“The university’s 200-meter indoor track needed serious repair,” says Joe Work, owner of the Cleveland-based company, Mr. Level. “At some point in time, every track in the US faces problems from sub-surface soil erosion. The track inside French Field House has been resurfaced many times because of settling issues due to erosion. However, the cause of the settling issues had not been addressed. It needed void filling in the ground deep beneath the field house, leveling then resurfacing to meet NCAA standards, so they called us.”

Work says the university faced two choices: Excavate the entire track and replace it, which would cost in the neighborhood of $1-1.2 million and shut down the track for many months—perhaps throwing the season into question—or find a less invasive and expensive solution. “We counseled them to use a deep injection method of a polyurethane system called Terrathane to fills the voids caused by erosion and stabilize the soil, then lift the track to the 1/8th inch exacting standard of the NCAA.”

Work says his company first set up five-foot grid patterns, drilled two-inch holes into the subsurface and soil to depths of three, six, and nine feet, then inserted three 5/8-inch rods per hole and injected the polyurethane foam at each level. “We injected 35-50 lbs. of Terrathane, which expands to fills voids, into every hole at each level. Because of sensitivity to the NCAA requirements, we set up a system of laser levels to monitor any movement as the polyurethane carefully lifted the track to ensure we met the exacting standard.”

According to Work, the project went smoothly, and the university was completely satisfied with the results. “They saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it only took five days. The university resurfaced the track, and it was usable once the asphalt cured. They’ll have a new and improved track to compete on when the season roll around.”

Work’s company has been using NCFI’s Terrathane for more than seven years because of the quality and consistency of the product, and because the company support comes from people who’ve been applicators or engineers. “NCFI Geo knows how to solve problems like this Ohio State track, and they provide us on-site support to make sure we have what we need every time.”

These projects will restore critical bayou capacity to reduce flood risk, remove siltation and repair damage caused by Hurricane Harvey to re-establish channel conveyance capacity to pre-Harvey conditions.

LAN will complete engineering services for survey, environmental, geotechnical, sediment removal design, permitting and all support services for over 75 miles of channel in the Little Cypress, Cypress Creek, and Greens Bayou watersheds. The team will navigate the specific challenges associated with sediment removal, such as federal funding compliance, environmental permitting, provisions for material disposal, utility conflicts, construction access, and traffic control—having designed and overseen these measures on numerous HCFCD projects in the past.

Matt Manges, PE, CFM, ENV SP, LAN Vice President and Stormwater Practice Leader, says, “We’re eager to partner with the District on these critical projects. Our team is prepared to leverage our expertise and resources to effectively address the challenges.”

LAN has previously worked on various projects for the District, including Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery projects, channel and detention basin repairs, and Tropical Storm Imelda channel repairs. Manges continues, “We understand the importance of flood control measures and are dedicated to implementing innovative solutions that will contribute to the long-term resilience and safety of the surrounding communities.”

The District is a leading authority dedicated to reducing the risk of flooding and protecting the residents and infrastructure of Harris County, Texas. As a proactive and responsive organization, the District implements comprehensive flood management strategies, including infrastructure projects, maintenance, and monitoring, to mitigate the impact of flooding events. With a commitment to community safety and environmental stewardship, the District works collaboratively with public and private partners to foster resilience and enhance the quality of life for all residents in Harris County.

CAN Geotechnical Project Manager Andy Pope said: “Our work here involves a two-pronged approach. The first priority is to make the area safe by identifying and removing any loose material (chalk and flints), which we are achieving by using light hand-scaling tools on an area of about 5000 metres. Once this has been completed, we will be carrying out a geotechnical inspection, which will provide a detailed report on the condition of the chalk face to give an informed assessment of the area.”

Andy said it had been challenging to evaluate the scale of the project until the six-person team could access and examine the cliff face. The work on the cliff began on 20 February and was paused on 7 April with 50% of the project complete. This is to avoid intrusive work on the chalk cliffs during the bird-nesting season. The project will resume in September.

He said: “In terms of technical and safety considerations for a project like this, we’ve had to align our rigging at the crest to allow for the constant movement of ropes (two 50-metre ropes for each operative), which is essential to hand scale the cliff face. For our rigging, we are using 4×4 vehicles and 8T excavators. This means that, instead of installing anchors 660 millimetres deep into the chalk cliff tops, CAN operatives have used purposely immobilised 4×4 vehicles and the excavators to create rigging that is both safe and efficient, with minimal disruption to this sensitive environment.

“It is extremely satisfying for the team to work on a project of this nature. The chalk cliffs are part of our heritage and synonymous with the region and specifically Brighton. To ensure everyone can safely appreciate the beauty of the cliffs, we need to understand the extent and the nature of the erosion and the particular challenges this will create, especially in terms of public safety, given the use of the popular Undercliff Walk.”

CAN, an RSK company, is working with RSK Geosciences on the project, with their colleagues responsible for the geotechnical inspection. CAN is carrying out the work for FM Conway as part of a project for Brighton and Hove City Council.

               Dry dock accidents have occurred many times over the last two decades, attributable to inadequate maintenance and inspections. The intent of this standard is to minimize the risk to personnel and the ships being drydocked. In addition, emphasis on maintenance and inspection provides the insight for facility owners and operators to enable repairs before the catastrophic loss of their capital assets.

This standard is intended for use by dry dock owners, Dockmasters, dry dock maintenance engineers, engineers engaged in dry dock inspection and certification, ship owners, and port engineers.

To purchase online visit the ASCE Bookstore

Founded in 2006, Riner Engineering includes an experienced team of more than 170 engineers, project managers, technicians, and support staff based in offices in the Houston headquarters, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. Riner maintains full-service soil and CMT laboratories accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

The firm has successfully completed thousands of projects throughout the state of Texas and has serviced private and public clients across multiple industries. Noteworthy Riner projects include Daikin Industries’ $410 million, 4+ million square foot distribution and manufacturing facility in Waller, Texas, the world’s largest according to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, and Houston Airport Systems’ Mickey Leland International Terminal (MLIT), Federal Inspection Services (FIS) building, and Checked Baggage Inspection and Screening (CBIS) building at Bush Intercontinental Airport as part of the $1.36 billion ITRP program.

Riner joins the Texas Region of UES, led by Brian Powell, P.E., President of the Texas Region. Riners’ leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business. “Riner Engineering further expands the capabilities of our region and we are excited with the experience and people that Riner brings to our Texas team,” said Brian Powell, P.E.

“We’re proud to announce the expansion of our presence and technical expertise in Texas,” said UES CEO Dave Witsken. “Texas is a leading market for infrastructure development in the U.S., and we believe UES will be better able to serve the growing market and provide enhanced services, solutions, and support to our clients with the addition of the Riner Engineering team.”

Ken Riner, P.E., President of Riner Engineering, adds, “With this partnership, we at Riner can improve our ability to provide top-of-the line geotechnical engineering and materials testing services with access to more personnel, more equipment, and more capabilities. Working in UES and UES’ Texas Region allows Riner to continue performing at the highest levels of our chosen engineering specialties, with top-quality people and a wider range of tools.”

With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country.

Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, Faulkner Engineering Services, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, and now Riner Engineering, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

A well-known geotechnical expert, and member of DFI, Gómez will travel and present a series of lectures to university students, professional groups and industry associations. The program promotes the field of geotechnical engineering and deep foundation construction by encouraging students to explore a career in the deep foundations industry, providing information on topics of interest to members of the industry and raising awareness of how DFI and its activities support the industry.

Gómez has more than 35 years of design and construction experience in geotechnical projects nationally and internationally. He has led numerous foundation, dam rehabilitation and earth support projects where he has developed cost-effective, constructible solutions.

He has authored over 80 publications on a variety of geotechnical and structural topics and on soil-structure interaction. He has been teaching courses on soil mechanics, foundation design, ground improvement and ground stabilization since 1985 as an adjunct professor at various universities, and as an instructor for the National Highway Institute (NHI) and other entities throughout the Americas and Europe.

Gómez obtained a civil engineering degree at Universidad Católica in Caracas, Venezuela, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.

Following are the topics available for the 2023-2024 traveling lecture series:

• The L-2 Viaduct No. 1, Venezuela
• Exploration, Design and QA/QC for Rigid Inclusion Projects
• Dos and Don’ts in Lateral Stabilization of Soils Using Deep Foundation Elements

Learn more about the Traveling Lecturer program, request the Traveling Lecturer to speak at your event or nominate someone as a future Traveling Lecturer.

The new Trimble X9 expands on the industry-proven Trimble X7, delivering longer range, higher accuracy, shorter scan times and exceptional sensitivity, improving scan results and boosting productivity. Advanced processing and a high-performance laser increase the sensitivity of all scans, positioning the X9 at the forefront for capturing difficult dark or reflective surfaces. A new center unit design improves signal transmission for better scan quality. With more efficient reality capture capabilities, the X9 broadens potential applications for customers in surveying, building construction, oil and gas, rail, forensics, monitoring, tunneling, mining and others. 

The X9 provides significant time savings with extremely accurate and dependable data, enabling confident decision making both in the field and in the office through in-field registration within Trimble Perspective and Trimble FieldLink by minimizing the need for target deployment. The auto-calibration eliminates the need for annual calibration, which lowers the cost of ownership, reduces downtime and significantly increases the users’ return on investment. In addition, the X9 also includes survey-grade self-leveling with the industry’s widest compensation range for fast, easy setup.  

Trimble X9 data can be delivered directly from Trimble Perspective or FieldLink software to Trimble’s office software, including Trimble Realworks 3D scanning software, Trimble Business Center office software, SketchUp and Tekla, or exported to industry-standard formats to produce application-specific deliverables. The Trimble ecosystem provides the software and flexibility to work the way scanning professionals want, so they can deliver what their customers need. 

“Our customers buy Trimble because they want reliability and performance,” said Jason Hayes, market manager, Reality Capture Solutions, Trimble Geospatial. “The Trimble X9 is simple to use, provides unsurpassed reliability, and excels at creating high-quality digital representations of the world for applications ranging from fast-paced building documentation to challenging outdoor surveys.” 

Availability 

The Trimble X9 is available now through Trimble’s Geospatial and Building Construction Field Solutions Distribution Partners. For more information, visit: geospatial.trimble.com/X9 or fieldtech.trimble.com/X9. 

This move comes at a very exciting time for the South Korean offshore wind market with significant partnership announcements in 2023 from installers, fabricators, and developers.

The high level of activity in the market is indicative of the scale of opportunity for South Korea due to its large amount of coastline and favourable wind conditions. The South Korean government recognises this and as part of its Green New Deal, is aiming to generate over 20% of the country’s power with renewables by 2030. This is supported by a target of 12GW from offshore wind capacity which is around a hundredfold increase from the 125MW of offshore wind generating capacity the country has today. This combination of factors puts South Korea is a position to become a future global player in offshore wind power generation.

Hannah Abend, Wood Thilsted Director of Growth said:

‘Korea has great ambitions in the offshore wind sector and Wood Thilsted is looking to make early hires to support the development of South Korean capabilities in offshore wind engineering. The first step to this approach is locating key WT team members in South Korea to work with our partners on South Korea’s exciting offshore wind projects, while also identifying and hiring future talent.’

Johan Hodel Meincke, Wood Thilsted regional lead for APAC said:

‘Having established exceptionally strong partnerships in Taiwan that have enabled us to harness local talent and supply chains in ways other consultancies cannot, WT is looking to build up a similar network in South Korea that benefits local communities and the economy.’

The two-and-a-half-day conference focuses on the practical application of deep foundations and ground improvement techniques for stabilizing soft ground, landslides and slopes, and supporting deep excavations. Highlights of the program include a keynote address and two panel discussions.

Scott Hamwey, director of infrastructure planning within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Office of the Chief Engineer, is delivering the keynote address — “Major MBTA Initiatives: Where They Come From, Who They Serve, and How to Pay for Them.” Hamwey leads a team responsible for conceptual planning and early design work on a range of investments to modernize, expand or otherwise improve the MBTA and the service it provides to riders in the Greater Boston region.

The program features a panel discussion titled, “Fair Geotechnical Risk Management and Mitigation of Unforeseen and Varying Site Conditions.” This panel session will discuss risks associated with unforeseen and varying site conditions, including obstructions, using examples from the panelists and audience experiences. The intent is to share current strategies and methods that lead to equitable solutions for all stakeholders of a project.

A highlight of the event is the annual software discussion, where a problem is presented to slope stability software providers who discuss, analyze and present solutions. This year’s problem is a deep excavation site in Boston with poor soil. Edward Laczynski, P.E., of Wagman Heavy Civil is moderating the discussion, which will kick off with an introduction and brief overview of the zones of influence for excavation-induced movements presented by Damian Siebert, P.E., Haley & Aldrich. The panelists for the software discussion are Augusto Lucarelli, Itasca Consulting Group, and Robert Bradford, P.Eng., Rocscience.

The event also includes an exhibit hall of material, equipment and service providers as well as networking events, such as the popular Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) Committee networking reception. For more information, visit www.dfi.org/S3-2023

Founded in 1964, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt includes an experienced professional and technical team based in the Little Rock headquarters, the firm’s branch office in Springdale, AR, and the satellite office in El Dorado, AR. The firm focuses on solving foundation and earth structure problems, offering services such as geotechnical investigations, engineering analysis and design, subsurface exploration, and field and laboratory testing. 

With its experienced personnel and fleet of exploration equipment, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt has provided services to numerous roadways, bridges, airports, low and high-rise structures, earthen dams and levees, landfills, and hazardous waste facilities. 

Noteworthy projects include: Interstate 30 improvements in Saline and Pulaski Counties, ARDOT Connecting Arkansas projects, The Clinton Presidential Library, ARDOT Bridge Replacement Program, Pulaski County Big Dam Bridge and Two Rivers Bridge, Little Rock National / Clinton National Airport expansion projects, ARDOT Interstate 630 Improvements, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Expansion Project, and Cypress Cold Storage-Springdale, among others. 

Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt joins the Midwest Region of UES, led by Ed Alizadeh, PE, JD, President of the Midwest Region. Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

“We’re proud and excited to expand our geotechnical expertise with the Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt team,” said UES CEO Dave Witsken. “Their reputation as geotechnical problem solvers is well regarded, and, with their addition, we look forward to growing our services in the southern portion of the Midwest Region.” 

Mark Wyatt, President of Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, said that “The opportunity to join the UES team accommodates the long-term goals for our firm to provide quality geotechnical testing and materials testing services throughout Arkansas and gives us the opportunity for expansion. We have previously teamed with the Geotechnology group on numerous projects, benefiting both firms. Becoming a part of the Midwest Region of UES will bring additional personnel and equipment and a broad increase in capabilities to our firm.”

With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. 

Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, Faulkner Engineering Services, and now Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

Building on the capabilities of GeoStudio’s trusted 2D SLOPE/W product, SLOPE3D is an intuitive limit equilibrium solution for analyzing rock and soil slopes in mining and civil projects – for example, hillslopes, open pit mines, and engineered structures such as dams and levees.  

Chris Kelln, Director, Technical Solutions for GeoStudio, said, “SLOPE3D combines the most up-to-date research on 3D slope analysis techniques with the capabilities in SLOPE/W, a trusted tool for assessing 2D slope stability for over 30 years, providing a practical approach for capturing slope failure mechanisms for simple to complex geotechnical models.” 

“Ensuring the safety and reliability of engineered projects is at the heart of geotechnical engineering,” Kelln added. “We specifically designed SLOPE3D to empower geotechnical and geological engineers to make confident decisions, improve safety, reduce project risks and costs, and ultimately design better infrastructure.”  

GeoStudio’s powerful and easy-to-use interface provides a unique modelling and analysis experience. Multiple 3D geometries and analyses can be added to a single project and solved simultaneously. Geo-professionals can include SLOPE3D analyses in existing 2D stability projects for efficient results comparison. 

SLOPE3D connects directly with Seequent’s geological modelling software, Leapfrog, via Seequent Central, and integrates with GeoStudio’s SEEP3D. This creates a seamless workflow with smooth data exchange and simpler data management to improve project accuracy and outcomes. 

SLOPE3D can be purchased now from Seequent. See the new SLOPE3D product page for more information, release announcement video, and a free trial. SLOPE3D is part of the GeoStudio 2023 release. 

Founded in 2005 by David W. Faulkner, P.E., Faulkner Engineering Services is dedicated to protecting public safety, helping clients manage risks, and exceeding clients’ expectations on every project. This acquisition expands UES’ growing expertise in Florida. Faulkner Engineering serves Florida’s construction development industry, partnering with engineers, developers, design build and site contractors, FDOT, and government agencies while specializing in commercial, municipal, industrial, and infrastructure projects. The company has supported several noteworthy projects including FL DOT S.R. 54 Widening Project in Pasco County, the University of Tampa sports fields, and MacDill AFB Military Family Housing.

Faulkner Engineering joins the Florida Region of UES, led by Rick Kushner, P.E., President of the North Florida Region. Faulkner Engineering’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

“We’re excited to add Faulkner Engineering to our portfolio of companies,” said UES CEO Dave Witsken. “This acquisition bolsters our growth and development initiatives in Florida, and we look forward to having the Faulkner team as part of UES.”

“This acquisition allows our company to expand upon the services we provide,” said David Faulkner, P.E. “It also provides a national footprint to service our clients from coast-to-coast, as well as offers our incredible teammates more opportunities for career growth and advancement.”

With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, and now Faulkner Engineering Services, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

“Leighton joining Verdantas marks a strategic inflection point in our ability to expand our service offerings to clients and extend our geographic reach,” said Gerry Salontai, CEO of Verdantas, “We are thrilled to have Leighton and their reputation of bringing the best and brightest people to each of their client’s projects. This commitment to excellent work for clients and Leighton’s efforts to capitalize on a collaborative environment fits well into Verdantas’ intentional people-focused approach.”   

Jesse Kropelnicki, COO of Verdantas, commented, “Leighton and Verdantas bring very similar views of the future, of company culture, and on how we support people—all key aspects of why this transaction was such an easy decision to make and why it brings significant optimism of future success for our employees and clients.” 

Leighton CEO Sudhir Damle says: “Working together at Leighton, we’ve created a business and culture that has positioned us well to take the next step in our evolution bringing opportunities for and investments in our Leighton people. Joining Verdantas will allow us to capitalize on our reputation with clients and deepen our relationships as we bring new capabilities and innovative solutions to our client’s complex projects.” 

Chris Lee, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at RTC Partners, said, “We are delighted to have the Leighton Group join Verdantas. A new western US presence and an enriched mix of services align with Verdantas’ focus on strategic growth, and represents a win for clients, employees, and increased shareholder value.” 

3D models or point clouds can lower the cost, time, and developer training to view an object or environment with AR information such as instructions, warnings, or routes overlaid on the physical world. Despite its relatively young presence in the enterprise sector, AR technology has rapidly evolved into a powerful tool with broad versatility and a thriving community of experts.

AR technology is already being leveraged with 3D mapping data to provide strategic tools for site planning, instructional guidance, or real-time navigation. As AR technology advances, so will its capabilities to leverage 3D mapping data.

“3D mapping technology has become pervasive throughout various industries to capture objects and environments in a digital format such as point clouds or 3D models,” said Mark Sage, Executive Director of the AREA. “It allows for rapid visualization, communication, and prototyping without the additional physical overhead. Our new report offers developers, business decisions makers and companies interested in AR, information about 3D mapping technology and techniques to eliminate resistance to augmented reality (AR) adoption.”

“This research helps to inform enterprise on how 3D mapping technologies can be utilized to capture accurate, cost-effective digital representations of real-world environments, how this data can be leveraged in augmented reality applications, and why these concepts can be useful in industrial environments,” said Samuel Neblett, Senior AR/VR Software Developer and 3D Modeler, Boeing Research & Technology.

The new AREA research report provides steps companies can take to ensure accurate and successful capture of objects and environments. A supporting sample project demonstrates a real-world example that leverages 3D scan data for an AR-assisted use case.

“The AREA research project is very valuable for corporations looking to use AR technologies. It offers a good overview of available 3D mapping solutions (including our AR solutions), and outlines the advantages of each,” said Markus Meixner, CEO, ViewAR.

Please view an executive summary of the 3D Mapping Solutions for Enterprise AR research report from the AREA website. Please also view executive summaries of other AREA resources and enterprise guidance from the AREA website.

The report begins with a historical and geological overview of this stretch of highway along with a description of the embankment failure. Specific data collection activities such as terrestrial LiDAR and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data acquisition, exposure mapping and sampling, radiocarbon dating of soil samples, precipitation and geospatial analyses, and satellite-based assessments, used by the investigative team, are outlined in the book. GSP 337 concludes with the roadway repair and recommendations to avoid future embankment erosion. 

Civil engineers interested in designing and constructing resilient infrastructure to accommodate future extreme events will benefit from this case study showcasing a failure of US infrastructure in the face of climate change and cascading natural disasters.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore

Limited review copies are available for book reviews. Please contact Leslie Connelly, lconnelly@asce.org.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation’s infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency.

This acquisition expands UES’ growing geotechnical expertise as well as its presence nationwide. Carmichael Engineering has completed thousands of geotechnical investigations throughout the Southeast. With branch offices in Auburn and Midland City, AL, the company has completed noteworthy projects such as the Auburn University Performing Arts Center, FedEx Distribution Center in Montgomery, Troy University North Endzone Project, and the Ben E. Keith Foods Distribution Facility in New Brockton, AL. 

Carmichael Engineering joins Contour Engineering, GEOServices and Dan Brown and Associates in the Southeast Region of UES, led by David Hesterlee, P.E., President of the Southeast Region. Carmichael Engineering’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

“UES is continuing to expand our reach in high-growth areas such as the Southeast, where significant infrastructure projects are increasing the demand for our services,” said UES CEO, Dave Witsken. “The acquisition of Carmichael Engineering gives us the ability to provide additional technical expertise to our clients in the region. We look forward to welcoming them to the UES team!”

“We’re very excited to join forces with UES,” said Carmichael Engineering CEO, Steve Carmichael, P.E. “This acquisition allows our company to expand upon the services we provide, as well as offer a national footprint of support to our clients.” 

With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. Beginning in 2019, UES’ acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, and now Carmichael Engineering, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

“We’re honored that these esteemed organizations have chosen to partner with Geo Week,” said Lee Corkhill, Geo Week Event Director. “From collaborating on key conference content and providing exclusive training, to showcasing the technical capabilities of our vendors, these partnerships strengthen and advance the geospatial and built world communities by providing additional expertise and industry advocacy to the event.”

ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing)

Each year, professionals working with photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS gather at the ASPRS Annual Conference for technical workshops, education sessions, awards recognizing excellence, and ASPRS committee meetings. The ASPRS Annual Conference started taking place with International Lidar Mapping Forum, now Geo Week, in 2018.

“Geo Week brings together the most important and longstanding annual conferences in the aerial survey, remote sensing, and mapping profession- that being the ASPRS Annual Conference and what was previously known as the International Lidar Mapping Forum, now Geo Week,” said Karen Schuckman, Executive Director of ASPRS. “It gathers the brain trust of sensor manufacturers, software developers, systems integrators, scientific researchers, and government agency leadership who are responsible for basically everything important happening in photogrammetry, lidar, and UAS-based mapping.”

In addition to the technical conference, these exclusive ASPRS workshops will be taking place at Geo Week:

• Preparation for ASPRS Certification
• Practical Approach to Using the ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data
• Professional Mapping Using Drones
• Airborne Bathymetric Lidar
• Making Sense of Geiger-mode Lidar
• Using ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online to Process and Analyze Imagery in the Cloud

Learn more about the ASPRS partnership here.

ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing)

“For the first time ever, Diversified Communications is collaborating with ISRPS to develop a session on Photogrammetry at Geo Week 2023,” said Lena Halounova, President of ISPRS.  “ISPRS is the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry, remote sensing and geospatial sciences and their applications. Its members are national societies and government agencies, regional organizations and both national and international firms involved in these topics. ISPRS is organized in five technical commissions and is heavily involved in fostering and managing leading-edge research across the globe. The Geo Week session, scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, is being finalized and will include reviews of the latest research by several ISPRS leaders.” Learn more about the ISPRS partnership here.

MAPPS (Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors)

“MAPPS is again excited to be an active supporter of Geo Week 2023,” said Robert Hanson, President of MAPPS. “Each year we are highly enthusiastic to participate in this showcase geospatial event. MAPPS is the preeminent national association of firms involved in many aspects and benefits of the geospatial field in the United States. Many MAPPS member firms are exhibitors and speakers at Geo Week 2023’s educational, technical, and collaborative activities. This year MAPPS is participating with the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) in the plenary session The Collaborative Impact and Power of Public, Private Partnerships from the Natural (climate) Environment to the “Built World, taking place Wednesday, February 15 at 9:00AM. Additionally, MAPPS will formally announce our partnership with National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) by co-exhibiting at Booth 1110. We look forward to seeing you at Geo Week 2023.” Learn more about the MAPPS partnership here.

