Lessons Learned in Geotechnical Engineering
Williamsburg, Virginia
September 30 to October 2, 2013
PLATINUM SPONSORS
In-Situ Soil Testing, L.C.
i
Lessons Learned in Geotechnical Engineering
September 30 to October 2, 2013
CONTENTS
Program .................................................................................... 1
Organizing Committee .............................................................. 4
Abstracts .................................................................................. 5
List of Speakers ....................................................................... 20
Williamsburg Map .......................................................................................... 21
Map Of Williamsburg Lodge .................................................. 22
Conference Area Layout ......................................................... 23
Conference Sponsors ................................................ Back Cover
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September 30 to October 2, 2013
PROGRAM
Monday, September 30, 2013
11:00 AM
Golf Outing – Shotgun Start
6:00 PM to
8:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Reception
Virginia Rooms EF
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
7:00 AM to
8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast (Exhibit Hall – Virginia Rooms EF)
Morning Session Location: Virginia Rooms ABCD; Exhibit Hall (Virginia Rooms EF)
will be open throughout the conference
8:00 AM
Welcome Remarks
Jose N. Gómez S., PE, MSCE, M.ASCE
Conference Chair
Vice President
ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC
8:10 AM
Recommendations For The Use And Measurement Of Fully Softened Shear Strengths
Prof. Tom L. Brandon, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, W.C. English Geotechnical Research Laboratory
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
8:50 AM
Lessons Learned In Tunnel Excavations: Rehabilitation Of Machu Picchu
Hydroelectric Powerhouse
Gabriel Fernandez-Delgado, Ph.D.
Consulting Engineer
(Ret. Faculty University of Illinois)
9:30 AM
Break
10:00 AM
Lessons Learned In Groundwater Evaluations
Gordon Matheson, Ph.D., P.E., P.G.
Chief Executive Officer
Schnabel Engineering
1
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013 (Continued)
10:40 AM
Geo-Risk Management At The Panama Canal
Gregory B. Baecher, Ph.D., P.E.
University of Maryland
11:20 AM
Case Studies Linking Foundation Performance And In-Situ Testing In The
Appalachian Piedmont
Paul W. Mayne, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
Luncheon and Keynote Lecture Location: Colony Room
12:00 Noon
Lessons From The Lives Of Two Dams
James K. Mitchell, ScD, P.E., G.E., Dist. M ASCE
University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech
Consulting Geotechnical Engineer
Afternoon Session Location: Virginia Rooms ABCD
1:30 PM
Lessons Learned From Landslides
Suzanne Lacasse, Ph.D.
Technical Director, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI)
Oslo, Norway
2:10 PM
Slide Stabilization With A 17.0-Meter Tall Reinforced Earth Fill: Lessons Learned
Jose N. Gómez S., P.E., MSCE, M.ASCE
Vice President, ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC
2:50 PM
Break
3:20 PM
Lessons Learned From Cambridge (UK) Soil Models
Andrew N. Schofield, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Engineering,
Cambridge University
4:00 PM
Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil: From The Experimental To The Familiar
Robert Holtz, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE
Professor Emeritus,
University of Washington
5:15 PM
Adjourn for the day
2
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
7:00 AM to
8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast (Exhibit Hall – Virginia Rooms EF)
Location: Virginia Rooms ABCD
8:00 AM
Lessons Learned From Geotechnical Investigations At DC Clean Rivers Tunnel
Project
William W. Edgerton, P.E.
Principal and Immediate Past President
Jacobs Associates
8:40 AM
Ground Improvement For Liquefaction Risk Mitigation – Methods, Verification,
And Recent Research
Dr. Allen L. Sehn, P.E.
Vice President, Engineering
Hayward Baker
9:20 AM
Lessons Learned in Installing Large Concrete Piles in Potomac Soils
Gnana Gunaratnam, P.E.
Associate, D.W. Kozera, Inc.
David W. Kozera, P.E.
Principal, D.W. Kozera, Inc.
10:00 AM
Break
10:40 AM
Do You Need More Geo In Your Geotechnical? Lessons Learned From
Hydrogeology And Slope Stability
Chester F. Watts, Ph.D., P.G., M.ASCE
Professor, Radford University & Virginia Tech
11:20 AM
Learning From The Mistakes Of Others…
David J. Elton, Ph.D., P.E., S.M., F.ASCE
Professor of Civil Engineering
Auburn University, Alabama
12:00 PM
Closing Remarks
Roger Failmezger, P.E., F.ASCE
Chair, Virginia Geo-Institute
President, In-Situ, Inc.
12:10 PM
Conference Adjournment
3
September 30 to October 2, 2013
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Jose N. Gómez S., MSCE, P.E., M.ASCE
Conference Chair
Vice President / Principal Engineer and
Virginia Beach Branch Manager
ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC
JGomez@ecslimited.com
Jason Dauch, E.I.T.
Treasurer
Project Engineer
Dominion Engineering Associates, Inc.
jdauch@dea-inc.net
Ross Cutts, MSCE, E.I.T.
