Case Studies Wayne Farms LLC

Introduction: Wayne Farms, LLC is one of the largest vertically integrated poultry producers in the United States. The foundation of the waste drainage room at their Laurel, Mississippi facility had settled significantly which was causing operation issues.

Problem: The foundation of the waste drainage room at Wayne Farms had settled over 5 ft. and was beyond repair; replacement of the foundation was required. Since the waste drainage room is a key component to the operations of the plant, Wayne Farms needed the foundation to be replaced quickly to get the plant operational again as soon as possible. Needing some assurance that the new foundation would not settle like the old one, Ram Jack Mississippi was contacted to provide a solution.

Proposed Solution: Ram Jack engineering designed an underpinning solution to support the new loads and foundation. The proposed solution to support the new foundation included the installation of twenty-five (25) 2 7/8in. diameter new construction helical piles with a twin 10/12 in. helical plate configuration. Wayne Farms needed the installation crews to mobilize and install the helical piles within a 24-hour window in order to keep the project on track. Additionally, the mini-excavator used to install the piles would need to be lowered into the work area by a crane since the job site was located six ft. deep into the foundation in the middle of two buildings, each 20 ft. tall.

Outcome: Ram Jack Mississippi, with the help of Alabama Ram Jack, installed the helical piles to an average depth of 23 ft. All piles were installed within a 10-hour time frame. Since helical piles can be loaded immediately after installation, this allowed the concrete foundation to be placed ahead of schedule and saved Wayne Farms time and money by reducing their operational downtime.

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