USIBD (United States Institute for Building Documentation)

“The USIBD is excited to participate in Geo Week 2023,” said John Russo, President of USIBD. “This year we will welcome the leading scanner manufacturers to participate in our first ever LIVE event to compare normalized data from an assortment of scanners using various software developers’ solutions.  You be the judge of which solutions are best for your projects.”

USIBD’s Laser Scanning Hub & Showdown is comprised of networking and knowledge-sharing and will include engaging demonstrations on the exhibit floor where conference participants will have a chance to learn about the newest tools, ask questions of vendors, and evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the technology. On Monday, February 13, leading laser scanner manufacturers will scan the Exhibit Floor allowing spectators to see reality capture tech in action. On Tuesday, February 14, manufacturers’ scanned data will be processed and visualized by leading software vendors. On Wednesday, February 15, the data, normalized by USIBD for side-by-side comparisons, will be presented in the Exhibit Hall Theater from 11:00AM – 12:30PM. USIBD will also engage participants in a fun, exciting contest with prizes. Learn more about the USIBD partnership here.

WGIC (The World Geospatial Industry Council)

Ken Mooyman, President, WGIC, said, “WGIC is delighted to partner with the Geo Week Conference. Our ability to demonstrate the value of geospatial data and solutions to climate change, sustainable infrastructure, and in many other areas, fits well into Geo Week’s program agenda. We are pleased to be participating with MAPPS in the plenary session “The Collaborative Impact and Power of Public, Private Partnerships from the Natural (climate) Environment to the “Built World” taking place Wednesday, February 15 at 9:00AM. We are excited to be at Geo Week 2023.” Learn more about the WGIC partnership here.

Geo Week Programming and Features

In addition to these partnerships, Geo Week features an extensive conference program, vendor-delivered Product Previews, Exhibit Hall Theater presentations, workshops, networking events, and more. More than 165 organizations have confirmed booths on the Exhibit Hall Floor and more than 150 associations and media have signed on as event supporters.

Geo Week provides education, technology, networking, and resources for professionals in industries including AEC, Asset & Facility Management, Disaster & Emergency Response, Earth Observation & Satellite Applications, Energy & Utilities, Infrastructure & Transportation, Land & Natural Resource Management, Mining & Aggregates, Surveying & Mapping, and Urban Planning & Smart Cities.  Visit www.geo-week.com for more information on attending or exhibiting. Register now for early bird rates.  

In the first half of 2022, Geoview won an ocean exploration project from Equinor, a Norwegian national energy company, for the first time as a Korean company.

Geoview conducted and completed the project solely, earning the reputation that their technologies can compete against the global companies in Europe at a similar level.

Geoview, founded in 2005, has conducted numerous ocean exploration projects through which they acknowledge the importance of meeting the global standards. Subsequently, the company made aggressive investments in R&D and equipment.

In 2019, Geoview conducted an exploration task on the area where NGCP’s underwater cables were to be installed in the Philippines. In 2021, the company conducted geophysical and geotechnical survey on the 90km route between Wando and the Jeju Island in Korea. Recognized for its technologies in the field, the company has been receiving many inquiries for the eighty nine offshore wind farm projects that are in progress in Korea.

Geoview conducted the NGCP project in partnership with a local company MJAS. MJAS provided an exploration vessel and surveyor while Geoview dispatched exploration equipment and technical personnel. In the process, Geoview was able to pass on its high-level exploration techniques to MJAS. The two companies has been maintaining a close relationship ever since and are now preparing for the next project together.

Leveraging the joint project experience in the Philippines, Geoview is planning a “Grow Together” business model which promotes shared growths with local companies in the Southeast Asian countries from 2023.

Hyundo Kim, the CEO of Geoview, is looking for more business opportunities with interested companies with a vision to make a multinational ocean exploration group based in East Asia and Southeast Asia that can compete against the global ocean exploration companies in a few years by accumulating various technologies and experiences; and creating an industrial ecosystem to build upon seamless partnerships.

While traditional methods of underground mapping draw conclusions based on one or two types of sensors and visual hints, Exodigo is the first company to employ multi-sensor fusion and process the varied signals with artificial intelligence (AI) into a single source of truth. The density and speed of data collection and processing enables Exodigo to identify more buried assets than other subsurface locating and surveying methods – finding 20-50 percent more utilities than alternatives, according to analysis from the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Technology Advancements and Gaps in Underground Safety 2022 report.

Esri ArcGIS users can now integrate Exodigo’s imaging and underlying data into existing underground utility maps to ensure that undocumented utilities are identified and even slight curves in utility paths can be visualized accurately.

Esri empowers Exodigo to create live maps that can be reprocessed and improved over time. The client portal enables secure access to its proprietary maps that are updated based on the continuous improvement of the Exodigo imaging and algorithmic capabilities.

Exodigo’s multi-sensing platform generates enormous amounts of data that are processed and delivered in easy-to-understand layers, including:

–    A green corridor polygon representing a utility-free right of way for safe design

–    A utility layer showing line identities with high precision and accuracy

–    An above ground utility assets layer (such as manholes, hydrants, etc.)

–    An underground soil layer that highlights areas of possible ground distortion

–    An optional layer adding available records in digital format

This technology partnership turns existing “as-builts” into verified “as-is” digital models of the underground at the precision required for asset management and downstream planning, design, and construction.

“Exodigo solves the underground challenge with subsurface maps you can trust,” said Jeremy Suard, CEO and Co-Founder of Exodigo. “With this new partnership, ArcGIS users can access the complete picture of the underground with Exodigo on the Esri system in the exact digital format they need.”

Exodigo has developed commercial underground operations with 20+ leading owners of large capital projects across the energy, utilities, and transportation sectors in the United States, Europe, and Israel.

About Exodigo

Exodigo is the new gold standard for non-intrusive discovery. Its subsurface mapping solutions combine advanced sensors, 3D imaging, and AI technologies to provide a clear picture of the underground for customers across energy, utilities, transportation, and more. Exodigo solves the challenge of underground mapping by locating pipes, cables, soil layers, rocks, minerals, and even groundwater – so that customers can decide where to design and build safely, with confidence.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California and Tel Aviv, Israel, the team brings unparalleled experience in Artificial Intelligence and signal processing from elite Israeli intelligence units and is backed by top industry partners. Learn more at www.exodigo.com.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com.

“It’s the highest honor to be recognized by our peers for our technical accomplishments on these two projects. Congratulations to our teams for these well-deserved achievements,” says ENGEO President, Uri Eliahu.

Outstanding Geotechnical Award – 1450 Bayhill Drive (YouTube) Shoring, San Bruno, California

YouTube’s new office structure, Building 3, located at 1450 Bayhill Drive, San Bruno, California includes up to four levels of below-grade parking facilities. Construction of the garage required installation of a hybrid soil nail, tie-back, and cantilevered soldier pile shoring system up to 70 feet deep. The excavation is located between a Caltrans embankment and two San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) water transmission lines that are the main source of water to San Mateo County and the city of San Francisco. Due to proximity to sensitive infrastructure, ENGEO created a monitoring instrumentation plan, analyzed expected deformations using numerical modeling, and calibrated the models to measured deflections. ENGEO led weekly meetings with SFPUC to present the measurements and predictions of future movements. ENGEO provided engineering/geology observation throughout construction. The project was successfully completed between December 2020 and June 2021. Throughout construction, the SFPUC pipelines remained fully serviceable, and the Caltrans embankment was unaffected.

Prior to the ASCE award, ENGEO received the 2022 CalGeo Outstanding Project Award – Large Category.

1450 Bayhill Drive (YouTube) Shoring, San Bruno, California – Rendering	1450 Bayhill Drive (YouTube) Shoring, San Bruno, California – Excavation Progress

Outstanding Seismic Retrofit Award – Riverside Elementary School – Lateral Spreading Resistance Element, San Pablo, California

ENGEO performed design services for the design-build construction of a mitigation of liquefaction-induced lateral spreading adjacent to the Bay Area elementary school. Overlapping deep soil mix (DSM) columns were constructed to create shear panels in the ground parallel to the direction of possible soil movement. ENGEO performed analyses to design the DSM panels as well as preparing the construction drawings and specifications in-house. The project schedule allowed for slightly more than five months to perform the design, achieve concurrence by the School District’s Geotechnical Engineer, and gain approval by the State of California in order to start construction in the School District’s required timeline.

During construction, ENGEO performed part-time observations supporting the contractor’s Quality Control team and the Quality Assurance observations and testing by the School District’s team. The project was constructed in the summer of 2021, meeting the project’s tight schedule. ENGEO prepared as-built plans to assist in achieving project closeout by the State of California.

ENGEO also received the 2022 CalGeo Outstanding Private-Large Category Honorable Mention for the restraint element design work.

Riverside Elementary School – Lateral Spreading Resistance Element, San Pablo, California

Through the grant, CTC will continue to develop and implement advanced manufacturing technologies in support of next-generation small modular nuclear reactors and legacy systems associated with operational nuclear power plants. The grant also will enable CTC’s continued work to provide small- to medium-sized Pennsylvania businesses with assistance in developing processes and procedures associated with achieving and maintaining compliance with cybersecurity standards.

In a new initiative, CTC will work to prove the feasibility of applying a patented high-temperature technology to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from coal-based sources.

REEs are critical to the production of national defense weapons systems, electronics, advanced motors, power generation equipment, automobiles and more. This technology, if successful in this application, could lead to the development of a domestic supply chain of REEs and create quality jobs in Pennsylvania, as private investors would potentially fund production facilities that would utilize this process on a large scale. In creating a domestic supply of REEs, our nation would not be reliant upon foreign providers of REEs, thereby strengthening the nation’s economic potential and enhancing its national security. In addition, this process would aid in eliminating some of the spent coal residuals which can be environmentally hazardous.

“We are pleased to conduct this important and relevant research and development that could create rewards for our Commonwealth and the nation if this technology solution is proven to be feasible,” said Edward J. Sheehan, Jr., CTC President and CEO. “CTC is based in Pennsylvania, where spent coal resources are abundant for this technology. We have already been collaborating with some of the larger power plants in western Pennsylvania who possess some of the spent coal byproducts. And our experienced and knowledgeable engineers are leading the effort to leverage patented technology to extract a very valuable constituent from otherwise unusable industrial byproducts.”

Pennsylvania Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr., (R-35), added, “I am pleased to help secure funds for a technology leader such as CTC to develop what could be a significant benefit to our state economy and our nation’s military readiness and national security. CTC’s 35-year track record of success and strong leadership in technology transition, along with this region’s natural resources, create the perfect opportunity to develop this innovative capability.”

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and development professional services organization. CTC collaborates with its technology transition affiliate, Enterprise Ventures Corporation, to provide transformative, full lifecycle solutions through research, development, test, and evaluation work. To best serve our clients’ needs, we offer the complete ability to fully design, develop, test, prototype and build. We deliver robust, technical, and innovative solutions that safeguard our national security, retain U.S. technological advantage, and ensure the primacy of American manufacturing. For more information about CTC, visit www.ctc.com.

“Terracon is making significant operational and financial commitments to be a national leader in in situ testing,” Cleary said. “Developing our people and giving them the best resources is critical to our success. I am excited to work with our exploration and engineering staff to lead innovation and serve our clients.”

Cleary has more than 30 years of experience leading exploration operations serving consulting engineers and geologists. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego and studied geotechnical engineering at North Carolina State University. He is based in Terracon’s Raleigh office.

Terracon is an employee-owned, multidiscipline consulting firm comprised of more than 5,500 curious minds focused on solving engineering and technical challenges from more than 175 locations nationwide. Explore with us by visiting terracon.com.

The scholarship is named for Dr. Fernando Lizzi (1913-2003), the visionary leader of ISM and the inventor of the “pali radice” or original “root pile” foundation system.

Applicants must reside in the United States, be enrolled in graduate studies, and be either proposing to conduct or currently conducting research on micropiles.

Applications can be submitted at: https://tinyurl.com/9thLizziScholarshipApp. More information is available at www.ISMicropiles.org.

The scholarship recipient will be selected by the ISM International Workshop on Micropiles organizing committee and the workshop host company, TEI Rock Drills. The scholarship recipient will be required to make a brief presentation outlining their proposed or current micropile research at the 2023 workshop.

ISM’s 15th International Workshop on Micropiles includes lectures, discussions and panel sessions on all aspects of micropile technology, the 11th Lizzi Lecture, the 4th World Cup of Micropiles competition, and several social events.

About ISM
The International Society for Micropiles (ISM) is a consortium of international representatives involved in the design, construction, research/development and instruction/promotion of micropile technology. ISM provides an international forum for debate, advice, problem-solving and support to micropile specialists and nonspecialists throughout the world. Members of the Society can actively seek advice and experience from other members within this international group. ISM aims to be respected internationally as the preeminent center of knowledge for the development, advancement and promotion of micropile technology.

Andy Sloan, Managing Director, COWI in the UK, said: “We are delighted to have
won this award which celebrates firms that have continually delivered
innovation, quality and value, while growing in terms of revenue, profits and staff. We have a fantastic geotechnical team which has increased by 20% year-
on-year for the past two years and we continue to attract the finest talent. Our technical expertise extends from complex foundations and retaining structures
and deep shafts to caverns in soil and rock and from utilities micro tunnelling to
the UK’s largest TBM tunnels.”

COWI’s success has been built on sustained technical excellence and a
willingness to take on challenging projects, providing expertise across ground
engineering and hydrogeology for projects in the UK and worldwide. A front
runner in the race to achieve Net Zero COWI unveiled a pioneering green
business model to drive decarbonisation of global construction by deriving 100%
of its revenue from sustainability-related projects within five years. To support this, COWI combined its construction data to power a digital carbon calculator
which optimises ground engineering methods, materials, and project sequences
to reduce the global carbon footprint linked to construction.

This has helped reduce embodied carbon in construction by up to 50% across
over a third of COWI’s live UK infrastructure projects from tunnels to railways.
COWI is now integrating its renewable energy and infrastructure divisions and
data to build a green engineering ecosystem, sharing sustainable construction
components, methods, and fuel sources across sectors, helping multiple
industries collectively decarbonise by sharing sustainable suppliers, engineering
techniques, material sources, manufacturing sites and resources to achieve
combined economies of scale.

Following a record year for entries, and after review by a panel of more than
70 expert judges, the winners of the 2022 GE Awards were announced
on Tuesday 6 September 2022 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Singapore has made steady progress in developing underground spaces, which range from
utility lines to rail lines and roads, to meet the various and growing needs of its urban
environment. With limited land available, Singapore’s underground space continues to be a
valuable resource and holds immense potential to further optimise land use and provide
capacity for future needs. The appointment of Marcus is in line with the company’s Asia
growth strategy and positions Aurecon well to pursue opportunities in the infrastructure
space.

Jean-Marc Girard, Chief Operations Officer, Asia who is currently leading Aurecon’s
Singapore business said, “We are delighted to have Marcus on board. As an industry
veteran, especially in underground engineering, his depth of experience, technical
knowledge and business acumen will strengthen our value proposition and differentiate
Aurecon in a highly competitive market. He will help us to raise the bar and to tailor a unique offering for our clients.”

Based in Singapore, Marcus will report directly to Keith Leung, Director, Major Projects and
Pursuits, Asia who is currently leading Aurecon’s Transport, Land and Water operations in
Singapore.

About Marcus Tong

As a highly regarded civil engineer, Marcus has over 20 years of Singaporean and
international experience in large-scale underground-related works. Throughout his career,
he has been extensively involved in numerous major infrastructure projects including
Singapore’s Cross Island Line, Thomson-East Coast Line, Downtown Line, Circle Line,
Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway, Changi Airport Inter-Terminals and Intra-Terminals
(Megaspine) Tunnels, PUB Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 Tunnels and Sewer
Projects, JTC Bulim Phase 1 Dedicated Logistics Network Tunnel, Singapore Power Cable
Tunnels, Klang Valley MRT Line 1 and 2 in Malaysia, Shatin-Central Link Diamond Hill
Station in Hong Kong, as well as the Delhi Metro and Kolkata Metro projects in India.

Marcus also brings to Aurecon a distinctive skillset given his specialist experience in tunnel
segmental lining design and mined tunnel design, especially in soft ground and under both
normal and seismic conditions. He will be responsible for enhancing the firm’s underground
engineering capabilities, delivering innovative solutions for major and complex projects, and new business growth.

“I am excited to join the Aurecon team in Singapore. The opportunity to work with diverse
and talented colleagues in a business with innovation as its DNA is something I really
appreciate. Geotechnical engineering is an important and growing discipline, especially in
this dynamic region, and I look forward to bringing my passion and expertise to develop
customised and cost-effective solutions for our clients,” Marcus shared.

Prior to joining Aurecon, Marcus was Director (Underground Development) at Surbana
Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd, and also served in a leadership role at Amberg & TTI
Engineering Pte Ltd. Marcus holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (First Class Honours),
with a minor in Business from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a
Master of Science (Civil Engineering) from the National University of Singapore where he
was the top graduate of his cohort in geotechnical modules. Marcus is a registered
Professional Engineer in both Civil and Geotechnical Engineering in Singapore.

Celebrating its 53rd anniversary this year, the GBA serves geotechnical, environmental, and other geoprofessionals in the United States, Canada, and worldwide with resources, tools, and information-sharing opportunities to help them optimize performance, manage risk, and achieve business success. The non-profit association serves 260 member firms and is headquartered in Rockville, Md.

Johnston will join the Council of Fellows beginning with the next GBA semi-annual meeting this October. He is GZA’s Chief Administrative Officer and he also serves as a senior vice president and senior principal.

GZA Chief Executive Officer Patrick Sheehan said: “With over 40 years of business experience and leadership skills, Ken has been an excellent asset to both GZA and GBA. All of us at GZA are proud to see Ken’s career-long commitment to advancing professionals in the geotechnical and environmental consulting field is being recognized as he assists GBA in their continuing mission.”

Johnston, a resident of Salem, New Hampshire, holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Science from Norwich University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from New Hampshire College.

Leica Geosystems previously introduced the safety awareness solution portfolio, including Leica iCON PA10, iCON PA80 and iCON CAS, which addressed the need to immediately warn on- and off-machine field personnel of potential machine-to-people, machine-to-machine and machine-to-object and collisions.

The next step announced today, integrates the field-generated safety data into the cloud-based collaboration platform Leica ConX, allowing decision makers to review incidents and assess the entire operation over time and space. These insights support important safety initiatives by providing visualisation, analysis, monitoring, reporting and data management functions, and address communication and integration needs.

“Our ConX cloud platform leverages machine and site-specific data and has become an integrated site management solution for many contractors,” says Kris Maas, Director Product Management at Leica Geosystems. “For a comprehensive approach to operations, it is essential to include people and safety functions. With the new safety awareness module in ConX, contractors can improve communication, interaction and safety for all workers operating with and around equipment on a job site.”

For maximum accident prevention, the new safety awareness module allows site managers to send real-time alerts to specific machine operators in case of potential incidents, such as blasting, demolitions or storms. They can also send SOS alerts, such as evacuation orders to all machines on site at the click of a button. System-generated alerts and user responses are saved, providing traceability and clarity. An API provides access to the safety awareness data in ConX so that it can be used in safety systems from other providers.

“Construction sites hold numerous safety hazards, which is why we strive to increase safety on-site. With the new Leica ConX safety awareness module, Leica Geosystems has closed the gap between existing solutions and a cloud platform that allows our customers to makemore data-driven decisions,” says Neil Williams, UK Business Director, Heavy Construction at Hexagon’s Geosystems division. “The new safety awareness module in ConX provides crucial insights that enable acute focus on safety-optimised environments.”

The innovative ATRA Key design includes a structurally reinforced handle and frictional barbs for improved interlock with the GEOWEB surface texture. Together, these features provide added protection against the three primary modes of mechanical junction failure: shearing, splitting, and peeling.

Engineered for installation speed and connection strength, the ATRA Key is a low-cost, highly effective option for establishing mechanical connections between GEOWEB sections with one quick and easy turn. The ATRA Keys are three times faster to install and three times stronger than more rudimentary connection methods, such as staples or zip ties, providing a more secure and permanent load-transfer connection at mechanical junctions.

ABOUT PRESTO GEOSYSTEMS

Presto Geosystems is the original inventor and global leader in geocell technology. Our patented GEOWEB® Soil Stabilization System been installed on thousands of projects in every geographic region in the world, and is the only geocell technology that has stood the test of time for over forty years.

Joe Sinfield, professor of civil engineering, and researchers in his laboratory at Purdue University’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering, have created a suite of technologies to expand applications of Raman spectroscopy – a chemical analysis technique that makes use of light to assess the chemical composition of materials. The technique has traditionally been carried out with either expensive, sophisticated devices in controlled settings like laboratories, or lower-cost and much less capable instruments in harsher environments. When chemical differentiation, sensitivity and/or specificity is required, those in need of chemical analysis typically resort to taking samples of a substance to a laboratory for analysis, which can be expensive and time consuming.

“This tradeoff in performance has been driven by the inherent difficulties of performing chemical sensing in natural, industrial and consumer settings,” Sinfield said. “Measurements in the real world are subject to multiple forms of interference and often require analysis of chemicals that are present at low concentrations, which can affect the environment and/or human health.”

By taking advantage of recent advances in laser technologies, fiber optics and digital signal processing, the Purdue Civil Engineering Spectroscopy Laboratory has opened up the possibility to perform chemical analyses on a wide array of compounds with great sensitivity outside the laboratory, at low-to-moderate cost and with little need for expertise or sample preparation.

“We want those who work in natural and industrial environments to benefit from the sophisticated quantification capabilities that are traditionally available in a lab, and we are making this possible by addressing four main problems,” Sinfield said.

Overcoming optical interference from fluorescence

One of Sinfield’s inventions addresses interference from fluorescence. In Raman spectroscopy, light is focused on a material to make a measurement. A small fraction of that light scatters back from the material providing important information about its composition, which is what makes the Raman technique valuable. However, another portion of the light is often absorbed by the material and re-emitted as fluorescence.

“This fluorescence emission is spectrally broad, very strong and, in many contexts, overwhelms the desired scattering,” Sinfield said. “Emission of the fluorescence, however, takes time – several billionths of a second. Electrons have to absorb the incident energy, move to a higher energy state and then re-emit light to relax.

“We employ a very fast time-gating process that allows us to look at scattering from the molecule before significant fluorescence, giving us insight into the composition of materials in traditionally challenging settings.”

Correcting for physical interference from turbidity

Another of Sinfield’s technologies addresses problems created by objects in samples that typically aren’t of interest to researchers, like dust or soil particles. These particles can make liquids or solutions appear cloudy or turbid, which can interfere with chemical analyses.

“When we want a quantitative measurement of a chemical in a material — for example, in water, we want to be able to know its concentration — that is how much of the chemical is in a defined volume,” Sinfield said. “If there are particles that we don’t want to measure in the material, they are taking up space that can interfere with our control volume.”

Sinfield’s second patented technology addresses the problem.

“It automatically accounts for the volume occupied by suspended particles in a solution so that Raman measurements are truly representative of what is in the liquid,” Sinfield said. “This can be very important in water quality analyses, industrial processes or other settings involving fluids.”

Achieving sensitivity in low-concentration settings

“While overcoming obstacles like fluorescence and turbidity is helpful in many situations, some contexts are even more challenging in that there may be a need to detect very small quantities of chemicals,” Sinfield said. “This is especially important when chemicals may be hazardous at very low concentrations. While sensitive Raman measurements like these are routinely performed in the laboratory, they are very difficult to carry out in less-controlled environments.”

Two of Sinfield’s inventions enhance Raman system sensitivity to enable chemical analyses in these challenging situations. One is an extension of what is sometimes called single-photon counting. Sinfield’s technology makes use of digital signal processing algorithms to interpret the output of optical detectors based on the energy of individual photons of light, which enables a system equipped with the algorithms to detect small amounts of chemicals that scatter very small amounts of light.

“While a typical flashlight might emit about 100 billion billion photons per second, low-concentration chemicals scatter very few in the same amount of time. We can see even just one photon and count it,” Sinfield said.

“In many cases, we can look at compounds of interest that are important for industrial process control or for the environment in difficult settings and get accurate measurements at very low concentrations. In detection scenarios, we don’t have to wait until something is at a very high concentration to discover it. We can see it early and tell how much is there.”

Sinfield’s technique also improves a sensor’s dynamic range, meaning that a single system can examine both low-concentration and high-concentration compounds, tolerating both weak and strong scattering response.

Another sensitivity-enhancing patent from Sinfield’s group pertains to the detection of chlorinated solvents. These compounds were once used as degreasers in dry cleaning, automotive and military applications and are now known to be harmful to human health at very low concentrations in ground water. Although they are typically very difficult to detect and monitor, Sinfield’s group found that they can see the compounds without looking specifically for them.

“It turns out that their presence in water fundamentally changes the water. Just a small concentration changes the Raman signature of the bulk water,” Sinfield said. “So rather than looking for a compound that has a very low concentration, we can look for changes in the signature of the water that tell us that the chlorinated solvents are present. This inferential sensing capability allows the sensor to infer that the compound is there by looking at the bulk solvent, which is much easier to examine.”

