Community Memorial Health System Project Update

Every day the steady grind of progress continues on the site of the new Community Memorial Hospital. Currently, we have installed 1,947 soil enhancement columns, with the final figure of 2,240 well within our sights.

Hayward Baker, based out of Santa Paula, who is installing the columns, will shortly move out two of the three drilling rigs they have on-site, and begin dismantling their mixing (batch) plant. Needless to say, we will miss the daily dance of the three drilling rigs, as this phase of the project enters its final stages.

As our homage to the crews who toil daily on our important building project, we salute you with our version of the “Daily Grind”.

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What we now affectionately refer to as “The Hole” keeps getting bigger and bigger as site excavation continues for the new Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura.

The installation of the 2,240 soil enhancement columns has passed the mid-point schedule, and we are ahead of schedule.

On a daily basis, we have become fascinated with the synchronized “dance” of the three drilling rigs working on the site. As a tribute to those workers providing this vital component of the building process, we have put together this short “lighthearted” tribute film.

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Drilling a soil enhancement column.

Work has begun in earnest on the installation of over 2,200 underground soil enhancement columns. This work is necessary to improve weak soil underground, so that it will sustain an increased bearing capacity, decrease settlement, and mitigate liquefaction potential for the planned structure.

The soil enhancement columns are also referred to as wet soil mixing – a ground improvement technique that improves the characteristics of weak soils by mixing them with a cement binder slurry. To construct the columns, a hole is created and then the binder slurry is pumped into the hole.

The work is being done locally by Hayward Baker Inc, which operates an office out of Santa Paula. The installation of these columns will constitute the majority of the construction work for the remainder of the year.

Click to view Wet Soil Mixing Animation

Click to view Wet Soil Mixing PDF

The excavation of the site for the new Community Memorial Hospital is well underway. Visitors have been amazed at the sight of the large “hole” that seems to have appeared overnight.

On a typical excavation day, approximately 200 to 230 dump trucks remove roughly 2500 to 3000 cubic yards of dirt. The work is being done by a local company, Toro Enterprises, which is based out of Oxnard. As the excavation work progresses, workers continue the process of installing shoring beams and walls around the perimeter of the excavation area to secure the soil.

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The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) has approved the data submitted from the four on-site seismic test pillars for the new Community Memorial Hospital.

This approval clears the path to begin installing the 2227 underground pillars for the new hospital, which will start after the excavation of the site is completed.

In preparation for the excavation of the ground for the new hospital, the installation of shoring beams around the perimeter of the site has begun. The shoring beams will help support the walls of the ground as the excavation of the dirt begins.

The process to install these shoring beams involves a “vibration” method to sink the beams into the ground.

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