Koppers is an industrial processing plant on approximately 100 acres of land, located adjacent to the Roanoke River in Salem, Virginia. They primarily focus on treating railroad ties and utility poles with products to increase their durability.
Recent changes in Norfolk Southern treatment process requirements required the expansion of the borate facility. At the same time, increased demand for product forced the facility to expand their storage area for stacks of the railroad ties.
Parker Design Group, Inc. worked closely with Koppers to develop a plan to expand their facilities in accordance with these requirements. The expansion of the storage yard provided them with the capacity required, but during planning, significant issues were encountered, which affected the design. During preliminary site investigation, it was discovered that the site, which is located immediately adjacent to the Roanoke River, had significantly soft soils. In order to provide the stability needed for these large stacks of ties, the design incorporated a layer of geogrid across the site, topped with compacted stone. This design resulted in a solid base for the stacked material.
Services provided include site planning, construction site and topographic surveying, and Stormwater Master Planning to ensure the site was in compliance with stormwater regulations for current projects and future growth.
