Hemlock Semiconductor Chemical Manufacturing Facility

S&ME conducted an initial geotechnical investigation at the 490-acre Hemlock Semiconductor plant in Clarksville, TN. During this phase, our team installed a total of 619 soil test borings during the erection of the structures on the $3.6 billion facility. The evaluations were performed using specific geotechnical explorations, previous borings, and geophysical data in karst-prone geology for heavy lifts that required large crawler cranes. In addition to our geotechnical engineering roles in each of these projects, we were retained by each owner during construction to provide special inspection and testing services, in addition to the value engineering discussions with contractor-driven foundation options. Throughout the project duration, 85 S&ME full-time employees were on-site to support project needs.

The site is located in a karst geologic setting that presented the multiple design teams’ unique challenges in designing the appropriate foundation system to meet site-specific conditions. The project consists of numerous buildings, rail spur, open structural steel framed structures, underground infrastructure such as storm drainage conveyance system, water, natural gas, electrical, and data control systems. Deep and shallow foundations systems were used in the construction of the facility. The deep foundation system utilized the underlying competent bedrock for end bearing requirements.

S&ME was engaged by the client’s engineering team to assist in developing engineering procedures to minimize the amount of bedrock excavation in order to maximize foundation installation progress on the tight construction schedule and to eliminate the necessity for entering into the deep foundation shafts for inspections. S&ME formulated engineering procedures that included the client’s and engineers’ stringent design criteria while also decreasing the safety risk for personnel injury. The newly developed procedures were able to save the client unnecessary rock excavation costs of over $25 million while also increasing the production rate for the installation of over 6,000 deep pier foundations to meet the demanding construction schedule. In order to reduce the safety risk factor for the client, S&ME designed and implemented a down-hole inspection program for each drilled foundation pier. This eliminated the need for personnel to enter into shafts up to 100 feet in depth to inspect the rock quality for the bearing horizon.

S&ME performed the following testing and engineering services under this contract for this client:

• Asphalt/Soil Density Testing
• On-site Concrete/Soil Laboratory Testing
• Concrete Specimen Molding
• Compressive Testing
• Structural Steel Certified Welding Inspections
• Coating Inspections
• Radiography Testing
• Non-Destructive Steel/Concrete Testing
• Reinforcing Steel Inspections
• Foundation Engineering
• Deep Foundation Evaluations
• Shallow Foundation Evaluations
• Sub-grade Evaluations
• Sinkhole Evaluations and Documentation
• Secured Document Control