GeoPrac.net Latest GeoNews

Design Guidelines for Horizontal Drains Used for Slope Stabilization

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:37:51 +0100

The Washington State Department of Transportation has released a report that provides a reference for geotechnical engineers and hydrogeologists on designing horizontal drainage systems to improve slope stability. Here's the report abstract:

The presence of water is one of the most critical factors contributing to the instability of hillslopes. A common solution to stabilize hillslopes is installation of horizontal drains to decrease the elevation of the water table surface. Lowering the water table dries a large portion of the hillslope which increases the shear strength of the oil, thereby decreasing the probability of slope failure. The purpose of this manual is to provide a single comprehensive reference for geotechnical engineers and hydrogeologists on designing horizontal drainage systems to improve slope stability. Guidelines are provided for translational and rotational failure and consider fractured systems. Basics of hydrogeologic and geotechnical terminology, site characterization and conceptualization, groundwater modeling techniques and template projects help to guide the user with respect to identifying important parameters to drainage design. An iterative approach is presented for determining the minimum drain construction to lower water levels enough to keep the factor of safety (FOS) greater than 1.2.

[Source: Download the entire WSDOT Report by way of TRB. Image: WSDOT via TRB]

Winners of the GE Awards revealed

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:24:54 +0100

The winners of the prestigious Ground Engineering Awards were announced recently. The Editor's Award was presented to a Joint Venture of Keller (parent company of GeoPrac sponsor Hayward Baker), Bam Nuttall and Taylor Woodrow as well as Mott MacDonald for their project "Use of BIM on London Underground's Victoria Station Upgrade for delivery of the UK's largest ever grouting scheme." Other winners included the The Emirates Airline cable car project, whose team members included Bachy Soletanche (parent company of GeoPrac Sponsor Nicholson Construction). The full details of the awards will be published in the July issue of Ground Engineering Magazine, which as of last summer, you can download for free on your iPad. [Source: New Civil Engineer. Image: Bentley]

Weekend CUP for June 11, 2013

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:35:51 +0100

Here are some stories from May (and perhaps earlier) that are still worth a look!

President Obama Tours Port of Miami Tunnel Project - Source: Tunnel Business Magazine
ISSMGE e-Lexicon Translates Geotechnical Terms - Source: ISSMGE
Walsh drills test shaft for Ohio River Bridges - Source: Biz journals.com via ASCE SmartBrief
No real geotechnical data in most designs - Source: Deep Excavation
DC Water awards $253M Tunnel Contract for Clean Rivers Project - Source: Tunnel Business Magazine
PortMiami tunnel digging reaches end of the line - Source: MiamiHerald.com via ASCE SmartBrief
May 14 Marks 10th Anniversary of Silver Lake Dam Failure - Source: Association of State Dam Safety Officials
Using Remote Sensing to Detect Wide Area Ground Deformations - Source: European Space Agency via AEG Insider
Video: Understanding Sinkholes - Source: CBS News Video via Geology.com
Issue 3, Volume 2 - Source: International Journal of Geoengineering Case Histories
Alaska couple fortunate to escape landslide - Source: The Landslide Blog
Clandestine Graves Found Using Geophysical Tools - Source: LiveScience
Another landslide on a reservoir flank - Yesa in Spain - Source: The Landslide Blog
L.B. Foster Delivers 2,600 Tons of Pipe for San Francisco Transit Hub Excavation - Source: THE BUCK
Pile Buck Magazine Issue 29-2 Has Arrived! - Source: THE BUCK
Revised Kentucky and Tennessee topo maps reveal new design - Source: CE News
SR 99 Tunnel Launch Pit Complete - Source: Tunnel Business Magazine
Fine Software releases GEO5 version 16! - Source: Geoengineer.org
How do you move a 300 ton concrete arch? - Source: Dan Brown and Associates, PC
Two children killed in Minnesota field trip landslide - Source: U.S. News
Excavation Complete on Lake Mead Connector Tunnel Project - Source: Tunnel Business Magazine
HNTB-designed Devil’s Slide Tunnels Project earns Project of the Year Award from APWA Silicon ValleyHNTB Newsroom - Source: HNTB Newsroom
Deficit in nation’s aquifers accelerating - Source: CE News
How Engineers Are Building a New Railroad Under New York City - Source: Wired.com via ASCE SmartBrief
Trimble Rolls Out Drilling, Piling System - Source: National Driller
Clandestine Graves Found Using Geophysical Tools - Source: LiveScience
Measuring the Forces Generated by Erosive Debris Flows - Source: Technology Org via AEG Insider

NCFI Geotechnical Foam, TerraThane, Helps Contractor Save Chicagoland Apartments With Minimal ...

