Holter Lake Campground – Boat Ramp and Docks

Project Description

The Holter Lake Campground is located about halfway between Great Falls and Helena, Montana on Holter Lake, an impoundment on the Missouri River. Campground visitation is currently about 50,000 visitors per year with projections of up to 350 boat launchings per day. The design includes a 65-foot boarding float between boat access ramp lanes, an 88-foot courtesy dock, and a 235-foot main overnight dock. The layout accommodates 43 overnight moorings and is designed for winter seasonal removal of the floating dock sections.

Trails to the docks were routed to provide ADA accessibility and minimize the impact on the existing facility. The paved trails, concrete stairway, dock abutments, shoreline stabilization, and anchoring system designs were complicated by fill-type soils and shallow groundwater. The existing boat ramp was being undercut at the toe and required deepening and lengthening in addition to adding ramp access lanes. The water depth at the ramp toe required that sheet piling be installed for dewatering during construction. RPA coordinated with a number of structural, geotechnical, dock, and ramp specialists to facilitate the design.

Design alternatives were compiled into reporting that also addressed cost estimates. Design complications included significant wave and ice loads on the dock and shoreline stabilization. RPA accommodated multiple design reviews and provided complete plans and specifications provided for bid. The construction cost of the project was about $1.1M. The design work was completed through RPA’s IDIQ contract with the BLM Montana and Dakotas region.

Project Details​

Client

Bureau of Land Management

Location

Holter Lake, Montana

Port of Piegan – New Housing and Infrastructure

Project Description

RPA competed the Civil design work for this Land Port of Entry (LPOE) task under a General
Services Administration (GSA) Rocky Mountain Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Wyoming), AE Services IDIQ. The project involved building additional
prototype housing for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel at the Piegan LPOE property. The remote, self-sufficient site design required complex interrelations and significant infrastructure improvements.

KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS:

  • 63-acre site, 46 existing and new housing units
  • Phased design/build procurement, LEED compliance
  • Tribal lands, international border, national park setting, severe weather, variable seasonal use, and visitation, existing historic facilities
  • Site survey, existing infrastructure assessment, systems testing, soils investigations, alternatives analysis
  • On-site sewage treatment and disposal system, surge volume storage
  • Surface source water collection and security, water right review
  • Two-mile source water main, water treatment systems and backwash disposal, new water delivery system
  • Buried fire water and potable water storage, fire protection pump systems
  • Roads, parking, drainage system, and controls
  • Electrical distribution systems and emergency on-site generation, natural gas distribution
  • Security fencing, trails, common community areas, severe weather landscaping

Project Details​

Client

Bruce Boody Landscape Architects

Location

Port of Piegan, Montana

Block 106, Lot A

Project Description

Block 106, Lot A is a 3-story mixed use Type V building located in the Mill District, and is
currently under construction. The building is 17,600 SF with 4,000 SF of at grade parking beneath the building. The ground floor is intended for retail and office space with levels 2 and 3 serving as multi-family residential units. The structure is a combination of steel and wood framing. Wood shear walls serve as the lateral force resisting system for the building. The building is configured with a 2,000 SF courtyard at the 2nd level. The courtyard was designed for a 605 SF landscaped roof garden and snow storage.

RPA served as the Civil and Structural Engineer of Record for this project. Additionally, RPA’s
structural group provided special inspection services during construction

    Project Details

    Location

    Bozeman, Montana

    Architect

    Minarik Architecture

    Big Horn Valley Clinic

    Project Description

    RPA partnered with High Plains Architects to design a new 8,640 SF, single-story medical office building. The superstructure system consisted of exposed open web, parallel chord hybrid roof truss, comprised of wood and metal, supported on steel and wood framing. Rammed aggregate pier foundations were employed beneath the building to mitigate highly compressible subgrade soils. A network of cast-in-place concrete grade beams were utilized to transfer superstructure loads to the pier foundation. Careful planning and collaboration with the architect was undertaken to ensure interior demising walls, which were framed to the underside of roof sheathing, were detailed to allow deflection of the roof trusses and maintain rigorous sound isolation between exam rooms and offices.

    Project Details​

    Client

    Big Horn Valley Clinic

    Location

    Hardin, Montana

    Virginia City LiDAR

    Project Description

    RPA partnered with Aero-Graphics to complete a LiDAR project to provide mapping and aerial photography for a 32-mile square area in and around Virginia City, Montana. Aero-Graphics
    requested RPA to set 10+ targets, including 2 porous targets for their work. RPA was able to set and control the project in time for a late notice fight operation (weather delays) and was able to provide continuous GPS ground control for flight operations.

    Project Details​

    Client

    Aero-Graphics, Inc.

    Location

    Virginia City, Montana

    Montana Eye Care

    Project Description

    Working with Mosaic Architecture, the project included design and construction of a new 12,000 square foot clinic building. The new facility, located at the intersection of Montana Avenue and 11th Avenue in Helena, houses both an optometry clinic and retail showroom.
    Site design included challenges associated with keeping the existing clinic building in service, while the new facility was being constructed. In addition to a fully accessible site design, the new facility includes 10,000 gallons of underground stormwater detention/retention, located directly underneath the new 38-stall paved parking lot. The underground facility is constructed of aluminized corrugated steel piping, with perforations to allow stormwater runoff to infiltrate on-site.

    KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS

    • New 38-Stall Paved Parking Lot
    • Underground Stormwater Detention/Retention System
    • ADA Accessible Site Design
    • Site Landscaping and Privacy Fencing

    Project Details​

    Client

    Montana Eye Care

    Location

    Helena, Montana

    Architect

    Mosaic Architecture

    Volunteer Park

    Project Description

    This project consisted of developing a new public park in Lakeside, Montana. The existing project site contained a hotel, small business office, parking areas and a residence. The project consisted of demolishing the existing improvements and developing the site into a new community park, aptly called Volunteer Park.

    RPA provided civil engineering services to design improvements to Adams Street, a 37-stall
    asphalt parking lot, storm drainage, water and sewer improvements and ADA compliant
    bicycle/pedestrian paths through the park. RPA prepared civil technical specifications and
    construction drawings. During construction, RPA provided construction administration and
    observation for the project.

    Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA) also provided civil engineering for the expansion of Volunteer Park in Lakeside, Montana. RPA provided civil engineering for new sidewalk, curb and gutter, drainage and grading. RPA worked with the Montana Department of Transportation to work within their Right-of-Way. The project expanded the Volunteer Park and provided additional green space and pedestrian walkways throughout the park.

    KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS:

    • Community Park on Flathead Lake
    • Boat Docks
    • Swimming Area
    • Lakeshore Improvements
    • Asphalt Parking Lot
    • Storm Drainage Improvements
    • MDT Encroachment Permits
    • Construction Administration & Observation

    Project Details​

    Client

    Bruce Boody Landscape Architects

    Location

    Lakeside, Montana

    MT Hall

    Project Description

    RPA partnered with High Plains Architects to design a new 4-stop elevator, vertical circulation, and ADA compliant bathrooms in the existing east wing of Montana Hall. The project entailed removal of existing floors in the east wing to create space for the new elevator and stair shaft. Careful planning created a design facilitating installation of the nearly 60 feet tall shaft surrounded by stairs on three sides with minimal steel framing; small structural steel pieces were specified for ease of installation, with all bolted connections used to reduce fire risk during construction. New wall bracing in the east wing was incorporated to protect existing multi-wythe brick walls from damage or collapse during a seismic event. As part of the project, a new entry vestibule was incorporated at the east wing to protect the public entering the building from falling ice hazards from the main roof. Mass timber construction in the form of a cross-laminated timber slab was utilized for the vestibule roof to reduce weights on existing structure supporting the new roof, while being inherently resilient against impact loads. This is the first use of mass timber slabs as part of a structure at MSU.

    KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS

    • 25 y/o Historic Building Renovation/Remodel
    • Condition Assessment/Tier 2 Seismic Evaluation
    • Seismic Retrofit
    • New 4-stop Elevator and Stairs Addition to Interior
    • New Mass Timber Vestibule
    • Fire Hydrant and Service to Building
    • Special Inspection Services

    Project Details

    Client

    Montana State University

    Location

    Bozeman, Montana

    Architect

    High Plains Architects

    East Helena Water and Wastewater

    Project Description

    RPA has served the City of East Helena for nearly 40 years, completing numerous water and wastewater system improvement projects for the City. Professional services have included funding/financial studies, rate studies, sanitary sewer collection, wastewater facilities planning, scheduling, flow monitoring, design and construction administration, and advanced tertiary metals removal. RPA recently completed a solid waste operational analysis and rate study for the City to analyze the solid waste rates, existing revenue, existing expenditures, and to discuss potential solid waste rates for two separate alternatives. RPA has just finished the design for installation of new water distribution mains in two separate locations. In addition, RPA designed a new 1.0MG prestressed concrete water storage tank and appurtenances. Construction will include installing the New Prestressed Tank, new transmission main and bypass piping connecting to the existing transmission piping, new overflow and drain piping connecting to the existing drain piping, demolition of the existing water tanks, and other site and building improvements. 

    Project Details​

    Client

    City of East Helena

    Location

    East Helena, Montana

    Townsend Wastewater

    Project Description

    RPA has acted as Townsend’s municipal engineer over the last decade on a wide variety of wastewater, water, and street improvement projects. Most recently, construction was completed in late winter 2019 on the Townsend Wastewater System Improvements Project. The Townsend Wastewater System Improvements Project consisted of CIPP lining, a new lift station, wet well, valve vault, manhole and 15” gravity and 8” force main sewer piping, dredging sludge from Cells #1 and #4 and land applying, installation of a new Headworks and UV buildings, 12” to 15” lagoon piping, new aeration system and piping, manholes, vaults, lagoon cover for Cell #4, and a new non-potable water supply well and water service. The City had no means of disinfection prior to the project and this project was needed in order for the City to meet their current Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) Discharge Permit limits.

    This was a $5.9 million project that included grant funding from the Montana Department of Commerce Treasure State Endowment Program (TSEP), the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Renewable Resources Grant and Loan Program (RRGL), and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality SRF Loan Program (Forgiveness). Grant funding made up approximately 20% of the total project cost. An SRF loan was used to finance the remainder of the project. RPA assisted with the grant applications as well as provided funding administration for this project. RPA also assisted the City in restructuring the City’s wastewater and water rates as part of this project. RPA is currently completing a Water System PER with the primary objective of increasing water storage volume.

    KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS

    • Sewer Collection System Rehabilitation
    • Preliminary Engineering Report
    • Assistance with Discharge Permit

    Project Details​

    Client

    City of Townsend

    Location

    Townsend, Montana