Projects

Daniel O'Connell's Sons,
Deerfield, MA

Mike Talbot of OTO is the ultimate professional.
He’s the firm’s geotechnical engineering expert.
The thing about Mike is he always has the end result
clearly in mind. Throughout the project in question, we
called on Mike on a number of occasions. He was always up to the challenge at hand. Throughout the project, he remained focused on its timely and cost-effective completion."

- Carl Legrand, Daniel O'Connell's Sons

Earthwork construction in the Pioneer Valley can present unique challenges due to the presence of varved clay soil. Such was the case with the South Deerfield site upon which Daniel O’Connell's Sons (DOC), a well-established New England builder, was constructing a 276,000 square foot distribution warehouse and three-story office building. The facilities would ultimately be leased to Yankee Candle, a nationally known candle manufacturer and retailer.

Once the site was selected, DOC called on O’Reilly, Talbot & Okun to conduct a site analysis. Soil borings were completed and design criteria were established. Throughout construction, OTO was called in to evaluate structural footing loads.

When asked to recommend fill for the site, OTO recommended using on-site materials rather than hauling in gravel and sand. Varved clay can be used for fill if it’s not too dry or too wet. That particular summer was one of the rainiest on record. Thanks to the active role played by OTO in managing the situation, DOC was able to use on-site clay, save on construction costs and was able to complete the job on time and within budget.