GeoPrac.net All Headlines

US Wick Drain Drives It Home With The Largest Marine Wick Drain Job In The World

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:29:55 +0100

US Wick Drain of Leland North Carolina recently completed the world's largest marine barge wick drain installation...over 12 MILLION linear feet. The wick drains will allow timely consolidation of marine sediments supporting dikes for the new Craney Island Port in Norfolk, Virginia. The equipment was installed with APE wick drain installation machines through steel pipe-lined holes in the barge. Engineers predict 21 feet of settlement once the wick drains are preloaded. [Source: APE News via National Driller. Image: APE News (Backus Aerial Photography)]

Project to pour water into volcano to make power

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:11:03 +0100

I kept the same title of the source article for my post...it is a very simple explanation of the enhanced geothermal systems or EGS process of extracting geothermal energy from hot, dry rocks...even if it is a little sensationalized. The AP article describes the well-funded Newberry Crater Geothermal project in Central Oregon. The project is being run by AltaRock Energy, Inc. of Seattle and Davenport Newberry Holdings LLC of Stamford, Conn. with $43 million in funding from the US Federal Government, Google and other investors.

The site is an inactive volcano that has not erupted since before the last ice age. There is plenty of heat available, but unlike conventional geothermal projects, there is no water in the formation and/or the rock is too impermeable for the fluid to flow. Enter the EGS technology, which involves something they are calling hydroshearing, where water is injected into the hot boreholes along with some kind of polymer particles (not sure of the size). The cold water contacting the hot rock causes fractures to form, and the polymer particles keep the cracks open allowing water to flow deeper into the formation and form additional cracks. Eventually the polymer melts away. This process is similar to the hydrofracking I've posted about recently, but the oil and gas industry uses sand to wedge the fractures open and there was no mention of chemicals in the EGS process.

One major concern with EGS and most geotehrmal projects is the possibility of induced seismicity, or man-made earthquakes, something that has been in the news a great deal recently. The testing will involve injecting water at a rate of 800 gallons per minute into a borehole 10,600 feet deep. The projected fractured area is from 6,000 to 11,000 feet below the ground surface in a radius of approximately 1,700 feet around the borehole. The extent of the fracturing and presumably the magnitude of any seismic activity will be monitored using a network of seismic sensors. [Source: Yahoo! Green (AP) via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: Newberry Geothermal]

Under pressure: raising Venice above water (using... water?)

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:40:46 +0100

The landmark City of Venice, Italy is known for it's world famous canals, architecture and for some...its flooding. Part of the problem has been blamed on ground subsidence from pumping of shallow ground water in the mid 1900's. A massive project dubbed MOSE has been in progress for some time to build inflatable gates to stop high tides from flooding the Venice lagoon.

A recent paper in the Journal Water Resources Research evaluates the possibility of injecting water into the formations to stop and perhaps even reverse the subsidence. The article from Ars Technica (link below) mentions that the technique was used with some success in the Long Beach, California area. The study authors had no boreholes in the area, but were able to rely on a large volume of high-quality seismic data obtained by the Italian Government from oil companies. Their simulations involved 15 boreholes around the City of Venice pumping seawater continuously for 10 years. At that point, they authors concluded there is the potential to lift the city 25-30 cm. [Source: Ars technica via Geoengineer.org. Image: De Saye / Rapho via arlindo-correia.com]

Crux wins micropile job for San Diego area power lines

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:40:09 +0100

Crux Subsurface, Inc. of Spokane, WA was recently awarded a contract by San Diego Gas and Electric to provide design and installation of micropile foundations at 16 tower locations along a 7 mile stretch of power line for a wood to steel replacement project. Crux is best known for their difficult access and extreme access geotechnical construction and geotechnical investigation work, including helicopter access in rugged terrain which seems to be the case on this project. The work is scheduled to begin this month. [Source: National Driller. Image: National Driller]

GeoEngineer's Project for NP Foundation full of challenges

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:55:29 +0100

Seattle area geotechnical engineers with GeoEngineers had their hands full with a challenging project for the Seattle campus of a private family's foundation that funds health and development programs around the world. The final facility consisted of a parking garage and three 6-story office buildings. Other project components included a 1 million gallon rainwater storage tank, and a 70-foot deep by 50-foot diameter cylindrical underground thermal energy storage tank for the cooling system. And in addition to challenging ground and groundwater conditions, there was a 6 foot diameter, 100-year old brick sewer line just below the basement level that could not be disturbed. The project was awarded LEEDÂ©-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction) Platinum certification from the United Stated Green Building Council, and is the largest, non-profit LEEDÂ©-NC Platinum building in the world. [Source: GeoEngineers. Image: GeoEngineers]

