San Luis Port of Entry: Stabilizing Critical Border Infrastructure

Expanding one of the busiest land port of entry in the United States requires a foundation that can withstand constant heavy-vehicle traffic. For the San Luis Port of Entry expansion at the Arizona-Mexico border, Dynamic Compaction Solutions (DCS) partnered with Hensel Phelps to transform over 20 acres of challenging terrain into a stable engineering platform.

The Challenge: Expanding Infrastructure on Unstable Soils

The project scope was ambitious: doubling the existing highway capacity from 8 lanes to 16 to facilitate smoother international trade and transit. However, the site was characterized by highly sandy and silty soil profiles. These materials are notoriously difficult to stabilize using traditional methods, as they often lack the inherent cohesion needed to support the massive structural loads of expanded highway infrastructure and heavy port operations.

The HEIC Teaching Moment: Stabilizing Cohesionless Soils

Why was High Energy Impact Compaction (HEIC) the primary choice for the San Luis Port of Entry? In sandy and silty environments, traditional circular rollers often struggle with “shoving” or only compacting the immediate surface layer.

• Deep-Wave Stabilization: HEIC uses non-circular rotating modules to generate high-magnitude stress waves that penetrate deep into the sandy profile.
• Void Collapse: The energy release forces particle rearrangement, effectively collapsing voids within the silt and sand to reach “practical refusal”.
• Large-Scale Uniformity: By treating over 20 acres in-situ, DCS ensured a uniform stiffness across the entire footprint, which is critical for preventing differential settlement in multi-lane highway expansions.

The Results: A High-Capacity Foundation

By implementing a precision HEIC program, DCS met the project’s strict performance requirements and provided a rock-solid base for the expanded port:

• Enhanced Load Bearing: The treatment successfully stabilized the 20-acre site, allowing for the construction of 8 additional lanes capable of handling heavy commercial border traffic.
• Efficiency at Scale: HEIC’s ability to cover vast areas quickly ensured that the ground improvement phase remained ahead of the aggressive expansion schedule.
• Proven Reliability: The project was delivered to the exact specifications required by Hensel Phelps, ensuring the longevity of this critical international crossing.

The DCS Advantage

At the San Luis Port of Entry, DCS demonstrated that even the most challenging sandy and silty conditions can be engineered into a high-performance asset. Our commitment to utilizing data-backed HEIC technology allowed the project to move from unstable border land to a digitally verified, high-strength platform.

Looking for a verified ground improvement solution? Contact Dynamic Compaction Solutions at (970) 222-6825.