A car damaged after a retaining wall failure in Baltimore
Failures

Baltimore landslide: Is it covered?

This is a different perspective on landslides than what I usually blog about on GeoPrac. This banking and insurance website blog post discusses what should and shouldn’t be covered on a car owner’s insurance policy. […]

No Picture
Weekend CUP

Weekend CUP for May 19, 2014

It was time to clear the queue a bit and get rid of some old links I didn’t get around to posting about. I hope you enjoy. 1001 Papers on Geotechnical Case Histories Made Available […]

Geologic Hazards

Magnitude 9.2: The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake

It’s been 50 years since the Magnitude 9.2 Great Alaskan Earthquake so dramatically altered people’s perceptions of the power of earthquakes. Check out this short video from the USGS: [Source: YouTube via AEG Insider. Image: […]

GeotechTools.org
Articles

Review of GeotechTools.org – Geo-Construction Information and Technology Selection Guidance

GeotechTools.orgI first heard about Geotech Tools through a TRB Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) publication titled Geotechnical Solutions for Soil Improvement, Rapid Embankment Construction, and Stabilization of the Pavement Working Platform. The final version of the report was released in February of this year. The report is one of the project deliverables for the SHRP 2 Project R02.

The primary deliverable of the project and the subject of this review is Geotechtools.org, a web-based tool for geotechnical engineers, structural engineers and pavement engineers. This website is a “toolkit of geotechnical information to address all phases of decision making from planning to design to construction.” What does that mean exactly? Great question. In this article I will give you an overview of the site and its resources and how it might help you on your next project.

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ASTM No. 57 Stone
Articles

The Curious Case of No. 57 Stone

ASTM No. 57 StoneThe American Society for Testing and Materials, or ASTM, No. 57 stone is often used as sub base fill material below road surfaces and buildings. It is a fragmented stone with angular edges and is regularly utilized as a drainage layer when used with geotextile fabric. Although the material is touted by many as "self-compacting," excess voids left from zero compactive effort in locations with little confinement may not eliminate the possibility of future settlement. What happens when the environment above the No. 57 stone causes it to settle?

[Editor] Read on for the answer to this interesting question in the case of settlement of a structure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The contributed article by Katherine Witt describes how URETEK Mid-Atlantic used their high-density polyurethane resin to stabilize the No. 57 stone beneath a settled foundation as well as lift the surrounding slab back into place. [/Editor]

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