Nestled in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke, VA, is the only city in the continental United States that boasts a mountain within its geographic footprint. To say that this complex topography makes geotechnical engineering more challenging than in most other parts of the country is an understatement. But where others may see an insurmountable challenge, F&R’s geotechnical engineers embrace the opportunities this landscape provides to better serve their neighbors: the regional businesses, clients, and local families – including their own – who will depend upon the services and resources these projects provide.
The Crystal Spring Tower at Carilion (hereinafter “the Tower”) is exactly that kind of project. The Tower is a transformational expansion of healthcare capacity in Southwestern Virginia. As the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the area, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital (RMH) serves a large regional population extending into neighboring states. The construction of this 13-story 500,000-square-foot tower and emergency department addition with a helipad strengthens Carilion’s ability to provide advanced cardiovascular and trauma care. It is the culmination of decades of effort by a team dedicated to bringing the region’s most advanced emergency care and cardiovascular services to the families of Southwest Virginia.
The subsurface conditions surrounding the Carilion RMH campus are among the most unpredictable in western Virginia. The site sits within a karst geologic setting characterized by pinnacled limestone bedrock, variable soil strata, running sands, and cobbles. Rock was encountered at depths ranging from 4.5 feet to 95 feet, resulting in dramatic variability over short distances. The site’s proximity to the Roanoke River and the presence of continuous underground springs directing groundwater toward the river compounded the challenge. These factors heightened the risks of sinkholes, differential settlement, and structural instability.
F&R served as the geotechnical engineering consultant for the project, providing the foundation for its success, literally and figuratively. F&R conducted a subsurface investigation and an engineering analysis and developed foundation design recommendations tailored to one of the most geologically complex sites in the region. Our firm’s creative and proactive approach to the subsurface exploration and interpretation helped ensure structural stability and project economy, and facilitated the continuous operation of existing hospital resources throughout construction. F&R provided crucial foundation design recommendations for the complex karst geology.
Our comprehensive scope spanned three phases: a feasibility study, a design-phase geotechnical investigation, and foundation-specific exploration during the preconstruction phase. F&R implemented an unconventional approach, conducting targeted subsurface investigations at each foundation location. This method effectively and radically reduced foundation uncertainty. By providing precise location-specific data, F&R delivered an estimated 15-fold cost savings for our client, Carilion Clinic. This new approach minimized delays and enabled foundation size optimization, thus establishing a high-value model for geotechnical engineering efficiency and advancement in complex geological terrains. F&R’s thoughtful, integrated approach throughout each phase also facilitated seamless collaboration with the entire project team, earning their full confidence in the precisely engineered foundation solutions that helped maximize safety and performance during execution and ultimately propelled the entire project toward an efficient and successful outcome.
Our foundational support for this project was key to it being selected a Grand Award Winner of the American Council of Engineering Companies Virginia (ACEC-VA) 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards.
