Tenants of light industrial buildings judge a property by its floor and its yard: a slab that stays flat under forklifts, dock aprons that take a loaded trailer without rutting and a truck court with room to turn. In Lake Dallas, we build all three for developers and owners, using a section, a joint layout and a drainage plan chosen for the traffic and the soil.
Lincoln Property Company and Faropoint marked a groundbreaking on October 21, 2025 for Swisher Business Center, a light industrial project of Class A quality, 122,368 square feet in size, with delivery set for May 2026. It occupies 7.88 acres on Swisher Road with direct access to I-35E. A building of that size shows the kind of project the local market now supports, and it shapes what an owner should expect from the concrete: wide column bays, dock doors on one or both sides, a truck court and parking for staff. Multi-tenant light industrial space also needs a floor that can be demised into smaller suites later, so we pay attention to joint locations and slab edge details that allow a wall to be built without cutting into the floor.
We schedule, coordinate and inspect the trade partners for earthwork, forming, reinforcing and placement, and we explain each design decision to the owner. The same discipline carries over to the foundations of schools and other institutional buildings, which we describe below.
What sets the price of a light industrial slab and yard
Slab thickness, reinforcement and the flatness requirement are the largest items inside the building. Outside, the truck court and the dock aprons use more concrete per square foot than the floor, and the section depends on the trailer loads and the soil. Over-excavation, lime treatment or imported select fill add cost and are tied to the geotechnical report. Owners can control budget by deciding early whether the tenant needs a special flatness class or a floor hardener and by limiting heavy sections to the areas where trucks actually turn and park. Value engineering should start from the traffic plan, not from a flat percentage cut, because a thin spot under a turning trailer is the most expensive saving an owner can make.
Site conditions add their own line items. A parcel with high groundwater, rock or old fill will cost more to prepare. Dewatering, haul-off and import fill can vary widely, so we recommend borings at the dock aprons as well as the building corners before the number is finalized. Testing and inspection, concrete pumping where the layout requires it and winter or summer protection are listed separately in our proposals, so an owner can see what each costs and decide what the project needs.
A small city at a lake crossing and a freeway
The North Texas Tollway Authority completed the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge in August 2009, and it connects Swisher Road here with Eldorado Parkway on the Little Elm side. For a light industrial user, a lake crossing means a route to customers on the far shore, and it makes Swisher Road a corridor that trucks and service vehicles will use more often than a typical local street. Pavement along and near such a route sees more repetitions of heavy wheels, and that is a reason to design driveways and aprons for the traffic that will come, not only the traffic of opening day.
The city occupies a 2.75 square mile area on the lakeshore at 581 feet of elevation, and 0.32 square miles of that is water. Compact land and a shoreline mean few large tracts and many irregular parcels, so a builder who plans truck circulation on a tight lot has a real advantage. The Lake Dallas Independent School District, with 570 employees, is also a major institutional presence, and the schools it builds and expands need foundations of their own.
Protecting workers, neighbors and the lake
Industrial sites combine heavy trucks, saws, pumps and workers on foot. We plan truck routes, assign spotters, separate pedestrians from equipment and set daily housekeeping rules. Dust from sawing and grinding is controlled with water or vacuum equipment, and workers receive training in silica and heat illness.
With a lake close by, stormwater controls matter. Silt fence, inlet protection and a stabilized entrance keep soil out of the water, and concrete washout is kept in a lined area. For school and institutional projects, fencing and signage keep the public out of the work zone and separate construction traffic from students and staff. Heat is a safety issue in summer, so we schedule finishing work early, provide shade and water, and watch for signs of heat stress among the finishers and laborers who work on slabs in the afternoon sun.
Fitting industrial and institutional work on lakeside parcels
The shoreline setting affects soil and groundwater. Pockets of soft clay or fill can sit beside firmer ground on the same parcel, and the water table may rise after heavy rain. We use borings, proof rolling and a drainage plan to keep the floor and apron dry. If the geotechnical report calls for lime and cement soil treatment, we schedule curing time before the base is placed so that the treatment does its work. A base placed too soon over treated clay can trap moisture and soften, which defeats the purpose of the treatment.
School and institutional foundations follow a stricter inspection and testing path than a typical warehouse. Special inspectors witness reinforcing and placement, and the owner receives a complete record at closeout. Schools and healthcare owners benefit from a contractor that has the paperwork ready as the work proceeds, not after the fact.
Services that go with the slab and the yard
A light industrial project rarely stops at the slab. It needs truck courts and dock aprons, parking, dumpster pads, utility trenches and drainage structures. We coordinate these with the slab, so that grades meet at the dock doors and water leaves the pavement. Loading dock pits and ramps, where the plan includes them, are formed and waterproofed with the equipment drawings in hand.
Owners with other projects nearby, in Corinth, Lewisville or The Colony, can combine mobilizations and testing to reduce cost.
Send the Lake Dallas drawings
Share the plans, soil report and delivery date for your Lake Dallas building or yard. We will return a clear scope and price for slabs, aprons and foundations.
Common Questions
What thickness does a dock apron need?
It depends on the trailer loads and the soil, but aprons are usually thicker than interior slabs and use dowels at the joints. The engineer specifies the section, and we confirm the base and the cure.
How do you deal with high groundwater near the lake?
We learn the water table from the geotechnical report, plan drainage and, if needed, use dewatering during excavation and a thicker base or underdrain beneath the slab.
Can you build a school foundation and an industrial floor for the same client?
Yes. The methods overlap, but the inspection, testing and paperwork differ. We prepare for each set of rules from the start.
What can speed up a slab schedule?
Early soil work, early supply reservations and a clear inspection calendar. Some tenants also accept high-early-strength mixes where a quick turnaround is needed, at added cost.