On June 2, 2014, the Delaware Department of Transportation closed a bridge on I–495 that was leaning and out of plumb.

How Could a Pile of Dirt Cause a Major Interstate Bridge To Tilt?

October 20, 2015 Dennis M. O'Shea Comments Off

[Editor] The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) had a major problem on their hands after a bridge on I-495 was leaning…one side of the bridge was 18 inches higher than the other. The culprit? A pile of fill adjacent to the bridge was loading soft soils beneath. So what do you do about it? In this contributed article by Dennis M. O’Shea, bridge engineer in the FHWA Delaware Division Office, he describes the problems faced by DelDOT, the causes, and how they fixed it. The article originally appeared in Public Roads Magazine, and is republished here with permission. [/Editor]

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Historic Brewery Restored With Help of Geopolymer

July 13, 2015 Ty Taylor Comments Off

Turning a 119 year old brewhouse into a four-star boutique hotel is no easy task. For the project to be a success, the structure had to literally be raised from it’s grave.

Pearl Brewery operated from 1883 until 2001 in their downtown San Antonio, Texas location. It was once the largest brewery in Texas, and even kept afloat during the Prohibition era. Today the 22- acre Pearl site grounds has become a culinary gathering place where you can eat, live, learn, and play on the banks of the San Antonio River.

Renovating the original building would be no easy task for the developer. The building had settled approximately 5 inches. URETEK ICR successfully used their patented URETEK Method® to lift and stabilize the foundation with geopolymer.

[Editor] Read on for the rest of the contributed article from Ty Taylor of GeoPrac.net sponsor, URETEK ICR [/Editor]

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Maine Bridge Uses First GRS Wall in a Marine Environment

June 5, 2015 Lindsey Manthei O'Connor Comments Off

The City of North Haven is located on an island off the coast of Maine. This town was faced with a unique challenge when a bridge needed replacing. Looking for an economical option, designers decided on a Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil – Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS). This solution allowed the town and DOT to re-use an existing bridge pier, beat the construction deadlines, and provide a modern bridge solution for this small town.

[Editor] Read on for more on this fascinating project in a contributed article by Lindsey Manthei O’Connor of Redi-Rock! [/Editor]

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Pond Embankment Stabilization with Geopolymer Injection

December 10, 2014 Ty Taylor Comments Off

Geopolymer injection to sto seepage [Editor] An effluent pond in southeast Texas was suffering from years of erosion. Recently, an escalation of subsurface water seepage through the pond’s embankment threatened the community’s main water source. URETEK used their versatile geopolymer product to inject beneath the embankment to seal off the seepage. The project was a huge success! Read on for this contributed article from GeoPrac sponsor URETEK ICR. [/Editor]

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Getting Under Your Feet – The Revolutionary Technology of Geogrids

December 5, 2014 Tensar International Comments Off

Tensar's Triax Geogrid Most people reading this will have driven along a highway recently. But did you ever stop to think about how it stays up? With all the trucks and cars that speed along the average highway every day, it’s a wonder they don’t collapse!

Now how would you feel if you heard that the reason these highways and bridges and embankments manage to stay so stable is all thanks to the simple triangle?

[Editor] Read on for this contributed article from Tensar International! [/Editor]

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The Case for BIM in Geotechnical Data

November 18, 2014 Gary Morin Comments Off

Getting the Message Across

Applying Building Information Modelling principles to geotechnical data will reinforce the message that geotechnics is an integral part of every phase of a project – not just site investigation, argues Gary Morin, Technical Director, Keynetix.

[Editor] In this contributed article, Gary describes the justification for using BIM for geotechnical data. Among those benefits are the ability to perform detailed alternatives analysis and optioneering, reduction of risk during construction, and the ability to perform cost-effective repairs and maintenance during the lifetime of the geotechnical asset. Click through to read the full article. Keynetix is a sponsor of GeoPrac.net. [/Editor]

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

May 14, 2014 rockman Comments Off

I 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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The Curious Case of No. 57 Stone

May 12, 2014 Katherine Witt Comments Off

ASTM No. 57 Stone The 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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Bertha – The World’s Largest Tunnel Boring Machine

November 27, 2013 rockman 1

Perhaps you’ve heard of Bertha, the World’s Largest Tunnel Boring Machine or TBM? She’s currently working her way underneath Downtown Seattle, excavating the Alaska Way Bored Tunnel to replace the aging Alaska Way Viaduct. This $2 Billion megaproject is an incredible feat of engineering on so many levels. I was in Seattle in September for the Association of Engineering Geologists annual meeting, and was fortunate enough to attend a field trip to see the launch pit and Bertha before she began her tunnel drive. It was an unforgettable experience for this engineer! In this article I give an overview of the project and Bertha herself, discuss some of the geotechnical features, and share my photos and video. Check it out!

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One-pass trencher installs slurry wall through hard soils

July 2, 2013 Lis Smith Comments Off

[Editor] The DeWind One-Pass Trenching company specializes in installing groundwater control or remedial systems underground, under the water table in a single pass. They have been in business for over 25 years and design, build, and operate these specialized one-of-a-kind machines.

In this contributed article by Lis Smith of DeWind, she describes a project to construct a soil/bentonite slurry wall around the perimeter of a site which was once a pre-World War II munitions factory. The groundwater contamination, difficult ground conditions and special project requirements were a perfect application of the DeWind One-Pass Trenching technology. Read on for more about this interesting project and technology. [/Editor]

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