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:31:26 +0100

MOUNT AIRY, NC—A newly purchased 17-building apartment complex in Rolling Meadows, IL, built in the early 1960s, has seen plenty of tenants make their homes there. When new owners went about making renovations they discovered one 18,000 sq. ft. building suffering from voids in the soil beneath the slabs ranging from five inches to almost two feet in diameter caused by the stratified compacting of the historically hydric wetlands sedimentary soil, and water and sewer main breaks over the years. The voids caused some uneven floors and left the door open for future problems like mold.

[Editor] Read on for the remainder of the press release from GeoPrac.net sponsor NCFI Polyurethanes. [/Editor]

Using the Existing Pavement In-Place and Achieving Long Life

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 06:56:53 +0100

TRB's second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Renewal Project R23 has released a prepublication, non-edited version of a report titled Using the Existing Pavement In-Place and Achieving Long Life that describes a procedure for identifying when existing pavements can be used in place as part of the rehabilitation solution and the methods necessary to incorporate the original material into the new pavement structure while achieving long life.

In addition to the report, Renewal Project R23 also developed an interactive computer software program that helps users through the decision process. The software also provides all of the resource documentation related to the project. [Source: TRB. Image: TRB/SHRP2]

7 record-breaking tunnels from around the world

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 06:47:48 +0100

It seems like every time I turn around these days there is another amazing tunnel project in the news. The level of engineering brought to bear on these challenges is phenomenal, whether it's in the tunnel alignment or the TBM design and fabrication, or shoring and ground improvement in advance of the tunneling. This article highlights 7 record-breaking tunnels from around the world. Check back in another year or two and I'm sure there will be some new accomplishments to add to this list! [Source: Check out the Record Breaking Tunnels on Fox News! via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: Fox News]

Geoengineer.org issues 100th monthly newsletter

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:03:05 +0100

Wow! Congratulations to my friends and colleagues Dimitrios Zekkos, Marietta Zarogiannopoulou and the rest of the staff at Geoengineer.org! Their May newsletter was their 100th issue. Well done guys. [Source: Read the newsletter Geoengineer.org and consider subscribing! Image: Geoengineer.org]

YOU'VE JUST GOT TO BE KIDDING: Guilty Geoprofessionals in Italy

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 05:56:21 +0100

In 2009, an unfortunate earthquake near L'Aquila, Italy caused the death of 309 people. The Italian authorities decided that a group of some six expert geoprofessionals were guilty of manslaughter for failing to predict the earthquake and providing false assurances of safety to the public. Here is John Bachner/The GBA's take on this incident. [Source: Read more at ASFE: The Geoprofessional Business Association. Image: Flickr]

Engineering Geology and Geotechnics Lecture Videos from Missouri S&T

Fri, 31 May 2013 09:02:02 +0100

Missouri S&T (known as UM Rolla a while back) has a number of courses that are available through their YouTube channel. One such course is their GeoEng 341 course, Engineering Geology and Geotechnics taught by Dr. David Rogers. You can watch the entire series of 15 lectures totaling over 32 hours on You-Tube! Check out the first lecture below.

USGS Topo Data on the Go

Fri, 31 May 2013 06:58:02 +0100

The USGS issued a press release at the beginning of May highlighting the possibility of accessing USGS topo maps and other USGS imagery on mobile devices such as Android, iPhone and iPad. The USGS is not producing apps, but they are making the data available to developers. They highlight two Android apps using the data:

Currently, two Android applications are using USGS data, OruxMaps (http://www.oruxmaps.com/index_en.html) and AlpineQuest (http://alpinequest.psyberia.net/). These apps include USGS services in the list of available online maps.

The most likely candidate for an app for iOS is called Galileo. It sounds like you need to do some legwork before using the apps. They discuss a Java-Based open source project that allows you to create "mobile atlases" on your desktop PC or Mac based on USGS maps at various scales that you can transfer to various mobile apps to take the maps with you on your device for use when you are outside cell phone coverage. The program you need is called Mobile Atlas Creator. There are some basic instructions in the full USGS Press Release. [Source: USGS Press Release via Geology.com. Image: USGS]

Overview of Novo Tech Geotechnical Software Programs

Wed, 29 May 2013 13:43:33 +0100

GeoPrac.net sponsor Novo Tech Software recently released this video that gives an overview of their company and all of their various geotechnical software products. Very impressive, check it out!

New Corps Study Suggests Geoprofessionals Will Be Busy for Years

Wed, 29 May 2013 07:11:57 +0100

The GBA posted recently about a study from the US Army Corps that suggest geoprofessionals will be kept busy for years to come. The study is in the same vein as other infrastructure studies that indicate additional funding is needed for the maintenance and operation of the Nation's dams, levees, navigational structures and hydro-electric facilities. The National Research Council performed the study, and one of their key conclusions was that partnerships between state and local government and even private industry may provide additional revenue options. The GBA summary is definitely worth reading, and they rightly conclude that the majority of the work on the vast network of Corps infrastructure will require the services of geoprofessionals. [Source: Read the full summary from ASFE: The Geoprofessional Business Association. Image: NOLA.com]

NCFI Polyurethanes and the Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Business

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:28:29 +0100

NCFI Polyurethanes’ TerraThane Product Line Quickly and Quietly Improving Bottom Line for North American Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Businesses

MOUNT AIRY, NC—The distinctly American company, NCFI Polyurethanes, is known for pioneering innovative, improved, and unique uses for one of their main product offerings: polyurethane foam. Since the company’s scientists and engineers began formulating polyurethane foam back in 1967, other chemical systems companies have been saying, “wonder what they’ll come up with next?” So, it was really more of a “holy cow” moment in the 1990s when NCFI began formulating foam systems for geotechnical uses: highway and roadway repair, bridge approach repair, concrete lifting, leveling and void fill. And it’s no surprise that like all NCFI product lines, TerraThane geotechnical foam is quietly changing the way entire industries work for the better.

Keller forecasts good results for 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:56:29 +0100

Keller, the world's largest independent ground engineering specialist has seen better than expected first quarter results and is optimistic that the outlook for the rest of 2013 is good as well, according to company statements reported by NCE. Keller works primarily in Europe, Australia, and the US with increasing presence in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. In the US, the Keller group of companies includes GeoPrac sponsor Hayward Baker, Suncoast, McKinney, Case and HJ. [Source: Read more at The New Civil Engineer. Image: Keller]

Extraction of Layer Properties from Intelligent Compaction Data

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:43:51 +0100

The TRB/NCHRP has a new publication out:

TRBâ€™s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Final Report for NCHRP-IDEA Project 145: Extraction of Layer Properties from Intelligent Compaction Data examines a methodology that was developed to extract layer elastic modulus/stiffness from composite soil stiffness and global positioning system-based location provided by currently available vibratory intelligent compaction rollers.

[Source: TRB. Image: TRB]

London's Crossrail Cores Going to Salt Mine

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:23:25 +0100

London't mega-project known as Crossrail that involves the construction of 118 km (73 mi) of new rail line with 42 km (26 mi) of new tunnels. The geotechnical investigation for Crossrail included rock coring, and some 561 pallets of core are going to be stored inside the mined out portion of a salt mine in Cheshire. The temperature and humidity levels remain consistent year-round making it an ideal place to store the core. According to the NCE article, this material is less than half of the core drilled during the investigation phase of the project. [Source: New Civil Engineer. Image: New Civil Engineer]

Unconservative designs with AASHTO LRFD for deep excavations

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:15:41 +0100

Dimitrios at Deep Excavation LLC wrote this article a couple of months ago for his monthly newsletter. He contends that for multi-level braced excavations, the AASHTO LRFD code could produce unconservative results. From his article:

The currently adopted design methods for AASHTO (2010) LRFD appear to produce inconsistent and possibly unsafe designs for many multi-level braced excavations. Limit-equilibrium analyses combined with LRFD methods appear to severely underestimate benchmarked wall bending moments. For this reason, analyses in this paper suggest that limit-equilibrium methods should not be used to design the wall bending resistance for multi-level-braced excavations.

