MOUNT AIRY, NC—The 12-year-old riverfront Convention Center in New Bern, NC was in trouble. The building’s exterior is supported by pilings driven deep in the ground, but the floors sit directly on the earth and silt of the old riverbed. The land was in-filled by old docks and building debris in the 1970s and settling, erosion, and construction mistakes were taking their toll on the building.
Parts of the floor and patio sunk up to seven inches, cracks and uneven joints in the concrete slab floors were causing walking/tripping hazards, and gaps beneath walls were allowing sound to pass between what were designed as soundproof rooms.
Craven County chose Hayward Baker, a leading national geotechnical construction firm headquartered in Odenton, Maryland, to help repair the building. “One door was so off level it looked like a fun-house,” says Terry Phillips, superintendent with Hayward Baker’s Greensboro NC office. “We got to work on the office areas, kitchens, stairwells, and rooms using TerraThane™ polyurethane foam to raise and level the interior walls.”
Phillips says they drilled 5/8th inch holes in a 5 foot-by-five-foot grid and pumped in over 10,000 lbs. of TerraThane™ to fill the voids beneath and raise the concrete slabs to their original position. “TerraThane™ is the way to go. It’s clean—there’s really no mess—it’s much quicker than traditional products, strong, and lasts the life of the building.”
Gene Hodges, Assistant County Manager, says Craven County is more than pleased with Hayward Baker and TerraThane™. “They really exceeded our expectations. We thought there would be lots of clean up after the process, but other than some spackling and a little painting there was very little to do. The polyurethane foam was extremely cost effective and downtime was so minimal. We’re very pleased.”
Phillips says TerraThane™ is made by NCFI Polyurethanes, Mount Airy, NC, and is the kind of company Hayward Baker likes to work with. “We have a unique process for choosing companies we work with and it all centers around what is best for our clients and who will help us deliver excellent services. NCFI does that. On this New Bern job, if we needed something it was there. I called with a need for more packers after four o’clock one day, and they delivered them across the state the next morning. That’s the kind of service that helps us succeed. And their people know building science, and they know their products inside and out—they’ve been doing it since the 60s. TerraThane™ really helped us supersede the convention center client’s expectations. We finished the job three weeks ahead of schedule. Now, we’re talking with them about two more buildings. I can’t wait to use TerraThane™ again.”
New Bern was the colonial capital of North Carolina, the first State capital, and is the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola.
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For more information or to arrange an interview on this subject contact Dale McGlothlin, (202) 341-8615
[Editor] Disclosure: Hayward Baker is a sponsor of GeoPrac.net. [/Editor]
About NCFI
NCFI, headquartered in Mt. Airy, NC since 1964, manufactures polyurethane foam chemical systems for spray foam-in-place insulation (SPF), geotechnical, roofing, marine floatation, packaging, specialty molding, and many other uses. The company also offers a complete line of flexible foams for furniture seating, transportation seating, bedding, carpet underlay, and packaging. NCFI also has manufacturing plants in Hickory, N.C., Dalton, GA., and Salt
