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FORT COLLINS--When there's a new idea in the world of geotechnical engineering, the world comes to Northern Colorado to see if it works.
The Fort Collins division of the Denver-based firm CTL Thompson Inc. has become a pioneer in the field. The site is home to a testing lab for helical piers--the only lab of its kind in the world--as well as an experimental parking lot researching the benefits of pervious pavement.
Two years ago, at the urging of CTL Thompson, the International Code Council decided on building criteria for helical foundation systems, and the company subsequently became the only testing facility for the products accredited by the International Accreditation Service. Helical piers, explained Chip Leadbetter, Northern Colorado division manager, are a form of foundation support that screws deep into the earth.
"They were used in the past a lot for fixing buildings that needed foundation support," he said. Now they're getting used more and more in initial construction. The prices keep coming down. The nice...