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Overhead shot of VIBRATORY STONE COLUMN INSTALLATION FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT in INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA conducted by CNC Foundations, First Choice in Ground Improvement.

VIBRATORY STONE COLUMN INSTALLATION FOR A DATA WAREHOUSE

  • PONTOON BEACH, ILLINOIS

CNC Foundations delivered ground improvement services using vibratory stone columns to support a 1.07 million sq ft data warehouse project in Pontoon Beach, Illinois. The solution offered a low-vibration, preemptive approach to stabilize compressible clay soils, improve load-bearing capacity, and accelerate the construction timeline. By strengthening the soil matrix, CNC helped ensure long-term structural performance and a smoother path to project completion.

  • Owner: NorthPoint Development
  • General Contractor: Contegra Construction
  • Structural Engineer: Shrink & O’Donovan
  • Project Timeline: 42 Production Days
  • Contract Price: $1,847,985
  • Project Size: 1.07 million sq ft
  • Design Bearing Capacity: 4,000 psf

NorthPoint Development required a foundation system capable of supporting heavy industrial loads across a broad project footprint. However, the site’s subsurface conditions, dominated by compressible clays, posed a significant risk of excessive settlement and potential delays. Traditional deep foundation methods were cost-prohibitive, and the project demanded a rapid, low-vibration alternative that could meet strict performance criteria.

Complicating matters further, the site remained active throughout construction, with multiple contractors and trades working in parallel. Coordinating installation logistics, maintaining equipment access, and ensuring timely material deliveries in such a dynamic environment required meticulous planning and field agility. CNC Foundations successfully executed the ground improvement scope with minimal disruption, maintaining schedule efficiency while delivering reliable, engineered performance.

Subsurface investigation revealed fat and lean clays extending through the upper soil profile, underlain by a competent sand layer. These clay soils exhibited low shear strength and high compressibility, making them unsuitable for direct foundation support. CNC Foundations selected vibratory stone columns to densify the clay matrix and transfer structural loads into the underlying sand stratum.

CNC Foundations installed 3,417 vibratory stone columns across the site, totaling 98,096 linear feet. Using a vibroflot system, stone was placed and compacted in controlled lifts from the design depth to finished grade. This method produced dense aggregate columns that:

  • Increased the allowable bearing capacity

  • Maintained settlement within design tolerances

  • Enabled rapid, low-impact installation

  • Eliminated the need for deep foundations or mass excavation

The project was completed ahead of schedule, and load testing confirmed deflections well below allowable limits, validating the performance of the ground improvement system.