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)
Geologic Hazards
Hutchinson, Kansas Sinkhole – Site of Former Salt Mine
The new owner of land that used to be owned and mined by the Carey Salt Company is in talks to buy out 32 homes in the area because of subsidence and sinkholes. They have […]
Press Releases
Kansas City Company Uses US Product, TerraThane, to Keep Natural Gas Flowing in Nation’s Ninth Largest Gas Reserve
FORT LUPTON, CO—An unfortunate inlet line break at one of Anadarko Petroleum’s hydraulic fracturing stations in Weld County, Colorado just north of Denver, allowed injection fluid to wash out the end of the pumping station and get beneath the concrete slab foundation causing erosion. The voids created beneath the slabs were from three inches to five inches and left the slab floor uneven. The general contractor for the station, Open Range Services, initially thought to use the legacy method of mudjacking, or pressure grouting: pouring a thick grout of mixed concrete and other aggregates into the void, or backfill, but the “mud” is heavy which can affect the surrounding soil, time consuming, and difficult to apply and clean, and backfilling would have required the costly process of ripping out the slab and replacing it. Instead, they contacted Pro Foundation Technology, based in Kansas City, MO, to learn more about a contemporary technology called “foamjacking” or “polyjacking,” which uses lighter weightgeotechnical polyurethane foam instead of grout.
[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release from GeoPrac.net sponsor, NCFI Polyurethanes! [/Editor]
Miscellaneous
Happy Earth Science Week – Oct 11-17
This week is Earth Science Week sponsored by the American Geological Institute. The theme for this year according to EarthScienceWeek.org is “Understanding Climate”. Their objectives are: To engage students in discovering the Earth sciences. To […]