Some communities are more likely to have settlement issues due to an underlying issue with the local soil quality- this is especially true in areas around waterways, such as Hampton Roads. Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Newport News have soil qualities that lead to higher settlement rates. Unfortunately for the Top Golf location in Virginia Beach, they learned this the hard way.
Top Golf’s Target Settlement Issue
As many members of our community know, there are a series of large targets throughout the driving range at the Top Golf facility. Once the ball makes it into the net, the ball is scanned through a machine to track the players score, then dropped into a concrete pit for collection. This concrete pit is sloped towards the center, and in the middle, there is a small chamber that collects the balls, known as “the coffin”. The coffin of the brown target had settled over 2 feet and large amounts of soil had eroded away from underneath the pit.
Top Golf had two options to solve this issue. The first option was to completely remove the pit, bring more backfill to the facility, and install a brand-new pit. This plan would shut down the facility for weeks or even months, losing thousands of dollars for the company. The other option was to have JACKCRETE lift the coffin back to level at its current height, then fill all other void spaces under the pit. Top Golf decided to proceed with JACKCRETE’s solution.
The crews at JACKCRETE started at 5AM, which allowed them to achieve the desired results before 10AM that same morning. First, foam was sprayed into the visible voids to stabilize the concrete and create a dam for foam that is injected later in the process. Once all the visible voids were filled, the crew drilled holes throughout the floor of the pit to fill any remaining voids, compact the soil more, and fully stabilize the pit. The last step in the process was to level the coffin in place. JACKCRETE drilled injection holes in a grid pattern through the floor of the coffin. Using multiple levels, JACKCRETE brought the coffin back to level, then fully stabilized it preventing future movement. Top Golf did not have to shut down during any point of the project and expectations were exceeded.
Handicap Ramp Settlement
Though there are a few possible causes of handicap ramp settlement, the most common is poor soil compaction when the ramp was originally poured. Over time, the weight of the ramp condenses the loose soils underneath, causing the ramp concrete to sink. This process could appear in as little as a few months, or as much as a few years after the concrete is poured. As long as the handicap ramp is in good shape, it can be lifted back up to its original height, removing any trip hazards.
The following morning, the JACKCRETE team returned at 5AM to lift the entire handicap ramp back to its original height and fix a few minor tripping hazards around the facility’s sidewalks. Before 10AM the Top Golf facility was back in ADA compliance and all the concrete was in its original position. Less than 48 hours after beginning our project at Top Golf, we were able to remediate all worries they had about their concrete. Better yet, we completed the project at a significantly lower cost, no downtime for the business, and with less mess than other solutions which would have achieved similar results.
