Breaking Uncommon Ground in the Kansas Countryside

Source: Breaking Uncommon Ground in the Kansas Countryside - Alpha-Omega Geotech, Inc. Look beyond I-435 to the west of Kansas City’s urban core and you’ll see a surge of new commercial development taking shape. It’s not all typical, flat farmland and turning it into opportunity requires a strategic approach. Before you put together plans for a construction project, consider a few pointers based on our experience. Don’t Be Surprised by a Predictably Unpredictable Subgrade. Be careful not to make assumptions about what’s just below the surface and deeper down, especially along K-10 in the vicinity of Lenexa. Every potential build site is different to some degree and variations from site to site can be substantial. Much of the landscape is hilly, and history has left behind miscellaneous man made factors that will impact everything from site selection to construction. Decades of variables ranging from undocumented subgrade material, buried trees and buried gravel roads to improperly filled farm ponds lurk underground, even in areas that appear to be untouched. In addition, old limestone mines abandoned as far back as the 1980s wind through the area and present ongoing challenges for developers. The proximity of mines isn’t necessarily a deal breaker when it comes to project site selection, but you’ll need to clearly understand the limitations of the subgrade above and around them. You’ll also need to be on the lookout for mine spoils material carved out over the years and buried for disposal. Uncovering subgrade wildcards and narrowing site selection is only possible through an extensive investigation. A precise boring plan with thorough soil testing will be critical in the hunt for a project site that’s feasible in context of your timeline and budget. Make sure your geotechnical engineering partner knows exactly how you expect foundations to perform so that they can pinpoint [...]