THP provided structural engineering for this research facility that enables multidisciplinary teams at the University to not only lead the competition in addressing critical national and state health issues, but also to see an increase in research funding. The structure includes six supported floors totaling 306,000 square feet with a final cost of approximately $265 million.

The campus geology includes “karst features,” consisting of subterranean caves and voids within the underlying bedrock. When the top surface of these voids can no longer support the weight of the soil and structure above, they can collapse and form a sinkhole. To better identify the karst features and save the University on construction costs, THP helped coordinate the installation of pre-drilled, full-depth probe holes at each building column and drilled pier location (about 165 total). This information was then included with bid documents to allow for accurate and expedited contractor proposals.