ARTS BREWERY, SEATTLE
The Rainier Brewery, which ceased operations in 1998, includes approximately 25 buildings that span a quarter of a mile along Airport Way South. The plan is to turn the complex into a multi-use development that provides affordable live/work and community space to artists and homes for several arts and nonprofit organizations, and continues to serve as Tully’s headquarters. We have been providing geotechnical services on various areas of the complex since 2003. Most notably, engineering services prior to, and through construction of a new retail coffee shop at the northwestern corner of the complex, a new roadway that extends along the eastern edge of the complex, and a new storage facility at the southeastern corner of the complex. The geotechnical engineering challenges on the projects is directly tied to the geologic setting. Loose soils required the use of pile foundations, sloping conditions made for several retaining structures and excavations, some as much as 30 feet. Retaining structures range from soil-nail walls and soldier-pile shoring to large conventional concrete walls. Currently, we are involved with providing geotechnical engineering observation and testing services for the storage facility. Monitoring of I-5, the existing site buildings and the SPU tunnel is also underway.