Webmaster
Transportation Engineer
Maryland State Highway Administration
rcutts@sha.state.md.us
Roger Failmezger, P.E., F.ASCE
Conference Co-Chair
President
In-situ Soil Testing, LC
roger@insitusoil.com
Dana Eddy, MSCE, P.E.
Golf Outing Chair
Senior Vice President
Professional Service Industries, Inc.
dana.eddy@psiusa.com
Tariq B. Hamid, Ph.D., P.E.
Secretary
Principal
Dulles Geotechnical and Material
Testing Services, Inc.
thamid@dullesgeotechnical.com
Michael J. Galli, MSCE, P.E., M.ASCE
ASCE Virginia Section Representative
Vice President/
Hampton Roads Regional Manager
ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC
MGalli@ecslimited.com
Greg Simmons MSCE, P.E.
Exhibits Manager
Business Development Manager
Hayward Baker
gesimmons@HaywardBaker.com
Qamar A. O. Kazmi, P.E., M.ASCE
Speaker Chair
Principal
Schnabel Engineering
qkazmi@schnabel-eng.com
4
September 30 to October 2, 2013
ABSTRACTS
Recommendations For The Use And Measurement Of Fully Softened Shear Strengths
Prof. Tom L. Brandon, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, W.C. English Geotechnical Research Laboratory
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
ABSTRACT
The importance of the reduction in shear strength over time
in stiff-fissured clay has been recognized for over 75 years.
Prof. A. W. Skempton devoted a significant portion of his
career to the study of “fully softened” shear strength of
clays, and their contribution to the failure of cut slopes in
London Clay. More recently, fully softened strengths have
proven to be useful in the assessment of the long term
stability of compacted embankments constructed of fat clays
in semi-arid climates. Suggestions are provided regarding
when it is prudent to use fully softened strengths in
geotechnical practice. In addition, the laboratory methods
used to measure fully softened strengths are compared, and
recommendations for basic test procedures are provided.
Prof. Brandon received his BS in Civil Engineering from Clemson University, and his MS and PhD
degrees in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley. He has been a faculty member at Virginia Tech
since 1985, where he currently is the director of the W.C. English Geotechnical Research
Laboratory.
Prof. Brandon has been active in geotechnical engineering practice throughout his career, with
both his research and consulting efforts focusing on laboratory and field assessment of shear
strength, shear strength interpretation, and slope stability and seepage analyses.
In recent years, Prof. Brandon has been very active in research and consulting work for the US
Army Corps of Engineers. He was a member of the IPET team to investigate the causes of
failure of the flood protection system in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He was a
member of the Mississippi Valley Division QA oversight group to assess field and laboratory
testing during the reconstruction efforts, and was a member of the MVD Geotechnical Criteria
Application Team (GCAT) to assist in providing design methods and parameters for new
construction. He currently is on a 12-month interagency personnel arrangement with the
Corps of Engineers at ERDC and is involved in the rewriting effort of the levee design manual
and investigating transient seepage analysis of levees.
5
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Lessons Learned in Tunnel Excavations: Rehabilitation of Machu Picchu Hydroelectric
Powerhouse
Gabriel Fernandez-Delgado, Ph.D.
Consulting Engineer
(Retired Faculty, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
ABSTRACT
Most engineering failures are caused by a combination of
multidisciplinary factors, such as unanticipated natural
phenomena, operational changes. The implementation of
the required repairs involves a clear understanding of
Engineering of engineering fundamentals, precedent, and
current construction practice. The lessons learned during the
rehabilitation of a Powerhouse, buried by an avalanche
triggered by glacier melting vividly emphasize the validity of
the above tenets.
Partial melting of the Salkantay glacier in Perú, at an approximate elevation of 6,000m above sea
level, triggered an avalanche that descended into the valley of the Vilcanota River, 4,400 m below.
The avalanche raised the river bed about 50 m for a distance of nearly 2 km upstream and
downstream of the avalanche discharge and the debris plugged the Powerhouse tailrace discharge
channel. Rehabilitation of the Project involved installation of twin, adjacent tunnels to cross the
river, and connect the powerhouse with a rock tunnel that discharges downstream of the debris
accumulation, and utilized a 3.5-m diameter Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)
A pipe jacking scheme was implemented to provide both temporary and final tunnel support
immediately behind the TBM. After about 70 m of successful excavation of the first tunnel, a
blockage occurred due to overloading of a set of pipes located closely behind the TBM. After 60
days of unsuccessful attempts to free the pipes, a creative engineering scheme freed the pipes
and the tunnel was completed 15 days later.
The lessons learned from the excavation of the first tunnel were evaluated, and a series of proactive measures were implemented to adjust critical parts of the TBM as well as pipe design and
installation procedures. The excavation of the second tunnel was successfully completed in a total
of 9 days with no interruptions.
Gabriel Fernandez obtained a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Los Andes (Bogota) in
1970, and M.S. (1972) and PhD (1976) degrees from the University of Illinois, at Urbana. He continued
at Illinois, as a faculty member in the Civil Engineering Department lecturing on foundations and dam
design, rock mechanics, and soil and rock dynamics. Concurrently, he pursued research interests in the
areas of underground storage caverns within salt deposits, pressure tunnel behavior and soil-structure
interaction for static and dynamic loadings. His teaching and research activities were complemented
with assignments as a consulting geotechnical engineer. Since his retirement from the University of
Illinois in 2001, he has continued his private engineering practice by consulting on hydroelectric
projects, large mines and infrastructure projects around the world.
