42 JULY 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 SERVING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry 2023 JUBILEE Booth 205 Deep Foundations for a New Courthouse in Miami-Dade County, Florida Compiled by Editorial Staff, WorldWide Drilling Resource® When the Champlain Towers South condo collapsed in Surfside, Florida, killing 98 people in June 2021, it prompted widespread concerns about safety of older structures in the area. Following this disaster, the nearby Miami-Dade Courthouse, originally built in 1928, was deemed unsafe. Due to structural stress in support beams and joists, among other issues throughout several floors, the 28-story building was abruptly closed for repairs in July 2021. Engineering firm U.S. Structures Inc. conducted the inspection which led to the closure. In a letter the firm sent to Miami-Dade County officials, Inspector Jose Toledo wrote, “In general, we observed numerous members with visible signs of structural deterioration that have been documented and reported by this and other firms for quite some time now. Many of these members are in an advance state of deterioration.” Work to repair these issues began immediately following the inspection. In the meantime, a new courthouse was already in the planning phase of construction to functionally replace the original building. The new Miami-Dade County Civil and Probate Courthouse is currently under construction across the street from the historic 1928 structure. Once complete, this 474-foot tower will be one of the tallest government-use buildings in downtown Miami. Malcolm Drilling was contracted to install the shoring system for basement construction, along with deep foundations for the new courthouse. Malcolm used deep soil mixing to construct a temporary, gravity block wall extension with embedded steel beams and a bottom seal plug for a 15-foot-deep excavation. The project also included installation of 24- and 36-inch-diameter continuous flight auger piles to depths of up to 110 feet. Once piles were installed, Malcolm self-excavated the pit. With foundations in place, the new tower is currently rising and expected to be complete in 2024. As construction continues, the old courthouse has been repaired and reopened for operations after inspections declared it structurally sound. Miami-Dade County originally planned to sell the historic courthouse once the new one was complete. It is uncertain if they still plan to do so given the structural repairs. Malcolm installs deep foundations for the new MiamiDade County Civil and Probate Courthouse. The historic courthouse can be seen in the background. Photos courtesy of Malcolm Drilling. Aerial view of foundation work. C&G
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