Commercial geotechnical engineering

Four Seasons Resort at Teton Village, Wyoming

This complex building occupies 10 levels on a sloping site along the east face of the Teton Range. When built in 2004 it was the largest building in Wyoming. The site is proximal to the Teton Fault, resulting in variable subgrade conditions and significant seismic hazard. Liquefaction and potential settlement issues were addressed. Compressible soils were replaced and the building was constructed on large heavily loaded shallow footings. WAI provided all geotechnical services from initial analysis through to resolution of construction issues.

Saddle Ridge Inn, Moonlight Basin Ranch, Gallatin County, MT

Moonlight Basin is the first new destination ski area to be developed in North America in 20 years. With the new combination ticket uniting Moonlight and neighboring Big Sky, the skiing on Lone Peak represents the largest ski area in the U.S. The Saddle Ridge Inn is the major lodge at Moonlight, with a footprint of approximately 22,000 square feet. The presence of ancient dormant landslides and weak bedrock in the area necessitated a site-specific investigation for the Inn. Materials encountered during the field investigation were coarse and granular in nature, with sufficient bearing capacity to allow for the use of conventional spread footings. By identifying the nature of the soils and geology at the site, WAI was able to recommend a considerably more cost-efficient foundation program at this site than was required at nearby sites with problematic geology. Determination of bearing conditions and slope stability at the Inn prior to construction saved the developers both time and money.

New Aerial Tram: Teton Village, Wyoming

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort retired its iconic aerial tram in 2006 after 40 years of service. A new tram is scheduled to begin operation for the winter of ’08-’09. WAI and Shannon & Wilson were contracted to provide rock mechanics, slope stability analyses, and anchor design for the new tram towers and terminals. Work performed in summer 2006 included borings (some helicopter assisted), geological mapping, fracture mapping, and rock strength testing for upper towers, and liquefaction analysis for the base terminal.

Bridger Restaurant: Teton Village, Wyoming

This building houses a 100-seat fine dining restaurant. Located on the shoulder of Rendezvous Mountain at 9,100’, the Bridger Gondola Restaurant is seated on an ancient landslide directly below some of the steepest terrain on the mountain. WAI provided geotechnical investigation and deep foundation design, primarily steel piles.

River Rim South, Tetonia, ID

The River Rim South subdivision encompasses 3,120 acres and consists of a golf course, office buildings, hundreds of homesites, and more than 10 miles of roads. The site is located at the foot of the Big Hole Mountains in Teton Valley, Idaho and is underlain by very thick (>20’) sequences of collapsible wind-blown loess and volcanic bedrock. The loess was laid down on top of a bedrock landscape with variable topography, resulting in a complex pattern of thick soils and shallow bedrock across the site. WAI excavated and logged 130 test pits as part of our investigation to support foundation design for the clubhouse, water tank, and homesites.

Granite Ridge Townhouses, Teton Village, WY

Construction at this site consisted of 21 townhouses built on a sloping lot near the northeastern boundary of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski area. This site is located at the base of the range front, at the intersection of fluvially dominated and hillslope dominated environments, with a strong glacial component delivered during the last glacial maximum. These units interfinger in a complex arrangement and lead to extremely heterogeneous bearing conditions across the site. Additionally, shallow groundwater seeps are present within fine- and coarse-grained glacial deposits. Based on the results of a dozen test pits at the site, WAI recommended a foundation plan consisting of a combination of conventional spread footings placed on coarse glacial and colluvial material, overexcavation and replacement of fine-grained materials with structural fill, and shallow piers founded in coarse material at depth.

“Green” Projects, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

WAI has provided geotechnical design for LEED construction at the Teton Science School, the new Teton National Park visitor centers at Moose and JY Ranch, and several major commercial facilities at Teton Village, including the new Sweetwater and Terra Lodges.