The development of the National Coast Guard Museum in Connecticut marks a milestone in maritime heritage preservation. The six-story museum, with a 15,000 sq ft footprint, is supported by deep foundations consisting of approximately 200 rock-socketed micropiles, installed to depths of up to 75 ft and socketed 10 ft into competent rock. The building features a framed structural platform supported on grade beams and pile caps, with a steel frame and composite metal deck. The lateral system comprises steel-braced frames at the elevator and stair cores.

Our firm served as the Special Inspection Agency for this project, conducting continuous inspections over six months. This included material testing for grout in our in-house laboratory. Each micropile installation was rigorously logged, documenting rock socket depth, advancement rate, rig performance, and final depth. An axial load test was performed in tension on a sacrificial micropile, reaching a maximum load of 600 kips.

The unique geological conditions required casing through upper soil zones and a robust connection between the piles and pile caps using threaded rebar. Our team enabled the simultaneous operation of multiple rigs, accelerating the schedule while ensuring compliance with the 2018 Connecticut Building Code. These inspections were critical in verifying structural integrity and ensuring the museum’s foundation meets stringent safety and longevity standards.