[Source: Read the full article at Deep Excavation LLC. Image: NTT Stroy]

Video: NY Second Ave Subway Project on CBS News

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:29:09 +0100

This news story aired a few weeks back. It has some great views of the tunneling process but also focuses on some of the social issues, such as complaints about Rats, as well as noise and dust. I guess you can’t please everyone. Check out the video below.

Norway wants to build world's first tunnel for ships

Wed, 08 May 2013 06:28:52 +0100

The Norwegian government wants to build a tunnel linking two fjords that would be large enough to pass 16,000 tonne cargo and passenger ships. The treacherous stretch of waterway has seen 46 accidents and 33 deaths since World War II. The 1.7 km Stad maritime tunnel would cost about 1.6B kroner ($274M USD). [Source: The Courier-Mail via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: AFP]

International Collaboration Delivers Pioneering Geotechnical Carbon Calculator

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:04:57 +0100

Foundation Industry Launches Standardized Open Source Tool to Compare the Sustainability of Different Foundation Techniques

Hawthorne, NJ (May 1, 2013): The European Federation of Foundation Contractors (EFFC) and the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) are urging the geotechnical sector to make immediate use of their jointly-developed, pioneering carbon calculator tool, the Geotechnical Carbon Calculator.

Developed using internationally recognized standards, the Geotechnical Carbon Calculator is believed to be one of the construction industry’s first standardized and collaboratively produced carbon calculator tools at the European and international level.

Carbon measurement is at the core of the construction industry’s approach to sustainability. The Geotechnical Carbon Calculator uses a standardized emission factors database to make the analysis of the carbon footprint of a foundation project consistent and comparable across the foundation industry.

[Editor] Click through for the rest of this interesting press release from the Deep Foundations Institute! [/Editor]

Landslide Insurance Very Rare

Thu, 02 May 2013 06:27:53 +0100

There were just a few sentences in this article/blog post about landslide insurance. Most geoprofessionals realize that home-owners insurance does not cover landslides, floods or most other geologic hazards. But what I found interesting in this article was a quote from an insurance agent that gave a rough estimate of the cost of "very rare" landslide insurance. He gave an estimate of $1,000 per year for a $300,000 house. I'm sure it depends on lots of factors, but at least that could get you in the ballpark. [Source: Central Illinois Proud. Image: USGS Landslides Page]

Kurt R. Fraese, L.G. Is New ASFE/GBA President

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:24:58 +0100

ASFE, The Geoprofessional Business Association has elected a new president, Kurt R. Fraese, L.G. Kurt is the CEO of GeoEngineers, Inc. Click on over to the ASFE/GBA website to read more about him and the other officers for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. [Source: ASFE: The Geoprofessional Business Association. Image: ASFE/GBA]

Keynetix Expands KeyLAB Functionality for Concrete Testing, ATSM and Australian Standards

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:18:15 +0100

22nd April 2013, Redditch, UK - Keynetix are pleased to announce that an upgrade to KeyLAB has been released today that includes a number of new features requested by users to help them manage their geotechnical and concrete laboratory. The new build expands the functionality of the system to assist laboratory managers who are conducting concrete testing, working in a NATA accredited laboratory or with the ASTM standards and is available free of charge to all users who have an in-date maintenance agreement.

As well as the new features in this release, KeyLAB have produced a large number of free test definitions and input and report sheets for companies who are implementing KeyLAB within a laboratory, conducting tests to BS or ASTM standards. These worksheets and reports have been designed by Peter Keeton from Keynetix, who has over 30 years experience of managing large geotechnical laboratories.

[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release from Keynetix. [/Editor]

Geophysics successfully detects void beneath Missouri Taxiway

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:54:19 +0100

Airport authorities at the Charles B. Wheeler airport in Kansas City, MO were concerned about a leaking CMP joint 22-feet beneath the taxiway. The sand that was coming through the joint was detected on a video inspection of the culvert. They were concerned about possible voids above the leak and commissioned a geophysical survey. Two geophysical methods were used, ground penetrating radar and multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW). The void was detected using the methods, and subsequent excavation of the airport taxiway confirmed the presence of the voids with about the same dimensions as what was indicated by the geophysics. The work was performed by the St. Louis office of Geotechnology, Inc. [Source: CE News. Image: CE News]

Is the Bingham Canyon copper mine landslide the most expensive single mass movement in history?

