DENTON ISD RYAN HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM ADDITION
In 2020 Denton ISD began a series of improvements at Ryan High School, including a new Fine Arts Auditorium. Sitting on the Woodbine Formation, the district required strict movement tolerances for the campus structure to maintain structural integrity and high aesthetic expectations. The Geotex geotechnical group recommended a drilled shaft foundation system with shafts set in sandstone bedrock 20 to 25 feet deep. Temporary casings were planned during shaft installations to manage the impact of subsurface sand materials and shallow groundwater. When the drilling crews were unable to seal off the groundwater with temporary casings, the Geotex geotechnical group developed a solution to keep the foundation installation moving forward.
Considering the cost, schedule and reinforcement cages already tied to-length, the team moved forward with the shafts as designed. To facilitate setting the temporary casings, underwater placement techniques were deployed. Using a concrete pump set to the bottom of the shafts, groundwater and excess materials were lifted as concrete was pumped into the excavation. Following several successful trials, the technique was seamlessly integrated across the addition, enabling foundation installations to progress without encountering any subsequent delays. Check out other K-12 projects on our Education page.
