Amusement Industry Geotechnics: The Ups and Downs of Roller Coasters, Ferris Wheels, and Zip Lines
Wooden coasters have existed for over a century, steel coasters about the same. For as long as coasters have been around, so have coaster enthusiasts, some of whom purport the concept of negative g�s....
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...
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...
IoT and Big Data in Geotechnical Construction: Connecting Drill Rigs to the Cloud
It�s almost impossible these days to escape the fervor and buzz surrounding technologies and concepts such as Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI)....
Design of Shoreline Protection Measures : The Importance of Geotechnical Engineering in Waterfront Design
Over the past decade, there�s been an increased realization of the need to better protect our shorelines, particularly in urban environments along coastlines that have already been impacted by storm surge...
Beyond the Water�s Edge: Geotechnics in the Wet
Gaining insight into the subsurface and developing an understanding of what�s hidden below ground is a key to the design and construction process. Geotechnical engineers and geologists often develop their...
Building on Hudson Yards In Section: Megaproject Geotechnics: Can a Megaproject Be Big Enough to Change a Building Code?
As a young geotechnical consulting engineer working in New York City, I was always curious as to why the city?s building code prescribed a maximum allowable rock-socket skin-friction value of 200 psi for...
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...
Advanced Data Analytics In Geotechnics: Adapting to the Big Data Era
Everyone is talking about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work. In one camp are people like the industrialist Elon Musk who fear the potential evils of AI and its possible impact...
Poison Oak, Mistakes, and Lessons
When things go wrong in geotechnicalengineering ? like ground movements andearthwork construction delays ? failureinvestigations are often performed. In a typical geotechnical project, the path is relatively...
The Wait Is Over�DIGGS Is Here!
The roll-out of Data Interchange for Geotechnical and GeoEnvironmental Specialists (DIGGS) has started, and the Ohio DOT (ODOT) has already announced that it will be required beginning January 2018. This...
What's New in Geo? � Sustainable Biogeotechnics
Biogeotechnics will likely become part of mainstream geotechnical engineering in the future....
Geotechnical Risk Management: The Five Non-Technical Topics that are Crucial for the Successful Practice of Geotechnical Engineering
It is fair to state that the aspects of civil design and construction referred to as geotechnical engineering can be characterized as inherently risky. Geologic processes are complex,...
GeoTechTools � Your Ground Modification Website: Solutions for Improved Decision Making and Risk Mitigation
An immense web-based toolbox for the engineering and construction of earthworks is now available at
A Light in the Deep: The Future of Offshore Site Investigations
For deep-water energy developments, hazard identification and risk assessments (that is, assessing the probability of occurrence along with the consequences of failure) are more important...
Making Big Data Work for You and Your Project: A 3-D Geotechnical Model is a Smart Way to Work
Modeling the stratigraphy beneath a site and assigning soil and rock properties are important steps in geotechnical engineering. Geotechnical engineers often need to model ground conditions...
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