Awards received include: US National Committee for Rock Mechanics for significant original
contribution, 1987, Raul Marsal Lecture, Mexico, 2000.
6
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Some Lessons Learned From Construction Related Groundwater Experience
Gordon Matheson, Ph.D., P.E., P.G.
Chief Executive Officer
Schnabel Engineering, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Groundwater control for excavations is often a source of
dispute between contractors, owners, and designers. From a
design perspective, engineers and geologists often
oversimplify the conceptual site geologic model and don’t
understand the limitations various testes to determine
hydraulic properties. In addition, the potential for water
chemistry impact on groundwater control and corrosion of
various elements is often not addressed. The presentation
covers these topics and provides some real life examples of
where difficulties have occurred.
Gordon Matheson is President and CEO of Schnabel Engineering, Inc. of Glen Allen Virginia. Dr.
Matheson has a BS in geology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, an MS in
Geological Engineering for University of Missouri at Rolls, and a PhD in Geological Engineering
from Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Matheson has more than 35 years of experience working
for a variety of industry and consultants. He has been with Schnabel for the past 25 years and
has been the firm’s President and CEO since 2002. He is the author of more than 30 technical
publications and has taught as adjunct faculty at Colorado School of Mines and The Catholic
University of America.
7
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Geo-Risk Management At The Panama Canal
Gregory B. Baecher, Ph.D., P.E.
G.L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
ABSTRACT
The Panama Canal is among the wonders of modern engineering and is
essential infrastructure for globalization of the world's economy. We all
depend on the canal, and the prospect of the Canal being out of
operation for an extended period is almost unthinkable. Yet all
infrastructure lives with risks. Today, the Canal Authority (ACP) is
undertaking a comprehensive enterprise risk management program
better to manage a portfolio of risks from financial, to engineering, to
natural hazards, to physical security. Many of these risks are geotechnical
or hydrotechnical in nature: One need only think of the Gaillard Cut, the
Gatún and Madden Dams, or the major (and aging) lock structures to
appreciate the breadth of issues. ACP has crafted a progressive approach
to risk management which draws upon lessons learned in the aftermath of Katrina, from dam
safety efforts around the world, and from asset management challenges in Europe, the US, and
elsewhere. An overview of this large-scale effort is presented, and lessons derived for other
projects.
Gregory B. Baecher is Glenn L Martin Institute Professor of Engineering at the University of
Maryland. He holds a BSCE from UC Berkeley and a PhD in civil engineering from MIT. He is the
author of four books on risk, safety, and the protection of civil infrastructure. He is recipient of
the USACE Commander's Award for Public Service, the Panamanian National Award for Science
and Technology Innovation, and is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.
8
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Case Studies Linking Foundation Performance and In-Situ Tests in the Appalachian
Piedmont
Paul W. Mayne, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA
ABSTRACT
While conventional rotary drilling and split-spoon sampling
continue to play a role in site investigation of residual silts
and sands of the Piedmont geologic province, there are
benefits to securing more reliable quantifications of soil
parameters through the use of in-situ geotechnical and
geophysical tests. Several case studies are presented
where the actual foundation performance was wellpredicted using results from cone penetration tests,
dilatometer tests, and/or shear wave velocity. Results
include full-scale measured responses from large shallow
mat foundations and deep foundation systems, including
drilled shafts and driven steel pipe piles. For deep foundations, a closed-form elastic
continuum solution is shown to provide a rational framework for analysis, provided that a
suitable profile for the equivalent modulus of the ground is properly assessed. The
approach can consider both top-down loading from anchored reaction beams and bidirectional O-cell tests. Case study performances are presented from foundations situated
in the residual soils, saprolite, and partially-weathered rocks of the Piedmont in Alabama,
Georgia, and Virginia.
Dr. Paul W. Mayne has a total 37 years of geotechnical experience starting with 11 years of
consulting, 3 years in doctoral studies at Cornell University, and 23 years as a faculty member
at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research and expertise center around geotechnical
site characterization, soil properties, in-situ testing, foundation systems, and ground
improvement. Paul has served 14 years as the chair of the ISSMGE technical committee on insitu testing that has organized international conferences in Atlanta (1998), Porto (2004), Taipei
(2008), and Pernambuco (2012) on geocharacterization with current plans for the next ISC-5 in
Brisbane (2016). Recently, Paul was elected as the ISSMGE Vice President for North America.
He is an active member in ASCE, CGS, ISSMGE, USUCGER, ADSC, DFI, ASTM, and FHWA/TRB
events. Dr. Mayne has delivered a number of prominent presentations including the James K
Mitchell Lecture (2006), Mike O’Neill Lecture (2009), SOA-1 at ICSMGE Egypt (2009), Ardaman
Lecture (2012), and produced over 270 publications.
9
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Lessons From The Lives of Two Dams
James K. Mitchell, