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.

Project Related

Hanging Lake Tunnel (Colorado) repair nearly complete

October 17, 2007 rockman Comments Off on Hanging Lake Tunnel (Colorado) repair nearly complete

A stretch of tunnel on Eastbound I-70 in scenic Glenwood Canyon Colorado was closed last March because of a 70-foot long crack in the ceiling. Since then the two-lane westbound bore has been handling both eastbound and westbound traffic while repairs to the damaged segment were undertaken. This project has a little of everything: heavy excavation, rockfall, slab reinforcing, geofoam, and even geogrid! Read on for more details, a map and photos. (Photo by Concrete Works Of Colorado)

[…]

Geoarchaeology

Columbus Era Aztec Emperor’s Tomb Found with GPR

October 17, 2007 rockman Comments Off on Columbus Era Aztec Emperor’s Tomb Found with GPR

Archaeologists beleive that they may have found the tomb of Aztec emperor Ahuizotl (ah-WEE-zoh-tuhl). Using ground-penetrating radar, they have detected underground chambers that could contain the remains of Ahuizotl, who ruled the Aztecs when Columbus landed in the New World.

This find would not have been possible were it not for strong earthquake in 1985 that severely damaged a Colonial Spanish building. Buildings of this type were built a top the Aztec ruins and are considered too valuable to remove for excavations. Apparently, before this find, no Aztec emperor’s tomb had ever been found at this location despite writings describing an Aztec ceremonial center because Spanish conquerors constructed over the site. Read on for the full story link. (Photo by Grabthar)

[…]

Available Resources

Technological Advances in Geotechnical Engineering

October 8, 2007 rockman Comments Off on Technological Advances in Geotechnical Engineering

According to James Miller of GeoEngineers, Inc., the most significant recent technological advances in geotechnical engineering are LiDAR, GIS-based data management, and advanced analysis of soil-structure interaction. Read his article at DJC.com. Thanks to iCivilEngineer […]

Project Related

Geotechnical Engineering of the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge

October 8, 2007 rockman Comments Off on Geotechnical Engineering of the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge

When you hear about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, most people may think of the old Galloping Gertie footage (just for fun, I’ll add some video after the break). Of course the original bridge collapsed in 1940 shortly after opening. A new bridge was completed in 1950, and a second bridge was just opened to traffic on July 15, 2007. Gerard Buechel, the president of Shannon Wilson, examines the geotechnical challenges of constructing this massive bridge in an article post on DJC.com. Imagine constructing a 20-story reinforced concrete building, now imagine constructing it entirely under water! Read on for the link to the article and Galloping Gertie video. (Photo  by frarytd)

[…]

General

Geologists Recover Pieces of San Andreas Fault from 2 Miles Deep

October 7, 2007 rockman Comments Off on Geologists Recover Pieces of San Andreas Fault from 2 Miles Deep

As a follow up to a previous post, the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) team has announced that they have successfully completed their drilling and obtained cores of the San Andreas Fault at depths in excess of 2 miles below the surface.  The zone of interest is approximately 135-ft in length. The core size is 4-in diameter. They have cemented in a 7-in casing and the next phase of the project will be to perforate the casing within the fault and install monitoring equipment consisting of seismometers, accelerometers, tiltmeters and a fluid pressure transducer. Read on for more info and links. (Image credit: EarthScope / NSF)

[…]

No Picture
Press Releases

CNN Highlights Dams in Danger

October 7, 2007 rockman Comments Off on CNN Highlights Dams in Danger

How to Find the One in Your Backyard

Washington, D.C. [Editor] Thursday, October 4, 2007 by American Rivers (Contact info at bottom of press release) [/Editor] — More than ten thousand dams across America could become killers if they fail and 1,333 of those dams are considered structurally deficient. Today, on CNN’s American Morning, an alarming story by Sean Callebs showed the dire state of our nation’s dams. In one instance in Ohio, hundreds of people live right on top of a dam that has been deemed structurally deficient by engineers.

[…]

Geologic Hazards

Soledad Mountain Road Landslide Update

October 7, 2007 rockman Comments Off on Soledad Mountain Road Landslide Update

Residents of approximately 75 of the 111 homes evacuated after the slide have been allowed back into their homes.  The City of San Diego is not wasting any time in determining the cause of the slide. The first of three 100-ft deep exploration shafts was excavated on Friday, and a Forensic Geologist from a firm hired by the City was sent down the hole to observe geology conditions and to locate the actual slip surface. Also, claims of leaking City water and/or sewer pipes prior to the failure have begun to surface. More details in the full post. (Photo by NELVIN CEPEDA / San Diego Union-Tribune)

[…]

Geologic Hazards

Landslide Occurs in Residential La Jolla California

October 4, 2007 rockman Comments Off on Landslide Occurs in Residential La Jolla California

A landslide occured about 9am PT yesterday in a residential neighborhood of La Jolla, just north of San Diego. No injuries have been reported, but estimates are that 2,500 people are without either power or gas because of toppled power lines and ruptured gas lines. The Soledad Mountain Road is currently impassable. I’ll update this post as more information becomes available. In the mean time, check out some video and a  location map after the break.

[…]