Twin Hickory Park

With a whimsical, zero-depth interactive water “sprayground,” Twin Hickory Park opened to much fanfare in July 2014 with the perfect solution to beat the summer heat. Planned and designed by CHA, the award-winning park features two multipurpose sports fields, two age-specific playgrounds for younger and older children, a picnic shelter, and two miles of trails, in addition to the popular sprayground.

Henrico County built the recreational facility for $3 million on a 48.5-acre parcel next to Deep Run High School within the Twin Hickory planned community. Perched groundwater and soft, wet soils characterized the environmentally sensitive site and posed potential problems for construction of a new asphalt entrance road and walking paths in wetland areas. The county engaged Schnabel, which had completed a geotechnical engineering study of the site in 2012, to resolve the unsuitable subgrade conditions as construction commenced.

We provided observation and materials testing services during construction related to earthwork and foundations, cast-in-place concrete, and bituminous asphalt paving. Our geotechnical recommendations during construction focused on limiting additional excavation and costs, while providing the structural support needed for long-lasting, low maintenance facilities.