SEPTA’s Frankford Terminal

Project Overview

Modernization of the 84-year-old Frankford Transportation Center was the largest single construction project ever undertaken by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The final component of the $650 million upgrade was a 5-story parking structure. GeoStructures provided site characterization, foundation design, and inspection and materials testing during construction for the project.

The foundation design called for socketing the caissons into mica schist bedrock below a zone of highly weathered rock. Recognizing that the weak material controlled the socket lengths (which, in turn, controlled pre-assembly of reinforcement cages on site), the general contractor sought socket refinement from GeoStructures before starting work. This task was accomplished by performing 30 core borings and 80 percussion probes— one at each proposed caisson location.

Because it is not a standardized technique, percussion probing must be calibrated to core borings and compressive strengths. For this project, three separate rock classes, each with an assigned percussion drilling rate, weathering, fracturing, and compressive strength, were used to determine an appropriate rock socket length for each caisson.

GeoStructures followed through with inspection and materials testing during construction. As expected, the design efficiency gained by accurate rock mass characterization translated into construction efficiency and cost control by minimizing drilling overruns and reinforcement waste.

Construction Inspection and Materials Testing

Foundation Investigation and Design

Drilling Services and Subsurface Investigations

Our Comprehensive Project Workflow: Step-by-Step Guide

01.

Initial Consultation and Client Needs Assessment

Our team responds promptly to your inquiries, ensuring timely communication and immediate attention to your project needs. We work closely with clients to understand all project requirements, ensuring that we capture every detail and objective from the start.

02.

Development of Work Plan

Our expert project managers extend innovative problem-solving to project planning, resulting in technically-sound, cost-effective work plans to better serve our clients.

03.

Project Proposal and Agreement

We provide a detailed project proposal outlining the scope of work, fee schedule, and agreement terms. The project begins once the proposal is approved.

04.

Execution and Quality Assurance

Our highly skilled team of principals, project managers, engineers, and field staff execute the project with precision, maintaining open communication to ensure alignment with client expectations. Each project undergoes a rigorous quality check by our team of licensed professional engineers, ensuring all deliverables meet our high standards of excellence.

05.

Project Delivery and Invoicing

Upon completion, we deliver the final project and issue an invoice for the completed work, ensuring full transparency and satisfaction.