2014 Geo-Congress Wrap-Up
A recap of the 2014 Geo-Congress in Atlanta, GA....
Geotechnical Reliability � Ten Unresolved Problems
Geotechnical engineering deals with a world in which assured solutions seldom apply, and in which the famed early practitioners spoke proudly of accommodating uncertainty and judgment....
Is There a Movement Toward Three-dimensional Slope Stability Analyses?
Over the past few years, interest in performing three-dimensional (3-D) slope stability analyses has surged. An increasing number of research papers on this topic are being published at...
Design-Build and Public-Private Partnerships: Risk Allocation of Subsurface Conditions
Project Owners, especially in the public sector, are exploring and utilizing alternative project delivery methods, such as design-build (D-B) and public-private partnerships (P3s). Some...
Communicating Risk in Geotechnical Engineering Practice
Three project situations are articulated with specific emphasis on an element of uncertainty or risk unique to each....
The Best Surprise is No Surprise: The Geotechnical Engineer's Ethical Responsibility to Say No to Bidding
The subsurface characterization work that a geotechnical engineer must perform is critical to the success of every project that requires the cooperation of the ground, regardless of whether...
What the Future Holds for Geoengineering Firms and Their People
In this sixth and final article of the Business of Geotechnics series, the author offers his thoughts on the direction of the U.S. geoengineering business sector over the next 10 to 20...
Geo-Legends: Robert M. Koerner, PhD, PE, D.GE, NAE, Dist.M.ASCE
The Future of Underground Construction Monitoring
In the past 15 years, the tools and techniques used to monitor the performance of existing ground and surrounding structures during construction have improved significantly. Practice is...
Data Management System and Construction Monitoring Results from Wolf Creek Dam Rehabilitation
A review of the rehabilitation of Wolf Creek Dam and the Wolf Creek Information Management System (WCIMS), a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based application that was developed to...
Geotechnical IT Revolution: Intelligent Compaction and Beyond
The explosion of innovative developments in the IT industry is making many of us geotechnical engineers green with envy. We want some new technology, too! Luckily, advances in sensors...
Transbay Transit Center: Innovations in Automated Monitoring
The new Transbay Transit Center will include a multimodal terminal serving 11 transit systems and future high-speed rail from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim. This is an ambitious,...
Improving Construction Quality by Seeing What's Hidden Underground
One of the challenges of deep foundation projects is the inability to see what's being built at depth. Construction is hidden below ground, in soil or rock conditions that...
Geo-Legends: James K. Mitchell, ScD, PE, NAE, Dist.M.ASCE
Geotechnical Design Over Karst. It's All About the Water
Karst is a type of topography which is formed over soluble rocks, such as limestone, dolomite, or gypsum. An irregular bedrock surface is typical of most karst areas, along with sinkholes,...
Sinkhole Investigation and Grouting: Novel Recommendations for a Pipeline Right-of-Way
In 2009, numerous sinkholes developed within and adjacent to a 400-ft-long section of high-pressure, petroleum pipeline right-of-way that crosses under a local creek in Plymouth Meeting,...
A Probabilistic Approach to Karstic Foundation Variability
Karst is a landscape formed in soluble rocks caused by movement of water that has become slightly acidic. Limestone, dolomite, and gypsum are vulnerable to these influences and may be...
Karst-Related Sinkholes: Dynamic Compaction as an Effective Remediation Option
The paramount issue to address before constructing at sites underlain by karst topography is identification and remediation of sinkholes which exist close to the surface, and specifically...
Sudoku and Geotechnical Solutions: Lessons from a Parallel Universe of Limited Data
Geotechnical engineering relies on data to reduce risk. We infer, interpolate, and extrapolate based on often limited data with time and cost constraints also at work. Similarly, solving...
Stabilizing Colorado's Rock Slopes by Gluing, Scanning, and Bolting
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