Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facil | Projects

The Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) occupies approximately 25 acres in the City of Whittier and serves as a major waste‑diversion and public transfer facility for Los Angeles County. The facility includes a 215,000‑square‑foot processing building, administrative offices, maintenance areas, truck ramps and tunnels, weigh scales, and employee facilities. It is permitted to receive up to 4,400 tons per day and 24,000 tons per week of municipal solid waste.

Verdantas performed geotechnical site characterization to support the placement and design of MRF structures constructed at the base of steep natural hillsides underlain by landslide deposits and potentially liquefiable soils. Work included subsurface investigations, liquefaction analyses, slope stability evaluations, deep foundation design, and development of geotechnical recommendations to support structural design of the processing building and associated facilities.

Geotechnical Investigations & Analysis

Verdantas executed a comprehensive exploration program including drilling, sampling, logging of hollow‑stem and bucket auger borings, backhoe test pits, CPT soundings, and installation of piezometers. Analyses included liquefaction and seismic settlement evaluations, lateral displacement estimates, and evaluation of surface manifestation potential.

Foundation, Grading & Site Development Design

Services included evaluating stockpile plans, developing grading and drainage specifications, and delivering design recommendations for deep foundations, mat foundations, lateral earth pressures, and unloading and parking areas. Verdantas also performed slope stability analyses for 130‑foot‑high native and landslide slopes to determine safe structural setback distances.

Construction Support & CQA

Verdantas provided on‑call geotechnical observations for grading and foundation construction, verified subgrade suitability, developed and executed an indicator pile program to refine pile capacities, and provided CQA services during pile installation. Verdantas also reviewed plans, specifications, and provided geotechnical recommendations for building modifications and installation of new recycling equipment.

Solution

Engineering

Environmental Science

Expertise

Hydrology, Hydraulics, & Fluids

Site & Roadway Civil Engineering

Geotechnical & Geological Engineering

Environmental Assessment & Remediation

Structural Engineering

Market

Government

Industrial