Enabling spatially dispersed analyses

Even when sensitivity can be achieved in measurements in one location, it may be important to gather information at multiple locations to assess chemical distribution in an environment or monitor chemical concentration at different points in a process. With many traditional analysis methods, this can require the use of multiple sensors and/or repeated and costly sampling and subsequent laboratory analyses.

“We have enhanced our laser-based Raman system with long-distance fiber optics and optical switches similar to those used in the telecommunications industry,” Sinfield said. “We can send light through a fiber to multiple locations through an all-optical switch and conduct chemical analysis at a distance. Depending upon the sensitivity required and the chemicals of interest, we can place a sensing node in one location and other sensing nodes meters or kilometers away and make measurements at each point from one instrument. Through electronic control of the optical switch, we have the potential to evaluate conditions at different locations in a matter of seconds to minutes.”

Sinfield disclosed these spectroscopy innovations to the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization.

“Our team is excited to put our technologies into practice, to enhance existing Raman spectroscopy systems or develop entirely new instruments for previously unaddressed applications,” Sinfield said. “The technologies we have developed are very versatile.”

Industry partners seeking to option or license these innovations should contact Dhananjay Sewak, dsewak@prf.org, about reference number 64902 for overcoming fluorescence, 2014-SINF-66635 correcting for turbidity, 2021-SINF-69456 for low-concentration settings and 2022-SINF-69571 for spatially dispersed analysis.

Orlando, FL – Universal Engineering Sciences® (UES), a leading national engineering and consulting company, has appointed David Witsken to the role of Chief Executive Officer. UES, recognized as the fastest-growing AEC firm in the U.S., continues to expand its operations nationally, with 67 branches in nearly 20 states and more than 3,100 professionals today. Dave will be located at UES’ headquarters in Orlando and will begin later this month.

Most recently, Dave served as the President of BrandSafway’s Industrial, Energy, and Commercial business for the United States, Canada and Mexico. BrandSafway is a provider of services and products to the industrial, commercial and infrastructure end markets worldwide. Dave worked in various global executive leadership roles throughout his 17 years at the company, including M&A, Sales, and General Management. During his tenure, BrandSafway completed 30 successful acquisitions and grew from $300 million in revenue in 2005 to $5 billion today. Previously, Dave spent 18 years at General Electric in various leadership positions.  He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Westminster College, where he currently serves as an Advisory Board member.

“Dave’s strong track record of leadership in the industry and extensive experience driving growth positions him exceptionally well to lead UES in its next exciting chapter,” said UES Chairman Michael Burke. “In the past 18 months, UES has tripled in size through both organic growth and acquisitions. This includes notable project wins, as well as the successful completion of 13 strategic acquisitions. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue UES’ expansion across high growth geographies in the United States. I look forward to working closely with Dave and our talented leadership team to seize the incredible opportunity ahead of us.”

“I’m excited to join UES at this moment of its journey,” said newly appointed UES CEO Dave Witsken. “UES is poised to make a tremendous impact nationally. Between the national commitment to infrastructure spending and the increased population shift to the Sun Belt, there is a significant opportunity for UES to build stronger communities, serve more clients and create exciting career paths for our people.”
About Universal Engineering Sciences
Universal Engineering Sciences, headquartered in Orlando, is a rapidly growing engineering and consulting firm with nearly six decades of experience in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting. UES is considered a pioneer of the industry and stands at the forefront of emerging technology, best practices, and influential legislature. Projects include both public and private clients, ranging from transportation and healthcare to commercial and education. UES engineers, geologists, certified inspectors, and scientists offer an unwavering commitment to excellence, approaching each project as an opportunity to cultivate enduring relationships with clients. BDT Capital Partners is the primary investor in the company.

UES has made a commitment to growing through strategic acquisition and organic growth. UES’ presence includes locations throughout the high growth markets in the South, Midwest and West, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Metro DC, California, Utah, Nevada, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

UES was named number one on the Zweig Group Hot Firm List which honors the fastest-growing firms in the architecture, engineering, planning, environmental and construction (AEC) industry. With nearly 3,100 professionals across 67 branches in nearly 20 states nationwide, UES consults on projects of all sizes to help deliver needed infrastructure and build safe and successful communities. For more information, please visit universalengineering.com or follow UES on Social Media.

The Bachy Soletanche Group in the UK has a turnover in excess of £250m. Through its group companies, Roger Bullivant Limited, Soil Engineering Geoservices Limited, Sixense Limited and Bachy Soletanche Limited it offers a range of specialisms including foundations, soil technologies, ground investigation and monitoring services.

The group chose Gallagher to lead on its UK insurance programme as a result of its strong track record in the construction sector and the clear understanding of Bachy Soletanche’s business and its varied risk exposures. Gallagher’s proposal around how to approach the firm’s professional indemnity cover was noted as particularly innovative and helped the in-house team make the decision to move from its incumbent broker, which had held the account for over 25 years.

Gallagher’s Speciality construction practice is one of the leading providers of insurance and risk management advice to construction firms, through its 60 strong team, with a client portfolio which includes a broad range of UK and international contractors and property builders.

Julie Scott, Chartered Insurance Broker at Gallagher commented: “At Gallagher we employ sector specialists, meaning that firms can be assured that the team supporting their risk management needs is highly skilled in their area of business. A business of this size and scale is highly complex so Bachy Soletanche needed to be confident it was working with a specialist broker who understood the range of risks facing the business and how an effective insurance programme could mitigate these. We are delighted to be involved in a cutting edge construction firm of this nature.”

Andy West, Commercial Manager at Bachy Soletanche, added: “Bachy Soletanche is a multifaceted firm and it is highly important that we work with an insurance partner who could see the opportunities for us, along with the challenges, and advise us on the types of insurance we needed. We are looking forward to working with the team of experts at Gallagher.”

Orlando, FL – Universal Engineering Sciences® (UES), a privately-held national leading engineering and consulting company specializing in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting, has appointed Sheila Norden to the role of Chief Human Resources Officer.  Sheila is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive Human Resource strategy supporting the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization, including Talent Management, Rewards and Recognition and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. UES plans to hire 1,500 new positions within the next three years. The company has tripled in size in the last 18 months, through both acquisition and organic growth.

“Sheila is a well-respected change leader with expertise in all HR disciplines and proven successful people leadership,” said UES President Brian Kirkpatrick. “Her expertise in leading the HR due diligence process and integrations for acquisitions and mergers will prove invaluable as we continue our rapid growth.”

Sheila most recently served as Vice President, HR Experience at McKesson Corporation, a global healthcare company, where she spent the majority of her 25-year career. Under her leadership, the HR team supported more than 25,000 employees in North America, including 4,000 people leaders. Delivering HR excellence was a key factor in supporting high Net Promoter and Customer Service scores. She also served at Crestar Bank, now Truist, in various HR and benefits related positions. Sheila holds an M.S. in Human Resources and a B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Business Administration at Liberty University.

“I’m excited to join UES at this moment of its journey,” said UES CHRO Sheila Norden. “Together, we will build the infrastructure to deliver the talent needs that currently exist, as well as support and deliver the talent needs of UES in the future. Putting great talent in place, building teams and helping them grow will enable UES to continue to be successful.”

“As announced on December 14, 2021, BoxScore obtained a technical report summarizing high lithium potential wells in our focus area. With that encouraging information, we began developing detailed plans to verify and demonstrate the presence of high potential brines. We spoke with several leading and experienced Geotech firms, ultimately providing our detailed scope and requirements to two top industry organizations. After reviewing for scope, timelines, costs, and interviewing subject matter experts and qualified persons in not only this field but also those familiar with the western United States, we enthusiastically selected RESPEC. It was also helpful that members of the BoxScore technical team have had prior experience with RESPEC on other comparable projects,” stated Andrew Boutsikakis, CEO of BoxScore Brands, Inc.

RESPEC provides services to the mining and energy industries from grassroots exploration to operating mine-settings. They provide geological services, drill program design, full procurement drilling and well completion to various brine and disposal projects. With more than 50 years of experience in service to the mining and oil and gas market worldwide, RESPEC provides unequaled experience for developing the Lisbon Valley properties. Their team in Grand Junction, Colorado is close to the project area and has performed extensive geological and engineering work in the Paradox Basin stratigraphy.

BoxScore believes that there is substantial long-term demand for specific commodities, referred to as “tech minerals” related to battery and new energy technologies. In partnering with RESPEC, the Company is now well-prepared and engaged towards its goal of becoming the lowest cost, most efficient, and technologically advanced company producing tech minerals and other correlated metals from high potential brines.

Leveraging the expertise of RESPEC, BoxScore is now focused on several initiatives, including:

• Advancement of Geotech, engineering, geology, and fieldwork to complete Technical Reports on the Lisbon Project.
• Understanding Lisbon Valley brines, on and around owned leases.
• Develop a well plan to re-enter, sample, and test the “Superior Well” that has a historical lithium concentration of 730 ppm (parts per million).
• Enter other prospective plugged and abandoned wells, taking brine samples and performing hydrological testing at each identified high potential zone to evaluate the properties of the clastic formation.
• As information is advanced, prepare technical reports following the NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, initially a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and longer term, a Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS).
• Test the collected brines for lithium, but also for previously identified high value elements such as cobalt, manganese, magnesium, and suites of metals in the alkaline earth metals, transition metals, and halogens group.
• Potentially, due to high demand, an assessment of Lanthanides and Actinides element series from the extensive historical information from oil and gas, potash, copper, uranium, and recent lithium investigations.
• Based on the results of the Superior well, develop area resource estimates.

“We anticipate a strategy of employing advanced brine extractive technology methodologies and have been in talks with numerous extraction providers. As expressed in many industry publications, we believe that selective extraction, from the area brines, is clearly the most cost-effective approach. Technologies are being developed that can extract the desired minerals and metals, without removing the salts. Thus, we will pump high volumes of brine, extract, then re-inject the brines. We have provided them with analytical results from the technical reports, but will soon provide current results, analytical, Geotech modeling, aquifer modeling, recharge, flows, and depths,” Boutsikakis added.

“With the historic and fresh brine sample results, we can send this to top selective extraction companies, so they can design more specifically for our area based on, approach, depths, brine volumes, target minerals and metals, total dissolved solids, brine handling, re-injection and more.”

 WASHINGTON, DC – Ninyo & Moore of Los Angeles, Calif., has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 55^th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for design of Terminal 1.5 at Los Angeles International Airport.

Ninyo & Moore provided geotechnical engineering services for the five-story, 52,000-square-foot building connecting Terminals 1 and 2. The building also provides additional space for federal security requirements, and an uninterrupted link between existing ticketing and baggage claim lobbies. These and other features enhance operational flexibility and efficiency for the airport and airlines.

During construction, the project team encountered a large area of undocumented fill, which normally would have to be removed and the area recompacted to ensure structural stability. Ninyo & Moore’s evaluation of this area determined its suitability to support Terminal 1.5, saving the airport more than

$1 million in added construction costs and keeping the project on schedule. The firm also ensured the existing terminal foundations were properly supported and protected during excavation and construction.

The project is part of 195 entries this year representing engineering excellence from throughout the nation and the world. Judging for the awards program—known industry-wide as the “Academy Awards of the engineering industry”– took place in February and was conducted by a national 27-member panel of built environment leaders, along with experts from government, the media and academia. Award criteria focused on uniqueness and originality, technical innovation, social and economic value, and generating excitement for the engineering profession.

Recognition of all award winners including top winners—20 Honor Awards, 16 Grand Awards and the prestigious “Grand Conceptor Award” for the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievement—will take place during the 2022 EEA Gala, to be held in Grand Hyatt, Washington, DC, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

A new ASCE Press book, Site-Specific Ground Motions for Seismic Design of Buildings and Other Structures hopes to bridge this gap. Author Praveen K. Malhotra provides a step-by-step approach to properly conduct site-specific Ground Motion Hazard Analysis (GMHA) and Site Response Analysis (SRA), and the resources available.

The book references several standards to provide a comprehensive approach to generate ground motions for design, including:

• General Procedure (GP) in ASCE 7 and its limitations,
• Ground motions for the evaluation and retrofit of buildings (ASCE 41),
• Ground motions for the design of LNG tanks (ACI 376 and API 620 & 625),
• Ground motions for the design of bridges (AASHTO and Caltrans), and
• Ground motions for the performance-based design of tall buildings (PEER TBI).

This book will appeal to geotechnical and structural engineers who need ground motion parameters for liquefaction analyses and seismic design of structures. It will also be highly useful to seismologists, geologists, educators, students, and building code officials.

To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore

SAN RAMON, CA – ENGEO announces that it has been engaged to design and shepherd the first Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD) focused on flood prevention. The GHAD will assist in protecting the City of Isleton against flood hazards and provide resilient flood damage relief.

Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts (GHADs) are state agencies formed by local communities to provide prevention, rapid response and funding to address hazardous geologic conditions. They were established by the California Legislature to protect communities from landslides, earth movement, erosion and other similar hazards. The Delta Region GHAD will be the first of its kind in protecting against the peril of flood.

“The ENGEO team is honored to have the privilege of working on this very important project for the Delta Region, which is the first GHAD to abate flooding due to embankment failure,” said Uri Eliahu, ENGEO’s President and CEO. “ENGEO has extensive experience and many talented professionals that have worked to protect and improve the communities we serve with GHADs.”

ENGEO helped create the Blackhawk GHAD in 1986, and since then, has led the way with GHAD education and legislative activity. Eliahu, who is a leading voice in the development of GHAD policy and best practices, is a Founding Director and current president of the California Association of GHADs. Throughout the State of California, ENGEO has provided geotechnical strategy and monitoring in over 30 special districts.

ENGEO recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary with milestones that include a 143% employee increase over the past 10 years. As the most comprehensive geoscience engineering firm in the world, it has worked on a wide range of public and private projects that range from GHADs, transportation, disaster sites, schools, major sporting venues, housing developments and museums, among an extensive array of other projects.

WASHINGTON, DC – Even as the U.S. construction industry navigated a second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, most insurers providing architects and engineers (A/E) professional liability insurance remain concerned about their deteriorating claims experience and multiple issues related to the pandemic. These factors are leading many insurers to seek more extensive and sizable rate increases, according to a new survey by specialty insurance broker Ames & Gough. 

 As they look ahead in 2022, 81 percent of insurers in the Ames & Gough survey of 16 leading insurance companies (which, on a combined basis, represent a significant percentage of the overall marketplace providing professional liability insurance to architects and engineers in the U.S.) are planning to raise rates with the remaining insurers seeking to hold rates steady. This year, insurers planning to raise rates are closely divided between those seeking modest increases of up to 5 percent and those planning increases of 6 percent or more. 

“Along with worsening claims experience, insurers have become increasingly concerned about the impacts of the pandemic both on their design firm clients and on the economy,” said Jared Maxwell, vice president and partner, Ames & Gough and co-author of the survey. “Besides worker shortages at A/E firms and supply chain disruptions affecting building materials, insurers are focused on how COVID-19 has elevated cyber risks and the potential for rising claim costs due to economic and social inflation, and prolonged litigation due to case backlogs in courts.”

Higher claims severity a concern. Among insurers surveyed, 63 percent saw an increase in claim severity in 2021 and 31 percent experienced greater claim frequency. The majority of insurers surveyed also reported paying multimillion dollar claims in 2021, with one in four paying a claim of $5 million or more, including 13 percent of the insurers surveyed paying claims between $10 million to $19.9 million.  

Given the significant number of large losses, insurers surveyed shared lessons learned to help A/E firms avoid these outsized claims. Several pointed to the need for appropriate contractual scrutiny, including having a clearly defined scope of service, meaningful limits of liability protection, and a careful review of indemnification provisions. 

“In the current economic environment, project owners and their legal counsel are inserting onerous contractual language to transfer as much risk as possible to design firms,” said Cady Sinks, assistant vice president, Ames & Gough, and co-author of the survey. “Besides carefully reviewing their potential contractual obligations before signing, A/E firms need to be thorough in their selection of projects, clients, and subconsultants. They also should stay focused on maintaining high standards for quality control and assurance.”   

Among insurers surveyed, 63 percent expressed concern about the impact of “the great resignation” on design firms – in particular, the potential for worker shortages and increased claims. Specifically, insurers saw this trend exacerbating risks of design and technical errors, and project delays. They also pointed out the loss of institutional knowledge at A/E firms needed to keep projects on track and flag potential issues.  

Insurers reveal plans for 2022 rate increases. With respect to their underwriting discipline and plans for rate increases, 77 percent of the insurers surveyed plan to target increases on what they consider higher risk projects, such as condominiums and schools; the same percentage will target higher risk disciplines, including structural engineering, architecture, and geotechnical engineering.  

Meanwhile, 38 percent plan to apply increases to firms operating in states considered high-risk or with generally adverse loss experience, including California, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas. Furthermore, 69 percent of the insurers surveyed are planning increases across their entire book of business.  

Heightened M&A risks. With design firms involved in more than 400 mergers and acquisitions in 2021, insurers cautioned those making acquisitions to practice careful due diligence, particularly in assessing the target firm’s legacy exposures. They also noted the need to focus on addressing employee concerns and conducting a thorough insurance program review.  

To obtain a complimentary copy of the Ames & Gough Survey, PLI Market 2022: A/E Firms Face Headwinds Due to Adverse Economic Factors, email info@amesgough.com.

Dexter, MI (DATE) – Q.E.D. Environmental Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of innovative environmental products and subsidiary of Graco Inc. (NYSE: GGG), highlights its Well Wizard ST1000, which provides the high sample accuracy and proven reliability of QED’s Well Wizard dedicated bladder pumps in a smaller diameter format. The sampling device is the heart of every low-flow groundwater monitoring system. This is why the ST1000, which goes deeper than other pumps and has a durable construction, provides tremendous value to organizations with these systems.

The ST1000, being 0.80” (20mm) OD, can sample wells as small as 1” diameter at depths over 600 feet (183m), which is far deeper than other small diameter bladder pumps. Further, you can sample wells at almost unlimited depth with its optional drop tube inlet kit. This pump also fits larger wells with partial obstruction.

The product of QED’s decades of experience and service, this pump proves reliable in many environments, and the long life of the bladder provides years of reliable operation. Indeed, the pump is defined by its durability. It has a 316 stainless steel construction and uses QED’s exclusive DuraFlex PTFS bladder formulation. The pump also uses a QED twin bonded tubing, specifically, HDPE that is either teflon-lined or all teflon. QED is so confident in the resilience of this pump that it provides a 10-year sampling pump warranty.

The ST1000 is also distinguished by its industry leading performance. The pump has an operating pressure of up to 300 PSI. It also supports flow rates up to 474 milliliters per minute (ml/min). Further, the pump achieves low flow sampling accuracy that is EPA accepted.

These pneumatic bladder pumps are specifically designed for superior low-flow sampling performance. They operate with a unique, gentle action ideal for low-flow sampling. Their timed on/off cycles of compressed air also alternately squeeze the flexible bladder to displace water out of the pump, and then release it to allow the pump to refill by submergence. This all occurs without creating any disturbance that could affect sample chemistry.

These pumps run easily at low rates for extended times, without having problems associated with other pumps on the market. For example, there is no overheating of high-speed electric pump motors, a problem that can alter samples and ruin pumps. There is also no churning action, which is seen in bailers or inertial-lift samplers that increase turbidity. Degassing of dissolved volatile contaminants is also avoided, as there is no suction. Moreover, the pump helps protect against disturbance or the risk of cross contamination, as the bladder prevents contact between the pump drive air and the sample, and the down well equipment is permanently dedicated to each well.

For more information, visit www.qedenv.com.

ATLANTA — A Golder Associates construction materials testing services laboratory destroyed by fire in March 2021 has been relocated and reopened on Feb. 21, with the assistance of Golder’s parent company, WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy.

Following the arson fire, which caused significant damage and shut down the construction materials testing laboratory. The original facility location in Chamblee, northeast of Atlanta, warranted a relocation to a new facility as the best option over reconstruction of the previous site.

Golder, which is now integrated with WSP as one company, partnered with WSP architects prior to the integration to design a laboratory space for the geosynthetic, geotechnical, aggregate and concrete labs to operate safely and efficiently. The new facility, one of six Golder laboratories in the U.S., is located in Norcross, Georgia a few miles to the northeast of the previous site.

“After a challenging year and the stress and strain caused by the fire and the unanticipated planning and relocation of our laboratory – all in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic – it is quite satisfying to finally witness the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes,” said Henry Mock, Golder laboratory director. “Today we can get back to the work at hand – performing material testing services for the power, transportation, oil and gas, waste, manufacturing, water resources and mining industries.”

The new laboratory offers several new features that were not available in the original facility, including an improved air handling system that will provide necessary fresh air throughout the laboratory. The building also includes an improved and energy-efficient lighting system to support work in the laboratory environment and sound-absorbing rooms to minimize disturbance in other areas of the laboratory to allow the laboratory staff to focus on the testing.

The new facility combines the off-site warehouse location to improve the facility’s efficiency, creating a better flow that allows samples to proceed through the laboratory more effectively and ensuring accurate results.

To improve the employee experience, the facility provides individual lockers to store personal items and personal protective equipment, a break/conference room, more restrooms, and more office space for calculations, quality reviews and to generate reports.

Golder’s laboratory uses American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards and specialized testing techniques. It is accredited by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Geosynthetic Accreditation Institute and approved by the Environmental Protection Institute. The laboratory is also approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to handle foreign soil for laboratory analysis.

The new facility is located at 1555 Oakbrook Drive, Suite 125, Norcross, Georgia 30093.

While ClearSpan’s helical anchor foundation is a popular choice amongst operations, it’s hard to find a better solution for a lack of storage and production space than a shipping container foundation. A fabric structure that’s paired with a shipping container foundation can provide businesses with a storage powerhouse, as well as a wide-open space and higher clearance for workers and vehicles. The fabric building employs unique manufacturing practices to allow for quick construction timelines and the shipping container foundation produces a more versatile, cost-effective structure for businesses.

HOW DOES A SHIPPING CONTAINER FOUNDATION WORK?

A shipping container foundation is one of the many foundation options offered by ClearSpan, but it stands out as one of the most versatile. With this base, a fabric building is installed on large storage containers to produce a container mounted structure.

This design pairs the many benefits of a fabric structure with the added amenities of shipping containers, generating a building that provides far more advantages than a traditional solution. Durable metal containers create a sturdy foundation, while also establishing a secure storage space that protects valuable equipment and tools.

There are numerous other types of foundations, which are more permanent and less adaptable, that can’t offer the same benefits as a shipping container foundation. Some buildings are installed with a concrete foundation, slab foundation or concrete slab foundations, along with concrete piers or concrete footings. With containers, operations don’t have to worry about pouring concrete or waiting for concrete to cure and can get their building erected faster.

As an adaptable alternative, a shipping container foundation is designed to meet the needs of any business or individual. It is also a more environmentally friendly option, because it does little to disturb or harm the surrounding landscape, making this foundation a more attractive choice for businesses seeking sustainability.

A SUPERIOR WORK AND STORAGE SPACE

For work and storage purposes, available space should be one of the most important features to an operation. A shipping container foundation helps a fabric structure supply businesses with the most usable space possible.

Containers naturally add sidewall height and the structure’s frame design doesn’t require interior support posts, so businesses gain high clearances and a large, unobstructed space. Since the containers act as sidewalls, fewer materials are required to produce the fabric structure, so the foundation can cut some of the building’s overall cost as well.

Additionally, individuals have the option to stack containers on top of each other, which can provide them with even more height and storage. High clearances allow even the tallest vehicles and equipment to fit comfortably, with ample room for work to continue safely.

This can benefit businesses from any industry, but Jenkins Welding in southeast Alaska found the shipping container foundation particularly useful for their operation. The business specializes in aluminum fabrication and welding, with a primary focus on the repair and modification of commercial fishing boats. In need of a structure that could house vessels up to 58’ high and 80’ long, the business explored their options, and found ClearSpan to be the best choice.

Jenkins Welding decided on a 50’ wide by 80’ long Hercules Truss Arch Building with a shipping container foundation. The structure’s sidewalls are stacked three containers high, which easily fits even their tallest ships, as well as the workers who repair them.

By installing their structure on a shipping container foundation, the business also maximizes their storage space for important welding equipment. These containers can be locked overnight to give the business an added security benefit and keep items protected from potential thieves.

This foundation can even give fabric structures a temporary classification, potentially reducing tax burden. Containers make a fabric building simpler to install or be relocated, giving businesses the ability to move their structure to other project sites.

A FABRIC STRUCTURE’S ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Fabric structures already provide operations with a number of benefits that set them apart from other buildings, but a shipping container foundation only improves the design. By combining the advantages of both, businesses can get a storage solution that’s resilient, comfortable and cost-effective.

A shipping container foundation helps add to the durability that ClearSpan’s fabric structures are known for. The containers are built to be sturdy and reliable, while a corrosion-resistant frame helps the structures withstand caustic environments. High-quality materials and advanced manufacturing strategies let these buildings stand up to even the toughest conditions.

