Wildlife Phase III

Summarize the project's program, features and achievements?

Wildlife Commerce Park Buildings 12, 14 and 15 are part of an industrial commerce park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The park was developed by Crow Holdings and designed by architect Pross Design Group, Inc. Ridgemont initially secured the contract for one building, and our exceptional work and project management led us to additional opportunities, resulting in Ridgemont being commissioned in 7 out of the 11 industrial buildings in the park.

The three buildings total 1,063,480 square feet and are uniquely situated on two historically significant sites in Texas: the former Dallas County Landfill and the old International Safari and Wildlife Drive-Through Park. Each building features fabricated metal canopies and is equipped with a combined total of 214 overhead doors and 204 dock positions. These distinctive elements set this project apart, making it unlike any other industrial park.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project?

The construction process was further complicated by the site's location on the old Dallas County landfill, which posed significant challenges. RPM X played a critical role in site preparation by adding approximately 12 feet of material and importing tunnel rock to stabilize the building pads. Notably, the tunnel rock was placed only along the exterior perimeter of the building. This strategic placement enabled the use of continuous footings that were shallower—approximately 1 foot deep, compared to the typical 2-foot depth—making this aspect of the project particularly unique.

Another contractor, Jowell Injection Company, employed water injection techniques on the pads to enhance soil stability. Combined with the previously mentioned dynamic compaction, these efforts ensured the ground was properly prepared for construction. Once the pads were completed and handed over, utility installation work could begin.

Because the site is located on a landfill, a third-party engineer designed a methane barrier system to be installed beneath the building slab. This system prevents methane gas from seeping into the structure and posing a health risk. Additionally, all water-bearing pipes were required to be either double-contained or wrapped with a methane barrier to protect water quality and ensure safety. These precautionary measures were critical to constructing the site safely and effectively.

Coordination was critical during construction, as the county began demolishing the primary access road to the jobsite temporarily. This unexpected development required our team and trade partners to quickly adapt and identify an alternative route to maintain progress and ensure uninterrupted site access.

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project?

The Wildlife Industrial Park project required several specialized construction techniques to address unique site conditions. One such method was dynamic compaction, performed concurrently with the placement of 12 feet of imported soil. After compaction, tunnel rock was placed over the stabilized base. Dynamic compaction involved using a crane to repeatedly drop a 40–50-ton metal weight onto the ground, effectively densifying the soil, reducing subsurface voids, and creating a stable foundation for construction.

Water injection was used to enhance soil compaction and reduce voids in sandy areas, improving the overall load-bearing capacity. Additionally, flowable fill was applied around storm drains to further stabilize the sandy soils, offering a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional backfill methods. Together, these techniques provided a stable foundation for the buildings while effectively addressing the unique soil conditions at Wildlife Commerce Park.