Your Numerical Model Begins at the Site Investigation — Phase Improving the Suitability of Numerical Geotechnical Modeling
The success of an advanced geotechnical numerical analysis depends foremost on a thorough geologic and geotechnical understanding of the site, and thus the geometric definition and adequacy of input parameters...
When AI Meets DIGGS — The Birth of a New Site Characterization Paradigm?
Drilling and sampling to obtain borehole logs, together with various in-situ testing, are usually performed to determine subsurface soil and rock profiles and their associated engineering properties. However,...
Bring Your A-GaME! and Dominate the Field [Investigation] — As Newer Technologies Mature and Are Adopted More Widely — It’s A Whole New Ball Game Out There
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in collaboration with industry partners, is helping state DOTs take their existing geotechnical site characterization programs to the next level. Technologies...
Practical Aspects Of Routine Geotechnical Site Investigations — They Should Be Anything But Boring!
It’s likely that on any given day there are hundreds of geotechnical site investigations in progress in North America alone. While many of these investigations are carried out in support of large projects,...
Pay Now, Or Pay Later — Using A Risk-Informed Mindset for Site Investigation Decisions
How much subsurface investigation is adequate to aid in the planning and design of a construction project? It’s a question every geo-professional must grapple with, particularly in an era where cost efficiency...
Fire & Water
Over the years, wildfires have crept out of the wild and into the urban landscape, threatening more lives, property, and infrastructure than ever before, sometimes devastating communities. In Paradise,...
Protecting A Refuge
A series of breakwaters to protect a coastal wildlife refuge in southwestern Louisiana incorporated an innovative, lightweight design. Despite extremely poor soils and ongoing erosion that kept changing...
Flight Plan
The new student union at Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University follows a form inspired by birds in flight. For the engineers, translating that vision into a series of exposed structural systems...
Bob Koerner – A Retrospective of a Giant in Geosynthetics: Perspectives from Those Who Knew Him
This article is a compilation of thoughts about Koerner from five people who knew him in different ways. Each provides one or more unique remembrances that may not be well known about this giant of our...
Powering Your Electric Vehicle: Affordability Starts with Properly Engineered Geomembrane Liner Systems
Lithium is a vital battery component, and lithium-ion batteries are especially interesting because in addition to being rechargeable, they present a high-energy density and low self-discharge, which means...
Moving Down the Road of Progress: Geosynthetics Subdue Failures on Expansive Clays and Frost-susceptible Soils
Using geosynthetics in roadway projects has provided sustainable alternatives for reconstruction and maintenance and now represents a significant portion of the total geosynthetics market. Geosynthetics...
Sediment Pollution: Solving "Rill" Problems Using RECPs
Sediment pollution causes an estimated $16 billion in environmental damage annually. Sediment is the most common pollutant in rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs, causing such negative effects as temperature...
Revolutionizing Containment Applications: Geosynthetics are Amazingly Good, But Not Magical
Geotextiles and geomembranes have been around for more than 40 years and geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) for more than 25 years. During that time, they have revolutionized the containment of fluids. Their...
Terminal Velocity
The distinctive curved geometry of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport terminal was designed to withstand harsh weather while concurrently improving the overall passenger experience....
What’ll They Think of Next? Dewatering Contaminated Slurries Using Geotextile Tubes
Sediment must be dredged from the bottom of waterbodies to maintain their capacity and navigability. Dredging, by its nature, involves the removal of highwater-content slurries and also helps preserve...
Risk in Geotechnical Practice: Geotechnical Judgment
People use judgment in every aspect of their lives. We rely on our judgments to make decisions that can have consequences from small to large on ourselves and on others, sometimes with life-threatening...
Risk in Geotechnical Practice: Are Design Professionals Liable for Failing to Anticipate the Effects of Climate Change?…
Climate change is the result of rising greenhouse gasses from a century and a half of development and industrialization around the world. The inability of the global community to reduce greenhouse gas...
Risk in Geotechnical Practice: Whose Risk Is It Anyway?
The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico was once the fifth-largest region in the world for manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, including many of the top global producers. In 2016, the pharmaceutical exports...
Risk in Geotechnical Practice: Unraveling Foundation Uncertainty
Statistical Analysis Offers a Rational Approach for Controlling Foundation Risk in Design-Build Projects. For the past 20 years, design-build (DB) procurement has become the default for many transportation...
Risk in Geotechnical Practice: Dealing With Uncertain Ground
Tools for identifying and managing risk in geotechnical engineering projects. Risk is an inherent component of all types of projects, no matter the size or discipline. Geotechnical engineering projects...
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