design team comprises engineers that are well versed in the challenges faced by projects, whether they involve anchoring in land or water. By working closely with our customers from the beginning, Crowder can create solutions that are cost effective, safety driven, and accurate. These solutions also meet the exacting standards and inspections that regulatory agencies demand.

Self-Performance and Crowder

Our self-performance method allows Crowder to be involved in all aspects of a heavy foundation project. Crowder can deliver value driven options such as planning and site evaluation, meeting with regulatory agencies and project managers, completing the design, construction and final product, to meet a projects goals of staying within budget and on deadline.

A variety of projects lend themselves to heavy foundations. For instance, dams, seawalls, turbine tunnels, bridges and others are all projects that can benefit from our extensive expertise with heavy foundations. By carefully evaluating the site before we begin any design work, Crowder is able to implement cost saving measures that increase stability while also ensuring the project meets inspections and follows all safety protocol.

Innovative solutions that combine technologically advanced materials and methods, and take a long-range view of challenges allow Crowder to provide our clients with satisfactory solutions.

Heavy Foundations Projects

HC Charleston Finger Pier and Deployment Staging Area, Naval Weapons Station

Heavy Civil

Client Type: Public Entity
Charleston, SC - $4.4 Million

Crowder’s work on this project included the installation of 113, 20-foot pre-cast concrete piles, each between 92 and 100 feet tall. These piles served as the backbone for the pile cap and surface concrete to be proud onto stay-in-place decking. Crowder formed and proud pile caps and set pre-cast beams to facilitate the construction of the new deck and ramp. The project also included the installation of conduit, piping, electrical and water distribution for the new pier section and ramp. In addition, this project included the construction of a new guardhouse and gates, as well as work fencing and lighting additions.
HC Charleston Seawall

Heavy Civil

Client Type: Public Entity
Charleston, SC - $2.75 Million

Crowder Construction Company secured a part of history as the selected contractor for Phase I of the Battery Reconstruction and Repair project to repair significant deterioration to the portion of the Historic Battery Park Seawall in Charleston, SC known as "The Turn." The original palmetto log seawall was destroyed during an 1804 storm and rebuilt in stone in 1820. In 1893, a hurricane again brought about measures to strengthen the wall.

The current project consisted of removing 120 foot section of the high battery wall that was constructed during additional improvements in the early 1900’s. Crowder removed a hollow concrete earth-filled section founded on timber piles and timber decking. Once the old wall was removed, 74 composite piles were placed followed by placement of the new low coulomb concrete seawall in five lifts.

Finally, conversion of the walk-up leading to the turn’s platform from concrete steps to an inclined walkway was completed, making it more convenient for public use and accessible by all. The new concrete seawall, designed to last 100 years, was dedicated on June 20, 2014.
HC Raleigh Convention Center

Heavy Civil

Client Type: Public Entity
Raleigh, NC - $16.9 Million

Crowder was awarded the structural concrete package to construct the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Crowder worked closely with the Construction Manager at Risk (the Skanska-Barnhill Joint Venture) to allow fast track construction of the structural activities. Crowder performed structure excavation for footings and grade beams, walls, beams, pan slabs, elevated slabs and slabs-on-grade. Included in Crowder’s contract was the deep excavation and placement of the permanent dewatering manhole, all while keeping project access open for deliveries. Crowder provided large span shored openings to allow project traffic to move under the array of shoring and formwork. Crowder constructed a vehicular bridge along Salisbury Street and a utility tunnel with cast-in-place beams covered by pre-cast sections that housed utility piping and provided a sidewalk for pedestrians along Cabarrus Street. Special features of this project included more than 24,000 cubic yards of concrete placement, 800 tons of reinforcing steel and more than 12,000 tons of stone aggregate. Crowder’s work on this project was completed on schedule and within budget.