S&ME provided geotechnical, construction testing and special inspection services during construction of the new facility. Subsurface exploration performed for the facility development indicated near surface soil to be less than the required bearing pressure for the design and anticipated in-field modification for the foundation during construction. Construction testing and special inspection services included evaluation of soil, concrete foundations, reinforcing concrete, masonry, fireproofing and structural steel.

During grading and foundation excavation, existing community wells were discovered that were lined with rock. Wells were approximately 9 to 25 feet deep. Wells that were discovered below the slab area were backfilled with washed stone. Those encountered below foundation were excavated and backfilled with concrete on washed stone. S&ME also provided reinforcing steel (rebar) inspections that allowed the contractor to proceed with drilled shaft concrete placements without having to wait for the local building inspector. This was discussed and agreed upon with the inspector on the first day of the project. The inspector was well aware of S&ME’s capabilities and thoroughness of our inspections. We also had in-progress field reports available for the inspector’s review when he did visit. S&ME also provided rebar inspections for other structural concrete areas when the structural engineer’s representative could not be present.

S&ME’s engineering technicians performed proofrolling of subgrade soils in structural and pavement areas, soil density testing to confirm required compaction, visual soil classifications to confirm suitability of fill material, laboratory proctor tests for maximum dry density, optimum moisture content.

S&ME’s staff professional observed the near-surface foundation bearing materials for the proposed new high school and the reinforced zone of retaining walls 1, 2, and 3.  The foundation evaluation began by performing a visual observation of the exposed bearing materials to evaluate their character and continuity.  Hand auger borings with Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) testing were performed to estimate the soil strength and relative density of the near-surface bearing materials and their suitability for foundation support.  The foundations were also probed with a ½” diameter probe rod to evaluate the consistency of the near-surface soils.

S&ME’s engineering technicians performed the following services for the masonry construction: monitored the placement of reinforcement, monitored the placement of grout in the cells, fabricated masonry grout prisms, monitored temperature and batch times, and performed compressive strength testing of grout prisms.

S&ME performed the following services on the structural steel: observation and visual weld inspections to verify torque on bolted connections and observation of reinforcing steel, collect material certifications for verification of bolts, nuts, and washers, certified Mill Test reports for structural steel for material verification and collect a Certificate of Compliance at the completion of the fabrication of structural steel.

S&ME’s engineering technicians performed the following activities for the concrete construction: monitored the placement of concrete, performed slump testing, air content testing, unit weight testing, fabricated concrete cylinders, monitored concrete temperature and batch times, and compressive strength testing of concrete cylinders.

S&ME engineering technicians performed thickness measurement tests on the fireproofing material applied to the, density test, and cohesion/adhesion (bond) tests on beams.

S&ME performed the following activities for asphaltic concrete construction: verified thickness and tested for bulk specific gravity and density.

Services provided for the project including a wide range of construction materials testing and inspection. Field service at the beginning of the project consisted of subgrade evaluation prior to fill placement. This involved evaluating the need for undercutting due to soft soil conditions and a shallow water table. Installation of a dewaterin system was installed as a result of the shallow water table. Once the site was dewatered to a stable elevation, undercutting could proceed.

Other services included typical construction evaluations such as foundation evaluations, reinforcing steel evaluations, concrete sampling and testing, precast wall panel evaluations, structural masonry inspections, structural steel evaluations, aggregate base course and asphalt testing.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) desired to have asbestos inspection and reporting services performed for as many as sixty-eight (68) structures on (or near) campus constructed prior to 1991. Based upon a Scope of Work Document distributed during an information session conducted on May 3, 2007, UNCG specified that asbestos inspections be conducted according to the sampling protocols designed for Local Education Agencies under EPA’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1987 (or AHERA 40 CFR Part 763). The asbestos inspections were being conducted by the University to aid with compliance with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Asbestos in Construction Standard §29 CFR 1926.1101.

On May 31, 2007, S&ME and other firms were interviewed for the project at the UNCG Chemical Safety facility. Notice of S&ME’s selection was made via email on June 11, 2007. At the request of the University, the inspection of residence halls was begun by S&ME on July 5, 2007. Inspection of the residence halls during the summer break allowed better access than would be afforded after the residence halls were re-occupied on August 15, 2007.

S&ME was able to staff the project with up to six on-site accredited asbestos inspection teams and complete the assessment of twenty (20) residence halls, comprising approximately 1,000,000 s.f. of building space in the short time allotted. This was achieved through the cooperation of the Greensboro, Charlotte, and Raleigh S&ME offices, all of which supplied accredited asbestos inspectors for the project. The inspections included collection of photographs of all materials sampled, mapping of identified materials on University supplied drawings and detailed data collection for reporting purposes.

The University expressed their desire to maintain the asbestos inspection data in an electronic format that could easily be updated with new materials, buildings or asbestos removal information. During the planning stages of the project S&ME presented an option for development of an open-source web-based database, integrating both data management and graphical functions. The University chose this option because of the availability of the information to anyone with access to a computer connected to the internet.

The S&ME Civil Engineering Department developed the Web based reporting system that allows users to input asbestos inspection data and retrieve the data in multiple ways. After inspection data has been entered into the program users can retrieve inspection data in multiple fashions. A graphical representation allows the user to select the building of interest from a map of the University campus. After building selection the user can select from the floors of the building to explore the materials identified, sampled, and analyzed during the inspections. A drawing of the particular floor is displayed along with the areas of asbestos suspect materials identified in the building and room designations for the floor being displayed. The user then has the opportunity to view homogeneous area descriptions, including if the material contains asbestos (indicated by color code in the display), sample locations (which can be graphically indicated on the drawing) and analyses, materials identified in any particular room, and the locations of a material throughout the selected floor. Sample analyses have been uploaded from data provided by the S&ME asbestos lab in Charlotte, which performed the majority of sample analyses, and is displayed with sample location information when selected by a user.

At the request of the University, S&ME provided an additional proposal provide inspection and reporting services for the forty-eight (48) remaining pre-1991 structures. That proposal was accepted in November 2007.

The Project was completed in 2008 and submitted to the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of North Carolina for consideration for the 2009 Engineering Excellence Awards. During the November 19, 2008 ACEC ceremony, the project was awarded an Honors Award in the Studies, Research, and Consulting Engineering Services category.