Memorial, Museum and Fine Arts Projects
National D-Day Memorial; Bedford, VA
Construction of the memorial began in August 1999, with the upper plaza of the memorial, which is dominated by a 40-foot concrete and granite arch, completed in time for Memorial Day 2000, and the lower plaza, which depicts the invasion beach head, completed in time for the official dedication. F&R performed construction materials testing and inspection services on the earthwork operations related to structural fills, utility trench backfills, parking areas, and roadways. The memorial has received national attention and praise for the innovative incorporation of history and symbolism of the invasion period into the architectural design. The memorial has also received the Virginia Chapter of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Award for Excellence in Concrete for the year 2000. The award was presented to the National D-Day Foundation, Dickson Architects & Associates (architect), Coleman Adams (contractor), Fact Concrete, Inc. (finisher), Day & Kinder (structural engineering), Architectural Concrete Products (prestress/precast concrete), Bedford Ready Mix Concrete Company, and F&R (testing and inspection).
Marine Corps Heritage Center
F&R provided a Phase I Preliminary Subsurface Exploration and Analysis on the 135-acre site. The $22 million initial phase of this project included a 120,000 square foot Heritage Center Building, with the majority of this building integrated into the earth.
Lenfest Center for the Performing Arts; Washington & Lee University
F&R performed construction materials testing and inspection services for this $10.5 million, 50,000sf facility. The cast in-place concrete was monitored for compliance with the contract documents and applicable building codes such as ACI 301 and ACI 318. Concrete mix proportions were monitored for compliance with the guidelines set forth in ACI 318 and BOCA 1705. Typical inspection tasks included observations of concrete mixing times, mixing and transporting procedures, plastic concrete consistency, air content, slump, and unit weight.
Paramount Theatre
On November 25, 1931, the Paramount Theater of Charlottesville, VA opened its doors as one of the last grand “movie palaces” during the golden age of cinema. With its exceptional sight lines and astounding acoustics, the Paramount Theater became a landmark and an integral part of Central Virginia's community life over the next four decades. Based on the proposed Paramount renovations, the project structural engineer requested an in-place load test in the lobby area and mortar strength testing of the exterior brick along Market St. and the Market St. alley. The varied field tests performed by F&R for the structural engineer provided information that allowed analyses of how the existing structure would tolerate the new loadings and where reinforcement was needed for the proposed additions.
National World War II Memorial
F&R provided geotechnical exploration, chemical, and environmental services for the National World War II Memorial project. F&R’s chemical laboratory performed various analyses on water and soil samples, while F&R’s environmental staff collected and ensured proper transportation of the samples to the laboratory. EPA sampling guidelines was strictly adhered to and proper health and safety measures were followed. This project faced many unique challenges, which included daily mobilization and demobilization, and interfacing with numerous organizations such as the General Services Administration, National Park Service, and the Secret Service.
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