Taylor Kohrs delivered Phase III of soil mitigation efforts at the Thornton Justice Center for the City of Thornton alongside RJH Consultants. Having previously completed Phase II for the City, Taylor Kohrs was brought back to finish Phase III to improve safety, longevity, and performance of the Justice Center.
The focus of the project was remediation of damage and distress caused by expansive soils and bedrock material in the foundation in combination with high groundwater levels. Work performed overall includes removal and replacement of asphalt pavement and concrete flatwork, excavation of existing subgrade, installation of a specialty geomembrane liner, installation of drainage systems, replacement of a mechanically stabilized retaining wall, and extensive decorative concrete and hardscaping. Phase III of this project was comprised of four distinct stages to keep the Justice Center operational and accessible throughout construction, which was successfully accomplished through thoughtful scheduling, logistics planning, traffic control, and close coordination with City staff.
Stage 1A and 1B focused on the upper parking lot area and the MSE wall. Stage 1C included work in the upper parking lot memorial plaza at the entrance of the Justice Center. This stage began with the removal and safe storage of the memorial statue and memorial panels located at the entrance of the plaza. The final stage – Stage 2 – focused solely on the remainder of the memorial plaza and entrance.
The end product ensures that high groundwater levels are mitigated, infiltration is reduced, and surface water is conveyed away from buildings while providing structural stability for the existing facility.”