ClearSpan’s fabric buildings support natural ventilation, helping carry fresh air throughout the interior to ensure a workspace never gets stuffy. Although HVAC and fans can be included, the structure helps create a more comfortable interior on its own, mitigating the need to run extra equipment and potentially inflate energy costs.

The fabric covers used are climate-sensitive, which allows the structure’s interior to stay ten degrees cooler in the summer and ten degrees warmer in the winter, further contributing to the cost-savings and providing an improved interior climate. Stored items in the shipping container foundation are kept at more regulated temperatures and workers can function comfortably, in spite of severe weather.

These covers are also naturally translucent, so they let ample sunlight filter into an operation’s building. This creates a well-lit workspace that doesn’t rely on artificial lighting, meaning businesses can save on utility costs throughout the day, while avoiding potential eye strain caused by artificial light fixtures.

No matter the industry or purpose, a shipping container foundation helps a fabric structure cater to almost any need an operation may have. By creating more usable space and providing abundant, secure storage, a container mounted fabric structure is an effective solution for businesses looking to improve their workspace.

Past research into this problem has shown that when the ground freezes tiny pockets of ice trapped in the soil expands. This can create what is known as frost-heave in the winter and in the spring, when ground thaws it creates thaw-weakening settlement. Over time this freeze-thaw cycle causes damage to the ground and poses major challenges for human made structures, like bridges, dams, pipelines, buildings, roads and homes. Each year, the freeze-thaw cycle leads to billions of dollars in mitigation and repair costs around the world.

Now, a team of scientists and engineers at South Dakota Mines has received $453,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation to seek solutions to these problems.

“We are trying to understand more about the fundamentals of ice formation underground and if there are natural methods that we can use to stop or control the ground from freezing,” says Tejo V. Bheemasetti, Ph.D., assistant professor in the civil and environmental engineering department at South Dakota Mines.

Bheemasetti is working alongside Bret Lingwall, Ph.D., associate professor in the civil and environmental engineering department at South Dakota Mines. The multidisciplinary project also includes a group of biologists at Mines, led by Rajesh Sani, Ph.D., a professor of chemical and biological engineering. The team is studying antifreeze proteins released from microorganisms that live in cold environments. These microorganisms naturally produce antifreeze proteins which keeps them alive in frigid conditions. Scientists want to know if this same kind of naturally occurring antifreeze could be used as an environmentally safe treatment in areas where the freeze-thaw cycle poses a threat to infrastructure.

“We are trying to develop a solution that is compatible with mother nature, so this requires both civil and biological engineers working together.  It’s a wonderful interdisciplinary project,” says Bheemasetti.

Currently, engineers sometimes remove soils around structures that are susceptible to damage from the freeze thaw cycle. For example, they will pack gravel under the pavement that will behave better in freezing conditions.  “If we could stabilize the soil with bacteria that contain natural antifreeze, we may be able to save money and time in construction,” says Bheemasetti.

Bheemasetti adds that a lot of research is needed before any of these ideas would be used commercially. “Before we ever test this in the field, we are testing it in the lab,” he says. “We will study how these natural antifreezes might work with various types of soils and how it might inhibit ice formation. This might have more applications than just protecting infrastructure.”

Bheemasetti uses environmentally controlled reaction chambers that mimic frigid outdoor conditions to test various forms of naturally occurring antifreeze in various soil types in various mixes and amounts. “We are trying to narrow many variables including optical mixing rates,” he says. “We are expecting the freezing point of treated soil will be much lower than normal.”

Sani and his team have spent years working on extremophilic bacteria, or microbes that thrive in hot water. Over the last year researchers expanded their work to include psychrophilic bacteria, or microbes that thrive in cold conditions. “Dr. Sani has provided the naturally occurring antifreeze and the psychrophilic bacteria he has grown in his lab. We will use his bacteria in our study of various soil types,” says Bheemasetti.

Developing a naturally occurring and environmentally safe antifreeze could have much wider applications than just soils. “Once we find one that works we can use the bacteria itself or come up with a bio-mimicking synthetic version that is much better for the environment,” says Bheemasetti.

The team has already begun its work on the three-year project. If successful, the next phase of the project could include longer-term field tests on a more real-world environment. “The solutions are there, the exact path uncertain, but it’s exciting to be taking these first steps,” says Bheemasetti.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA and PHOENIX, AZ – RMA Group of Companies (“RMA”), a portfolio company of OceanSound Partners, announced that it has merged with Western Technologies, Inc. and Enviro-Drill, Inc. (collectively, “Western Technologies” or “WT”) to create a leading provider of technology-enabled laboratory testing, inspection, and quality management services for critical infrastructure end-markets. Ed Lyon, RMA’s President and CEO, will lead the newly combined business, supported by an experienced management team consisting of leaders from both RMA and WT. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The strategic combination of RMA and Western Technologies significantly enhances the firms’ collective service capabilities, geographic reach, and end-market expertise. The combined business will employ over 600 talented engineers, geologist, inspectors, technicians, drillers, and other professionals across nearly 20 offices in 5 states throughout the Western U.S. The additional scale will enable RMA and WT to deliver a more expansive solution set for a combined customer base of more than 1,200 infrastructure asset owners and engineering and construction companies across diverse government and commercial end-markets, including transportation, healthcare, power, and water.

“The merger with Western Technologies represents a transformative milestone in RMA’s 60-year history,” said Ed Lyon. “We are delighted to welcome all of our new colleagues from WT. With this combination, RMA gains access to a larger geographical footprint, a deeper pool of talent, and additional service offerings – including environment consulting and non-destructive testing – enabling us to better serve the combined customer base. Together, with WT, we have decades of experience as trusted advisors to our clients. Based on this rich legacy, our combined company will help our clients address increasing regulatory compliance and operating requirements by leveraging a broader portfolio of engineering services.”

Lyon continued, “The repair, expansion, and modernization of infrastructure has become a top national priority. RMA and WT will operate as cornerstones of a national testing and inspection services platform, helping support the engineering, development, management, and maintenance of critical infrastructure assets across the country. With the support of OceanSound Partners, we expect that this merger will be the first of several transactions as we pursue an acquisition-driven growth strategy, enabling us to serve both existing and prospective clients on a national scale.”

“As the first engineering firm in Arizona to provide materials testing and geotechnical services, WT has been a pioneer since its founding in 1955,” said Jim Warne, former President and current Vice Chairman of Western Technologies. “Since then, we have built a reputation of delivering high-quality services that meet the design or compliance requirements of infrastructure, environmental, and development projects in the Southwest. We have achieved success by fostering an entrepreneurial environment that prioritizes professional development. With our combination with RMA, we look forward to extending WT’s multi-disciplinary expertise across additional markets, accelerating growth opportunities for employees of both firms, and better serving our respective communities.”

“By joining forces with RMA, we are excited to leverage the best of our respective businesses, cross-sell across our markets and customer bases, and create professional opportunities for our combined workforce,” said Randy Marwig, recently appointed President of Western Technologies. “We believe our two firms have complementary services, highly compatible cultures, and a shared commitment to our clients, which will facilitate a seamless integration process for employees with zero disruption to clients. We are confident that the combination of RMA and WT will accelerate our growth and lead to long-term, sustained success.”

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal counsel to RMA. DLA Piper LLP served as legal counsel to Western Technologies.

Orlando, FL – Universal Engineering Sciences® (UES), a national leading engineering and consulting company specializing in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting, has agreed to acquire Alpha Testing, a professional geotechnical engineering firm headquartered in Dallas, TX, with offices in Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Alpha Testing’s 400-person team provides geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, environmental engineering and drilling services consulting to commercial, institutional, residential, and municipal market clients throughout Texas as well as Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Significant recent projects include Bois d’Arc Reservoir Dam, the Cypress Waters mixed-use development and the Clements Tower addition at UT Southwestern Medical Center. BofA Securities, Inc. advised Alpha Testing in this transaction.

Alpha Testing President Brian Powell, PE, a 28-year veteran of the industry, will continue to serve in his current position as President, as well as serving as Texas Division President, UES. His existing leadership team will also continue in their roles.

“Joining the UES family of businesses is an exciting step and a significant milestone in our growth and development,” said Brian Powell. “This partnership enables us to serve more clients by increasing our reach, offering a broader range of services, and allowing us to capitalize on a diverse range of expertise. Not only will we be able to provide enhanced services to our clients, but this partnership provides greater opportunities for our team members as well.”

“Universal Engineering Sciences continues to grow at a rapid pace, both organically and through acquisition,” said UES Chairman Michael Burke. “Alpha Testing perfectly exemplifies our approach of partnering with best-in-class engineering firms in key markets, positioning us to grow the business nationally and capitalize on the current and anticipated infrastructure spend. Alpha Testing’s top-notch leadership team, excellent client relationships and dedicated team members are a great fit for our culture and our vision moving forward.”

With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential and civic customers across the country. Mergers with GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, P.C., GEOServices, LLC, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Inc. and now Alpha Testing, have made the UES family of companies one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.—Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced the addition of a geotechnical portfolio to its geospatial automated monitoring portfolio through a collaboration with Worldsensing, a wireless connectivity technology provider and an industry-leading manufacturer of geotechnical IoT monitoring systems. The collaboration enables survey, geotechnical and structural engineers to seamlessly expand their monitoring business opportunities with a comprehensive solution that incorporates geotechnical and geospatial data.

Data from a variety of geotechnical and geospatial sensors—from tiltmeters, piezometers and crack gauges to GNSS receivers and total stations—combined with wireless communication and robust software create powerful monitoring solutions. This provides unparalleled movement analysis to monitor transportation infrastructure, buildings, structures, dams, mines as well as landslides and natural hazards.

The Trimble-branded geotechnical product line, powered by Worldsensing, provides a fully automated wireless monitoring solution that helps minimize field visits and increases safety by reducing the need to obtain manual readouts. The automated measurements generate real-time notifications and reporting through the new Trimble® 4D Control software (T4D) Geotechnical Edition software, which enables users to streamline monitoring system deployment as well as simplify the connection to geotechnical sensors.

The Trimble geotechnical portfolio includes:

• Wireless geotechnical sensors: Tiltmeter and laser-tilt sensors, providing tilt and distance measurement readings directly to the gateway
• Wireless data loggers: Vibrating wire, and digital and analog data loggers, supporting connections with a wide range of geotechnical digital and analog sensors communicating information to the gateway
• Gateway: Rugged Long Range (LoRA) radio and 4G gateway, enabling communication with the wireless geotechnical sensors and data loggers to connect the project site with the office through a cellular or local network
• Configuration software: A mobile application for data logger configuration and a web user interface for network and device management connected to the office via T4D software
• Accessories: Installation accessories for a variety of mounting and configuration environments

By expanding Trimble’s geospatial portfolio to include geotechnical IoT solutions, monitoring professionals can have access to both product lines from a single provider. This provides the flexibility to choose the optimal system to comprehensively monitor construction projects, mine, dam sites and other critical assets with the T4D software.

“Our monitoring customers work with geotechnical sensors to automate movement detection for critical infrastructure and mining projects on a daily basis,” said Boris Skopljak, marketing director of Monitoring and Tunneling for Trimble Geospatial. “Through our collaboration with Worldsensing, we are making it easier for them to access the full range of geospatial and geotechnical solutions from a single source, resulting in faster and easier deployment and the opportunity to address a wider range of projects.”

“Thanks to this collaboration, service providers can work with a powerful combination of geospatial and geotechnical IoT-based monitoring technologies,” said Matthieu Laville, director of Sales at Worldsensing. “They can now merge geospatial and geotechnical tools to easily collect and access sensitive and reliable data to automate their operational tasks, reduce technical complexity and diminish risks across mining, construction and rail projects.”

Availability

The solution is expected to be available through Trimble’s global Geospatial distribution channel in July 2021 via dedicated monitoring professionals, providing local sales, installation, training and technical support. For more information, visit: trimble.com/geotech.

About Worldsensing

Worldsensing is a global IoT pioneer. Founded in 2008, the industrial monitoring expert works with over 270 engineering partners in more than 60 countries to provide safety through critical infrastructure monitoring in mining, construction, rail and structural health. Loadsensing by Worldsensing enables near real-time data acquisition of geotechnical, geospatial and structural sensors as well as remote device, data and network performance tracking. Engineers and experts tasked with monitoring can simplify their project management, save time and accelerate ROI through remote connectivity management. Worldsensing has offices in Barcelona, London, Los Angeles and Singapore and investors include Cisco Systems, Mitsui & Co, McRock Capital and ETF Partners, among others. For more information about Worldsensing, visit:  www.worldsensing.com.

About Trimble Geospatial

Trimble Geospatial provides solutions that facilitate high-quality, productive workflows and information exchange, driving value for a global and diverse customer base of surveyors, engineering and GIS service companies, governments, utilities and transportation authorities. Trimble’s innovative technologies include integrated sensors, field applications, real-time communications and office software for processing, modeling and data analytics. Using Trimble solutions, organizations can capture the most accurate spatial data and transform it into intelligence to deliver increased productivity and improved decision-making. Whether enabling more efficient use of natural resources or enhancing the performance and lifecycle of civil infrastructure, timely and reliable geospatial information is at the core of Trimble’s solutions to transform the way work is done. For more information, visit:  https://geospatial.trimble.com.

About Trimble

Trimble is transforming the way the world works by delivering products and services that connect the physical and digital worlds. Core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics enable customers to improve productivity, quality, safety and sustainability. From purpose built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble software, hardware and services are transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial and transportation. For more information about Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB), visit:   www.trimble.com.

By Jodie Hartnell

Prior to 2016, the busy Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) had “No enterprise GIS, no GIS software, and no dedicated GIS staff,” according to Maggie Cloos, Port NOLA GIS Manager. “We then got a grant for port security from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), secured GIS software, and plans were formed to convert disparate legacy records, site plans, and institutional knowledge.”  And—most importantly—an initial phase of field asset mapping.

Cloos, who began her career at the port in construction projects administration, had completed some GIS courses as part of her graduate studies just as the port was exploring the development of its first enterprise GIS. Cloos chaired a steering committee to do needs analysis. She says the port fully recognized there are three crucial fundamentals a GIS must seek to be an effective tool for operations, planning, maintenance, security, and disaster response: completeness, currency and accuracy.

Legacy Records

The state of the port’s infrastructure records prior to this initiative was silos of data in each department. This included legacy manual drawings (many that had been converted to CAD), engineering plans, site plans—but mostly institutional knowledge. “This is a big challenge for us when people retire or if we need information and someone is not available at the time,” said Cloos. “There are a lot of CAD drawings on certain facilities, but there were no comprehensive maps.”

“FEMA grants enabled us to acquire Esri GIS software.” said Cloos. “We worked with Esri’s professional services, who helped us set up the launch kit. But, in 2016 we really didn’t have anything to put into it yet. We really kicked off with mapping in early summer of 2017.” Cloos outlined priorities for asset mapping and records integration: “We had a lot of big site plans for large facilities like wharves, buildings, bridges. But many of the critical elements were small assets that require regular maintenance, and we did not have good locations for those. For instance, the many mooring bits where vessels tie off: these had to be collected with [GNSS]. Or they could be picked from aerial images—though they would still need to be ground-truthed.”

To begin to visualize maintenance routines, the port sought to gather every crane rail, crane tie-down points, container gantry cranes, wharf decks, piles, things used in everyday operations, and disaster response. “Always in the back of our minds is the port security and domain awareness perspective,” said Cloos, “Especially with all the rail running through our port facilities. Say if there were a train derailment, we would need to know the critical utilities in our massive terminals that might be affected or compromised.”

A sudden influx of additional records from the Port’s recent acquisition of a shortline railroad exacerbated the challenge of integrating records into the new enterprise GIS. The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation (NOPB) was established in 1908. Effective February 2018, NOPB became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Port of New Orleans. NOPB is a Class III switching railroad with the primary mission of serving the Port of New Orleans and local industries. NOPB is a neutral carrier with direct connection to six Class I railroads: BNSF; CN; CSX; Kansas City Southern; Norfolk Southern; and Union Pacific.

“We did our best to convert all the rail system property records they had: real estate they owned, records of track servitude, easements, things of that nature,” said Cloos. “We had crews walk and map every segment of track and mark all assets. Every whistle board, derail device—every small piece of infrastructure.”

The combined records of these two entities, among the world’s busiest ports and rail hubs, varied in completeness and currency. With the completeness of all the legacy records in question, any effort to integrate would require at a minimum substantial field verification, and in many cases new data acquisition via aerial image interpretation and GNSS field mapping.

First Phase Mapping

Enlisted to help create this new updated and augmented enterprise GIS was the respected local consulting firm, Environmental Science Services, Inc. (Es²). Andrew Milanes, PE, GISP, is the vice president of Es². “The contract evolved,” said Milanes, “particularly with regards to the NOPB. When we would ask for existing records, we might only find paper maps that were typically only construction drawings, and not proper as-builts. Some of the newer records were CAD drawings, but those were few, and we would find some that would not agree with others done only years or months prior.” It became apparent to Es² and the port that new mapping and field data collection would be necessary to validate existing records, and to fill in substantial data gaps.

“We were able to do heads-up digitizing of much of the rail infrastructure, switches, etc., with digital orthophotos from various sources,” said Milanes, “but it was not possible to capture everything.” This is where the expertise and field equipment that Es² had would play a major role. Milanes added, “By the time we made the effort to try to digitize paper maps, geo-reference those and merge with features gathered from aerial photos, we would find a lot of uncertainty in the data. Field mapping was the only way we could be sure.” And for Es², that meant using the Trimble R2 GNSS receiver and antenna. Milanes explained that this system had already proven its flexibility as the GNSS component of mapping kits for a variety of projects.

Mapping Kit

The Trimble R2 rover was designed with asset mapping in mind but can often achieve similar precisions to that of its surveying cousins. Typically mounted on a 2 m surveyor’s pole (as Es²’s crews did) the ruggedized R2 is located over the mapper’s head to enable a clearer view of the sky.  Milanes said that in clear sky conditions, they were comfortably achieving 0.1’ (3 cm) horizontal precisions. “The cool thing is that using the same equipment, and software, and in the same amount of time we got high precision on everything—it is great to know we got it right the first time.”

“For collection of lower precision assets, to be added new to the GIS we will pair the R2 with an iPad or our Trimble T10 tablet and run Esri® Collector®,” said Milanes. “All of our field tablets have cellular connectivity, with SIM cards and built-in cell modems. We connect to our local VRS network for real-time corrections; this gets us the sub-foot precision we need.”

Es² performs a wide range of projects for the port, other public sector entities, and private sector clients as well. Different mapping tasks call for different precision thresholds. For higher precision mapping, Milanes likes to use Trimble Access (survey software on a tablet) to collect and analyze the GNSS observations. And for instances where GNSS might not work well—limited sky view under trees, or multipath from cranes and structures— Es² has a Trimble S5 robotic total station and will process data in the Trimble Business Center (TBC) surveying office software.

Results and Next Steps

Port NOLA has been quite pleased with this first mapping phase and has recently put out a request for proposal (RFP) for the next phase. The goal is to continue to convert existing records, ground-truth these via field mapping, and perform new mapping with high-precision GNSS paired with user-friendly mobile apps. A web portal then serves up these updated GIS datasets for the entire enterprise.

While there may be one or more mapping phases ahead, Cloos does not anticipate having dedicated staff for long-term ongoing mapping. “We’d like to move to where we can build capacity for our staff, train them how to fit this into existing workflows, support them with [GNSS] and mobile apps on tablets they can use in the course of their daily operations. We’ve already had great success with apps like Esri Survey123 and GNSS. The information can be entered, verified, and troubleshot right there in the field.”

Cloos offers a specific example of the success of these mapping activities: “Our wharves are supported over the water on piles, and there are access hatches to get to the substructure. That information used to live in site plans in white space; people had an idea what they might be looking for and where, but it was like trying to look for them from scratch each time or finding someone who might remember where the hatches were. Es² went out and put an accurate position on them all. Now, we can open the app and find them without having to pull out the old plans.”

This first GNSS field mapping phase for Port NOLA demonstrated that field mapping is a cost-effective alternative to legacy—often incomplete and inaccurate—records conversions. No matter how much legacy data is available, sometimes the only way to be sure of an asset is to field-locate, verify, and update.

Efforts to extend the capability of underwater inspection, focusing on submerged infrastructure are gaining wider attention and uptake within the Asset Management sector. Traditional techniques of acquiring data such as ‘LiDAR’ are still in their infancy for use underwater.

It has been proven that static Mechanical Scanning Sonar (MSS) scans have accuracy approaching that of Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS). Traditionally, high accuracy LiDAR surveys are acquired by mounting the Laser scanner on a tripod in fixed locations. The scanning locations are positioned using land survey techniques, and the scans are registered to real world co-ordinates using LiDAR processing techniques. The application of this methodology underwater is widely accepted, where the sonar is mounted on a tripod or suspended from a crane. The model is then built from a series of scans from successive locations.

Subsea bathymetric surveys offshore employ acoustic sensors, Multibeam Echo Sounders (MBES), to obtain depth/range measurements, which in turn form terrain models. In the context of a typical bathymetric survey, these sensors are deployed on a survey vessel and acquired dynamically at a speed of around 2-5 knots. Georeferencing is governed by Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), so every point has a real-world position at the time of acquisition. GNSS post-processing techniques are then often deployed to correct for environmental or technical factors such as multipath or signal drop out, resulting in accuracy levels approaching that of traditional static deployment (2-5cm). This acquisition methodology has been transferred to MSS operation, as the MSS is a high resolution MBES. A Marine Laser Scanner is mounted on the vessel, which simultaneously acquires the terrestrial component of the model, negating the use of a separate land or UAV survey. Additionally, a second sonar, a standard MBES is used to image the subsea terrain.

Dynamic acquisition allows the inspection of environments in a matter of hours, whereas a similar static acquisition campaign would be prohibitive in either time or cost. Similarly, the use of physical diver inspections can be reduced by use of such surveys, their deployment can be informed by the identification of damaged infrastructure from the sonar dataset. Sediment mobility and seabed monitoring can also be readily performed, as successive models can be directly compared to each other.

Rapidly advancing sonar technology has resulted in accuracy levels that approach terrestrial LiDAR, and the deployment of MSS on a dynamic platform allows for the dramatic upscaling of high-resolution inspection surveys, when compared to static acquisition. We hope to continue to explore and develop the technology to inspect other submerged assets, improving survey efficiency and accuracy for our clients.

On September 30, 2018, the 200 or so residents of British Columbia’s Old Fort (not far from Fort St. John) were shocked by the roar of a landslide occurring a couple of miles outside of town, as 8 million cubic meters (10.5 million cubic yards) of dirt, rock, and big boulders swept down about 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) from a gravel pit to Peace River wetlands, laying waste to everything in their path, including trees, utilities, and—of most concern to residents—about 600 meters (2,000 feet) of the Old Fort Road, the only access for residents. It was a roar heard around the nation, making the evening news and drawing the nearly immediate attention of the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The safety of residents trapped in Old Fort was the most pressing concern. As the ministry mobilized to investigate, the news wasn’t good. Early site inspections indicated that the landslide was a significant natural hazard that would require a multiyear timeframe to mitigate. Local geologists from Westrek Geotechnical Services were soon able to confirm that the slide was “caused by a failure in the bedrock at the head of the landslide, where a gravel quarry had been operating on the hillside above Old Fort,” and that the ground beneath the slide had been moving for months before the massive collapse.

Nor did that massive collapse signal the end of the landslide’s downward march. Though it had released a massive amount of stored up energy, the failure was still happening. Three days after the collapse, additional displacements of 20 meters were measured.  In the following days, displacements of 4 to 50 meters were common. These early measurements were so alarming that B.C.’s Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth took the prudent but controversial step of evacuating the entire town on October 7th, a move that affected 54 homes and about 200 residents.

It was a trying and stressful time for everyone involved. Given the size and ongoing downward translation of the landslide, no one at the ministry could say when, or even if, Old Fort Road would be rebuilt (evacuations of people and belongings took place by emergency barge and helicopter from the adjacent Peace River), nor could the ministry be certain that the town itself would be spared. Some residents were worried they might never be able to move back into their houses.   

Complex Monitoring, Done Just Right

Monitoring of the landslide began within days, as ministry personnel quickly implemented daily overflights with lidar equipment. This was an effective and safe first step to provide accurate data that covered the several-acre slide area. Aerial overflights also kept workers off the slide in the earliest and most dangerous days following the initial collapse.

But lidar overflights were unsustainable for long-term monitoring because the daily flights were prohibitively expensive. Additionally, the lidar work could only record data every 24 hours and would never be able to provide the real-time information on movement rates that is used to automatically alert workers on the landslide of rapidly increasing movement that might signal another collapse event. “The lidar work was essential in the immediate aftermath of the landslide, and that early data was extremely helpful,” says Ministry Geomatics Survey Supervisor Sean MacIsaac. “But we knew it wasn’t the kind of monitoring we would need to determine when the slide stabilized, and when it would be safe to build a temporary road and restore utilities.”

The team reached out to David Rutledge, Leica Geosystems’ director of structural monitoring, as well as measurement solutions provider Spatial Technologies, to design and install a GNSS-based monitoring system within two weeks of the landslide, start to finish.

