The following is an update on current and planned ground improvement activities, which have been underway since August 2017.

Ongoing Ground Improvement Work

• Stone column installation is over 65% complete.
• It is anticipated that in March the number of stone column rigs on site will be reduced to two.
• Nighttime work will end on March 17, 2018.
• Pre-drill activity only takes place during daytime hours – 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. (After March 17, Saturday hours will be 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
• Nighttime pre-drill work was completed at the end of January.
• Hardened barrier wall production is underway on the on the western perimeter of the site, closest to the Philip Avenue Overpass. A hardened barrier wall is another form of ground strengthening that involves mixing soil with cement to create a stabilizing barrier below the ground. The equipment used to create the wall is similar in appearance and process to pre-drill. This activity will only occur during daytime hours (see hours above).

Upcoming Ground Improvement Work

• Once stone columns are installed, pre-load is added on top to complete the ground strengthening. Pre-load consists of large piles of gravel and aggregate materials.
• All aggregate materials for pre-load are transported by barge to nearby water access and trucked a short distance to site, significantly reducing transportation impacts and overall operating times.