Birmingham VA Clinic & Parking Deck

BHATE Geosciences was retained by Graham & Company and Molasky Group to provide all geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and special inspection (CMTI) services for the Birmingham VA Clinic annex and parking deck.

Located in the Medical District of Birmingham, the 3-story, 68,688 SF Veterans Affairs Primary Care Annex houses radiology, pharmacy, audiology, physical therapy, women’s services and general ambulatory care. Special security measures are included on this project including blast-force protection walls, ballistic-proof walls for the pharmacy and 150 security cameras in place between the garage and the annex.

Being the second-largest parking deck in Alabama, its construction included several challenges.  Mass grading required the excavation of over 60,000 cubic yards of soil.  Erection required 76 days with 1,260 trucks delivering precast concrete elements.  The project included a 30’ deep excavation from University Boulevard to accommodate the parking structure. The site is in an area underlain by highly pinnacled dolomite bedrock.

The project had a construction budget of over $60 million.

Geotechnical design services provided by BHATE included:

• Site grading, earth and rock excavation design recommendations
• Soil nail wall design consultation
• H-pile and lagging temporary shoring system with interior supports for deep cuts
• Permanent retaining wall design recommendations
• Management of high plasticity subgrade soils
• Underfloor dewatering design
• Drilled pier foundation design and monitoring for parking deck
• Intermediate depth foundations ‘aggregate piers’ for the clinic building
• Pavement design recommendations
• Ground penetrating radar (GPR) to locate underground utilities prior to construction commencement

BHATE performed construction materials testing and International Building Code (IBC) special inspection (CMTI) services including:

• Earthwork and rock excavation testing and monitoring
• Inspection of drilled shafts and aggregate pier foundations
• Undercut of unsuitable soils
• Structural and trench backfill testing
• Shotcrete testing for soil nail wall system
• Foundation inspections
• Structural concrete testing services
• Reinforcing steel
• Structural steel inspection for the clinic building
• Pre-cast concrete erection inspections
• Asphalt and concrete pavement testing

BHATE’s portion of the design and construction was constructed in a safe, timely and cost-effective manner in the true spirit of cooperation and teamwork.  Throughout the design and construction of the subsurface portions of this project, BHATE’s staff worked closely with the design team, construction manager and the contractors involved for a successful end product for the client.

This project is an excellent example of BHATE’s creative engineering using innovative solutions that will allow the owner to construct a high-quality project at a competitive cost. BHATE is proud and grateful to be associated with this project.

Client: Graham & Company and Molasky Group
Contractor: BL Harbert International
Architect: Page Southerland Page

About BHATE Geosciences:

BHATE Geosciences Corporation (BHATE) was founded on the belief and commitment that we will serve our clients better than anyone in the industry. From our beginning in 1975 in Birmingham, BHATE has grown to prominence and is recognized in the professional and construction community for state-of-the-art value engineering applications. These applications have resulted in technical advancement and effective cost savings in construction. We are dedicated to providing geotechnical, construction materials testing and environmental engineering applications with quality, service, excellence and safety. BHATE operates from our headquarters in Birmingham with offices throughout Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.