Rutledge, who is based in California and British Columbia, made himself available immediately for what proved to be one of the most urgent and complex of the many monitoring projects he’s been involved with over his career. “Designing a system that would reliably—and cost-effectively—measure the precise displacements in real-time was the challenge. We needed a system that could track the slide in three dimensions at the millimeter level around the clock. This was required to understand the mechanics of the slide and to ensure that we

were not putting anyone in harm’s way,” Rutledge said. “Sean and his team really understand risk and were open to several innovations that made this solution possible.”

For his part. MacIsaac says, “My survey team has been standardized on Leica Geosystems equipment for a long time now. Given the high stakes of the situation, we were confident in Leica’s tried and tested approach.”

The monitoring solution consisted of four major components:

• Custom GNSS monuments that were designed by Leica Geosystems to be moved by helicopter onto the active slide area

• Leica GM30 monitoring receivers that track the GPS constellation and the GLONASS constellation

• A Leica Geosystems designed communication system with three-way failover capability for the highest reliability.

• A custom implementation of the Leica GeoMoS Now! online analysis software for continuous real-time monitoring of landslide movement.

Really Stable Monuments… That Move!

From a surveyor’s perspective, placing GNSS sensors on an actively moving landslide was an interesting undertaking. The innovative, first-of-its-kind monument design that Rutledge and MacIsaac devised, built, and installed is likely to be influential in landslide monitoring projects for years to come.

In order to operate continuously and without electrical grid power, the GM30 receivers required a robust DC power system based around solar energy. This consisted of an appropriately sized solar panel and a battery array capable of providing power in any weather. To keep the entire system “bottom heavy” and resistant to wind toppling, Leica Geosystems designed a minimally expanding concrete cylinder base that weighed well over 1,700 pounds, giving the entire installed assembly a weight of over a ton.

“The alternative to a system like this would have required getting a drill rig on site to place a deep foundation,” says Rutledge. “But that would have quadrupled costs and likely wouldn’t have been a better solution. We match our monumentation with the expected displacement signal, an often-overlooked aspect of measurement science. The design and special concrete mix meant that we could fabricate everything up near the site in just a couple of days. We felt that we had found a good way to mount the GM30s that worked with the particular conditions in Old Fort, and their performance since then has proved us correct.  We now track the slide in the low millimeter range.”

One problem remained: How does one install these GNSS stations on terrain that is known to be dangerously unstable? In a word, helicopters—the initial six concrete bases with mounting brackets, the battery packs and solar arrays, and of course the GM30s were staged at a restricted area near the landslide and then, over the course of one day, lifted and lowered to sites spread out strategically over the landslide (aside from one receiver installed away from the landslide and used as a base station). “In most cases, the sensors were placed on spots that surveyors could walk to safely and then do the necessary assembly on the bases and components as they were lowered in by helicopter,” MacIsaac explains. “But we did place a few in spots where there was no reasonable access by foot, and in those cases we went ahead and lowered in the surveyor too—an unusually exciting day of fieldwork for our team!”

With the initial six sensors in place, displacement data were immediately available. The lidar flights continued for a couple more days, “Just to provide a check on the GNSS data and help us gain trust in the equipment,” says MacIsaac. “The two sets of data matched very well.” The real-time processing of the GNSS data is done by Leica Spider software, and these data are then displayed by GeoMoS Now!, a cloud-based analysis tool. MacIsaac defined the displacement thresholds used to automatically generate alert messages that are relied upon by BC MOT and other entities that must safely interact with the slide area and provide guidance to the local homeowners and to the traveling public.

The Leica Geosystems monitoring system has been in place for more than a year and has provided an uninterrupted record of displacements from the slide (and at the low millimeter level), supporting the ministry’s decision to use Leica Geosystems’s expertise, equipment, and software for this demanding task.

“System uptime is very important to us and is a big differentiator for our monitoring solutions,” says Rutledge. “Our GM30s have internal memory that can be partitioned so that part of it operates on a first-in first-out basis. That means that even if there is a communication failure, or if the ministry’s server goes down, all of the data collected at that site is available from this partition for a year or so. We automatically retrieve it and process it once the system is back online.”

A month after the monitoring system was in place, MacIsaac and the MOT geotechnical team concluded that the landslide had stabilized, based upon the GNSS data, and gave the go-ahead to rebuild the Old Fort Road, restore utility service, and end the evacuation order.

A Stressful System Test

On November 29, 2018, just a few days after residents began to return home, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake was felt over the Peace River region and was particularly noticeable in Old Fort—the earthquake’s epicenter was less than 20 kilometers from the still-recovering town. Residents across Northeast B.C. reported strong tremors that rattled homes and businesses for several seconds. That kind of seismic activity worries anyone who feels it, but Old Fort residents were understandably more alarmed than most. Had the earthquake triggered a new, massive landslide event? One that could easily destroy the newly restored access to their little community, forcing another evacuation?

“It was a surprise, for sure,” says MacIsaac. “We don’t have a lot of earthquake activity around here. Of course, my first thought was to check on the landslide.” Rutledge, who was in the area, was also concerned. Since the Leica Geosystems monitoring system had been collecting data for some time now, he and MacIsaac were able to log into the GeoMoS Now! website and see what if any displacements it might have triggered.  “We looked at it and could verify right away that there was no displacement at all, which was pretty amazing,” says MacIsaac. “The ministry was able to call town officials immediately and tell them with confidence that their access was unaffected.”

It was a big win for the ministry and a “a triumph of risk management,” as Rutledge put it. “Landsides are not unusual around here, and we already have other candidates for long-term monitoring projects,” MacIsaac explains. “Slide remediation and assessment can take a long time, and with what we’ve learned in Old Fort, and with the equipment we’ve assembled, we will be able to respond much more quickly and efficiently.”

Angus Stocking is a licensed land surveyor who has been writing about infrastructure since 2002. To learn more about innovative monitoring solutions, visit https://leica-geosystems.com/industries/monitoring-solutions.

Liverpool & Edinburgh, UK –– KOREC and NCTech today announced the launch of KlearView360°, a streamlined, hosted system designed for the identification of assets, defects or changes within images collected by vehicle or backpack. A cost-effective solution, KlearView360° makes vehicle-mounted asset inspection accessible to local authorities and many others.

The system is a joint partnership between the two companies, combining NCTech’s iSTAR Pulsar+ high resolution camera for capturing 360° imagery at carriageway speeds with KOREC’s K-Portal cloud-based hosting solution for live progress monitoring of a project and the assignment of work orders.

KlearView360° also enables work management instructions to be communicated to mobile workers for issue resolution via KOREC’s K-Mobile data capture software, designed to run on Android, iOS or Windows devices. Accessible through a standard web browser, the system minimizes impact on existing IT infrastructure and is simple to implement.

A 360° solution for 360° imagery
The KlearView360° workflow has been designed with simplicity in mind, eliminating the need for costly additional hardware and software or extensive training:

• Drive chosen route
• Identify asset defect or issue from imagery
• Assign location with image of asset defect to mobile worker
• Mobile worker navigates to asset
• Mobile worker undertakes designated task
• Mobile worker sends photo verification of work done
• Database automatically updated

KlearView360° also offers a cost-effective and simple way to add the iSTAR Pulsar’s high resolution 360° imagery to existing GIS datasets hosted within ArcGIS or QGIS via K-Portal’s dynamic link, and provides rapid video playback to review driven routes.

Richard Gauchwin, KOREC Business Area Manager – Mapping & GIS said, “Historically these types of solutions have been very expensive, but the KlearView360° integration with the iSTAR Pulsar+ means that we can put vehicle mounted inspection into the hands of local authorities, highways engineers and consultants, utilities and many more in an affordable and effective way.”

Cameron Ure, CEO of NCTech said, “We’re excited to be working together with KOREC on KlearView360° – combining our unique capability to deliver high resolution 360° image capture on the move at an affordable price point with the efficiency and simplicity of K-Portal. This partnership embodies exactly the kind of relationship that we are keen to form with software and hardware companies throughout the GIS and AEC sector.”

By John Stenmark

John Houston is not a surveyor. He would be the first to tell you that. He’s not a heavy traveler, either. So what was he doing on a speck of an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, knee deep in brush and muck while operating a high-accuracy GNSS receiver?

It’s all about the birds.

Houston was at work on Gough Island, a British territory roughly 2,700 km (1,700 miles) west of Cape Town, South Africa. First visited by Portuguese explorers early in the 16th century, the tiny landmass covers just 91 sq km (35 sq mi). Due to its lonely location and undisturbed nature, Gough is regarded as one of Earth’s least disrupted ecosystems. In 1995, the island was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization).

A prime nesting ground for Atlantic seabirds, Gough Island is home to indigenous birds and invertebrates as well as visiting seals and penguins. Unfortunately, the birds are in trouble. Houston was there to help.

A qualified structural engineer, Houston had travelled to Gough from Derry, Northern Ireland. His employer, Taylor & Boyd Consulting Structural and Civil Engineers, was working on a project for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to mitigate a serious threat to the island’s avian population.

Houston would support the RSPB efforts by gathering topographic and geotechnical information, including mapping with GNSS. But even advanced GNSS has limitations, especially in such a remote location. Faced with a demanding schedule and tight requirements for accuracy, Houston turned to the Trimble CenterPoint RTX positioning service, which enabled him to conduct high-precision real-time GNSS measurements in a challenging and remote environment.

Small Animals, Big Problems

Aside from brief visits by sealing and whaling vessels in the early 19th century, Gough Island has never had notable human habitation. A handful of scientific surveys, including a 1922 visit by famed Antarctic pioneer Ernest Shackelton, established the island as a valuable site for geological biological and ornithological research. Not until the 1950s, when South Africa established a meteorological station, did Gough Island gain a full time—albeit very small—human population. When Houston and a dozen researchers landed in September 2018, the population of Gough Island more than doubled.

While Gough Island has no native mammals, it has plenty of mice, unintentionally carried to the island by the 19th-century ships. The invading mice soon learned to feed on the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds, including Tristan albatross, Atlantic petrel, Gough bunting, and Gough moorhen. In roughly 150 years on the island, the mice evolved to become 50 percent larger than their forebears. Today they are wreaking havoc on the bird population. Surveys by the RSPB estimate that mice consume roughly two million defenseless eggs and chicks each year. “Albatross lay only one egg each year,” Houston said. “If it is lost then they must wait another year for any potential offspring.” At the current rate of loss, Gough Island’s endangered birds face extinction.

To protect the birds, the RSPB initiated a project to eradicate the mice from Gough Island. The work involves distributing poisoned bait that will attract and kill the voracious rodents. It’s not the first time that an entire island has undergone mouse eradication. Similar projects on South Georgia Island and Antipodes Island have successfully removed populations of introduced rodents and restored a more natural balance to bird populations in those sub-Antarctic locations. And in the warmer waters north of Hawaii, Midway Island has also received the anti-rodent treatment.

With the Gough Island eradication project planned to take place in 2020, RSPB began planning for facilities needed to support the work. They received permission to establish temporary infrastructure to house, feed, and support the taskforce. Because most of the bait will be spread using helicopters, planning also included landing pads and fuel and maintenance installations. The overall goal is to guide installation of the temporary structures with minimal impact on Gough Island’s native flora and fauna.

Houston’s job was to collect information on topography and soils for use in planning and design of the temporary facilities. “In addition to the workplaces, we needed to find sites for pens and medical facilities to keep the buntings and moorhens contained so they don’t eat the poisoned bait,” he said. Houston explained that the island-wide mitigation would be conducted during the southern winter while the other seabirds’ migration and feeding patterns took them away from the island.

Precise Mapping in Remote Locations

In order to conduct the design work, Taylor & Boyd needed accurate information on the terrain and existing structures. Adding a surveyor to the team was cost prohibitive, so Houston performed double duty by handling tasks in both surveying and engineering. With only two weeks to complete his work, RTK GNSS seemed to be an ideal solution for the treeless locale. But Houston’s lack of survey experience and the absence of geodetic control or cellular service on the island combined to make RTK unfeasible. Instead, he used a Trimble® R10 GNSS receiver in conjunction with Trimble CenterPoint® RTX correction service. CenterPoint RTX uses a global network of GNSS reference stations combined with satellite communications to enable users to achieve real-time, centimeter-level positioning accuracy, even in the most remote locations in the world.

Using a Trimble TSC3 controller and Trimble Access field software with the R10, Houston collected hundreds of 3D points around the project site. He captured the location of existing structures and features, test pits for soil evaluation, and ground points for use in topographic modeling. Using the display on the TSC3 he could follow his progress and make sure he covered the necessary ground. In spite of working more than a thousand kilometers from the nearest GNSS reference station, Houston achieved centimeter accuracy on all survey points; typically 3 to 5cm in both the horizontal and vertical components.

A typical workday lasted 10 hours or more. “The weather and terrain made life miserable,” Houston recalled. “It’s cold and windy and we needed to wear waterproof clothing. The area is overgrown with brush and not easy to walk through. The seabirds often burrowed into the soft peat, and many times the ground collapsed and dropped me into a knee-deep bird burrow.”

Even as a self-described “rookie surveyor,” Houston quickly learned to operate the GNSS equipment. With CenterPoint RTX operating transparently, he could focus on the engineering aspects of his work. Only on a couple of occasions did he need guidance; he used the island’s satellite internet link to discuss technical questions with Trimble experts. At the end of each day, Houston reviewed data on the controller, planned the next day’s work, and set up the system batteries for recharging. Aside from cloth tapes used to lay out a rough grid, the R10 was the only survey tool Houston needed. Although he did not establish any formal benchmarks or control points, Houston did capture several hard points on the existing helipad and building foundations. Those markers will be sufficient to serve as reference points for the upcoming work on the island.

A Job Done Well

Houston departed Gough Island with survey data sufficient for the design work ahead. Taylor & Boyd developed 2D contour maps and 3D terrain models of the site, which they shared with RSPB. The society will overlay bird data on the topographic maps and use the information to identify flight paths and nesting areas. Taylor & Boyd will use the maps to set proposed elevations and positions for the temporary structures. The data, which is the first topographical survey ever carried out on the base since it was established in 1963, will also aid the South African government in maintenance and operations of island facilities.

Houston made it clear that he could not have carried out the survey to the required level of accuracy and within the allocated time period without CenterPoint RTX. “It really was invaluable for the success of the project,” he said. “If this technology works on Gough Island, then it will work anywhere.”

Taking a few moments to reflect on his trip, Houston said the time on the island was well worth the long trip and rugged conditions. The opportunity to see and interact with the birds, seals and penguins left a lasting mark. While he doesn’t expect a return trip will be needed, he would jump at the opportunity. “It was a once in a lifetime experience,” he concluded. “I would go back in a heartbeat—with warmer clothes.”

John Stenmark, LS, is a writer and consultant working in the AEC and technical industries. He has more than 20 years of experience in applying advanced technology to surveying and related disciplines.

In this article, we’ll discuss how allowing the geotechnical engineer to conduct a thorough soil investigation can save the owner money on their ground improvement. Then we’ll look at which aspects of the geotechnical soil report enable the specialty subcontractor to create the ground improvement quote with the lowest cost and highest value.

Before ground breaks on any new construction project, the site in question must be investigated to determine whether the soil has the bearing capacity to support the proposed building. Typically, this investigation is done by a third-party geotechnical engineering consultant, and the results are compiled into the geotechnical soil report.

Using a variety of field-observed and lab-tested data, the geotech will describe the site and subsurface conditions that will impact design and construction of the project. From that data, they’ll make recommendations about whether ground improvement is necessary to reach the required bearing pressure, or if deep foundations should be considered.

But with no universal standard governing how much data must be collected during the investigation and written into the final report, the geotechnical engineer and owner are left to negotiate what should be included.

How a Thorough Geotechnical Report Minimizes Risk and Saves Money

The geotechnical engineer wants the most thorough investigation possible and the owner wants to keep the cost of all geotechnical work as low as possible.

These two requirements are more aligned than they appear on the surface. There are opportunities to save significant sums of money on ground improvement design and construction by getting the clearest data at the report stage.

No matter how thorough the investigation, the geotechnical contractor has to design and install a ground improvement system – or deep foundation if ground improvement isn’t feasible – that meets the bearing pressure and settlement criteria of the building.

The subcontractor’s bid will be based on the amount of information provided. If they only have minimal strength and settlement information about the soil, the contractor will be forced to overdesign their ground improvement plan to meet these parameters. A lack of data also increases the risk of the contractor encountering soil conditions not specified in the report, resulting in change orders and a rise in cost.

The initial savings of a less thorough investigation will quickly be negated by a more conservative, and thus more expensive, aggregate pier design. Allowing the geotechnical consultant to conduct a detailed investigation of the site helps the owner achieve the goal of creating the most cost-effective ground improvement design.

The Most Valuable Aspects of a Geotechnical Report to the Specialty Subcontractor

Conducting site investigations and writing geotechnical reports are a big part of a geotechnical consultant’s job, so this won’t be a 101 description of how to write a report. Rather, it’ll explain which aspects geotechnical subcontractors find most valuable in developing the highest quality, lowest cost quote for the owner.

At absolute minimum, the geotechnical subcontractor’s ground improvement design has to meet the required bearing pressure to support the building. This requires the engineer designing the ground improvement to have a clear idea of the strength and settlement parameters of the soil throughout the site.

To design the most efficient aggregate pier system, they need as much data about the soil as possible. This means more soil borings, more soil samples taken at each boring site, more field-observed strength tests and more lab analysis done on the samples to determine the strength of the soil.

Specifically, though, the subcontractor is looking for tests and analysis that gives a good idea of soil strength. The more strength and settlement information available to the geotechnical contractor, the more they can refine their ground improvement plan, identifying which sections of a site require a more involved design and which don’t, resulting in significant cost savings.

Here are three ways to test a site’s soil strength and settlement parameters:

Standard Penetration Tests (SPT)

SPTs are a routine soil testing and sampling procedure conducted in the field within a soil boring. A small, hollow tube is hammered into the ground and the number of blows required to advance is measured, giving a rough idea of soil strength. The soil collected within the hollow tube can then be retrieved and used to visually identify the samples or taken to the lab to run further strength tests.

While the data collected from SPT isn’t as robust as that collected from the next two tests, SPTs are an inexpensive way to visually and physically corroborate the information collected in shear strength, consolidation and cone penetrometer testing.

Shelby Tubes

Shelby tubes, a cylindrical sampling container, are used to collect undisturbed samples in cohesive soils for visual and lab inspection. Samples are typically collected at five-foot elevation intervals within a boring.

While a myriad of tests can be run on a Shelby tube samples – plasticity, moisture, visual inspections – the most useful pieces of information are results from the shear strength testing and consolidation testing. Often times, you see nearly continual Shelby tube samples in a boring; however, no testing of these samples has taken place, so there is no strength information on the soil.

Consolidation tests give the settlement parameters of the soil and shear strength tests give a more accurate picture of soil strength than SPT blow counts. The data collected from these two tests gives a good idea of the column strength a subcontractor can achieve with ground improvement at different points throughout the site.

Undisturbed sampling with Shelby tubes allows for more accurate strength and consolidation testing within the lab compared to samples obtained through traditional SPT methods.

Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT)

Both the Shelby tube and SPT testing are done at intervals, testing only one strata at a time within the soil boring. Cone penetrometer testing (CPT) can provide more reliable data than either, with a probe continuously measuring the soil shear strength throughout the elevation profile. It gives the best information on the actual, in-situ strength of the soil.

CPT is generally more expensive than SPT or Shelby tubes, but it provides better strength data than either. Still, SPTs and Shelby tubes are important to visually corroborate the data gathered from a CPT.

While CPT equipment isn’t widely available throughout the country, the insights gleaned from CPT tests are so valuable that it’s worth seeking out for large-scale projects. The initial cost of running the tests is quickly justified through the significant savings achieved with a more efficient ground improvement design.

The Importance of Investing in Both Field Explorations and Lab Testing

In addition to a thorough subsurface exploration program, laboratory testing of soils is critical to developing a safe and efficient ground improvement design. Ground improvement design relies upon accurate determination of the soil strength/stiffness and its compressibility.

Gradation and Atterberg Limits testing help the geotechnical engineer accurately classify the soils and verify visual classifications. Additionally, unconfined compression testing and various consolidation tests give insight into how the soils will react when loaded and allow for the most efficient and appropriate ground improvement design.

By investing in thorough field explorations and soil sampling as well as appropriate laboratory testing, the owner puts their design and construction teams in a position to successfully support their project.

Terminology Matters

The strength and settlement data gathered in the tests above help the geotechnical subcontractor design and construct the most cost-effective ground improvement plan. But a geotechnical report can’t be discussed without mentioning the importance of the foundation recommendations section.

A lot hinges on the way a geotech words their recommendation for aggregate piers. Recommending a propriety product such as Rammed Aggregate Piers® – which can only be installed by a small subset of contractors – greatly limits the pool of contractors who can bid on the ground improvement project. Additionally, construction specifications should be written to include non-proprietary terminology.

Using broader language, like “aggregate piers” or “vibro stone columns,” opens up the bid to more subcontractors and more value. When geotechs and structural engineers word their recommendations and specifications for aggregate pier ground improvement this way, it ultimately helps the geotech provide greater value to the owner.

Lyle Simonton is the Director of Business Development for Subsurface Constructors, one of the largest ground improvement contractors in the country.

“Joining Kleinfelder offers an intriguing opportunity to collaborate with a national network of subject matter experts while working locally to expand the capabilities of the Seattle office. I look forward to providing existing and new clients with innovative and cost-effective solutions to meet their project goals,” said Christie. 

Christie has over 15 years of industry experience and specializes in geotechnical and earthquake engineering, with emphasis on numerical modeling and soil-structure-interaction. His experience includes all phases of design and construction including conceptual layout, detailed design, construction document preparation, analysis, specification preparation, and construction engineering.

With experience throughout the U.S. and overseas, Christie has contributed to a wide range of projects involving ground improvement design for port and marine structures, shoring design for deep excavations of high-rise buildings in dense urban environments, foundation design for cable-stayed and suspension bridges, seismic analysis and foundation design for immersed tunnels, and wind turbine foundation design and remediation. His notable project experience in the Seattle area includes Sound Transit’s University Link tunnel; Seattle Department of Transportation’s Fremont Bridge rehabilitation; Port of Tacoma terminal expansions; and City of Seattle’s Elliott Bay Seawall.

“Sam brings proven technical expertise and leadership to Kleinfelder that will help us grow and enhance our position in the Seattle market,” commented Caroline Brabrook, Seattle Area Manager. “His dedication to supporting clients during the design and construction process along with his commitment to implementing innovative approaches and industry best practices will bring added value to our clients’ infrastructure projects.”  

Christie is licensed as a Professional Civil Engineer and Professional Geotechnical Engineer. He graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Civil Engineering. He actively contributes to the geotechnical community through frequent publication of technical papers and participation in the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and Deep Foundations Institute.

About Kleinfelder

Founded in 1961, Kleinfelder is an engineering, construction management, design and environmental professional services firm. Kleinfelder operates over 60 office locations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Learning Objectives

• To understand the hydraulic parameters used in designing with Turf Reinforcement Mats (TRMs)
• To gain an understanding of the effects of non-hydraulic stresses on TRMs
• To become familiar with the proper site preparation and installation procedures for TRMs
• To recognize what applications are appropriate for the use of TRMs
• To learn the hydraulic benefits permanent earth anchors provide for TRMs

Dr. Christopher Thornton, PhD, PE, currently hold an Associate Professor position in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering serves as the Director of the Engineering Research Center and Hydraulics Laboratory at Colorado State University.

Dr. Thornton is currently the PI on the United States Army Corps of Engineers Full Scale Wave Overtopping Simulation project. This project is intended to simulate waves hitting levees, crashing across the top and accelerating down the backside to see what effect they have on different types of grass and armoring systems. In addition, during the past six years, work conducted at the Hydraulics Laboratory has been instrumental in defining and developing standards for performance testing of engineered erosion control solutions. Partnerships formed with other research institutions have resulted in interdisciplinary collaborations that have defined frameworks describing the complex problem of soil erosion and stability.

Dr. Thornton provides technical expertise to University and local communities in areas of hydraulics, open-channel flow, bio-engineering, river mechanics and erosion control. He supervises hydraulic modeling in areas of river mechanics, dam safety, flow measurement, erosion and sedimentation, riprap design, bank revetment and stabilization, stream monitoring, environmental aspects of rivers, hydraulic structures, and tailings management. Dr. Thornton earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University. He is a member of ASCE, ASTM, AWRA, ECTC, EWRI and IECA.

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By Spencer Schram

Getting a track-mounted drilling rig to the most remote U.S. military base in the world wasn’t the only problem Spencer Schram and the team at geotechnical engineering firm CTL|Thompson had to overcome when the U.S. Navy hired them to provide geotechnical expertise and engineering solutions for a satellite communication project on Diego Garcia, located just south of the equator in the British Indian Ocean Territory. But it was a big one.

