Stability for New Exhibits at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo

The Challenge

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has been inspiring Fresno residents and visitors to care for animals and save wildlife for over 90 years. In early 2022, the zoo embarked on constructing two new exhibits for their Kingdoms of Asia area, featuring habitats for Hornbills and Tigers.

The new enclosures each featured fencing that provides excellent viewable space while providing protection for both the visitors and the animals. To provide extra stability for the enclosures, Groundworks was contacted to install helical anchors to keep the fencing in place.

Key Facts

The Solution

For both enclosures, the general contractor installed vertical 25’ steel fence posts that were anchored in place to 2’x2’ spread footings. At each post, Groundworks installed 1 to 2 helical piles to firmly anchor the posts in place. The anchors were installed at 45° positions on the outside of the fencing with new construction caps welded to the top. Through the cap the tension cable was bolted through an eyelet which was subsequently connected to the top of the post.

The helicals were installed at a 60° angle away from the fence posts. The angles helped ensure that if any movement in the fence occurred there wouldn’t be any kinks that formed in the cables. The Tiger exhibit consisted of 6 posts, 5 of which had two helical piers each and one with a single helical pier. The Hornbill exhibit consisted of 5 fence posts, each with two helical anchors each. The helicals were installed at 30 and 75 kips respectfully.

The Impact

The project was completed efficiently and delivered the stability required for both exhibits. By anchoring each fence post with helical piles set at calculated angles, EagleLIFT ensured that the fencing would withstand environmental forces while maintaining alignment over time. The combination of spread footings, tension cables, and helical anchors created a secure system that protects the animals and visitors alike. Both the Hornbill and Tiger enclosures were reinforced without delays, allowing the Zoo’s construction team to stay on schedule and move forward with opening the new Kingdoms of Asia exhibits with confidence.