T-2 Humphrey Orange Ramp

Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport

Client: Kraus-Anderson Construction

Services: Geotechnical evaluation/testing and inspection

Year: 2006-2007

The Orange Ramp is a 4,651 car and 1.6 million square foot parking expansion next to the T-2 Humphrey Terminal at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. One of this project’s unique challenges was that the soil borings, and specifically, cone penetrometer (CPT) test borings, were required to evaluate the suitability of the subsurface soil to support the proposed column loads. Because these borings would be performed during construction, a normal geotechnical evaluation timeline was not feasible.

To speed up the process, we used CPT technology to perform the geotechnical analysis within 24 hours of each boring’s completion. To further expedite the schedule, we devised a method to estimate the effectiveness of surface compaction so that borings could be completed at the surface before excavation was performed. Our technicians also expedited the delivery of test results by entering information remotely onto PDA devices and laptop computers. Construction managers, contractors and designers could then remotely access all test results on an established FTP site.