This Overrunning Boeing 737 Got Stopped Safely By Concrete

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:54:47 +0100

Foamed concrete has been used in geotechnical applications as lightweight backfill material in applications where reduction of vertical or lateral loads was critical. In this application, the foamed concrete is designed to 'fail' when an aircraft overruns the regular runway. The foamed concrete Engineered Materials Arresting System or EMAS stops the aircraft without causing catastrophic damage. According to the article, there are about 30 runway overrun accidents each year involving commercial aircraft, and there have been about 1,000 deaths from these types of accidents since 1995. [Source: Gizmodo via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: Gizmodo]

Weekend CUP for January 23, 2012

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:30:17 +0100

Time to clear the decks from the 2011 stories I didn't get time to write about. There are number of good ones in here, don't miss out!

It’s time to study the Vulnerabilities posed to Taj Mahal’s foundation - Source: TwoCircles.net
The problem with underwriting geotechnical engineers - Source: Business Insurance On The Go
SPile 1.0 sneak preview - Source: Geoengineer.org
Issue 2, Volume 2, International Journal of Geoengineering Case Histories - Source: Geoengineer.org
Warnings About Wet Soil Went Unheeded - Source: Rio Grande Sun
Efforts to stop landslides on U.S. 20 have failed, leaving completion of Oregon's largest road contract in question - Source: OregonLive
Watch the Caldecott Tunnel Breakthrough - Source: The Bay Citizen
On seismic signals from landslides - new research - Source: The Landslide Blog
Foundations contract awarded for Copenhagen Metro - Source: New Civil Engineer
HDR in Florida legal battle over reservoir cracks - Source: ENR: Engineering News Record
DBA at DFI 36th Annual Meeting–Photos and Links - Source: Dan Brown and Associates, PC
Certification Program Announced for Geosynthetic-Reinforced MSE Walls, Berms and slopes - Source: Geosynthetica
Tutor Perini Grows in the Tunneling Sector with Acquisition of Frontier-Kemper - Source: Tunnel Business Online
On-board with the GRS Bridge-building System - Source: Geosynthetics
U.S. to fund 46 transportation projects in 33 states, Puerto Rico - Source: CNN.com
Landslide Mitigation Measures Fail To Save Plan To Build Bypass Bridges in Oregon - Source: ENR: Engineering News Record
Photos: The Devil’s Slide debris dump, 2006 and 2009 - Source: Coastsider.com
Forward Together: An Alliance of Geoprofessionals - ASFE: The Geoprofessional Business Association - Source: ASFE
Portland, Ore.'s Big Pipe Winds Up 20-Year Program To Control Overflows - Source: ENR: Engineering News Record via ASCE SmartBrief
Portland Oregon completes 20 year project to stop CSO
Geotechnical consultant - Video - Source: Dailymotion
Devil's Slide project update Dec 2011 - Source: Caltrans
Work underway on Utah SR-14 after landslide - Source: thespectrum.com
Should there be a LEED-like certification for roads? - Source: Environmental Leader via ASCE SmartBrief

A day in the life of a Case Foundations drilling superintendent

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:33:02 +0100

In this 2007 ENR article, a drilling superindtendent from Case Foundation, Rob Jones, is profiled while his company works on the foundations for a Chicago highrise. As a geotechnical engineer who designs drilled shaft foundations, I found it very interesting to learn more about the guys on the construction end of drilled shafts. There is no question in my mind that those guys work a lot harder than I do. [Source: ACE Mentor Program. Image: ENR]

Cofferdam helps preserve submariner history

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:32:12 +0100

A steel sheet pile cofferdam has been built around the HMS Alliance, a British submarine launched in 1945. The cofferdam will be infilled to create a safe place to perform restoration work. [Source: New Civil Engineer. Image: NCE]

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, with Largest Piles Ever Driven, is Giant Leap in Construction ...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:10:40 +0100

December 8th 2011 5:00 PM - American Piledriving Equipment's 8-hammer “Octakong” vibratory pile driver hammer drove the final record breaking pile in front of a crowd of over 200 people on the South China Sea, who came to witness the world's largest pile drive to grade. The last of 120, 72’ diameter steel piles has been driven into place, completing construction of two circular sea bound walls in the South China Sea, for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Seaway project.

