I’ve never thought too much about this, I guess I’m still waiting for my first geotechnical assignment in Hawaii! But if you bring soil samples into the continental USA, they must go through a heat treatment at their port of entry. In the latest GeoComp Corporation newsletter, Gary Torosian from GeoTesting Express, GeoComp’s lab testing arm, describes how their firm’s certification with the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows them to accept soil samples without the required heat treatment. They can receive, and test the samples and then upon completion of the testing, they heat treat the soil, sample containers and any effluent generated from the testing process to safely dispose of any potentially harmful organisms. Something to keep in mind for those cushy projects in Hawaii or the US Virgin Islands or something. (Photo by Eric K. Veland on Flickr)
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[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release from GeoPrac sponsor, NCFI Polyurethanes (makers of TerraThane). [/Editor]
Shoring retaining wall failure in Virginia prompts apartment building evacuation
On Sunday evening, a soldier pile lagging wall shoring system failed at the Sedona & Slate residential development construction site in Rosslyn, Virginia (Arlington County). There were no reported injuries, but an adjacent apartment building was evacuated as a precaution and a nearby street is closed to traffic. Click through for a video that shows some additional views of the damage. The scale of the wall is apparent when you see the shots with workers putting braces near the bottom of the wall. I’m guessing the rakers shown in this image were added monday to attempt to stabilize the wall, but that’s just speculation at this point. Image: MyFoxDC.com