Whataburger Field is the new home of the Corpus Christi Hooks Double-A Minor League Baseball team and sits on the former site of several cotton storage warehouses. The facility was designed to retain the historical look and feel of an old ballpark with a tribute to the cotton industry by keeping some of the old warehouses in place.
Retention of the old cotton warehouses meant that large traditional drilling equipment for geotechnical borings could not be used inside the structures. Site conditions affecting foundation design and requirements included shallow water and soft soils.
Kleinfelder provided geotechnical investigations and construction materials testing services for the project. A low-head drill rig was used to perform geotechnical borings and testing inside the structures. Sixteen borings ranging from eight- to 100-feet deep were conducted, resulting in the recommendation of a deep foundation system. Construction materials testing services included drill pier observation, soil compaction testing, concrete testing, and structural steel observation.
Geotechnical testing and construction material recommendations based on the architectural vision for Whataburger Field played a part in the realization of what has been called the best minor league baseball venue in North America. Kleinfelder also helped preserve local history with the creation of a landmark facility, thereby benefiting the city and people of Corpus Christi.
Location:
Corpus Christi, Texas
Owner:
City of Corpus Christi
