Case Studies Meridian IHOP Saved from Sinkhole with Ram Jack Helical Piles

Meridian, Mississippi

In the city of Meridian, an IHOP was located off I-20. Adjacent to IHOP was a parking lot concealing a culvert. Unfortunately, this culvert had collapsed beneath the parking lot, resulting in the formation of a large sinkhole. The sinkhole was approximately 24 ft. from the side of the IHOP.

PROBLEM
Malouf Construction was commissioned to replace the collapsed culvert. However, the construction firm, along with the geotechnical and materials engineering firm Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc., were concerned that the soil next to the IHOP would collapse during the installation, risking the IHOP collapsing into the sinkhole. Ram Jack Mississippi was contacted for reinforcement in this endeavor.

PROPOSED SOLUTION
To counteract their concerns, Malouf Construction devised a plan to install a sheet pile wall along the side of the IHOP to prevent the soil or IHOP from collapsing. In order to achieve this, Malouf would require a system capable of reinforcing the sheet pile wall. Fortified Engineering, in unison with Malouf and Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc., worked together to design a tieback to be installed through the sheet pile wall. Multiple 5 1 ⁄2 in. diameter tiebacks would allow the sheet pile wall to retain the soil and keep the IHOP from collapsing. Because of the severity of the problem, Ram Jack Mississippi leaned on the expertise of Ram Jack South Carolina to assist with the project.

OUTCOME
During the installation of the first 14 helical piles, everything went smoothly as expected. The piles were installed in an open area, allowing full access to machinery. However, the remaining piles were located in a tighter space that failed to provide ease of access to machinery. So, Ram Jack Mississippi contacted corporate for advice. After some brainstorming, the team approached Malouf with the idea of building mobile decks in the sinkhole that could hold all machinery. This way, Ram Jack could install the remaining piles. Malouf agreed, the decks were built, and the remainder of the project unfolded according to plan. While the process took longer than anticipated, Ram Jack succeeded in the mission to prevent the collapse of the soil and IHOP.