Penn State College of Engineering West Campus Project Overview – Phase 1

Overview

The Penn State College of Engineering West Campus Project Phase 1 involves the construction of West 1, West 2, and the Parking Structure. A preliminary site investigation was performed to gain a better understanding of subsurface conditions prior to performing any on-site testing via borings and laboratory testing of soil samples. A geotechnical report including subsurface profiles was developed based on the boring logs, soil testing, and geophysical testing results for each of the buildings West 1, West 2, and Parking Structure. With this geotechnical report, it was then possible to make recommendations on flexible and rigid pavement designs and recommendations for a suitable foundation type for each building. Since the project documents were not yet finalized for both West 1 and West 2, typical loading information was used to create a preliminary design for both the lower limit and upper limit of anticipated lateral loading capacities. Completed foundation plans for the Parking Structure allowed for a more precise design of micropiles for both a typical wall section and column.

Objectives

Site Layout:
The proposed project site is located on the western portion of Penn State’s University Park campus, with approximate coordinates of 40°47’29”N 77°52’15”W. West 1 and West 2 are 5 stories and 270,000 gross square feet (GSF), and 4 stories and 98,000 GSF, respectively. West 2 will be attached to the West Campus Parking Deck which is 6 stories with 1,670 parking spaces. The image below shows the anticipated location of each structure in relation to existing buildings.

Approach

Desk Study:
For the proposed project site from the USGS and Web Soil Survey, it indicates that the soil under West 1 is primarily silty clay loam and silt loam. For West 2 and the Parking Structure the soil is entirely silty clay loam. Bedrock composed of dolomite is expected to be encountered, as well as clay and gravel. Karst topography is something design professionals should take into consideration when tasked with this project.

Outcomes

The teams listed below include colleagues from the Geotechnical and Materials Engineering Design Capstone – CE439W, who will be discussing the corresponding sections in more detail.

• RSL – Subsurface Site Investigation


• MMSR – Roadway and bus stop pavement design


• TAP – Selection and Design of Foundation