Expansion project pile drilling complete, foundation work started
Contact: Sarah Bello
Seismically resilient foundation underscores new facility
In December 2025, BuildCMH Expansion Project construction crews completed the final, 400th pile, drilled about 60 feet down into siltstone to underscore the seismically resilient foundation for the expanded Columbia Memorial Hospital.
Pile drilling began in October 2025. The expansion includes 180,000 square feet and five floors — three floors providing patient care, one floor housing resiliency measures, an Emergency Operations Center and mechanical technology, and a top floor including the helipad, generators and chillers.
Currently, crews are finalizing the pile caps and grade beams, preparing for foundation pours — some of which have already started. They have excavated areas for elevator shafts, underground plumbing and electrical systems, low-voltage vaults, grease traps, loading docks, underground fuel tanks, and more.
Looking ahead, a concrete slab foundation will be poured in the next month or so, with the building’s steel structure constructed from March-June.
“It’s exciting to have ended the year on a positive note with the project and see real progress being made,” says Erik Thorsen, CEO. “We look forward to even more progress as we begin to see the expansion take shape in 2026.”
Toward the end of the year, crews plan to “dry-in” the building, so the structure’s exterior is sealed and waterproofed (roof, windows, doors and barriers installed), and the interior is protected from weather. Then, work like electrical, plumbing and drywall will begin inside.
Follow CMH’s social media accounts, @cmhcommunity, on Facebook and Instagram to see updated project photos and videos, or visit the project website for more information at www.columbiamemorial.org/buildcmh, including news updates, live construction cameras, and more.