New Manual on Subsurface Investigations

February 15, 2019 rockman Available Resources, News Comments Off on New Manual on Subsurface Investigations
NCHRP Manual on Subsurface Investigations

The NCHRP has released a new Subsurface Investigation Manual to update the 1988 AASHTO Manual of the same name. Imagine trying to capture every change in technology, methods, and approaches to geotechnical investigations from the past 30 years. After a very cursory review, it appears that the authors of the new manual have done just that! This is sure to be a must-have resource for every geotechnical engineer, whether they practice on the transportation side of the business or not. I’ll be looking forward to having a deeper dive into the changes to the manual. If you notice anything important, don’t be afraid to leave a comment here! You can download the NCHRP Manual on Subsurface Investigations from the Transportation Research Board (TRB).

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AASHTO Faces of Transportation 2012 Grand Price Winner - Caldecott Fourth Bore Tunnel Breakthrough by Metropolitan Transportation Commission Photographer Karl Nielsen
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Top Picks in AASHTO Photo Contest Have Geo-engineering Subjects

November 30, 2012 rockman Miscellaneous Comments Off on Top Picks in AASHTO Photo Contest Have Geo-engineering Subjects

Every year, the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has a photo contest called Faces of Transportation. This year’s top winners had a strong geo-engineering theme. A photo of the Caldecott Fourth Bore […]

American Society of Testing Materials Logo - ASTM
Standards and Codes

ASTM Updates August 2009

September 2, 2009 rockman Standards and Codes Comments Off on ASTM Updates August 2009

American Society of Testing Materials Logo - ASTMAnother busy month for ASTM with 66 new, revised or otherwise updated standards related to geotechnical and geological engineering (although not as busy as last month). A couple that caught my eye include brand new standards for geospatial data requirements related to abandoned mines, a new standard for sampling of EPS or geofoam, updated standards for mortar and cement, flexural strength of concrete, LA Abrasion test for aggregates, acceptance testing of geosynthetic clay liners, electrical methods for leak detection of geomembranes with earth cover and classification of soils and soil-aggregate mixtures for highway construction purpose (AASHTO classification).

Those involved in the materials testing side of the business should take a close look at the full list as there are also a number of updated standards relating to various asphalt and and aggregate tests, capping of concrete cyllinders and other related testing standards.

For my practice, perhaps the most significant standard that was updated was D 2488 – Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure) which we rely on for our field USCS classifications. I’ll be curious to see what those changes entail. Click through for the full list.

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Geofoam blocks in a slope stability application
Available Resources

Guidelines for Geofoam Applications in Slope Stability Projects

April 16, 2013 rockman Available Resources Comments Off on Guidelines for Geofoam Applications in Slope Stability Projects

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 […]