Wagman Geotechnical Construction Project

Reading Health System – Reading Hospital

  • Location

    Reading, PA

  • Duration

    February 2014 - August 2014

  • Owner

    Reading Health System

Wagman’s Geotechnical Construction Services group provided design and construction services for the excavation support, underpinning and permanent tie downs for the new addition to the Reading Hospital complex. Wagman’s original contract of $1,658,000 increased to $2,200,000 due to scope changes. Additional work included designing and constructing the support system beneath the hospital’s actively-used floor slab for the construction of a new below-ground level corridor. The four-inch thick slab had to be maintained at its present location during the excavation process. The finished tunnel/corridor is 30-feet long and connects the new structure with the existing building.

Key Challenges & Project Details

  • The tunnel/corridor was hand dug and measured 12-feet high by 30-feet long, with a depth of 12-feet.
  • The micropile wall consisted of 153 tiebacks and 16 permanent tiedowns.
  • The project also consisted of 12, three foot by five foot hand dug underpinning pits in karst geology.