Soil Sampling Planned for Rotunda Renovation

A small drilling rig will be used starting Wednesday to take soil samples in the east and west courtyards of the University of Virginia’s Rotunda.

The borings, part of the next phase of the Rotunda renovation project, will be taken with a small drilling rig that can fit through the colonnades and be moved by hand. The drilling itself will cause some noise that will be heard within nearby offices.

“We have had U.Va.’s landscape crew dig test pits adjacent to the walls of the Rotunda and the four wings, in order to better understand the depth of the foundations and below-grade conditions,” said James D.W. Zehmer, historic preservation project manager with Facilities Management’s planning and construction department. “These exploratory pits, as well as the borings, will give the design team valuable information as they plan the next phase of work, especially regarding utility upgrades and the structural stability of this historic building.”