Aliceville Federal Correctional Institution and Satellite Camp | engineering | architecture

GRW led the design team, in conjunction with Caddell/Yates JV, for the design-build of a women's medium-security Federal Correctional Institution and minimum-security Federal Prison Camp located near Aliceville, Alabama. This $196 million, LEED Silver certified, project has a gross building area of approximately 665,889 SF, and can house approximately 1,790 inmates. The FCI campus plan places the three, 4-story housing units, and program and multipurpose functions in a semi-circular campus layout enclosing a central secure compound.

A summary of the prison's components include:
Three 4-story dormitory buildings housing approximately 1,500 inmates (256,493 SF)
One single-story segregation unit dormitory accommodating up to 48 inmates (19,105 SF)
Food service (kitchen/dining) building (29,654 SF)
Medical services building (12,324 SF)
Warehouses/sanitation building (49,863 SF)
Administrative buildings (48,264 SF)
Recreational building (17,319 SF)
Academic educational buildings (21,926 SF)
Personal services building (17,491 SF)
Industrial/vocational buildings (54,916 SF)
Central utilities plant (12,647 SF)
Vehicle maintenance building (8,126 SF)
Physical and electronic security systems
Utilities (potable and fire water mains, sanitary sewers, site electrical distribution and communication duct banks for 17 buildings)
Minimum-security camp for 256 inmates (55,691 SF)
Firing range

Site Development/Utilities

Site work involved earthwork, roadways and parking, building pads, and utilities for the 70-acre Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) and 20-acre Federal Prison Camp (FPC) and support facilities. The project necessitated an early site work package in order to keep the project on schedule. Site development tasks included:

Three detention/sedimentation ponds for control stormwater runoff
Efficient vehicular circulation system to separate visitors, deliveries and security
Balancing site elevations in order to develop most economical earthwork.
Design of firing range
Design of looped water system and tank to provide fire protection to the facility
Design of gravity sanitary sewer system to eliminate necessity of pump station
Design of recreation areas (3 softball fields, 1 soccer field, basketball and handball courts)
Design of double security fencing
State highway widening and turn lanes

The approximate $2 million storm sewer system included 20,521 LF of pipe ranging in size from 12" to 60" in diameter, 11 curb inlets, 115 drop inlets, 6 manholes and 10 headwalls. The breakdown of storm sewers by diameter is as follows: 12“ / 3400 LF; 18” / 6500 LF; 24” / 2680 LF; 30” / 3546 LF; 36” / 2050 LF; 48” / 1000 LF; 54” / 1000 LF; and 60” / 345 LF.

Stormwater management was important part of the project; there were numerous protected wetlands within and adjacent to the site. Four detention/sedimentation ponds were designed to allow for the extended storage of 1- and 2-year/24-hour storm, and for this storm to percolate into the ground. This design also means the detention pond will have zero discharge for 2-year/24-hour storms or smaller. By designing the ponds in this manner, on-site infiltration is increased thereby reducing the rate and quantity of stormwater runoff leaving the site. This also allowed inclusion of a stormwater quality component to the project.