hen it’s time to start a construction or renovation project and the ground beneath it needs stabilizing, Strata Deep Constructors is the business to call.
“Strata Deep Constructors is a specialized subcontractor, and we basically install all manners of deep foundations,” says owner Ben Cruz. “Everything from a 6-inch driven piling for a light pole in Anchorage all the way up to an 8.5-foot diameter drill shaft foundation to support a 200-foot-tall tower: We cover the little stuff all the way up to the big stuff.”
Strata Deep is a seven-year-old company that employs a highly-trained crew equipped with the latest in technology to provide a solid base for any project. “We don’t try to go out and pour the concrete for the bridge or set the girders or any of that,” Cruz says. “We are only interested in fixing the conditions in the ground.”
He adds, “There is not another contractor in the state of Alaska that can perform the plethora of techniques of deep foundation work that we can perform.”
“What Alaska was missing was a qualified ground improvement contractor that was based up here,” Cruz says.
So he launched Strata Deep in 2017. The following year’s earthquake provided him with ample opportunities for rapid growth.
For example, Strata Deep was contracted to upgrade the ground under the Glenn Highway at Mirror Lake, where the southbound lane had slid. “The state had engineered the installation of about 1,200 aggregate stone columns, and we went out and were very successful in executing that project on schedule and within the budget that we had submitted,” Cruz recalls.
It was Strata Deep’s largest project to date, and he notes that it “thrust us into being Alaska’s premier ground improvement contractor.”
While working on post-earthquake upgrades, Cruz says, “We were able to purchase equipment to keep in Alaska. So now we’ve been able to capitalize on that and continue to build on that project.”
Strata grew its reputation through offering ground improvement techniques including aggregate stone columns, dynamic compaction, and vibro compaction. The company has completed jobs all over Alaska, including difficult work providing stable foundation conditions on permafrost.
“Where some of the other contractors might have pile-driving equipment and cranes or maybe drill rigs, they’re not tackling the technical issues. They’re doing more of the ancillary kind of work,” Cruz explains. “At Strata, we really are a technology company. A lot of our equipment is configured for logging this and providing proof of the improvements that we do.”
He adds, “One of the major differences between myself and my competitors is the ability to satisfy what the engineers want to see.”
Strata Deep’s satisfied customers include Wes Kolb, director of wireless operations at New Horizons Telecom.
“Strata is my go-to for any job calling for a deep foundation,” Kolb says. “Not only have they demonstrated capability beyond compare, Ben and his team go above and beyond to ensure their customer is satisfied. 10 out of 10, will use again.”
Strata Deep excels using a workforce that includes crane operators and certified welders, two employees focusing on computer and control systems, and several engineers that Cruz has come to know and calls on when he needs technical information.
“We took an incredible amount of risk and educated ourselves continuously, brought the right people to the table, and we have been able to thrust ourselves into, in my opinion, being Alaska’s most technically qualified deep foundation contractor,” Cruz says.
All of this makes Strata Deep Constructors an unmatched force in Alaska construction.
“It’s the melding of man, machine, and technology to do what we do,” Cruz explains. “That’s where the industry is going, and we want to take it there.”