Institutional & Education

UT Strong Hall

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Description:

The project consisted of the design and construction of the new Strong Hall Science building, located on the site of the former Strong Hall along Cumberland Avenue at the University of Tennessee. The 268,000-square-foot facility, $114 million facility includes general purpose classrooms mixed with flexible teaching spaces.   The innovative new building incorporates historic details from the original 1926 residence hall, which was the first women’s residence hall for the university. A portion of the original hall was saved and attached to the main hall to be used as exhibit space and conference rooms. Strong Hall houses the Division of Biology and the Departments of Chemistry, Anthropology, and Earth and Planetary Sciences. The new building is a multi-level facility with construction both below and above grade. The main structure is an 8-story cast-in-place superstructure with an attached structural steel framed auditorium. The superstructure and auditorium are supported on a system of drilled piers, grades beams and concrete slab-on-grade. The below grade floors required the installation of temporary shoring along the north side of the building footprint.

GEOServices Services:

GEOServices supported the construction of the project with Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Material Testing and Special Inspections services. GEOServices explored subsurface soil and bedrock conditions and provided recommendations for foundation designs and construction. GEOServices provided soil, aggregate and concrete field and laboratory testing, observation and testing of compacted soil and aggregate, inspections of bearing conditions for shallow foundations and inspections of drilled shafts. Inspections were performed in accordance with project plans and specifications, and applicable building codes to verify the correct installation of structural features such as the reinforcement and structural steel