rockman

Drilled Shaft Industry Notes

July 15, 2007 rockman Comments Off

In the May 2007 edition of Foundation Drilling Magazine, a publication of the Association of Drilled Shaft Contractors (ADSC), Silas Nichols, PE of the Federal Highway Administraton provided a summary of the FHWA’s role in providing guidance on drilled shaft design and construction over the years through research funding, publications and involvement in AASHTO and other agencies. Also in the article is an overview of upcoming updates to AASHTO codes, and FHWA publications. Read on for more details.

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Jefferson Memorial’s Signs of Sinking Raise Fresh Alarms

July 15, 2007 rockman Comments Off

The National Park Service is carefully monitoring a settlement problem at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. The geotechnical problem area is a seawall that borders the Memorial’s plaza that seems to be settling away from the plaza. Read on for more info. [Photo by esev]

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Decommissioning of Dounreay, UK nuclear waste dump

July 15, 2007 rockman Comments Off

From ContractJournal.com: Dounreay is the most northerly and remote of the UK’s nuclear sites. It is located on the coast above the stormy North Atlantic Ocean, looking directly at the North Pole. Temperatures are low […]

Faces of Earth – The geology of the Earth in HD

July 15, 2007 rockman Comments Off

Faces of Earth is a 4-hour high-definition television series about the ever-changing planet we live on. The only thing constant on Earth is change and Faces of Earth examines this phenomenon through the eyes of […]

Researchers examine carbon capture and storage to combat global warming

July 15, 2007 rockman Comments Off

While solar power and hybrid cars have become popular symbols of green technology, Stanford researchers are exploring another path for cutting emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas that causes global warming.

Carbon capture and storage, also called carbon sequestration, traps carbon dioxide after it is produced and injects it underground. The gas never enters the atmosphere. The practice could transform heavy carbon spewers, such as coal power plants, into relatively clean machines with regard to global warming. [Image Credit: Statoil]

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ASTM Updates June 9 through July 9

July 11, 2007 rockman Comments Off

Here are some revised ASTM standards and work items that pertain to geotechnical engineering, pavement, construction QC/QA, and laboratory testing etc. Of special interest to some of you might be the revised standard for moisture and density testing using a nuclear density gauge or nuke gauge, ASTM D6938. There are a bunch of others as well.

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Arizona Earth Fissure Planning Maps

July 11, 2007 rockman Comments Off

According to Lee Allison’s Blog (Lee is the head of the Arizona Geological Survey and the Arizona State Geologist), the AZGS has released earth fissure maps of 4 Arizona Counties suitable for planning purposes. Read on for more details.

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Rebuilt New Orleans couldn’t handle a Katrina

July 10, 2007 rockman Comments Off

The Washington Post by way of the Seattle Times has an interesting article on the reconstructed levee system post-Katrina. The city of New Orleans is safer than it was before, but it still could not […]

New Publications in Geosynthetics

June 26, 2007 rockman 1

GeoSynthetica.net has a nice index of technical articles related to geosynthetics. Most recently, they have linked to some articles by Dr. John S. Horvath at Manhattan College on the topics of geosynthetics for ground improvement, geofoam, and cellular geosynthetics. Also included in this list is a Spencer J. Buchanan Lecture by Robert D. Holtz on Geosynthetics for Soil Reinforcement. Read on for links to these PDF articles.
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Geologic Hazards

Home Owners Insurance Doesn’t Cover Geologic Hazards

June 26, 2007 rockman Comments Off

Anyone who owns a house or is looking to buy one should be aware that nearly all home owner’s insurance policies will not cover them in the event their home is damaged by common geologic processes including floods, landslides, earthquakes, subsidence, and expansive or swelling soils. (Image by Geology.com)

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