News

News, announcements, policy updates, spotlighted websites, software updates and other info that may be of interest to practicing geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, geophysicists, hydrogeologists and related professions.

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Press Releases

Moore New CEO of ADSC After Litke Retires

August 11, 2009 rockman Comments Off on Moore New CEO of ADSC After Litke Retires

Michael D. Moore will be the new CEO of the International Association of Drilled Shaft Contractors or ADSC as S. Scot Litke “retires” as Executive Director. More info from Dan Brown and Associates or directly […]

gINT Software, Inc.
Press Releases

GEO5 Geotechnical Software Now in Pay-Per-Use Modules on Cetrus.com

August 7, 2009 rockman Comments Off on GEO5 Geotechnical Software Now in Pay-Per-Use Modules on Cetrus.com

gINT Software, Inc.

On-Demand Geotechnical Analysis Applications Quickly Solve Problems, Control Costs

Cetrus is now offering an on-demand, metered-usage version of the popular GEO5 geotechnical analysis software suite by FINE Software to users in North America.  Cetrus (www.cetrus.com) specializes in hosting licensing for on-demand versions of myriad software applications. Global access to the service is available via the Internet, and the software runs locally on an individual’s computer. [Editor] Read on for the rest of the press release. [/Editor]

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Water infrastructure tunnel - Copyright Black and Veatch
Press Releases

Black & Veatch to design Chicago’s McCook Reservoir tunnel connection for USACE

August 6, 2009 rockman Comments Off on Black & Veatch to design Chicago’s McCook Reservoir tunnel connection for USACE

Water infrastructure tunnel - Copyright Black and Veatch

Kansas City, Mo. (Aug. 5, 2009) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has selected Black & Veatch as the design engineer for the McCook Reservoir Main Tunnel. The new tunnel will connect the future McCook Reservoir to Chicago’s Deep Tunnel system, which is aimed at improving water quality in area rivers and Lake Michigan and reducing flood risk for the city of Chicago and suburban communities. [Editor] Read on for the rest of the press release. Photo copyright Black and Veatch[/Editor] […]

Cannon Place office building in London
Project Related

Innovative Foundation System for London Office Building

August 3, 2009 rockman Comments Off on Innovative Foundation System for London Office Building

Cannon Place office building in London This has to be one of the most complex geotechnical engineering problems I’ve heard of for a building, if not for any kind of project. For starters, beneath the proposed 10-story office building referred to as Cannon Place lies the Cannon Street Train Station built in 1868. Also beneath the site are walls and foundations of a Roman Governor’s palace. In order to accommodate these features, the building has 21-m cantilevers at each end, with the load bearing happening over two groupings of columns at the 1/3 points. In section it looks quite like a 3-span bridge…without the abutments and stacked 10-stories tall! More after the break. (Images by New Civil Engineer) […]

Geotubes to protect Grand Isle Louisiana
Project Related

Video: Sand Filled Geotextile Tubes To Protect Grand Isle Louisiana

July 31, 2009 rockman Comments Off on Video: Sand Filled Geotextile Tubes To Protect Grand Isle Louisiana

Geotubes to protect Grand Isle Louisiana In this ENR.com video, a US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project to protect Grand Isle Louisiana from the erosional effects of a large storm surge is described. 5.7 miles of sand filled geotextile tubes or geotubes 30-ft in diameter are used to form the core of a dune along with a geotextile erosion apron held in place by anchor tubes. The design is aimed to prevent devastating erosion in the event that a large storm surge overtops the protective dunes. The sand is screened on site and mixed with water to form a slurry that is pumped into the tube. Once the tubes are in place, additional sand will be placed over the top and the dune revegetated. If the topping sand is eroded away, the Corps hopes the fix will be easier to perform with the tubes. Click through for the video.

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Geologic Hazards

Landslides in China – Sichuan and Guangxi

July 30, 2009 rockman Comments Off on Landslides in China – Sichuan and Guangxi

In Sichuan Province, China, they were still in the recovery process from the devastating 2008 earthquake when a series of landslides, rockfall, mudslides and flooding has hit the region. Dave’s Landslide Blog has excellent coverage as usual on the slide pictured here, which blocked a major road, hindering rescue efforts. (Photo Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)

A remarkable video of the aftermath of a bridge destroyed by one of these rockfall / landslide events is shown below. The destruction is pretty profound. (Via Geology.com)

Also on Dave’s blog, a landslide in Guangxi caused a train to derail, killing 4 people and injuring 50. My heart truly goes out to the people of those portions of China, particularly in Sichuan as they have been through so much.

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