Cornerstone Earth Group
Provided Geotechnical Investigations for ServiceNow Headquarters Expansion


According to a research report from Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global commercial real estate firm, Silicon Valley witnessed a building boom during 2021 that produced the most office construction in six years. “Silicon Valley tech and life science companies will build on their lead as the bellwethers of the U.S. economy,” stated the report, which also noted that total office construction completed in the South Bay for 2021 was slightly more than double new office construction completed in 2020. 

Amid the backdrop of this office construction boom, one of the most significant new projects completed in the South Bay in 2021 was the ServiceNow Santa Clara, CA Headquarters campus expansion, totaling 268,000 square feet. Cornerstone Earth Group, Inc. was retained by The Sobrato Organization to provide design-level geotechnical investigations for this project. Services were performed in several phases prior to and during construction. Cornerstone provided observation and testing services for the Phase 1 East Campus, which included a parking garage and two 5-story office buildings. The recently completed Phase 2 West Campus included a two-phased, below-grade parking garage, two additional 5-story buildings, and pedestrian bridge across Lawson Lane. Building amenities include cafes, on-site gym facilities with daily fitness classes, social activities for employees and quiet rooms, among other perks.


Cornerstone’s Value-Added Benefits to ServiceNow's HQ Expansion Include:

  • Performed detailed settlement analysis for multiple building load combinations to confirm that shallow foundations would be feasible without the need for ground improvement or deep foundations

  • Collaborated with the structural engineer to determine value-added foundation design parameters for below-grade mat foundations in the parking garages

  • Performed supplemental investigation and analysis for a new pedestrian bridge crossing Lawson Lane in accordance with AASHTO and Caltrans design methodologies

  • Worked closely with Devcon Construction and their team to assist with crane loading evaluation, expansive soil mitigation, basement excavation stabilization, and undocumented fill over-excavation requirements

For this development, as on all projects Cornerstone undertakes, the client's needs were met by a team of professionals that consistently brought innovative and practical engineering solutions to whatever challenges arose. We are detail-oriented and thorough; our solutions are implemented with a practical, real-world approach and are fully dedicated to providing value-added and responsive consulting services. For every dollar you spend on our services, our goal is to save you ten dollars in construction.


For more information, please contact:
John Dye, Senior Principal Engineer




Cornerstone Earth Group integrates geotechnical engineering, environmental services, engineering geology, and construction services into a single, client-focused team to facilitate cost-effective site selection, project design, and site development. Our technical capabilities and construction and remediation expertise allow us to develop creative yet practical solutions to meet your project requirements. 
 
1259 Oakmead Parkway, Sunnyvale, CA 94085
408.245.4600 

1220 Oakland Boulevard Suite 220, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925.988.9500