Conferences

Video: 2014 GeoWall Competition

GeoWall is a competition for geotechnical engineering students where they build model mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls (MSE walls). The walls are then tested with a series of design loads and their score is a […]

GeoPrac.net celebrates another anniversary!
Rockman's Ramblings

GeoPrac.net Celebrates 7th Anniversary!

GeoPrac.net celebrates another anniversary!7 years ago today, I wrote my first post for GeoPrac.net! It’s hard to believe I’ve been doing this for that long. I am grateful for all of the visitors, twitter followers, supporters, and of course sponsors that have made it possible for me to share high-quality news and articles for geoprofessionals. I look forward to another great 7 years.

Last year I highlighted a few of my favorite articles and blog posts. This year, I thought I would just go by the numbers to see what the most popular articles and posts have been over the years. Check it out.

Most Popular GeoPrac.net Content

Click through for the list!

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Seneca Rocks Visitor's Center was experiencing geotechnical foundation problems
Press Releases

“Foamjacking” Solution for Seneca Rocks USFS Visitor’s Center

Seneca Rocks Visitor's Center was experiencing geotechnical foundation problemsU.S. Forestry Service Saves Thousands with Use of TerraThane Geotechnical Foam by NCFI Polyurethanes at Seneca Rocks Discovery Center

MOUNT AIRY, NC— Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, the visitor’s center for the eastern U.S.’s most popular rock-climbing destination located in Pendleton County, WV, had a growing problem common to concrete slab foundations: erosion of the soil beneath the slabs created voids that left areas of the center with uneven spots and settled anywhere from one-to three inches. That led to cracks in interior walls, uneven floors, and trip hazards for the thousands of visitors to the area’s most popular scenic attraction. Seneca Rocks is a striking 900 ft peak that features over 375 mapped climbing routes varying in degree of difficulty from easier 5.0 to the hardest 5.13, and attracts climbers from around the world.

[Editor] Click through to find out how geotechnical foam manufactured by GeoPrac.net’s sponsor, NCFI Polyurethanes, was used to repair this important structure! [/Editor]

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Project Related

Feb. 7 Bertha update: Two factors contributed to tunnel stoppage

WSDOT released an update on February 7 with some conclusions regarding the blockage that has stopped the Alaska Way Viaduct Tunnel Boring Machine, Bertha’s progress since December 6. Now they don’t think it was necessarily the well casing after all.

They cite two factors that contributed to the blockage. First, the cutterhead was clogged with material. You can see an cool short video of a worker unclogging the cutterhead. Not terribly dramatic, but still cool. The second factor was increased temperatures inside the equipment. STP discovered damage to a seal that protects the machine’s main bearing. They are still determining how the repairs will be done.

If you want to follow the chronology of this issue, read below for summaries and links to previous updates from WSDOT. And Check out the videos too! [Source: WSDOT]

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No Picture
Weekend CUP

Weekend CUP for February 3, 2014

It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of my catch-up-posts or CUPs. The pipes were getting a bit clogged, so here are some articles that folks might find interesting. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to blog about them in more detail.

Read on for the rest of this list!

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A giant boulder smashes through a barn of an Italian farmhouse
Geologic Hazards

Giant Boulder Smashes Through Italian Farm

A giant boulder smashes through a barn of an Italian farmhouse

An Italian farmer and his family had an unbelievably close call with some house-sized boulders. You have to see the pictures to believe it. The boulders were dislodged during a landslide on January 21 in Northern Italy. One of the boulders smashed through the barn and courtyard of the farm and cut a swath through their vineyard before stopping near a boulder from some previous rockfall / landslide event. That older boulder is even bigger, about the same size as the entire farmhouse and big enough to be seen on Google Earth! See below or download the KMZ file.

More Photos

[Editor] See more after the break. [/Editor]

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