[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release and an installation video. [/Editor]

Video: Scott Deaton of Dataforensics on Geotechnical Data Management

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:26:03 +0100

Scott Deaton is the President of GeoPrac sponsor Dataforensics that specializes in data collection for geotechnical engineering, materials testing and environmental engineering. This video was created by Terracon as part of their Green Light series on "What's Driving Innovation in Transportation".

Geo-Institute Geo-Congress 2012 Conference Younger Member Travel Grants

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:38:01 +0100

Young geotechnical engineers and geoengineering professionals in the first 5 years of their careers may be elligible for a $500 grant to attend the 2012 Geo-Congress conference in Oakland, California March 25-29. See the Geo-Institute link below for more information. Applications are due by February 25, 2012. [Source: Geo-Institute]

An inside look at fracking a well

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:53:26 +0100

This article gives a nice, and balanced overview of the hydraulic fracturing or fracking process used to fracture rock and extract oil and gas from a formation that you could not produce from otherwise. 90 percent of oil and gas wells in Colorado are fracked according to the article. And most fracking is done in a safe and responsible way using sound technology and practices. According to Matt Watson, an energy policy specialist with the Environmental Defense Fund in Washington D.C.:

The biggest pollution problems have been caused by surface spills, abandoned wells and poorly constructed wells, which allow gas, oil and chemicals to escape...

There is also a nice graphic showing the composition of fracking fluid, the source of much concern in the media and with environmental groups. The fluid is 99.4% water and sand (91.1% water and 8.3% sand). The remaining 0.6% does have some chemicals in it, but it hardly sounds like the toxic fluid that it is commonly portrayed as. The used fluids can be a potential hazard, but in Colorado, 68% of wells have a closed system where the fluid is pumped back to closed tanks and much of it is re-used. [Source: The Denver Post via The RockWare Blog. Image: Denver Post - RJ Sangosti]

ASTM Updates December 2011

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:39:28 +0100

Happy New Year! Here are a list of updated and new ASTM standards related to geotechnical engineering, materials testing and other subjects of interest to geoprofessionals. In this batch is a new standard for testing individual geogrid junction strength and other updated standards for geogrid testing. The standard for geofoam has been updated, so has the standard for SPT sampling. Read on for a list of these updated standards and others.

Threading the Needle through an Olympic Venue

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:53:01 +0100

The Fitzsimmons Creek run-of-river hydroelectric project consisted of a number of geotechnical challenges for design team member Golder Associates. The project site is in British Columbia's Coastal Mountains, and ran adjacent to the bobsleigh (or bobsled) track built for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Some of the interesting geotechnical aspects included geohazard analysis for debris flows and historic slides, new retaining walls, lightweight concrete fill, anchor block design, rock slope stability at the power house, micropile stabilization of slopes, draped mesh rock suport, seepage analysis at the intake and spillway and more. A very fascinating project! [Editor] Disclaimer: Golder is GeoPrac.net owner Randy Post's employer. [/Editor] [Source: Golder.com Geotechnically Speaking. Image: Golder]

Ground penetrating radar being used to detect potential sinkholes around sewer pipes

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:07:01 +0100

When sewer pipes crack and leak, the surrounding ground becomes saturated and soil can migrate into the pipe and leave behind a void. Eventually this void can expand until it undermines the pavement or other structures forming a sinkhole. The same ground penetrating radar technology being used by geophysicists to perform subsurface characterization and by the military to detect roadside bombs in being adapted to detect these voids before they reach the surface. Researchers at Louisiana Tech University are developing a robot to traverse sewer pipes and scan around the pipe for potential voids using the GPR. The research is being performed with $3M from NIST and $3.2M from Cues, Inc. a Louisiana sewer inspection company. Additional trials are slated to take place this month. [Source: NOLA.com. Image: AP File Photo/Mark Was via dailyreporter.com]

Geotechnical Request for Proposals Template Documents

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:26:20 +0100

The Structural Engineers Association of Michigan has template documents for a geotechnical RFP.

The intent of the RFP is to assist the Structural Engineer with the general requirements of information usually desired from the report. It also provides the perspective from the Geotechnical Engineer's point of view in asking the Structural Engineer to provide a detailed description of the proposed job.