Schram, geotechnical department manager of CTL Fort Collins, also had to consider seismic activity, a jungle landscape that made it difficult to mobilize, and highly complex geological conditions that were markedly different than in his native Colorado.

“The location presents a work environment unlike anything in the world,” said Schram. “But with CTL’s experience on the island and our broad range of geotechnical expertise, we were able to design a winning solution.”

Schram and his team were uniquely qualified to overcome the geotechnical challenges presented by Diego Garcia, an atoll located 1,000 miles from the nearest continent, with soil that consists of hard fossilized or eroded coral. Nearly 20 years ago, CTL’s Jeffrey Groom had consulted with the U.S. Navy and contractor San Juan Construction to design and test materials for a new runway at the naval base, which supported military operations at the height of the war in Afghanistan in 2002.

This time around, Groom stayed stateside and helped Schram manage the logistics of getting the drill rig – and all other drilling equipment – to Diego Garcia. The trip involved a truck ride from Sacramento to Oakland, where the gear boarded a container ship to Singapore. Finally, the rig and other equipment were sealifted to Diego Garcia.

Once the job site was established, Schram got to work with his soil testing. In some areas, the subsurface conditions are soft, liquefiable sand and gravel made predominantly from eroded coral. In others, they are fossilized coral, an extremely hard material. To accommodate these conditions, CTL employed a mud-rotatory technique to log the subsurface conditions and collect samples for testing. Mud-rotatory involves the use of a bentonite slurry mix that is pumped into a casing to help advance the drill bit and keep the hole from collapsing.

After clearing the coconut-tree-laden jungle, CTL teamed up with a local contractor to help lay down mud mats on the soft, saturated soils to allow access to the boring locations. Water was pumped as far as 100 yards to create the bentonite slurry mix.

CTL’s investigation included evaluating eight locations as sites for 13-meter antennas and one site for a 34-meter antenna. The antennas will be covered with radomes – structural, weatherproof enclosures that protect the antennas without attenuating the signals. The radomes are constructed on 10-foot-high ring walls.

The foundation had to withstand a range of loads. Each 13-meter antenna will have a maximum deadload of approximately +50 kips with the radomes weighing approximately +21.7 kips. The 34-meter antenna will have a maximum deadload of approximately +1,072 kips, and the radome will weigh approximately +36 kips.

Due to the loads and liquefaction potential of the softer soils, CTL recommended deep foundation systems, including auger-cast piles, driven piles and Franki piles, which are high-capacity, cast-in-place deep foundations constructed using a drop weight and casing. These arrangements were not only the best for the geologic conditions, but also deep enough to help mitigate movements due to seismic activity. The last major earthquake near the island, back in 1983, registered magnitude 7.7.

“Success on this project was only possible due to the depth and breadth of experience on the CTL team and the support from our client, the U.S. Navy. While the island conditions are extraordinary, we truly enjoyed taking on the various challenges,” said Schram.

Before heading back to the U.S., the CTL team was asked to spearhead two additional projects: a wind farm that will produce electricity for the island and a pump station to extract cold ocean water, which will act as a coolant for the naval base. CTL may be back to drill, this time on a barge along the pipeline from the pump station to the ocean.

“We hope to explore new projects on Diego Garcia that rely on past experience but bring new questions to challenge our engineering chops,” said Schram.

CTL wrapped up its work in February 2019, about eight months after it began. Even when the job was finished, logistics were a factor – the drill rig and equipment took an additional four months to make their way back to Sacramento.

Spencer Schram is geotechnical department manager of CTL Fort Collins, one of CTL|Thompson’s seven offices in the Rocky Mountain West. He is a Professional Engineer with expertise in foundation and pavement design, slope stability, heave estimates, seepage/permeability, and subsidence estimating. He has consulted for clients ranging from residential and commercial development, roadways, bridges, dams/reservoirs, landslides, onsite wastewater treatment systems, retaining walls, utilities, and more. In addition to his wide-reaching expertise, Schram helped CTL|Thompson become the first IAS accredited laboratory to test helical piles.

The world’s underground infrastructure is ever growing. Subway and underground train networks are expanding. Mining, drilling, and fracking exploration is accelerating, and the vast land beneath us is being increasingly utilized as a safe storage space. These and many other subsurface engineering projects require dirt and rock to be bored and removed, resulting in large excavated voids in the Earth’s crust. These trigger a redistribution of stress and settling of the surrounding soil. It is critical to understand the nature of this settling to confirm the short and long-term integrity of the underground project, to determine reinforcement requirements, and to ensure the safety of nearby underground and surface structures.

The Sensuron technology was recently utilized to measure the settling movement related to a metro boring project in Beijing, China. A 2D sensor was placed in a reduced scale boring test setup to measure the soil displacement resulting from a simulated excavation process. The existing methods of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and electronic-based displacement sensors, due to their inherent limitations, are unable to produce the desired measurements within the test volume. The fiber-based 2D shape sensor acquired an accurate soil displacement distribution along a continuous line of the surrounding soil and provided sub-millimeter validation of their settling models.

Testing was carried out using a 2D shape sensor that was approximately 3 meters long. A Sensuron 2D shape sensor consists of a thin, flexible beam with one or more optical fibers bonded to the beam’s top or bottom surfaces. Depending on the length of the 2D sensor, each optical fiber is comprised of hundreds to thousands of fiber optic strain gauges. When the beam is flexed, the measured bending strain distributions are used to obtain a spatially continuous measurement of the beam’s bending radius. Using these values, a 2D displacement profile is derived along the beams’ entire length. The 2D sensor is constructed to be inherently self-compensating for temperature even if temperature gradients are present along the beam’s length. A layer of heat shrink was applied around the beam to protect the fiber installation from damage.

To simulate the post-boring settling process, an acrylic chamber was filled with a sand, soil, and rock mixture which represented a scaled version of Beijing’s underground material. The acrylic volume contained a cylindrical hole near the mid height of the container to allow for a variable-diameter cylinder to be inserted. The soil mixture was filled in around this cylinder to create the bored tunnel. Once the volume was entirely filled, the cylinder was slowly reduced in diameter and removed, thus creating a cylindrical void. The team of researchers utilized the Sensuron equipment to obtain a soil displacement profile along a horizontal line located 12 cm above the simulated tunnel. To accomplish this, the 2D beam sensor was buried within the soil volume and positioned at the desired height above the cylinder insert.

In this experiment, researchers were interested in the absolute displacement from the original state to the final state. This was calculated as the following:

Bending strain distributions were measured using Sensuron’s RTS125+, and were streamed over ethernet in real-time to a laboratory PC which calculated 2D shape. The 2D displacement profile was recorded and visualized throughout the experiment.

Sensuron’s 2D shape sensing system enabled researchers in Beijing to measure soil settlement due to tunnel boring operations in a way not possible with any other technology. Shape and displacement were measured within a volume where the use of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is not possible due to line of sight restrictions. The equipment also provided spatially continuous information, filling in the large gaps between LVDTs and other conventional techniques. Furthermore, the Sensuron solution provided bidirectional information as opposed to displacements in only the vertical or horizontal planes. The measured displacement distributions agreed well with and validated the researchers’ soil settling models, providing them confidence in using them for future work.

Sensuron’s 2D shape sensing technology can be applied to a large variety of media or structures which are undergoing changes in their shape. Aircraft, automotive frames, boat masts, surfaces such as plates or shells, sand, soil, concrete, or many other structures and materials can all be instrumented with these sensors to understand the deformations or movement they see in testing and operation.

Alex Tongue is a Research Development and Applications Engineer at Sensuron, provider of distributed fiber optic sensing solutions for structural health monitoring, design optimization, thermal mapping, and 2D/3D shape sensing. Prior to Sensuron, Alex worked at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center as a Fiber Optics Aerospace Applications Engineer. He holds a Masters of Science in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Texas and is the recipient of the Sensors Expo Engineering Excellence Rising Star Award. For more information, please contact info@sensuron.com.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the causes of slope surface erosion and how they lead to slope failure.
• Learn how the GEOWEB 3D system can protect slopes against erosive forces.
• Learn how to apply GEOWEB slope protection systems in a variety of project conditions.
• Understand fundamentals of different types of earth retention structures with the GEOWEB system.
• Discover distinguishing features of GEOWEB walls and what sets them apart from other types of walls.
• Learn product and performance attributes of vegetated GEOWEB slopes and walls that contribute to low impact development and green initiatives. 

   

   

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The 13^th annual SuperPile Conference is taking place at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark in Missouri. This three-day event includes presentations on the latest developments in augered cast-in-place/drilled displacement piles, drilled shafts, driven piles, helical piles and tiebacks, marine foundations, micropiles, seismic and lateral loads, and testing and evaluation of foundation systems.

Presentation abstracts are being accepted on the following topics: 

• Innovations and advancements in deep foundation design and installation 
• Designing and constructing safely and effectively in urban environments 
• Foundations in karst and erodible sedimentary bedrock 
• Corrosion of buried structures 
• Instrumentation, load testing, monitoring 
• Alternative procurement methods and early contractor involvement 
• Designing for resiliency under extreme or unexpected loading conditions (inclement weather, flooding, scour, seismic, liquefaction, lateral spreading) 
• Re-use of foundations and other sustainable design approaches 
• Piles and secant walls for access to deep tunnels 
• Foundation optimization through risk management (geotechnical, contractual, communication risks) 
• Working platforms 

Conference highlights include DFI Technical Committee meetings; the Osterberg Memorial Lecture; presentation of the Ben C. Gerwick Award for Innovation in the Design and Construction of Marine Foundations; exhibits with more than 75 manufacturers, suppliers and service providers; and the Women in Deep Foundations networking reception.

For more information, visit www.dfi.org/SuperPile20.

He comes to Cantsink after several years of working as the Technical Manager and Lab Director of an accredited testing laboratory. The lab’s scope of accreditation includes testing helical pile products under the requirements of AC358. He also served as a research assistant, teaching assistant, and instructor at CSU. Fluent in three languages, he is experienced in concrete and foundation design. He has taught Soil Mechanics, Mechanics of Material, Statics and Material Testing, and published a paper on helical pile capacity.

Cantsink offers a wide range of patented helical piles certified by the International Code Council. The ICC is an independent, member-focused association dedicated to developing model codes and standards used to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. This means an independent organization has verified the quality and performance of specific Cantsink products.

As an experienced engineer in helical piles product testing, Souissi has observed first-hand the quality of Cantsink design and performance. His work as part of the Cantsink team attests to the company’s commitment to top quality and ongoing innovation for all its products and services.

“Over the past 15 years, I have been working with the testing of helical pile products supplied by numerous manufacturers from around the world,” Souissi said. “Seeing the Cantsink product first-hand and working with the Cantsink team during the ICC-ES approval process of its product, I’ve seen their commitment and dedication to excellence and the company’s top-quality product. I am proud to join Cantsink Manufacturing and help continue its culture of innovation and dedication to excellence in quality and performance.”

Cantsink President Patrick Hutchinson said he is proud to have Souissi on the company’s team of professionals.

“We are very happy to have his depth of knowledge and experience as part of the value we devote to every job and every product,” Hutchinson said. “I’m sure that the insight he brings from his academic training and field-testing experience will enhance Cantsink’s ability to serve the building market with integrity and excellent value.”

Manufactured in Metro Atlanta from 100% U.S. steel, Cantsink helical piers are created in the company’s net-zero energy facility using solar power. Cantsink’s mission – supporting innovation – has inspired the versatile applicability and evolving effectiveness of its products. Even though construction needs, materials and methods change, Cantsink helical piers continually demonstrate their durability and adaptability.

Whatever the structural needs of the project, starting with the installation of Cantsink helical piers is the effective way to ensure long-term stability and ongoing performance. Cantsink not only provides top-quality products for a vast range of stability needs, the company team of experts adds decades of hands-on knowledge and experience to ensure product performance.

This short, easy-to-follow guide is intended for the preliminary design and selection of helical piles and anchors. The guide covers applications, terminology, advantages and limitations, geotechnical and structural design methods, corrosion protection, load testing, quality control and assurance, and references. This document is intended to be used by engineers and designers with appropriate background knowledge of theoretical soil mechanics and foundation design methods.

The guide is available at www.dfi.org/publications.asp. The cost is $30 for DFI members and $50 for nonmembers.

Other publications developed by the DFI Helical Piles and Tiebacks Committee include:

Model Specification for Helical Anchor Foundations Tension Applications: practical guidance for the specification of helical anchors. Model performance specification language is provided for the design, construction, and testing of helical anchorages for tension applications. Typical tension applications include earth retention and shoring, transmission tower guy tie-downs, and buoyancy/uplift protection.

Model Specification for Helical Pile Foundations Compression Applications: practical guidance for the specification of helical pile foundations. Model performance specification language is provided for the design, construction, and testing of helical piles for compression, tension and/or lateral loading applications. Typical helical pile foundation applications include new foundation construction, foundation repair, and existing foundation augmentation.

Both publications can be downloaded at www.dfi.org/publications.asp for free for DFI members and $50 for nonmembers.

Robust and powerful, Trimble 4D Control software provides unparalleled movement analysis as well as extensive support for a wide variety of monitoring sensors—from total stations to piezometers and crack gauges to GNSS reference receivers. In addition, multiple monitoring sites can be managed from a single, customizable platform that enables visualization, performs rigorous analysis and provides alerts, which are essential for real-time automated monitoring applications.

“We are committed to delivering the most comprehensive monitoring solution that enables users to reduce installation time and improve efficiency,” said Lisa Wetherbee, business area director for Trimble Monitoring Solutions. “Configuring sensor communications previously took hours and now only takes a few minutes. Setting up and operating a real-time monitoring system is now easier than before, making it a preferred solution for a wider variety of monitoring projects.”

Faster Project Set-Up with Simplified Geotechnical Sensor Communication

Trimble 4D Control 5.0 introduces support for Worldsensing’s Loadsensing wireless monitoring system. This allows users to rapidly connect and configure geotechnical sensors from a variety of manufacturers with hundreds of sensor models. It simplifies the configuration process for users, delivering real-time data streaming from the geotechnical sensors to Trimble’s 4D Control software. Loadsensing long-range and low-power wireless nodes are an ideal connectivity solution for complex monitoring scenarios.

Unique Seismogeodetic System Processing

Version 5.0 also includes an updated seismogeodetic data processing module that simplifies the setup when using Trimble’s Kestrel seismogeodetic system as part of a real-time monitoring deployment. With this new version, Trimble T4D Control makes it easy to use the enhanced satellite-based RTX corrections capabilities of the Kestrel system, giving structural engineers the detailed information required for real-time monitoring projects where high-quality, real-time seismic data is critical.

Availability

Trimble 4D Control version 5.0 is available now through Trimble’s Distribution Channel. To learn more, visit:  https://www.trimble.com/Monitoring-Solutions/Trimble-4D-Control.aspx.

Learning Objectives:

• Build margin into the E&SC plan design for linear pipelines
• Emphasize additional protective methods and measures at environmentally sensitive areas
• Discover implementation and Execution tips for Storm Ready projects
• Review flocculant applications to maximize treatment of construction stormwater runoff
• Introduce methods to manage Inadvertent releases for horizontal directional drilling operations

Presented by Ted Sherrod, PE

Ted Sherrod is a Principal Environmental Engineer with AECOM with key responsibilities involving management of construction stormwater and post-construction stormwater programs, design of stormwater control measures and training materials, and development of stormwater management plans for private and public sector clients.

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Hawthorne, N.J. – In 2018, Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) introduced the DFI Traveling Lecturer program to promote the field of geotechnical engineering and deep foundation construction by encouraging students to explore a career in the deep foundations industry, providing information on topics of interest to members of the industry, and raising awareness of how DFI and its activities support the industry.

Each year, DFI selects a prominent industry expert as the DFI Traveling Lecturer to present a series of lectures to university students, professional groups and industry associations. The lecture series runs from September 1 – August 31.

Willie M. NeSmith, P.E., former chief geotechnical engineer for Berkel & Company Contractors, has been selected as the 2019-2020 DFI Traveling Lecturer. He is available, on request of DFI, to present lectures through August 31, 2020. Lectures will be case histories focused on geotechnical engineering and ground improvement.

NeSmith received a B.S. in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1974, and for the following 25 years worked as a consulting geotechnical engineer on projects in the U.S., the Middle East and Africa. He began to specialize in deep foundations in 1990, and joined Berkel & Company in 1999, after serving as a consultant for implementation of Berkel’s displacement pile system. He is a leading authority on the design and installation of cast-in-place displacement piles in the U.S., having designed or evaluated over 200 displacement pile projects nationwide. NeSmith has authored over 20 professional publications and is a past member of the DFI Augered Cast-in-Place (ACIP) Pile Committee. He also served as the lead instructor for the DFI ACIP Short Course. NeSmith received his first professional registration in Georgia in 1978.

“Willie NeSmith’s 45 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, combined with his reputation as an engaging presenter and instructor, make him a perfect traveling lecturer to represent the industry and DFI,” says Theresa Engler, DFI executive director. “As an expert in the design and installation of cast-in-place displacement piles, he is always willing to share his knowledge with the deep foundations community.”

Visit www.dfi.org and navigate to ‘Awards and Lectures’ to learn more about the Traveling Lecturer program, request the Traveling Lecturer to speak at your event or nominate someone as a future Traveling Lecturer.

Geotech reconnaissance — and an M7.1 surprise

Within hours of the series of earthquakes and aftershocks that occurred over the July Fourth holiday, researchers from the NSF-supported Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association were onsite in the affected region collecting valuable data about the geophysical aspects these significant events. Equipped with cameras and other data recording devices, the GEER team sought to measure important physical effects of the earthquakes.

“The GEER team arrived in Ridgecrest on the afternoon of July 5 to perform some initial reconnaissance following the M6.4 earthquake and arrived back at the hotel just in time to experience the M7.1 event,” said Scott J. Brandenberg, GEER team member and professor of civil and environmental engineering at UCLA.

“It was an exhilarating, and slightly terrifying experience for all people who experienced the earthquake. We focused our attention on mapping the surface rupture from both events and made detailed measurements of ground crack patterns near Highway 178. We studied a water pipe running parallel to Highway 178 that was broken by surface fault rupture. We also studied several liquefaction-induced lateral spread events in Argus and Trona.”

Structural, social science reconnaissance

Meanwhile, researchers from the NSF-supported Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) and Social Science Extreme Events Research (SSEER) networks began collecting virtual reconnaissance data to characterize damage to structures and disruptions to affected populations. StEER has already released a Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report.

Research teams are sharing and publishing data and their assessment reports in the Reconnaissance Portal, a key component of NSF-NHERI’s DesignSafe cyberinfrastructure. A collection of information on the Ridgecrest sequence of earthquakes is already available for researchers to use.

“The Recon Portal is open to members of the public seeking authoritative details about earthquake damage and recon activities,” said Tim Cockrill of DesignSafe and director of user services at the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas Austin. “The DesignSafe team is committed to serving field research teams throughout the lifecycle of the reconnaissance efforts by providing a variety of resources including our communications tools, the Recon Portal, our data publishing service, and GIS tools such as the Hazmapper and QGIS.”

Natural hazards communication and coordination

Also on DesignSafe, researchers are using Slack channels to share news and to coordinate their onsite and virtual investigations. “Having the DesignSafe Slack channels for communication was absolutely integral to ensuring collaboration between researchers and across the various research teams,” said Lori Peek, principal investigator of the NSF-NHERI CONVERGE facility. CONVERGE is dedicated to increasing connections between social science and engineering communities and fostering effecting coordination in major disasters.

“The NHERI infrastructure, including the RAPID facility, which provides tools and resources for data collection, as well as DesignSafe, which offers a virtual space for data sharing, are vital for researchers conducting reconnaissance missions,” said Julio Ramirez, director of the Network Coordination Office for NHERI.

Prior NSF-funded reconnaissance work has led to breakthroughs in terms of understanding why buildings perform well, and why they fail in a disaster. Research studies designed to collect perishable data have also helped improve emergency response operations and have changed how government agencies work with socially vulnerable populations.

More information on the various NHERI Facilities is available at: DesignSafe-ci.org.

“GSSI has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The “E” Awards Committee was very impressed with GSSI’s steady year-over-year growth in export sales. The company’s presence in 121 countries was also particularly notable. GSSI’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs,” said Secretary Ross in his congratulatory letter to the company announcing its selection as an award recipient.

GSSI is the world leader in the development, manufacture, and sale of ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment, primarily for the concrete inspection, utility mapping and locating, road and bridge deck evaluation, geophysics, and archaeology markets.

“As the leading global innovator of GPR technology, we are dedicated to helping our customers on all seven continents conduct superior structural and subsurface analysis,” said Christopher Hawekotte, GSSI, President. “Our products provide highly reliable, actionable information, and foreign markets demand quality products made in the United States. We are honored to receive the “E” Award.”

In 2018, U.S. exports were the highest on record with U.S. services at $821.1 billion and U.S. exports of goods reaching $1.7 trillion, demonstrating how American private enterprise can not only survive, but thrive, in the international market.

American companies are nominated for “E” Awards through the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service office network, located within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. Record years of successive export growth and an applicant’s demonstration of an innovative international marketing plan that led to the increase in exports is a significant factor in selecting the overall winners.

For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit www.export.gov.

Each of the 237 homes in Phase I is equipped with a REHAU RAUGEO PEXa double U-bend pipe loop and a ground source heat pump. A total of 313,000 linear feet (95,400 m) of the pipe was used. All builders in Whisper Valley are required to hook up to EcoSmart’s GeoGrid, a five-mile loop of underground distribution piping that links each home to a geoexchange network, engineered by b2E Consulting Engineers. This geothermal system is predicted to reduce heating/cooling energy costs for homeowners by up to 65 percent as compared with conventional air-source heat pumps. EcoSmart Solution LLC is a subsidiary of Taurus Investment Holdings, developer and owner of the site.

“This project is a great example of the use of plastic tubing for geoexchange loops, and all the benefits that ground source systems deliver,” explained Lance MacNevin, P.Eng, director of engineering for the Building and Construction Division of the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI). “The PEX piping material is tough and durable and will provide decades of reliable service. Plus, the REHAU double U-bends increase the output of each borehole by up to 30 percent compared to single U-bends. This reduced the required depth of each borehole, as well as the number of boreholes required. And, naturally, cut drilling costs and the number of days spent drilling on the Whisper Valley jobsite.” PPI is the major North American trade association representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry.

Whisper Valley will consist of seven separate villages with a fire department station and two schools for its nearly 30,000 residents.

Homes and buildings are located next to access roads and on top of the integrated geothermal district loop that will significantly reduce energy costs for homeowners. Those lots are sold to homebuilders with specifications for sustainable construction including hooking up to the loop. The end result will be highly energy efficient Net-Zero Ready homes with very low energy costs.

To use the earth’s relatively constant temperature (45 to 75°F in this location) for heating and cooling, the design incorporates boreholes up to 335 feet (102 m) deep drilled on each lot, into which the REHAU pipe loops were inserted. Boreholes were grouted after pipe insertion. As with all geothermal systems, fluid circulates through the pipes, exchanging heat to and from the earth for cooling or heating operation, respectively.

Each PEX vertical pipe loop connects to a system of horizontal pipes. This larger integrated ‘geo loop’ is augmented by two 250-ton cooling towers for meeting peak cooling loads during periods of high ambient temperatures.

It is estimated that homeowners will pay a monthly service fee of $60 for access to the system.

“This project shows how PEX pipe in a geoexchange application can help in the reduction of the overall carbon footprint by minimizing the energy required to heat and cool homes,” stated Tony Radoszewski, CAE, president of PPI. “The developer providing the geoexchange network and requiring builders to connect to it, is game changing. It removes the primary barrier that prevents more widespread adoption of geo-exchange systems. Whisper Valley is a successful business model that, we understand, Taurus plans to take nationwide. I’m sure other developers will duplicate it, especially as more municipalities set Net-Zero targets. Not only is this project a unique application for PEX pipe, it is also at the forefront of community geothermal technology.”

Whisper Valley was named the 2019 PPI Project of the Year for the association’s Building and Construction Division.

To further support the geothermal market, PPI has established the Geothermal Steering Committee within the Building and Construction Division. MacNevin stated, “PPI and our members promote the adoption of geothermal technologies to help reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling buildings, saving owners money. Other benefits of ground source systems are better reliability and building resiliency, with no exposed outdoor components. Also, water-to-water heat pumps are a perfect match for hydronic heating and cooling distribution systems, which are comfortable and efficient technologies for use in both residential and high-performance commercial construction.

“It is also important to note that the U.S. Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 reinstated the tax credit for fuel cells, small wind, and geothermal heat pumps. Signed into law in February 2018, it provides a 30 percent federal tax credit for geothermal, which, in some states, also qualifies for a state rebate.”

The PPI Geothermal Steering Committee’s activities include supporting industry efforts to update geothermal standards and codes, such as ANSI/CSA/IGSHPA C448, IAPMO’s UMC and USHGC, and ICC’s IMC and IRC; working closely with IGSHPA, GEO and other related organizations; publishing documents about the use of plastic piping systems for geothermal applications; and serving as a technical resource for geothermal system designers, with regards to plastic piping technologies. PPI also is a sponsor of the DOE’s Solar Decathlon – Design Challenge, a design competition focused on zero-energy ready construction.

