Drilling and casting of pilings to begin in Miller Hall courtyard Thursday

On Thursday, Nov. 19, drilling and casting of augercast pilings will begin in the courtyard of Miller Hall. These pilings are being constructed to support the new “collaboration structure.”

The piling auger will be mounted on a small, diesel-run, excavator-like piece of equipment smaller than the forklift that has been on site. The hollow stemmed auger will be used to drill into the ground to a specific depth. A concrete mix will be pumped down the stem of the auger while the auger is slowly withdrawn, leaving a shaft of fluid concrete to ground level.

Construction of the pilings will involve two phases: The drilling and testing phase will take place from Nov. 19 to 24, and the production phase will take place from Dec. 7 to Dec. 23. All courtyard piling is scheduled to be complete Dec. 23. During finals week, the piling crew will operate a swing shift in order to minimize disturbances.

For more information, contact Dale Krause, the WWU on-site construction coordinator, at (360) 650-4646.