The RFP is targeted at projects in the range of $10M but could be adapted for smaller projects. The documents were drafted in 2001 by members of SEAMi with input from members of ASFE. [Source: SEAMi.org]

Allentown PA arena will use micropiles to mitigate sinkholes

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:25:20 +0100

An arena being built for the Philadelphia Flyers' minor league affiliate hockey team will be founded on micropiles to mitigate possible sinkhole problems in the limestone bedrock. The arena in located at the site of a catastrophic collapse of a building, Corporate Plaza, in 1994. The collapse was blamed on sinkholes under the foundation that caused settlement and the rupture of a water main, flooding the area and exacerbating the issue. The building eventually had to be demolished. [Source: Morning Call via AGC SmartBrief. Image: CHUCK ZOVKO, The Morning Call]

Dataforensics announces SaaS pricing structure for Construction QA/QC Data Management System - PQC

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:34:26 +0100

Norcross, GA, December 2011 - Dataforensics, developer of software for geotechnical data collection and analysis, is pleased to announce new pricing available for PQC, the complete web-based construction quality assurance/quality control data management software. With Dataforensics’ new pricing, your company can utilize the web-based PQC system to collect, manage and report your field density testing data and concrete testing data for $0.25 per test and field reports for less than $1 per report.

[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release from GeoPrac sponsor Dataforensics. [/Editor]

Calling Geoprofessionals: Survey on Professional Development

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:33:39 +0100

I am participating in ASFE The Geoprofessional Business Association’s Fundamentals of Professional Practice course. A component of the course is a research project and report, and my topic is the assessment of Golder Associate's technical training and professional development programs. A component of the report is to compare programs at Golder with those at other firms.

I have prepared a short survey (< 5 minutes) for members of Geoprofessional firms (other than Golder of course). I am interested in getting responses from all experience levels, from staff engineers to Principals and V.P.s. All responses will be kept confidential. An analysis of aggregated responses will also be discussed in a post here on GeoPrac.net. Fill out this form by 11:59pm on Sunday, December 18, 2011 and you will be entered into a drawing for a $30 Amazon.com gift card. Thank you so much for your help! And thanks to all who participate!

Take the survey (powered by Google Docs) - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDJuSVI5cEhyZ1JOclJqUTdseURLaVE6MA

Weekend CUP for December 12, 2011

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 05:39:12 +0100

GEI's Foundation Design for Yawkey Center for Cancer Care Recognized as a DFI Outstanding Project - Source: GEI Consultants via CE News
Sandvik jumbos progress Olympic tunnel - Source: World Tunnelling
Wyoming town has a history of mine subsidence - Source: Trib.com via Geology.com
2012 Federal Transportation Bill Enacted - Source: Transportation Issues Daily via AASHTO
Engineering work to begin on Gateway train tunnel under Hudson River, Congress approves $15M for project - Source: NJ.com
Sandhog Michael O'Brien Killed in East Side Access Tunnel Project - Source: DNAinfo.com via ASCE SmartBrief
Light rail tunneling machine about to break through - Source: seattlepi.com via ASCE SmartBrief
Collapse of the San Pedro landslide - Source: The Landslide Blog
Tunnel Detection Technology at Mexico Border: Worth the Effort? - Source: Insightcrime.org
Scientists simulate Moon and Mars exploration in Mojave desert - Source: PhysOrg.com
Levees.org to defend listing of levee breach sites to National Register - Source: NOLA.com via Association of State Dam Safety Officials
China builds world's largest seismic network for reservoirs - Source: Xinhua via Association of State Dam Safety Officials
Los Angeles coast road landslide unlikely to be repaired - Source: The Washington Post
Ancient landslide blocked California river - Source: Futurity.org
Slip-sliding away is San Pedro heritage - Source: The Daily Breeze
Property owners seek answers about sinkhole damage - Source: CarolinaLive.com
Germans back new $5.5B underground train station - Source: R&D Mag

Final Bimrocks Paper?

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:12:24 +0100

Bimrocks is a term coined by my colleague Ed Medley, a fellow geopractitioner (a term he also coined). The former term refers to "block-in-matrix-rocks" where blocks of geotechnically significant rock "float" in a matrix of weaker material. I received the following email from Ed the other day which may be of interest to folks who deal with bimrocks:

I have, I think, written my last technical paper on bimrocks. There is little more I can preach! That paper (written with D. Zekkos) is Geopractitioner Approaches to Working With Anti-Social Melanges, a chapter in the book Special Paper 480: Mélanges: Processes of Formation and Societal Significance, by John Wakabayashi and Yildirim Dilek, published by the Geological Society of America. Wakabayashi and Dilek’s full-text introduction to the volume is available at the GSA website.