Whisper Valley has received wide recognition including being named the 2019 Sustainable Community of the Year by Green Builder Media and receiving a Merit Award in the Best Innovative Energy Design category in the 2018 Gold Nugget Awards presented by PCBC.

According to Phil Schoen, president of Geo Enterprise Inc., (Tulsa, Okla.) that installed the system, “Whisper Valley’s district GeoGrid is already performing 20 to 30 percent better than projected. The system will gain efficiencies as it expands and the team works to wring out every possible Btu.”

Additional information can be found at the PPI website: www.plasticpipe.org.

“Now more than ever it is critical that we scale up low- and zero-carbon energy solutions,” said John Swift, partner at BuroHappold Engineering. “This is especially vital as we begin to prepare our cities for carbon neutral futures and consider the long term implications – on the environment, on economic sustainability, and on human health and safety – of our current infrastructure. We are committed and excited to take part in this forward-thinking, first of its kind initiative and have every hope that this work will influence the future of energy in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Problem

This study was inspired by the ongoing replacement of more than one-quarter of Massachusetts’s aging natural gas infrastructure, which is expected to take two decades and cost natural gas customers more than $9 billion. Moreover, the future of natural gas is uncertain given State and local environmental policies such as the 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires Massachusetts to reduce emissions 80% from 1990 levels by 2050, and Carbon Free Boston, which seeks to achieve carbon neutrality for the City by 2050.

Interest in developing new alternatives to natural gas has only grown following the Merrimack Valley gas system collapse in September 2018. This deadly incident shed light on the vulnerabilities and risks associated with aging natural gas infrastructure, which is the dominant source of heating energy for buildings in the region. While climate advocates have long pointed to the need for renewable sources of heat to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this transition would also reduce the safety risks associated with natural gas systems, and the social and economic burdens of their repair and replacement.

“Do we really want to spend $9 billion on technology that was hot in the 1870s?” said Audrey Schulman, Executive Director of HEET. “Let’s take the time to think about what systems might be the best for this upcoming century.”

This study is intended as the first step in developing an alternative system, addressing these economic and environmental risks while exploring options for new business models for utilities to invest in renewable district heating, rather than maintain aging natural gas infrastructure.

Solutions

BuroHappold will lead this study, delivering a technical report evaluating the engineering and economic feasibility of implementing and scaling a GeoMicroDistrict network in the greater Boston area. This work will begin with a preliminary analysis of regulatory constraints and policy incentives within Massachusetts that affect the repair and replacement of natural gas infrastructure repair and replacement, and the development neighborhood-scale thermal energy systems.

BuroHappold will evaluate the potential for implementing ground-source heat pump systems in the greater Boston area in terms of site conditions such as geology and soils, and water table depth, and common building characteristics, including thermal energy demand and typical space heating systems. Working with HEET and their network of stakeholders and technical advisors, which includes experts from local utilities, academic institutions, and community groups, BuroHappold will develop additional criteria to assess the potential impacts of implementing GeoMicroDistrict systems based on a range of sustainability, health and safety, and social and economic indicators.

BuroHappold will perform an engineering and economic feasibility study to evaluate the technical potential for implementing and scaling neighborhood-scale thermal energy technologies, and the costs and benefits to both utilities and ratepayers of implementing those systems instead of repairing and replacing existing natural gas infrastructure. BuroHappold will develop guidelines for selecting and sizing system components based on the aforementioned site and building characteristics, and associated costs. A series of case studies will be developed to identify best practices and lessons learned from other communities and jurisdictions.

This work will be informed by robust research and data analysis, engagement with HEET’s network of stakeholders and technical advisors, and BuroHappold’s internal network of engineering, energy, and urban planning and policy experts.

The development of the GeoMicroDistrict is supported by BuroHappold Engineering, in partnership with HEET. HEET is scheduled to release the final plan in the early fall of 2019.

To learn more about the GeoMicroDistrict Feasibility Study, please visit https://heetma.org/feasibility-study-rfp/ or https://heetma.org/energy-shift/

“At the heart of Flyability products lies collision-tolerance. It is the true enabler to gathering data in the intricate and hostile places where our customers are searching for insights,” said Patrick Thévoz, CEO of Flyability. Perpetuating this uniqueness, Elios 2 features intuitive flight operation and unsurpassed data collection capabilities to safely and easily inspect dangerous and confined spaces while delivering the actionable data needed to make critical maintenance and certification decisions.

Since the launch of its first Elios platform in 2016, Flyability has quickly become the industry leader in remote aerial inspection of confined spaces. “To date, more than 550 Elios drones have been deployed at over 350 sites to inspect critical infrastructure for industries as diverse aspower generation, mining, oil and gas, and chemical, even operating in radioactive areas of nuclear plants,” Thévoz said. “While Flyability’s expertise is in drone technologies, we are really in the business of keeping people safe and reducing asset downtime.”

Building upon years of customer feedback, Flyability has learned the importance of building tools that can be used by anyone, that provide unquestionable data quality, and that can replicate techniques used by seasoned inspectors in the field. “In developing Elios 2 we asked our users to challenge us. With their critical feedback, we went back to the drawing board to design, from the ground up, the ultimate indoor inspection drone they had dreamt about,” said Dr. Adrien Briod, Co-founder & CTO of Flyability. “The result is an intuitive-to-fly drone fitted with an unobstructed 4K camera that can hover in place to spot sub-millimeter cracks. It performs reliably in GPS denied environment, in dark, dusty and troubled airflows, beyond line of sight, and particularly in places that no other drone can access.”

Ease of use and intelligent flight capabilities

Flyability has reinvented collision-tolerance transforming a formerly passive mechanical protection design into active intelligence built into the flight controller and motors of the Elios 2. Complemented by 7 vision stability sensors pointing in all directions to provide GPS-free stabilization, Elios 2 makes airborne indoor inspection accessible to everyone.

“Here is a drone you can hand to somebody who’s never used it and they’ll be successful with it”, said Ryan Turner, Geotechnical Engineer at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine.

Unrivaled close-up data quality for actionable insights

With its 4K camera optimized for rendering images with a resolution of 0.18 mm/px at 30 cm, Elios 2 provides the level of details professional inspectors would get by standing at an arm’s length of objects of scrutiny. The Elios 2 also features the most powerful and intelligent lighting system ever built on a commercial drone. It produces 10K Lumen of light for increased situational awareness in large spaces. The Indirect, dustproof lighting configuration allows traversing dirty places without losing sight of the objective. Finally, detecting pitting and cracks has never been easier; Elios 2 features an oblique lighting mode to reveal the texture of surfaces by creating shadows in all asperities. Coming together, these features turn the Elios 2 into an inspection tool fit to carry on regulated inspections.

“If you wonder whether the Elios 2 can be used for an official API510 pressure vessel inspection witnessed by a third-party inspection entity, the answer is yes,” said Steven Verver, Founder of Ronik Inspectioneering.

And much more

Truly revolutionizing aerial indoor inspection, the Elios 2 brings to market many other features including a thermal camera, shockproof payload, full HD live video feedback, distance lock, 2D measurements, 3D modeling, a modular design for easy maintenance, and a completely redesigned software suite that streamlines data management for planning to reporting. To learn more about the Elios 2 visit flyability.com/elios-2

Availability

Flyability is currently accepting orders for the new Elios 2, and interested customers can contact the company directly to learn more about the new Elios 2 platform.

About Flyability

Flyability is a Swiss company building solutions for the inspection and exploration of indoor, inaccessible, and confined spaces. By allowing drones to be used safely inside buildings, it enables industrial companies and inspection professionals to reduce downtime, inspection costs, and risks to workers. With hundreds of customers in over 50 countries in Power Generation, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Maritime, Infrastructures & Utilities, and Public Safety, Flyability has pioneered and continues to lead the innovation in the commercial indoor drone space.

More information on www.flyability.com

OpenSite Designer enables rapid and iterative conceptual design, leveraging contextual information obtained through point clouds, reality meshes, GIS, and other sources to enhance understanding of existing site conditions. Interoperating with PLAXIS and SoilVision, Bentley’s geotechnical engineering solutions, site plans can be enhanced with new information about the active properties of soil including bearing capacity, stresses, and displacement.

With OpenSite Designer, users can create intelligent 3D models containing site information, terrain data, parking lots, building pads, driveways, sidewalks, parcel layout, and related site features.During preliminary design, the site engineer can complete and subjectively improve the layout while relying on further automated optimizations, which respond to the engineering changes. To complete the project’s digital workflows, OpenSite Designer fully supports the site engineer’s detailed design including the production of all required project deliverables.

For many site engineers, OpenSite Designer will advance civil site design from traditional 2D plans and profiles to a 3D modeling environment, assuring more efficient analysis of hydraulics, geotechnical, geospatial, and earthworks. Incorporating the analytics optimization of Bentley’s SITEOPS technology, OpenSite Designer is the successor to the site design capabilities of Bentley’sPowerCivil, topoGraph, GEOPAK Site, InRoads Site, and MXSite.

Dustin Parkman, vice president, civil infrastructure design integration for Bentley Systems, said, “The collaborative nature of digital workflows converging analysis and simulation with design and modeling is exemplified in our new OpenSite Designer. We’re excited that for the first time there is a complete solution for site design and land development to accelerate site engineers going digital!”

Michael Semeraro, Jr., PE, PP, managing principal, EVP, Langan International, said, “Langan is always looking for opportunities to differentiate ourselves from competitors with technical excellence and expertise. We have depended on SITEOPS for site optimization, earthwork analysis, and cost identification in our planning phase. We now look forward to using OpenSite Designer to also produce our detailed designs and documentation.”

Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems, said, “Interestingly, after three decades of leadership in civil engineering software scope advancement, the culmination is OpenSite Designer – a very accessible and widely-needed application which combines complete fitness for purpose with unprecedented ease of use and adoption. In effect, it brings to bear what we consider to be the indispensable characteristics of infrastructure digital twins – reality from imagery, veracity from simulation and optimization, and fidelity to design intent across revisions. Both site engineers’ work satisfaction, and their site designs, will be vastly enhanced by the breakthroughs in OpenSite Designer. Try it!”

Learn more about OpenSite Designer.

Pend Oreille County needed to remove a culvert on Indian Creek that was preventing Bull Trout from traveling upstream to spawn.  The Bull Trout are a threatened species under the U.S. Endanger Species Act and the stream is considered environmentally sensitive.  Additionally, the county needed to address the road’s aging condition. Its alignment was for a 35 mile per hour road, but the speed limit is 50 miles per hour.  It was determined to realign the road and replace the culvert with a 58-foot, single-span bridge to allow the fish to more easily move upstream and to correct the road condition. Limited physical and right-of-way access dictated that the earth-fill embankment approaches required for the new bridge would need steep wing-walls.

The owner considered using steel sheet pile walls, but the cost quickly exceeded the project’s budget. Vinyl sheet pile walls were considered, but they did not meet the strength criteria.  Another deciding factor was that residents and a local Indian tribe wanted a solution with a natural, vegetated look rather than a concrete wall along the wetland.  PYRAWALL was selected because it is an engineered wrap-face, vegetated solution that costs less than a concrete retaining wall.  The system combines the robust protection of PYRAMAT® High Performance Turf Reinforcement Mat with fiber-composite internal bracing to deliver permanent erosion control and mechanical slope stabilization.

In addition to offering long-term durability, PYRAWALL is a vegetated solution.  It is designed with patented triolobal X3® Fiber Technology to promote rapid root mass development, yielding a fully vegetated installation.  In addition to yielding a natural look, the system’s bracing is all internal creating a smaller footprint overall.  PYRAWALL can also withstand animal loading expected from deer, antelope and moose in the area.

PYRAWALL was used to build an east-approach embankment that is 210 feet long and 14 feet tall, and the west-approach embankment that is around 340 feet long and 18 feet tall.  On-site soil was used for infill, eliminating the cost and carbon footprint of importing soil.  Seeds were planted within the wall to further establish vegetation. Within months of installation, vegetation was visible along the constructed wall, and within four years it is expected to be 85%-90% vegetated and will provide erosion control protection for up to 75 years.

In addition to creating  wrapped-face mechanically stabilized earth structures, PYRAWALL can be used for reinforced soil slopes, stream bank stabilization, landslide remediation, vegetated facing for soil-nail or ground-anchored slopes, landscaping enhancements for residential and commercial properties, and wing walls for Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil – Integrated Bridge Systems (GRS-IBS). PYRAWALL features flexible setback and alignment, allowing it to be customized to unique site conditions.  Plus, it is easy to transport, making it ideal for sites that are difficult to access.

For more information on how PYRAWALL can benefit your next project contact Propex GeoSolutions at  800 621-1273 or visit our website at www.PropexGlobal.com. Also, make sure to attend our webinar on PYRAWALL on May 30th at 1 p.m. (EST).

COST: Does chemical stabilization cost less than mechanical stabilization with geogrid?

The factors that determine the costs of both methods are:

• Unit costs of the materials used
• Quantities of the materials used
• Cost of the labor and equipment needed for installation

For chemical stabilization, it is critical to look not just at the material cost, but to understand the potential uncertainty in the quantities required. What will happen if the expected application rate doesn’t achieve the required results? Beyond this, who is doing the installation? If you don’t have the required equipment and expertise, are you adding to the project costs by paying a markup to a specialty contractor?

With mechanical stabilization, established design methods make quantities virtually certain, so you know up front what your total cost will be. And installation is simple – just roll out the geogrid, place granular fill, and compact.

TIME: How much is time worth on your project? Have you accounted for all the time your selected solution will take?

Chemical stabilization requires you to mobilize specialized labor and equipment, and application time increases as the depth of treatment goes up. What happens if the equipment is tied up on another job? In addition, all forms of chemical stabilization require cure time to achieve the desired strength. Is that built in to your project schedule?

These concerns go away when you use mechanical stabilization with geogrid. You’ll know up front what it will take to solve the problem, and the surface will be stable as soon as installation is complete.

EASE OF INSTALLATION: Which solution is the easiest to install?

There’s no contest when it comes to ease of installation between chemical stabilization and mechanical stabilization. Anybody can roll out geogrid, and placing the granular material on the grid and compacting it can be done with equipment you already have at the job site. Plus, there are no restrictions on the weather conditions when geogrid is used. With chemical stabilization, you can’t work if it’s below 40 degrees F, or if it’s raining.

EFFECTIVENESS: Which one works better?

Chemical stabilization can be an effective way to stabilize bad soils when conditions are right and the correct material is used. But even when it works as planned, it can deteriorate over time as precipitation and groundwater gradually leach the chemicals out of the soil. That might not matter if the fix is temporary or the area won’t be exposed to moisture long term. But in other cases, it could spell trouble.

With mechanical stabilization, once it’s fixed, it’s fixed for good.

About Tensar International

Headquartered in Atlanta, Tensar International is a full-service provider of specialty products and engineering services that offer innovative and cost-effective alternatives to traditional construction methods. Tensar solutions are based on advanced soil stabilization and reinforcement technologies and incorporate unique, engineered applications for commercial, industrial, municipal, residential and transportation infrastructure site development. The company specializes in solutions for common site development challenges, including grade changes requiring retaining walls and poor soil conditions affecting the cost of roadways, parking lots and building structures. Patented, polymeric Tensar® Geogrids and Tensar’s Geopier® foundation reinforcement piers are the primary components of the company’s systems, offering reliable strength and durability. Contracted services include site evaluation, conceptual engineering, design, value engineering and installation advice. For more information, visit tensarcorp.com.

This new edition, which updates and replaces the previous edition of ASCE 53, includes sections on monitoring and verification have been expanded with new technology-driven content covering both sensitive and routine structures. The material describes automated monitoring of grout injection and ground and structure movements, additions to the finite analysis and soil mechanical verifications, and data processing and field practices to implement the technology.

Providing a background and good practices in compaction grouting, this standard is essential reading for those involved in specifying, designing, or undertaking compaction grouting.

To purchase online visit the ASCE Bookstore

June 4-5, Cincinnati, Ohio

 Hawthorne, N.J. – A unique program is planned for the Helical Piles-Tiebacks-Anchors Tradeshow and Educational Seminar organized by Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) and Helical Pile World (HPW), June 4-5, 2019, at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The event includes a structured indoor technical education program each morning followed by an outdoor equipment exhibition and live installation and testing demonstrations that highlight the products, resources and expertise used to design, install and test helical pile and anchor elements for structural support and earth retention applications. The event also includes general exhibits featuring helical pile and anchor manufacturers and distributors, installation contractors and equipment manufacturers, pile testing service companies, and engineering service companies.

The indoor technical educational program comprises presentations by helical pile experts on design, codes, QC/QA processes and innovations. The program also includes a Pile Prediction Competition in which participating attendees review subsurface and pile installation information and try to predict the compressive resistance of a pile installed at the site at various pile head displacements.

Outdoor Program

In the afternoons on both days, attendees will circulate through outdoor stations including a load test area and equipment exhibits presented by leading manufacturers and suppliers. At each station, industry experts will present information on all aspects of helical pile installation and testing, new applications and innovations for helical pile use and construction.

Load Testing Area: DFI member companies have donated various pile types to be installed and tested in the Load Testing Area. Tension, compression, lateral load and dynamic testing will be conducted throughout the seminar. Attendees will have plenty of opportunity to see the load testing in action and ask questions about set up, testing procedures and analysis of results. The Load Test Area educational program is being supported by the Conte Company, Hubbell Power Systems-Chance, Magnum Piering, CTL-Thompson and GRL Engineers.

Hubbell Power Systems-Chance is showcasing different philosophies for resisting bending moments, lateral loads and unconfined lengths using helical piles through station-by-station displays of different pre-assembled structures and live demonstrations. Helical pile products, brackets, adapters, simulated boardwalk elevated structures, battered (incline) piles, steel grillage supported on multiple helical piles for monopole or lattice tower structures, grouted pile installation, and underpinning/ foundation repair will be featured.

MacLean Power Systems and Pileworks are demonstrating alternative piling foundations featuring Composite Pile Foundation, a 48-in drilled shaft alternate, comprising three 4.5-in non-grouted steel piles connected with a 5.5-ft diameter composite cap section, bolted together for a truly revolutionary design. During the demonstration, a compression load test will be conducted on the three piles as a group and a lateral load test on one pile demonstrating its lateral load capacity in weak soils. MacLean and Pileworks representatives will present and answer any questions regarding these applications.

SSRG and Ideal are demonstrating various applications of helical piles. The display includes a temporary self-storage building erected over four vertical helical piles; a mockup wall (10-ft high x 6-ft wide) showing a helical tieback with anchor head, bearing plates and 100-ton jack set up; a load test set up including four reaction piles over a 3-1/2-in diameter test pile; and installation of large diameter helical piles (6- and 7-in diameter). SSRG and Ideal representatives will highlight processes for setup, installation and connections/anchor head details for these applications.

American Piledriving Equipment (APE) and Pileworks are demonstrating installation of large diameter piles, and will install a 9‑5/8-in pipe with 18/24 helices and conduct compression and lateral tests. APE will also install a 14-in pile with 22/28 helices and debut its APE Equipment Platform. APE representatives will describe the various equipment packages for installation and applications where these large diameters elements are best used. Pileworks representatives will present capacity predictions in correlation with geotechnical information and communicate the advantages of adding grout to the design to potentially increase capacity.

Magnum Piering is demonstrating field installation quality control, a variety of torque monitoring devices, pile logging with an emphasis on safe construction and inspection practices. The company’s large diameter pile, composite piles, pile cap connections and other helical products will be displayed.  Industry experts will be on hand throughout the program to answer questions about design and installation of helical piles.

The event is expected to draw contractors, engineers, building officials, utility and transportation professionals, civil engineering professors and students.

For more information or to register to attend or exhibit visit www.dfi.org/helical19.

In this webinar you will learn:

• To understand the PYRAWALL engineered wrap-face vegetated solution and its applications
• To gain a basic understanding of the site investigation and geotechnical design approach for this vegetated wall system
• To become familiar with site preparation and installation of this wall system
• To understand various methods for vegetating the wall system

Speaker

Stanley M. Miller, PhD,PE

Stan Miller is a Professor Emeritus, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Idaho, and an independent engineering consultant. His work has focused on applied rock engineering, slope stabilization, geosynthetic-reinforced earth structures, and erosion/sediment control. Over the past 25 years, he has taught seminars on slope stabilization and segmental retaining walls in the U.S., Canada, and SE Asia (Malaysia and Singapore). Since 2001, he has served as co-instructor for the ASCE Continuing Education Seminar on “Soil and Rock Slope Stability”, which is taught several times each year. He earned his BS and MS degrees in Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona and his PhD degree from the University of Wyoming. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in several western states.

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“Terracon has a strong reputation in the University of Arkansas’ Department of Civil Engineering among faculty and students,” said Mike Homan, P.E., Terracon’s Rogers office manager and senior principal.

“This partnership has been cultivated through Terracon’s University of Arkansas alumni who have stayed involved in the program, as well as enduring relationships with other Terracon team members.”

The College of Engineering is the largest engineering program in Arkansas. U.S. News and World Report’s 2018 rankings positioned the University of Arkansas College of Engineering at number 60 among public research universities in the U.S. The College of Engineering offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in nine engineering fields: biological and agricultural engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering, as well as master’s programs in environmental engineering and operations management.

“We’re grateful for Terracon’s support of the graduate program in geotechnical engineering,” said Micah Hale, head of the Department of Civil Engineering. “Their investment will help support two master’s students as they expand the boundaries of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering, which benefits all of Arkansas.”

For more about the University of Arkansas, visit https://www.uark.edu/

For more information about the Terracon Foundation and other organizations it has supported, visitterracon.com/foundation.

“Gannett Fleming’s entrepreneurial and innovative spirit is critical to our culture, so we always look for that same characteristic when evaluating other firms – SAGE is the perfect match,” said Bob Scaer, PE, Gannett Fleming chairman and CEO. “We’re eager to expand our geoscience, geostructural, power, and dams services in California, but even more excited to welcome SAGE’s thought leaders to our team.”

Founded in 1997, SAGE is home to more than 50 engineers and geologists based out of offices in Roseville and Oakland. SAGE is known for its work on some of California’s marquee infrastructure projects, including the Oroville Dam Spillway and the Folsom Dam Raise. They serve clients as diverse as Pacific Gas & Electric Company, California Department of Water Resources, Northern California Power Agency, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

“It would be difficult to find two firms more closely aligned in culture, dedication to client service, technical excellence, and innovation,” said Steve Sanders, PE, GE, former president of SAGE and now a vice president at Gannett Fleming. “Our union with Gannett Fleming enables us to continue providing top-notch engineering and geology solutions, except now with the strength and multidisciplinary resources of a national firm.”

“We are excited to have been selected for this important contract with the City of Dallas,” said Thomas LeBeau, Urban’s vice president and southwest regional manager. “My colleagues and I look forward to working with the Department of Public Works to enhance infrastructure for the city and its residents.”

Urban Senior Project Manager Patrick Williams, PE, LEED AP, will serve as the firm’s lead, and the team will include subconsultants Gorrondona & Associates, the Rios Group, and IEA. The contract with the city is anticipated to include engineering services pertaining to paving & drainage and water and wastewater design. The scope of work includes boundary/topo surveying, geotechnical investigation/analysis, storm sewer design, and basic civil engineering services.

Harwood, a senior vice president with Terracon, a national consulting engineering firm specializing in environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials service, delivered his remarks in Kansas City, Kan., at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) hearing. At issue is how the agencies define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) that are subject to federal authority.

Read Harwood’s full testimony at https://www.artba.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WOTUS-Oral-Statement-for-David-Harwood.pdf.

The proposed rule would replace the 2015 WOTUS definition from the Obama administration, which ARTBA previously criticized as overly broad because it expands EPA and Corps jurisdiction to the point where virtually any ditch with standing water is subject to regulation. ARTBA and its industry allies are currently challenging the 2015 WOTUS rule in federal court.

The proposal is currently open for a 60-day public comment period. ARTBA will be submitting written comments in support of the rule.

The Year in Infrastructure Awards are an integral part of Bentley’s annual Year in Infrastructure Conference. The deadline for nominations is April 30, 2019.

Advancing BIM through Digital Twins is the theme of this year’s conference, which takes place October 21 through 24 in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Winners are announced at a gala and awards program during the conference.

Users of Bentley software are invited to enter their projects in the Year in Infrastructure Awards program, no matter which phase the project is in – preconstruction/conceptual, design, construction, or operations. The three finalists chosen for each awards category win a trip to Singapore to attend the Year in Infrastructure 2019 Conference, as guests of Bentley Systems. As part of the conference, the finalists will present their projects before the judges, industry thought leaders, and more than 100 members of the media.

