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Riot House is one of the premier nightclubs in Scottsdale, AZ
and is now expanding to a second location in the Lower downtown area of Denver, CO near Coors Field. The Lower Downtown area is part of Denver’s founding neighborhood and home to 127 historic and architecturally significant structures. Similar to other revitalization projects recently performed in the area, the project focuses on re-purposing old buildings by performing structural upgrades while keeping as much of the original shell and façade as possible.
The project included preserving the basement and exterior shell of one of the structures and partially demolishing the adjacent building. This required construction of new interior and exterior load-bearing elements to support new structural columns and foundation walls. A total of fifteen new column pads were constructed. The new column pads had a wide range of loading conditions that imparted vertical and lateral loads as well as moments induced from wind and seismic loads.
The heavier loads precluded the use of conventional shallow foundations. Based on the required loading, space constraints, and soils conditions, helical piers were utilized for foundation support. Based on the wide range of load conditions, anywhere from 1 to 9 helical piers were 
used per column. Battered piers were used where needed for lateral loads and to maintain the required separation of the helical bearing plates at bearing elevation.
Ram Jack 2-7/8” and 3-1/2” helical piers were used to meet a variety of load requirements. The 2-7/8” piers have an allowable capacity of 36 kips and were used inside the basement of the existing building where the piers had to be installed with man-portable equipment. The 3-1/2” piers have an allowable capacity of 50 kips and were used where higher loads were required and piers could be installed with a 
backhoe or skid loader. Ram Jack of Colorado installed a total of two hundred and eighteen (218) helical piers for the project. The helical piers were installed in several phases to accommodate the general contractor’s construction schedule.
Ram Jack of Colorado also installed a reticulated micropile wall along the alley to help protect existing utilities during excavation on the adjacent site. Additional vertical micropile shoring elements were installed to provide temporary earth retention during construction of the new elevator shaft.
Ram Jack of Colorado has the capability to install helical piers in limited access and low overhead areas as well as for new construction applications with capacities of up to 115 kips. The Riot House nightclub and restaurant highlights Ram Jack of Colorado’s ability to meet the needs of a demanding project with high loads, limited access and a constantly changing schedule.
Ram Jack of Colorado is part of a Family of Foundation Repair companies with locations in AZ, CO and NM with the ability to professionally install piers, micropiles, soil nails, shotcrete, tiebacks and more depending on the needs of the project.
Ram Jack of Colorado Installs (218) Helical Piles for Foundation Augmentation for an Historic Building in the Lower Downtown Area of Denver, CO
October, 2023
by Patrick Harmsen
Ram Jack Arizona (Phoenix) - (480) 941-3448
Ram Jack Arizona (Tucson) - (520) 229-1474
Ram Jack Colorado - (303) 716-7437
Ram Jack New Mexico - (505) 771-8890
Straight Line Construction Co. - (719) 545-9942