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:53:54 +0100

Dr. Dave has some financial analysis of the Bingham Canyon Mine Landslide in Utah. His interpretation of some of the financial data being thrown around is a financial loss of $770M, ouch! [Source: Read the full post at The Landslide Blog. Image: The Landslide Blog]

Amazing aerial photos of the Bingham Canyon Landslide

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:53:27 +0100

There is a great collection of aerial photos and other photos from last week's Bingham Canyon Mine Landslide at Kennecott Utah Copper's Flickr Photostream. Thanks to my colleague Wolfgang Knudson at Golder for sending the link. There's a great couple of shots of the radar monitoring equipment that allowed the mine to monitor the slide with great accuracy, and safely evacuate the areas prior to its triggering. [Source: Kennecott Utah Copper's Flickr Photostream. Image: Flickr Page of Kennecott Utah Copper]

Video: Accelerated bridge construction Iowa DOT project

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:50:45 +0100

This video for the Massena Lateral Bridge Slide from Iowa DOT shows a very nice 3D rendering of the entire accelerated bridge construction process. They are using a lateral slide method to construct the bridge adjacent to the existing one and then slide it into place within 9 days. From a geotechnical perspective, this bridge will be founded on driven piles, and then pre-cast abutment caps with CMP block-outs will be placed over the piles and the block-outs grouted up. The wingwalls will also be precast with the CMP block-outs and supported on driven piles as well. There will also be a driven pile temporary support structure, and driven piles will be used for the reaction frame to attach the threaded anchor rod used to jack the bridge into place.

Source: Iowa DOT via Rebuilding America's Infrastructure via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: Iowa DOT

Massena Lateral Bridge Slide from Iowa DOT on Vimeo.

DC Water Christens TBM "Lady Bird"

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:34:07 +0100

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) recently christened a new Tunnel Boring Machine 'Lady Bird' in honor of former first lady Claudia Alta 'Lady Bird' Taylor Johnson. The roughly 23-ft diameter TBM will tunnel a total of over 24,000 feet at a depth of 100 feet below the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers as part of a DC Water project aimed at reducing combined sewer outfalls. I first posted about this project, including a Google Map of the route a few years back. [Source: More at Tunnel Business Magazine. Image: Tunnel Business Magazine]

Video: WSDOT Rock Blasting on I-90 Snoqualmie Pass

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:26:39 +0100

This is a great video montage of rock blasting for Washington State DOT's I-90 Snoqualmie Pass project. It's not clear from the description if this blasting actually occurred on this project or its from other projects meant to give Washington drivers a preview of what will be going on this summer on the project. All that's missing is a little classical music, perhaps 1812 Overture?

Guidelines for Geofoam Applications in Slope Stability Projects

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:03:16 +0100

A new publication was released from the TRB's NCHRP program on Geofoam Applications in Slope Stability Projects.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Results Digest 380: Guidelines for Geofoam Applications in Slope Stability Projects explores the use of expanded polystyrene-block geofoam for slope stabilization projects. For the purpose of the report, slope stabilization projects include new roadways as well as repair of existing roadways that have been damaged by slope instability or slope movement.

[Source: Download the PDF from TRB. Image: Syracuse Geofoam Research Center]

Massive landslide at Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:55:44 +0100

A large landslide last week at Kennecott Utah's Bingham Canyon copper mine has stopped poduction and could result in furloughs or layoffs. The landslide occured on April 10, 2013 at around 9:30 pm in the northeast pit wall. The slide had been actively monitored for some time, and prior to the failure, the rate of movement did increase significantly and all employees were safely evacuated. No word on volume estimates at this point, but the flow of ore has stopped until the cleanup has taken place. Work resumed in another part of the mine, but that involved removing overburden material. [Source: Deseret News. Image: Ravell Call, Deseret News]

Bertha tunnel-boring machine arrives in Seattle

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:28:41 +0100

The world's largest Tunnel Boring Machine or TBM just arrived in Seattle last week from Japan. Hitachi Zosen Corp built the 57 foot diameter TBM and tested it before disassembling it for the journey by boat to the Port of Seattle. Bertha will soon begin it's 16 month journey to bore a tunnel to replace the famous Alaskan Way Viaduct along Seattle's waterfront. [Source: Puget Sound Business Journal via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: www.bizjournals.com/]

Geopier ground improvement supports plant to turn cheese byproducts into green energy

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:29:26 +0100

Green energy from cheese? That's right, whey is not just for Miss Muffett I guess. In 2011, Foundation Service Corporation, the licensed installer of GeoPier GP3™ systems in Wisconsin installed over 1,600 GeoPier elements to stiffen the poor subgrade soils at a GreenWhey Energy plant under construction in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin.

