Manpower Global Headquarters

 

Location

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 

Client

Riverbend Place, LLC

 

Developer

Schlitz Park/The Brewery Works, Inc.

 

Services provided

Civil site design

Construction materials testing

Environmental services

Foundation design

Geotechnical engineering

Municipal permitting

Public utility relocation assistance

Soils laboratory testing

State grant funding assistance

Storm water design/permitting

Surveying

 

Project overview

Manpower Inc., a Fortune-500 company and world leader in the employment services industry, decided to move its corporate headquarters to downtown Milwaukee. The $87 million project includes a 294,000 square foot office building, a seven-level parking structure and extension of the Milwaukee Riverwalk. The new site can house more than 1,000 employees. The project is scheduled to be completed by summer 2007.

 

Approach

In response to Schlitz Park’s needs, STS was hired for a complete package of site development services. The unoccupied site consisted of two parcels with complex geotechnical and environmental conditions. The site had many previous uses over the years and contained numerous buried structures. STS began the project with site characterization including an environmental assessment and working closely with the Department of Natural Resources.

 

The geotechnical engineering included utilizing pressuremeter testing to develop high capacity drilled shaft foundations for the office building and high capacity shallow foundations for the parking structure. STS also provided a cost-saving reinforced earth wall system as an option to construct the Riverwalk over the poor soil conditions.

 

Next, STS moved into the design phase with surveying and civil site design, including utilities, storm water management and site restoration /regulatory environmental closure. The civil design contained a difficult retaining wall structure and grading between the building and walkway. In addition, STS also observed drilled shaft construction, rebar installation, foundation excavation and provided concrete testing and structural steel testing.

 

Client benefits

• STS' familiarity with the municipality's staff and review process reduced the permit acquisition time.
• In-situ soil pressure meter testing allowed for the office building deep foundation design saved the client thousands of dollars.
• Interaction in all phases of design and construction helped enhance communication on a fast-track project.