Atlas Copco has divested self drilling anchors business to Minova

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:09:31 +0100

Atlas Copco MAI GmbH has sold to Minova its business related to self drilling anchors; rock bolts that are primarily used in civil engineering applications. The deal supports Atlas Copcoâ€™s strategy within rock reinforcement to focus on products for the mining industry. [From Atlas Copco press release] [Source: Atlas Copco. Image: Minova International]

EnviroMission Engages Terracon to Provide Initial Geotechnical Engineering Services for Solar ...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:46:31 +0100

Imagine a tower taller than the empire state building, surrounded by a greenhouse structure a mile in diameter all designed to generate renewable energy to power 100,000 homes using thermal updrafts to turn turbines. Sound like science fiction? The folks at EnviroMission Limited don't think so and they plan to build just such a structure in the Arizona desert. And geotechnical engineering firm Terracon has just signed on with EnviroMission to 'provide initial geotechnical engineering analysis, geo-seismic analysis and geotechnical consulting services for the Solar Tower power station development in Arizona.' Click through for the press release. [Source: PRWeb]

New Zealand city council bans entry to 500 homes over geotechnical hazards

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:44:42 +0100

The Christ Church City Council has issued a notice banning entry to over 500 homes because of risks associated with rockfall, landslides, cliff collapse and other geotechnical problems exacerbated by recent earthquakes. [Source: Scoop News]

Dataforensics announces the release of Rapid CPT version 4 with gINT Security Tool and ...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:08:07 +0100

Norcross, GA, November 2011 - Dataforensics, developer of software for geotechnical data collection and analysis, is pleased to announce the release of RAPID CPT version 4 with the optional Dataforensics Coordinate Conversion Tool and Dataforensics gINT Security Tool modules. Many capabilities have been added for version 4 such as new data importers, new correlations, and new analysis capabilities.

[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release from GeoPrac sponsor Dataforensics. [/Editor]

Proposed Specifications for LRFD Soil-Nailing Design and Construction

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:31:48 +0100

The current edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design and Construction specifications do not have specifications for soil nail retaining walls. This TRB publication is meant to be an interim solution for agencies who still wish to take advantage of the advantages of soil nail retaining walls for certain situations. [Source: TRB. Image: TRB]

Wolf Creek Dam Foundation Remediation Safety Milestone

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:59:35 +0100

The US Army Corps' Wolf Creek Dam foundation remediation project in is the largest and most complex foundation remediation project in the world according the the contractor PM. It involves the installation of a massive cutoff wall to stop seepage in the karst bedrock beneath the Dam's embankment and right abutment. The project team recently reached a significant safety milestone, 500,000 work hours without a lost time accident. The project is approximately 62 percent complete. The contractor is Treviicos-Soletanche, a joint venture of Treviicos and Soletanche, the parent company of GeoPrac.net sponsor Nicholson Construction. [Source: National Driller. Image: USACEPublicAffairs Flickr]

Video: AMS, Inc - Geotechnical sampling equipment to drill rigs

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:44:25 +0100

AMS makes samplers ranging from hand augers to sonic drill rigs and direct push rigs for geotechnical and environmental sampling. This video gives an overview of the origins of their company in 1942 and their various product offerings.

2011 ASCE Distinguished Members from Geo-Institute

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:50:47 +0100

The American Society of Civil Engineers announced their 2011 class of Distinguished Members back in October. This year's class included three members of the Geo-Institute: Jacobo Bielak, Chandrakant S. Desai and Shamsher Prakash (pictured below). The ASCE Youtube channel has short biography video on each member, and you can watch the videos for these three gentlemen embedded in the full post. Their acceptance remarks are also online somehwere, but I can't find the videos to embed. You can watch those videos here. Written biographies are also available on the Geo-Institute's website.

GeoPrac.net welcomes new sponsor Hayward Baker

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:28:54 +0100

GeoPrac.net is very pleased to announce our newest website sponsor, geotechnical contractor Hayward Baker! They are the #1 ranked Specialty Excavation/Foundation Contractor according too Engineering News-Record, a spot they have held for many years.