Upon completion this summer, the plant will take byproducts from cheese production and use it to create biogas, heat and clean water. According to GreenWhey the biogas will eventually generate enough electricity to power 3,000 homes. Renewable energy from cheese.

[Source: Ground Improvement Engineering. Image: Ground Improvement Engineering]

Washington DNR Releases Preliminary Report on Whidbey Island Landslide

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:16:37 +0100

Onsite Visit Leads To Ledgewood-Bonair Landslide Quick Report

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources Division of Geology & Earth Resources has released their quick report on the Whidbey Island “Ledgewood-Bonair” landslide that occurred March 27, 2013. [Editor] Photo Credit: Washington DNR via Flickr [/Editor]

View the full quick report: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_qr_whidbey_island_landslide_2013.pdf

Key Points From The Report Include:

The Ledgewood-Bonair Landslide (LB Landslide) On Whidbey Island, Island County, Washington Occurred Around 3:45 Am On March 27, 2013.
It Is A Small Portion Of A Much Larger Landslide Complex, Approximately 1.5 Miles Long, That Was Prehistoric And May Date Back As Far As 11,000 Years.
The Top Of The Landslide Scarp Averages 200 Feet Above Sea Level.
The Landslide Pushed (Uplifted) The Beach As High As 30 Feet Above The Shore.
The Toe (Front Of Landslide At The Beach) Is Slightly Over 1,100 Feet Long And Extends Approximately 300 Feet Into Puget Sound.
Uplift Of The Beach Is Presumed To Have Been Relatively Slow (I.E., Over A Few Minutes).
Wave And Tidal Action Is Actively Eroding The Toe With Small Sections (1-10 Cubic Feet) Observed Calving With The Rising Tide.
The Volume Of Material Moved Was Approximately 200,000 Cubic Yards (Equivalent To 40,000 Dump Truck Loads).
DNR Geologic Mapping From 2009 Shows The Extent Of The Landslide Complex (Polenz And Others, 2009,Http://Www.Dnr.Wa.Gov/Publications/Ger_gm68_geol_map_camano_24k.Pdf ).
Where observed, the access road has been shifted approximately 80 feet down vertically and to the west.

Photos from geologist site visit are on the agency’s Flickr page. Available for media use with credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wastatednr/sets/72157633103436975/with/8597313215/

View updates of the landslide event on the agency’s “Ear to the Ground” blog:http://washingtondnr.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/whidbey-island-coupeville-landslide/

DNR: State's Geologists

In addition to managing more than 5.6 million acres of state-owned lands and serving as the state’s wildland fire department, DNR houses the Washington State Geologist. The department regulates surface mining reclamation and provides technical assistance to citizens, industry and government on geologic hazards, forest stewardship, and other issues. Lands managed by DNR provide numerous public benefits, including outdoor recreation, native fish and wildlife habitat, and clean and abundant water.

Media Contact: Jessica Payne, Communications Public Information Officer, 360-584-7760,Jessica.Payne@Dnr.Wa.Gov

# # #

Happy 6th Anniversary GeoPrac!

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:01:01 +0100

Six years ago today I officially launched the GeoPrac.net website! It’s been my honor to try to serve my fellow geoprofessionals over that time, providing news and articles in a format unlike any other site on the internet. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the folks who have contributed content, provided feedback or otherwise helped over the years. I would also like to thank all of my sponsors. Their support compensates me for the considerable time and energy I pour into the site. And of course, thank you to all of my readers and subscribers!

I thought it would be fun to look back at some of my favorite posts and articles over the years. Some of them are contributed and some I wrote. So join me on a trip down memory lane and read on!

