Case Study | Corrections: Washington County Jail Addition and Renovation

Faced with an overcrowded jail and failing systems, Washington County set out to build an addition that would provide for the jail’s population over the next thirty years. While a vacant lot adjacent to the existing facility provided the space to accommodate the new addition, Washington County faced the difficulties of overcoming a 20-foot elevation change to accommodate new construction and a tight 12- month construction timeline. As the lead consultant on the project, Joe Mrak—the Principal in Charge and an RQAW Corp. team member at the time—raised the grade of the site to match the existing facility, introduced the use of modular steel cells around an elevated central control, and leveraged offsite fabrication to allow time for the site grade change.

The 31,300 s.f. addition added 204 beds on a newly elevated site, comprised of tiered, modular steel cells in 2-man, 4-man, and 8-man configurations around the perimeter with an elevated central control. Steel plates and studs helped mitigate the weight load on the new fill. The use of innovative, lightweight construction methods prefabricated offsite streamlined Washington County’s project timeline by allowing the team to build up the adjacent site and test its suitability without sacrificing fabrication time.