Over the past six years F&R has completed more than $2 million of work on JMU projects, most of it under a term contract for geotechnical and construction engineering services. The centerpiece of this work includes the new Union Bank & Trust Convocation Center and 1500 space parking deck. The arena will replace the existing 1980’s era Convocation Center and is expected to be finished before the 2020-21 basketball season.

While in final design phases prior to beginning construction, F&R provided a complete subsurface exploration and field and laboratory testing program to ascertain suitability of the soils for the proposed design and loads. Once the data was analyzed, F&R’s geotechnical engineers provided a report outlining recommendations for foundations, site preparation, seismic site classification and other construction considerations.

F&R’s materials testing and inspections professionals have returned to the site during construction phases to provide monitoring and testing of earthwork, foundations, cast-in-place concrete, masonry, structural steel and fireproofing.