Man swallowed by a Sinkhole in Shenzhen city, China

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:08:34 +0100

A frightening moment was captured on video when a security guard in Shenzhen city, China was swallowed by a sinkhole. The video indicated that residents complained of vibrations or tremors from a nearby construction site prior to the accident. The victim was rescued from the sinkhole, but later died from his injuries. The video footage from security cameras is available at the Geoengineer.org website. [Source: Geoengineer.org. Image: CBS via Geoengineer.org]

Drills break through into busy London rail tunnel

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:07:46 +0100

Steel augers reportedly from a piling operation at the ground surface broke through a railway tunnel in East London. Fortunately the train drivers noticed and reported the damage before any serious accident occurred. The busy First Capital Connect route was shut down for several days for an investigation and repairs. [Source: BBC News via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: BBC]

Video: CA Devil’s Slide Bypass Tunnels Finally Open

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:37:56 +0100

California motorists can now avoid a dangerous and landslide-prone stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, Devil’s Slide, through the tunnel bypass. This project has been a fascination of mine since the early days of GeoPrac. It’s fun to see it finally complete!

Study: Port of Alaska Sheet Piles Have Design Flaws

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 06:24:58 +0100

A study by CH2M Hill commissioned by the Municipality of Anchorage found that the partially constructed open-cell sheet pile system is "not adequately designed to meet global stability and seismic displacements based on the design criteria." The results of the $2.2M study by CH2M Hill are documented in two reports and the findings were presented to a March 8 Anchorage Assembly meeting. The Municipality will now hire a third party to review the reports and CH2M Hill's recommendations for how to complete the project. The new design could cost up to $600M to construct. The Municipality took the project over in 2011 from the U.S. Maritime Administration after damage to some sheet piling was encountered. [Source: Alaska Journal of Commerce via ASCE SmartBrief. Image: Andrew Jensen/AJOC]

Calibration of Resistance Factors for Drilled Shafts for the New FHWA Design Method

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:16:21 +0100

The Louisiana Transportation Research Center has released a report that presents the reliability-based analyses for the calibration of the resistance factor for load and resistance factor design of axially loaded drilled shafts. Here is the abstract:

The Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) calibration of deep foundation in Louisiana was first completed for driven piles (LTRC Final Report 449) in May 2009 and then for drilled shafts using 1999 FHWA design method (Oâ€™Neill and Reese method) (LTRC Final Report 470) in September 2010. As a continuing effort to implement the LRFD design methodology for deep foundations in Louisiana, this report will present the reliability-based analyses for the calibration of the resistance factor for LRFD design of axially loaded drilled shafts using Brown et al. method (2010 FHWA design method). Twenty-six drilled shaft tests collected from previous research (LTRC Final Report 449) and eight new drilled shaft tests were selected for statistical reliability analysis; the predictions of total, side, and tip resistance versus settlement behavior of drilled shafts were established from soil borings using both 1999 FHWA design method (Brown et al. method) and 2010 FHWA design method (Oâ€™Neill and Reese method). The measured drilled shaft axial nominal resistance was determined from either the Osterberg cell (O-cell) test or the conventional top-down static load test. For the 30 drilled shafts that were tested using O-cells, the tip and side resistances were deduced separately from test results. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the predicted total, tip, and side drilled shaft nominal axial resistance with the corresponding measured nominal resistance. Results of this showed that the 2010 FHWA design method overestimates the total drilled shaft resistance by an average of two percent, while the 1999 FHWA design method underestimates the total drilled shaft resistance by an average of 21 percent. The Monte Carlo simulation method was selected to perform the LRFD calibration of resistance factors of drilled shaft under strength I limit state. The total resistance factors obtained at different reliability index (Beta) were determined and compared with those available in literature. Results of reliability analysis, corresponding to a target reliability index (Beta) of 3.0, reveals resistance factors for side (Phi-side), tip (Phi-tip), and total resistance factor (Phi-total) are 0.26, 0.53, and 0.48, respectively for the 2010 FHWA design method and 0.39, 0.52, and 0.60, respectively for the 1999 FHWA design method. The side and total resistance factors calibrated using the 2010 FHWA design method are less than those calibrated using the 1999 FHWA design method.

[Source: TRB Geotechnology. Image: ScienceDirect.com]