NEGMC Braselton Campus

Project Description

Southern Geotechnical Consultants, LLC (SGC) provided geotechnical engineering and construction monitoring and testing (CMT) services for a new medical campus for Northeast Georgia Health Services (NGHS) in south Hall County, Georgia. As part of this new campus, NGHS invested $115 million to initially construct a free standing 3-story 120 Bed Tower that included a surgery center, endoscopy addition, radiology center and outpatient oncology center and a 6-story medical office building. Additionally, as part of the subsequent development phase a new approximate 300-foot two lane bridge was constructed to connect the new campus with an existing medical office building. The new NGMC Braselton was the first hospital in the state, and among the first 10 in the nation to receive Gold Certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Healthcare Rating System. LEED certification rates such things water and energy use, sustainability, indoor environment quality, material and resource use.

As part of the design phase, SGC provided geotechnical design services that included soil test borings and applicable laboratory analysis to help assess the nature of the subsurface materials and provide soil design parameters. Additionally, both a site specific seismic was performed so that shear wave soil profile could be measured and modeled to directly asses the seismic site class and design ground motions using a probabilistic seismic hazard and site response analysis.

During construction, SGC provided all construction materials testing and “Special Inspections” services related to the project including monitoring and testing as required by the project specifications in conjunction with mass grading and building construction. The test performed during the earthwork phase included in-place density testing for building pad, earth reinforced retaining walls and utility backfill. During the building construction phase the testing/evaluations included shallow foundation and subgrade evaluations; inspections of reinforcing steel placement; bolt torque and visual weld inspections; non-destructive evaluations of moment weld connections; concrete strength; masonry block;grout and masonry cell reinforcement placement; concrete and mortar placement; concrete slab moisture transmission surveys; NPDES inspections; storm water monitoring; and pavement placement