Nicholson Construction project helps test stealth planes

Hill Air Force Base cutter soil mixed retaining wall or CSM by geotechnical contractor Nicholson Construction

Hill Air Force Base cutter soil mixed retaining wall or CSM by geotechnical contractor Nicholson Construction

Nicholson Construction built a cutter soil mixed (CSM) retaining wall for an unusual application at the Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. A 50-ft diameter by 50-ft deep shaft was constructed using CSM as temporary shoring to construct a turntable and pylons to allow an F-22 Raptor and other stealth aircraft to be raised to a height of 20 feet to allow radar testing of low observable coatings (stealth paint). The CSM shoring was also used for a portion of access tunnel for the shaft and pylons. The CSM panels were overlapped to create a water-tight seal and prevent seepage and eliminate the need for dewatering, a tricky and expensive proposition with the contaminated ground present at the site. Read more about the project at the link below. [Source: Nicholson Construction. Image: Nicholson Construction]