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.

Erosion control wattles on palletes from Earth-Savers.com
Available Resources

BMPs for Geotechnical Drilling and Well Drilling

December 29, 2008 rockman Comments Off on BMPs for Geotechnical Drilling and Well Drilling

Stormwater Pollution Prevention regulations require the use of best management practices (BMPs) for any project involving site disturbance of over an acre. Usually for geotechnical drilling and well drilling, the sites are much smaller, so […]

American Society of Testing Materials Logo - ASTM
Standards and Codes

ASTM Standards December Update

December 29, 2008 rockman Comments Off on ASTM Standards December Update

American Society of Testing Materials Logo - ASTMThis month there are a number of changes to standards relating to masonry units, bricks, dimension stone, etc. There are also some changes to a few standards related to asphalt paving, and groundwater testing. ASTM D6453 – Standard Guide for Format of Computerized Exchange of Soil and Rock Test Data was withdrawn. Read on for the full list.

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Installation of Geokon vibrating wire crackmeter in Roman Galleries beneath Lisbon, Portugal
Geoarchaeology

Crack Monitoring in Ancient Roman Galleries

December 26, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Crack Monitoring in Ancient Roman Galleries

I came across an interesting case study involving the installation of several vibrating wire crack monitors and data collection equipment at the 1st century B.C. to 1st century A.D., Roman built galleries beneath Lisbon, Portugal. […]

SR 87 Landslide Between Payson and Phoenix, March 2008
Geologic Hazards

SR 87 Landslide Coverage and Update

December 26, 2008 rockman Comments Off on SR 87 Landslide Coverage and Update

SR 87 Landslide Between Payson and Phoenix, March 2008Back in March of 2008 there was a landslide that closed SR 87 in between Phoenix, Arizona and Payson. It’s been of great interest to me since it is in my state and affected a highway. I was hoping my firm (NCS Consultants, LLC) might be asked to work on the remediation through our on-call contract but it didn’t happen. Its probably for the best, it sounds like it’s been a troublesome geotechnical engineering problem. Fast forward to last week, and the slide area was in the news again because the slope is still moving and apparently causing some additional deformation of the roadway. (Photo by ADOT)

I had heard about this a while ago through our ADOT contacts, but I make it a policy not to take advantage of my contacts through my day job for GeoPrac.net content (not without permission anyway). So I didn’t want to blog about it until it hit the mainstream media. Last week, the Arizona State Geologist blogged about the SR 87 slide moving again, as did Ken through his AEG Arizona Section blog. It was even covered on one of my favorite blogs, Dave’s Landslide Blog. I finally have a chance to wade through these blog posts and some of the reports and videos to present a summary of the situation, available information and offer my own perspective. (More after the break)

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Landslide hits ambulance - from LiveLeak.com
Geologic Hazards

Landslide Videos from Brazil

December 10, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Landslide Videos from Brazil

Landslide hits ambulance - from LiveLeak.comDr. Dave has posted links to a few scary landslide videos from the recent heavy rains affecting the Santa Catarina province of Brazil. This latest one shows an ambulance being swept off a road by a “small” landslide. The ease with which the vehicle is moved is quite impressive. It didn’t appear that anyone was injured in this particular landslide but I’m sure there might have been some underwear changing involved. Elsewhere in the region people have not been so lucky and there is a heavy death toll. Click through for two videos.

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Dataforensics, Inc. Logo
Press Releases

Dataforensics and Vertek Announce a Software Collaboration Program for CPT Data Analysis

December 3, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Dataforensics and Vertek Announce a Software Collaboration Program for CPT Data Analysis

Dataforensics, Inc. Logo
Vertek Logo

Norcross, Georgia, December 1, 2008 – Dataforensics, maker of geotechnical field data collection and analysis software, and Vertek, the manufacturing division of Applied Research Associates, Inc., known for the Vertek and Hogentogler brands of Cone Penetration Testing equipment, are pleased to announce a collaborative software initiative for CPT geotechnical reports.

[Editor] Read on for the rest of the press release. [/Editor] […]

American Society of Testing Materials Logo - ASTM
Standards and Codes

ASTM Standards November Update

November 26, 2008 rockman Comments Off on ASTM Standards November Update

American Society of Testing Materials Logo - ASTMNovember was a big month for updates to ASTM Standards…84 updates to be more specific. Several that caught my attention were D4546 One-Dimensional Swell or Settlement Potential, D7383 – Standard Test Methods for Axial Compressive Force Pulse (Rapid) Testing of Deep Foundations (a new standard), several standards that might affect shotcrete design and a large number of water testing standards. Read on for the list.

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Sinkhole in Karst Topography being used as a drainage structure
Journal Article Reviews

Mitigation of Karst and Sinkholes for New Hospital Structure

November 24, 2008 rockman Comments Off on Mitigation of Karst and Sinkholes for New Hospital Structure

Sinkhole in Karst Topography being used as a drainage structureThe site for the new Harrison County Hospital, approximately 25-miles west of Louisville, Kentucky had 15 sinkholes formed by limestone dissolution, a geomorphologic process referred to as Karst topography.  There were a number of geotechnical engineering and geological engineering challenges associated with the characterization, excavation, backfilling, foundation engineering and other mitigation measures as described by Peggy Hagerty Duffy, P.E. in her article entitled “Karst and Complications” in the August 2008 issue of Civil Engineering Magazine (Duffy, 2008b).

Mitigation measures for the sinkholes included use of graded filters with geotextiles, careful inspection of rock socket foundations along with pilot holes and careful geotechnical inspection throughout the construction process. One particularly interesting aspect of the project is that several of the sinkholes were used as drainage facilities to receive surface water runoff. Read on for a summary of this interesting article. (Photo of sinkhole in Karst Topography being used as a drainage feature, from Duffy (2008b), Civil Engineering Magazine)

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