City: Dumfries
State: Virginia
Sitework Contractor: B&S Site Development

The Rose Gaming Resort Project Background

The Rose, a 400 million-dollar casino resort in the city of Dumfries, VA, is being constructed atop the closing Potomac Landfill. The Rose will contain approximately 50,000 square feet of gaming space, a 250-seat sports bar, seven other bars and restaurants, 200 hotel rooms, a 1,500-seat theater, and 7,000 square feet of meeting space. In addition, an 80-acre public park with sports fields, trails, and open space is expected to be constructed on the remaining 22 acres of the landfill property. Since opening the nearby Rosie’s Gaming Emporium facility in 2021, the city of Dumfries has experienced significant growth over the last several years and has become a hotspot for legalized gambling.

Schnabel’s Role

In 2022, Schnabel was hired by B&S Site Development to address global stability concerns due to a weak and fissured regional clay beneath the MSE (mechanically stabilized earth) retaining walls during roadway construction. The solution involved installing permanent auger cast stability piles. Over 1,500 auger cast piles with a total length of around 35,000 linear feet were installed on this project. The depths of the auger cast piles ranged from 10 to 60 feet, and the diameter ranged from 12 to 18 inches. In addition, Schnabel installed two different permanent earth retention walls that utilized conventional soldier piles and lagging with permanent tiebacks and shotcrete facing as well as an additional temporary earth retention wall consisting of soldier piles, lagging, and temporary tiebacks.

Challenges

Although the property resides on a large footprint, the capped landfill is located in the middle of the grounds and rises several hundred feet above grade. The work consisted of many different working areas on the outskirts of the landfill at varied elevations which made access and laydown areas limited. Close coordination with the B&S was critical to keep operations productive. Due to the project location, ready mixed concrete could not be supplied to the auger cast pile operation on a consistent basis to maintain a steady flow of work. Schnabel was able to utilize its own specialized grouting equipment to batch grout as needed to minimize downtime to the auger cast pile installation.

Conclusion

Schnabel’s work at The Rose project will facilitate the construction of the new casino resort by stabilizing the main entrance slopes and the MSE walls throughout the site, utilizing permanent auger cast stability piles. Additionally, the installation of two permanent earth retention walls will assist with the roadway construction around the landfill. The project’s unique location presented several challenges; however, Schnabel’s proactive approach and ability to adapt kept the project on track, on budget, and without an injury or accident. Prince William County and the city of Dumfries will benefit from the revenue made by the casino and the creation of over 600 jobs. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of this project!