Every project nominated for an award receives recognition across the global infrastructure community. Through the Year in Infrastructure Awards program, participants:

• gain global recognition by having their infrastructure projects profiled in Bentley’s Infrastructure Yearbook, which is distributed in print and digital formats to media, government, and industry influencers around the world; all winners’ and finalists’ projects are featured on www.bentley.com
• enhance their competitive edge by demonstrating to existing and potential clients the value they add to projects through their digital innovations
• receive media coverage from global media and support from the Bentley team in marketing and promoting their respective projects to the media

The 18 Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards categories recognize advancements in going digital for the following categories:

• 4D Construction Modeling
• Bridges
• Buildings and Campuses
• Communications and Utilities
• Digital Cities
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Mining and Offshore Engineering
• Power Generation
• Project Delivery
• Rail and Transit
• Reality Modeling
• Roads and Highways
• Road and Rail Asset Performance
• Structural Engineering
• Utilities and Industrial Asset Performance
• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Networks

Additionally, projects that represent Bentley’s mission of advancing infrastructure, but which transcend the narrower focus of the individual category awards, can be considered for Special Recognition awards including:

Advancements in Digital Twins for Project Delivery (Project Digital Twins) for a project using a digital twin to gain useful insights, such as understanding the impact of change and design alternatives or highlighting issues with the quality of project data, to more effectively collaborate with the extended project team, or to model the performance of a project and its construction.

Advancements in Digital Twins for Asset Performance (Performance Digital Twins) for projects involving an operating infrastructure asset that uses a digital twin to gain useful insights to improve the performance of an operating asset –throughput, safety, compliance, maintenance – to evaluate the relative impact of different operational strategies, to support training of operational staff or to support remote operations of an asset.

Advancements in Sustainability and Resilience for a project that has been designed or an infrastructure asset that is being operated to achieve better sustainability (lower carbon footprint, better use of renewables, reduced environmental impact) or higher resilience (ability to withstand and recover from man-made or natural disasters, adaptability to changing conditions).

For additional information about the Year in Infrastructure Awards program, or to nominate a project, visit the Year in Infrastructure Awards website at https://yii.bentley.com/en/awards.

As they look to grow or maintain their books of business in 2019, the majority (67 percent) of insurers in the Ames & Gough survey of 18 leading insurance companies (which, on a combined basis, represent a significant percentage of the overall marketplace providing professional liability insurance to architects and engineers in the U.S.), plan no change in rates. Of the remaining insurers, four will seek rate hikes of up to 5 percent and two insurers, from 6 to 10 percent.

“For the most part, rather than to seek across-the-board rate hikes, insurers planning to raise rates this year are zeroing in on firms with higher risk disciplines and project types, or those operating in geographic areas with greater claims activity,” said Joan DeLorey, senior vice president and partner, Ames & Gough, a co-author of the survey.

Although insurers consider several factors in underwriting a particular risk, they generally appear most concerned about claim severity, which was cited by 83 percent of those surveyed. Meanwhile, 67 percent identified type of project (e.g., condominiums, schools, transit, tunnel, water/wastewater) as a top factor for raising a firm’s premium rates, followed by claims frequency (56 percent), and lack of risk management practices and type of discipline (39 percent, each).

With respect to their claims experience in 2018, 67 percent reported no change in their overall claim activity compared to prior years; 28 percent reported better claims results and only 6 percent, heightened claims activity.

In comparing 2018 claims patterns with those of prior years, 33 percent of the insurers surveyed saw no measurable differences in claims severity, frequency, expense costs, sources of claimants and/or project types causing more claims. Yet, 39 percent reported increased claim expenses, 33 percent, higher claim severity, and 28 percent, increased claim frequency. Furthermore, 17 percent had more claims in 2018 with respect to certain project types, such as residential, traffic, roads and highways.

While the majority of insurers (61 percent) didn’t link any specific geographic location to increased claim activity, 39 percent reported more claims in specific regions. Among them, 71 percent had more claims in the Southeast and 29 percent, each, in the Northeast and West Coast.

Nearly all of the insurers surveyed (16 of 18) ranked structural engineering – and 13 of 18, geotechnical engineering – among the top three disciplines in terms of significant underwriting risk, followed by architectural, process engineering and land surveying.

“Design firms with large investments in higher-risk disciplines, and those acquiring such firms, need to maintain a sharp focus on risk management,” said Jared Maxwell, vice president and partner, Ames & Gough, and survey co-author. “Any related claims are likely to be more severe and, consequently, may trigger more substantial premium increases at renewal.”

Similarly, he added that A/E firms need to recognize how underwriters view their project mix. An overwhelming number of insurers (16 of 18) view condominiums as the riskiest projects, followed by other residential projects, bridges and tunnels, large public facilities (such as airports, stadiums and convention centers) and K-12 schools.

When asked to rate their level of concern about various risk trends they are monitoring from an underwriting perspective, the insurers surveyed appeared most concerned (72 percent) about judicial rulings eroding protections for design firms under state statutes, such as economic loss doctrine. Other key concerns included: new construction materials/methods (61 percent), public-private partnerships (28 percent), and increase in design-build (22 percent).

“There’s no question insurers are carefully monitoring external developments and maintaining sound underwriting practices in evaluating individual risks,” Mr. Maxwell noted. “Even so, given the continued soft insurance market conditions, A/E firms with favorable loss experience and/or less risky services may potentially see little to no increase in their premium rates. However, any change in billings for design firms, whether through organic growth or acquisition, is likely to have an impact on their premium calculations.”

Meanwhile, the current market conditions are likely to continue to prevail as long as the economy stays strong and overall claim activity remains stable. Notably, 44 percent of the insurers surveyed indicated that external economic conditions might impact rates or limit capacity they are willing to offer.

To obtain a complimentary copy of the Ames & Gough Survey, PLI Market 2019: Insurers Achieve Strong Growth Despite Competition and Flat Rates, email info@amesgough.com.

The T-WALL modular gravity retaining wall system has been a staple in the highway and railroad construction industries for three decades. An ideal solution for bridge abutments, approach embankments, accelerated bridge construction, and other bridge applications, the system uses modular precast concrete units and select backfill, which reduces as the wall rises—and there are no mechanical connections needed. The simple stacking and compacting procedure allows for fast construction. T-WALL is particularly economical in areas that have a narrow base width.

T-WALL units come in three sizes to accommodate application, wall size and other unique site criteria including varying stem lengths, as well as extended-height and sloped tops for the uppermost wall course. A wide range of standard and custom architectural treatments can also be applied to the front face.

For more information on the T-WALL system, please visit reinforcedearth.com or contact RECo’s headquarters in Reston, Va.

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Providing the ability to automate data logging, analysis and reporting, DS 7.3 improves the quality and productivity of soil tests such as Triaxial, Permeability, Consolidation, Direct/Residual Shear and CBR.

ELE’s Adeel Hassan said, “The DataSystem software has been the workhorse of soils testing laboratories around the world for many years, and the new DS 7.3 version offers customers the opportunity to improve lab efficiency, eliminate operator error and free staff for other tasks. Typical users of this geotechnical software include commercial testing laboratories, contractors, consultants and government bodies. In addition, it is also ideal for Universities and Colleges, providing students with experience in the latest technology in soils testing.”

In conjunction with ELE’s DSU Electronic Data Acquisition Unit or the GDU, the DS 7.3 software enables accurate and repeatable tests by providing step-by-step instructions and by preventing potential errors from manual readings. With Ethernet communications the software is simple to run and provides 24-hour unsupervised logging. Reports are generated automatically in accordance with the chosen Standard and real-time graphical outputs can be viewed on-screen and/or printed.

Exton, Pa. — Bentley Systems, Incorporated acquired Plaxis, a leading provider of geotechnical software, based in Delft, Netherlands, and agreed to acquire soil engineering software provider SoilVision, based in Saskatchewan, Canada. The acquisitions, with Bentley’s borehole reporting and data management software gINT, serve to make Bentley a complete source for geotechnical professionals “going digital.” Finally, BIM advancements can be extended to the essential subsurface engineering of every infrastructure project.

Projects necessarily begin with geotechnical surveys and sampling, captured with gINT for versatile documentation and reporting. Next, professionals perform engineering related to soil properties, soil behavior, and groundwater flow using SoilVision’s SVOFFICE applications, supplemented by Plaxis’ offerings. Then soil-structure interaction is analyzed through Plaxis’ design, simulation, and engineering software (e.g. PLAXIS 2D, PLAXIS 3D).

The new opportunity, by way of digital workflows enabled through Bentley’s comprehensive modeling environment, is for geotechnical applications to be integrated with Bentley’s structural applications (such as STAAD, RAM, and SACS) for geo-structural engineering performance. As changes may occur in owner requirements, structural strategies, or site conditions (continuously surveyed through UAVs and Bentley’s ContextCapture for reality modeling), geotechnical analysis could be continuously applied for improved outcomes, as managed through ProjectWise collaboration services.

For today’s infrastructure demands, geotechnical considerations are coming to the fore.  Urbanization, for instance, drives growth both vertically and underground, with emphasis on the capacity of foundations and tunnels. And new infrastructure projects of every type depend upon constructed dams, embankments, dikes, levees, and reservoirs to improve their resilience. Moreover, new asset types such as offshore wind turbine structures require new geotechnical analysis capabilities, in this case to be accomplished with Plaxis’ forthcoming MoDeTo software.

Because infrastructure assets are crucially linked to subsurface environs, they are vulnerable to geo-environmental risks including seismic activity, subsidence, and weather impacts. Leveraging new digital workflows which incorporate real-time monitoring and analytics during infrastructure operations, geotechnical professionals can play the increasingly valuable role they deserve in achieving geo-environmental resilience.

Bentley Systems CEO, Greg Bentley said, “My colleagues and I welcome our new teams from Plaxis and SoilVision, which have in common a zeal for applying science for better engineering practice. Dr. Ronald Brinkgreve from Plaxis and Dr. Murray Fredlund, founder of SoilVision, exemplify this. I believe that every geotechnical engineer has benefitted from Plaxis’ continuous advancement, in scope and quality, of tools for their discipline to add value. With a professional and dedicated management team led by Jan-Willem Koutstaal, Plaxis has become one of the most successful software businesses I have ever seen.”

Bentley added, “While most infrastructure engineering disciplines converged around intuitive 3D models, geotechnical applications seem to have followed a less graphically intensive development path, and so have remained isolated from cross-discipline workflows. This ‘disconnected’ mindset prevailed even while Plaxis, SoilVision, and gINT mainstreamed 3D innovations. Our BIM platform’s comprehensive modeling environment will finally embrace the geotechnical profession in digital workflows for every infrastructure project and asset.”

Tony O’Brien, global practice leader for geotechnics for Mott MacDonald, said, “PLAXIS is one of our core analysis tools being used across our global geotechnics practice. When used by experienced specialists, PLAXIS can analyze many of our most complex ground-structure interaction problems. In Bentley’s hands, we have high expectations that we can accomplish more through digital workflows made possible through integration of PLAXIS technology with Bentley’s comprehensive modeling environment—workflows that are compatible with Mott MacDonald’s commitment to connected thinking and solving complex infrastructure challenges.”

Formed in 1990, GC&T is a privately owned firm primarily dedicated to providing geotechnical and materials testing services. GC&T provides services for transportation and infrastructure, commercial, industrial, retail, residential, office, medical, and hospitality projects throughout the Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

David Gaboury, P.E., president and CEO of Terracon, said, “As Terracon continues our strategy of profitable growth and geographic expansion, we seek to build our presence in regions such as the Mid-Atlantic, where we can bring value to even greater numbers of clients nationwide.”

The transition is effective immediately. The company operates as Geotechnical Consulting & Testing, A Terracon Company. Terracon is retaining all 52 GC&T employees.

GC&T is especially well-regarded in Washington D.C. for its laboratory testing capabilities and cost-effective performance of tests on soil, concrete, and reinforcing steel. The laboratory is accredited by the Washington Area Council of Engineering Laboratories, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

“Aligning with Terracon is a great opportunity for our employees and clients,” said Emad Saadeh, P.E., chief engineer and president of GC&T. “This change provides our employees with the support of a national organization, and our clients with an expanded network of resources and complementary service offerings.”

GC&T joins Building Exterior Solutions, Mayes Testing Engineers Inc., and ROC Geotechnical Consulting Engineers as Terracon’s fourth acquisition in 2016.

Purdue University civil engineering professor Monica Prezzi, at left, works with doctoral student Fei Han to operate a new test chamber that allows engineers to simulate precisely what happens to soil underground during the installation of piles and other structural elements. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons)

The system can be used to study many types of geotechnical structures during both their construction and service life, said Rodrigo Salgado, a professor of civil engineering. Geotechnical research involves aspects of geological science, mechanics and civil and structural engineering.

"The nice thing about the chamber is that it can be used to study many geotechnical problems for which there are neither experimental data nor theoretical solutions," he said.

The researchers have demonstrated the system with cone penetration testing, which can reach depths in excess of 100 feet and is often used to estimate the properties of soil before installing structures both offshore and on land.

"You need to know how strong the soil is to determine how much load you can put on it or whether you need to do something to improve it before building on it," said Monica Prezzi, a professor of civil engineering.

The system consists of a half-circle-shaped chamber 1.2 meters tall and 1.6 meters wide with a transparent window in the side. A series of images is taken with cameras and a digital microscope as the cone penetrometer probe is pushed into the sand. The sand contains colored particles that allow researchers to track the movement of soil particles with a technique called digital image correlation (DIC). The researchers also developed a mechanism that precisely controls the density of the soil by uniformly "raining" the sand into the chamber through holes in a disc-shaped "pluviator."

A paper about the new chamber was awarded a Geotechnical Research Medal from the Institution of Civil Engineers in the UK, meaning it was the best paper of the year in ICE journals with geotechnical content. The paper was published in July 2014 in the journal Geotechnique, and the award will be issued during a ceremony in October. The paper was authored by former doctoral students Mazhar Arshad and Faraz Tehrani, who have graduated, Prezzi and Salgado.

One limitation of current methods of interpreting cone penetration is that there is "no rigorous theoretical solution of the penetration problem," Salgado said. The problem is complicated by the fact that soil sometimes behaves as a solid — when stresses are below certain limits — and sometimes as a fluid, when those limits are exceeded, Salgado said.

"It will behave as a solid up to a point and then it will start flowing more like a fluid," he said. "It is very difficult to analyze a problem like this where you are pushing something into the ground because you have this flow aspect to it, but then you may have soil just around it that is still like a solid."

Experiments using the chamber will provide data for development of models and also to validate new models. Images were shown to precisely track the displacement of soil in the cone penetration experiments.

"The DIC method allows you to model it from an experimental viewpoint because you can actually see what's happening so you can track particle groupings in images, calculate deformations, how much flow has happened, and so on," Salgado said.

It took about five years to design and build the chamber, which was challenging because elements of the system must remain perfectly aligned while objects are forced at high pressure into the soil sample. Another challenge was integrating the transparent window, which is made of 3-inch-thick Plexiglas.

"This was all done from scratch, so we had to spend a lot of time on the details," Prezzi said.

Research findings reveal new details about how the cone penetration tip displaces soil differently at specific depths.

"Until now, nobody has been able to measure the displacement and deformation field around the cone," Salgado said. "So this is the first time we can actually visualize that."

Such research could lead to improved structures.

"You can make the case that if you know things with a lot more accuracy and precision and you understand them on a fundamental level you will prevent failures, and you also do things more economically," Salgado said.

For example, Prezzi said, offshore structures often are founded on carbonate sand deposits, which undergo much more severe "particle crushing" than silica sands upon loading. Properly designing pile foundations for platforms and wind turbines is essential for safe and economical energy production in onshore and offshore environments.

"The challenges posed by carbonate sands, due to their crushability and resulting different mechanical response, are well illustrated by the case of Woodside's North Ranking A platform in Western Australia," she said. "Overestimation of pile capacity from designing in carbonate sand using methods developed for silica sand was a costly lesson, with $340 million in 1988 Australian dollars spent on remedial work."

Accurate testing data might have prevented the failure and avoided expensive repairs, she said.

The new chamber has attracted researchers and civil engineering students from around the world. Six undergraduate students and five doctoral students are working in experimental programs that use the chamber.

The chamber is the first such large-scale system for geotechnical research, enabling the study of problems with axial symmetry, "or symmetry with respect to plane" that would not otherwise be possible, she said. It is housed in Purdue's Robert L. and Terry L. Bowen Laboratory for Large-Scale Civil Engineering Research and has been used to study problems of interest to the Center for Offshore, Foundation and Energy Engineering (COFFEE) at Purdue.

The research has been funded in part by the National Science Foundation. (Grant no. 0969949)

Richard Fragaszy, NSF program director, Geotechnical Engineering and Materials in the Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation Division, said, "Understanding the mechanisms involved in penetration of the ground is essential for the safe and economical design of foundation systems. I am excited by the new research opportunities this equipment makes possible."  

Co-investigators include Colin Brooks, senior research scientist at the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI); Pasi Lautala, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering; Stan Vitton, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; and Keith Cunningham, a research professor from the University of Alaska–Fairbanks.

The one common theme for U.S. transportation infrastructure is that it is supported by the ground, constructed over it, through it or next to it. Scientists call these natural bases geotechnical assets. The problem, however, is that we do not have a comprehensive program in the U.S. to monitor the geotechnical assets of our transportation corridors. That is, until now.

“There are so many geotechnical assets in road, rail and pipeline transportation systems,” Oommen says. “And the first question people ask is why there is no comprehensive monitoring of these assets. It is because the scale of the task is huge!”

The team has worked in a variety of locations, from Detroit’s highways to western railways to Alaskan pipelines. To date, studies have taken place in Michigan, Nevada and Alaska.

With changing weather, increased traffic and aging infrastructure, more failures are bound to occur. Oommen’s team has been monitoring steep slopes along railroad grades, where rockfalls are an immense hazard. These routes cover thousands of miles, and the cost of monitoring these assets means that issues are mainly ignored unless they are serious.

With a new suite of technological tools, however, monitoring can be much more targeted, resulting in the prevention of problems before they occur and at a significantly lower cost.

“We can use a variety of remote-sensing techniques, from Optical Photogrammetry (OP) to LiDAR (a portmanteau of light and radar using lasers) to Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR),” he says. “Our project is determining which of these techniques is best and most economically sustainable for monitoring geotechnical assets for transportation.”

Economic sustainability is a major factor; corporations looking at the bottom line and governments facing budget scrutiny cannot afford massive capital outlays. Working alongside Union Pacific, Alyeska Pipeline Company, and the Michigan and Alaska Departments of Transportation, the team is mindful of finding affordable solutions to this massive challenge.

“These techniques, some of them can work well with just a typical Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera,” Oommen says. “Comparing that to the expense and time involved with LiDAR and OP makes a great deal of sense.”

Using OP, Oommen’s team has been able to detect slight movements in small-scale structures in the lab using a standard digital camera. The structure is photographed from different angles, and then made into a 3D model using sophisticated software. This provides a great deal of accuracy at a relatively low cost.

“State agencies are doing asset inventories and they see the scale of the problem,” Oommen says. “But it’s a challenge to decide what to do about it.”

A test site for adopting OP techniques has been a 10-mile-long series of retaining walls on a Detroit-area highway. The team monitored these walls through a variety of weather conditions, including winter melt and heavy rains. After one particularly strong storm, they noted a couple of inches worth of movement.

As a result, the retaining wall was able to be rebuilt before it failed.

“Our goal is to fundamentally transform geotechnical asset management to be more proactive and cost-effective,” explains Daniel Cerminaro, a graduate student who has been instrumental in fine-tuning the OP process in the lab.

On a larger scale, using satellite and overhead imagery, the team has been able to analyze movement over entire regions, identifying slopes that are of concern and examining and remediating these trouble spots.

“We’re still refining the technique,” Oommen says. “But the technology and the ability are available and we’re proving that.”

In the future, it’s highly likely that cameras mounted on unpiloted aerial vehicles (UAVs), cars and trains will monitor entire networks automatically, sending imagery back for analysis of potential instability. Recently, MTRI has used a high-speed camera that could potentially allow, for example, a car to travel at the speed limit and still get accurate imagery for use with the OP method.

This research is supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (USDOT/OST-R). The two-year project has a budget of around $1.5 million.

— By Kevin Hodur, MTU

The firm is relocating one of its Florida geotechnical hubs; the Tampa Bay area operations are being moved to a 10,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Pinellas Park, which is dedicated exclusively to geotechnical services. The new space features fully equipped laboratory facilities, including a clean lab and a dirty lab that will be certified by multiple agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Transportation, Construction Materials Engineering Council, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Materials Reference Laboratory.

The laboratories provide cutting-edge technology and systems that enable the firm’s geotechnical professionals to facilitate geotechnical construction projects, such as soil mix designs and conventional uses, such as the determination of the physical and mechanical properties of soils, asphalt, concrete, masonry, and aggregates. The testing results become the foundation upon which Gannett Fleming’s designs depend. The new geotechnical facility also features internal storage for the firm’s drilling equipment. Providing protection from the Florida elements, internal storage is critical in maintaining project schedules and reducing downtime or other delays because of equipment malfunction and repair.

In addition to its new facility, Gannett Fleming has made a $1 million investment in its fleet of drilling equipment with the purchase of new drill rigs, as well as upgrades and enhancements to its current fleet of rigs, boats, and barges.

The new rigs that have joined Gannett Fleming’s diverse fleet include two Dietrich D50 drills, one truck-mounted and the other articulating buggy-mounted; as well as a CME-850 track rig. Also included are rebuilds of the firm’s existing equipment, such as its CME-75 truck-mounted rig and Geoprobe 5800.

“Geotechnical engineering is a cornerstone of Gannett Fleming and is one of the firm’s special competencies in which we use only the most advanced facilities, equipment, and technology,” said David Rancman, P.E., geotechnical operations manager. “The firm’s investment in and expansion of geotechnical services enables our continued delivery of excellence in geotech to our Florida clients.”  

“We have had a great two years as a Terracon company and look forward to fully transitioning,” said John Withers, P.E., Grand Junction office manager. “With our experience, and the significantly greater resources of Terracon, we are well positioned to help our valued clients meet their goals.”

Established in 1997, GEG is experienced with design and construction in the challenging and variable geology of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. GEG has completed numerous local high-profile projects including Mesa County Justice Center, Mesa County Jail, Grand Junction City Hall, Riverside Parkway and the 30 Road Underpass.

Withers will continue as Grand Junction office manager.
 

The ASCE awards program recognizes the achievements and accomplishments of the civil engineering profession. All of the Region 9 project and people awards were presented at the ASCE Region 9 Fifth Annual California 2011 Infrastructure Symposium and Awards Dinner, held March 9 at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento.

The Freeport Regional Water Authority Intake Facilities Project is a $121 million regional raw water supply project on the Sacramento River with 185 million gallons per day total design capacity, serving both EBMUD and SCWA. The project includes diverting water from the Sacramento River at Freeport Bend and pumping to the SCWA and EBMUD delivery points via an 18-mile transmission pipeline system. The intake includes state-of-the-art vertical plate fish screens meeting all National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries and California Department of Fish and Game requirements. A first-of-its-kind innovative sediment management system was included in the pump station forebay/wetwell chambers to provide important
operational advantages. Key geotechnical aspects of the intake structure, pump station, pipeline, and ancillary structures include in-river development of a cofferdam and drilled pier foundation consisting of more than 200 36-inch cased piers, construction of a 80-foot deep levee cutoff slurry wall, installation of anchored sheetpile bulkhead training walls, and completion of two 102-inch microtunnel crossings of Interstate 5, Freeport Boulevard, railroad tracks, and a canal. Design of these elements was completed by CH2M HILL’s in-house geotechnical engineers with data collection services provided by AGS Inc. of Oakland, Calif.

For more information, visit www.ch2mhill.com.

FORT COLLINS, COLO. — Geotechnical Services, Inc. (GSI), has expanded their operations to include a new office in Fort Collins, Colo. GSI is a provider of geotechnical engineering services in the Midwest with seven other offices in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Heading up the Fort Collins branch office is newly named Vice President Robin Dornfest, a ten-year veteran in the fields of geotechnical engineering and engineering geology, and Fort Collins resident since 2000.

Dornfest has worked on a wide variety of projects throughout the United States, including dams and reservoirs, large public works projects, earth retention and dewatering projects, and geologic hazard evaluation and mitigation projects. Additionally, he has co-authored several publications related to research and projects.

“We were already doing a lot of work in Colorado and southern Wyoming,” said GSI President Chuck Brewer. “The addition of the new Fort Collins office allows GSI to better serve these areas. Dornfest really knows the subsurface geology of the region and its potential for impacting projects. We definitely picked the right man for the job.”

Geotechnical engineering investigates existing subsurface conditions and materials, determining the physical and chemical properties that are relevant to the planned project. These observations provide information needed to assess the risks posed by site conditions and help determine the proper design of structural foundations and constructions.

“We’ve seen a growth in business and renewed interest in land development, compared to 2009,” said Jim McCarthy, P.E., founder of McCarthy Engineering Associates.
“By expanding our capabilities to include geotechnical engineering, we are able to better facilitate our clients’ engineering needs.”

For more information about McCarthy Engineering Associates, please visit www.mccarthy-engineering.com.