With 20 office accross the US and a presence in Central and South America and Canada, they cover nearly every geographic area in the americas, and perform every type of geoconstruction service you can imagine. Those services include foundation rehabilitation, settlement control, liquefaction mitigation, soil stabilization, groundwater control, slope stability, excavation support and underpinning. They have a stellar reputation in the geoengineering community, and I am proud to have them lend their support to GeoPrac. Thank you Hayward Baker!

Weekend CUP for November 17, 2011

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:36:28 +0100

I'm finally digging out from under some articles and blog post ideas from the past couple of months. Think of it as an early Thanksgiving day feast for your mind! Click through for all the trimmings.

First National Green Building Code Approved!

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:42:13 +0100

LEED Certification is a voluntary process for building owners and designers. But a newly approved green building code developed by the International Code Council titled the 'International Green Construction Code' or IgCC may see adoption by many state and local governments. The code is officially published in March of 2012 and for jurisdictions that adopt it, will apply to new and renovated commercial and residential buildings over three stories tall. [Source: via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: IQS]

New Falling Weight Deflectometer Calibration Procedures

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:41:27 +0100

A report titled 'Falling Weight Deflectometer Calibration Center and Operational Improvements: Redevelopment of The Calibration Protocol and Equipment' has been published by the FHWA. This report is the result of a pooled fund study that has resulted in revisions to AASHTO's R32-09 calibration procedure for the FWT. There is also new calibration software, WinFWDCal that came out of this research. [Source: FHWA. Image: Dynatest]

Dataforensics, LLC welcomes Groundwater Solutions as a new Reseller Partner

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:02:57 +0100

Norcross, Georgia, October 1, 2011 –Dataforensics, LLC welcomes Groundwater Solutions, providers of quality hydrogeological expertise and services, as a reseller partner. Based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire United Kingdom, Groundwater Solutions resells the Dataforensics products PLog, PLog Environmental and Rapid CPT. Additionally, Groundwater Solutions supports integration of data collected with PLog Environmental into the EScIS software program ESdat.

[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release from GeoPrac sponsor Dataforensics. [/Editor]

Federal Geographic Data Committee Launches New Geospatial Website

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:28:23 +0100

WASHINGTON, D.C.â€”The federal government and its geospatial partners today unveiled www.geoplatform.gov, a prototype Geospatial Platform website providing an initial view of the future of user-friendly, integrated, federal data collections on common geographic maps.

This type of interface seems to be the future of GIS and mapping. Many agencies have something similar for their own data, but how great will it be when you can combine data sets from various sources to create your own maps?

[Source: US Department of the Interior via USGS. Image: GeoPlatform.gov]

ASTM Updates for October 2011

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 06:48:52 +0100

This post contains an update of new, revised and otherwise updated ASTM standards that pertain to the geotechnical engineering, materials testing and related fields. This time around there are a number of geosynthetic standards being updated, including several new standards relating to QC testing of geomembranes and leak detection. Sorry it hass been a little while since these updates were posted last. ASTM changed the format of their emails, and the spreadsheet I use to parse them needed to be updated. Click through for the updated ASTM standards.

Drawdown landslides in muddy sediments at the Condit Dam

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:15:39 +0100

Dr. Dave has a nice post about rapid drawdown slope failures and he ties it in to a neat video (below) of the removal of the Condit Dam in Washington state. The video shows some time lapse photography of the water receding, and pulses of slope failures occurring after the dam was disabled using explosives. The full dam removal will follow. [Source: The Landslide Blog]

Drilling Expected to Start in Miami Port Tunnel Project

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:33:15 +0100

The Port of Miami mega project is celebrating a significant milestone today. A massive 41-foot diameter tunnel boring machine will start excavating the first of the twin tunnels that will connect the Port of Miami with Watson Island. The TBM will reach the port in about 6 months and turn around to complete the other tunnel. The target project completion date is May 2014. [Source: NBC Miami via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: Port of Miami Tunnel]

Video: Drilled shaft construction on Arizona DOT Project

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:08:08 +0100

ADOT put together a great little video embedded below that shows the construction of a drilled shaft foundation, or caisson as they are also known, for a bridge on the Loop 303 project in Surprise, AZ. The foundations shown are 88-feet deep and the rebar cage weighs in at about 20,000 pounds. The hole takes around 80 cubic yards of concrete to fill (that's 8 concrete trucks). The video shows the fabrication of the cage, drilling the hole, and picking up and lowering the cage. My favorite part is the perspective of the video taken from the top of the cage as it is picked up and lowered, very cool. [Source: ADOT Blog]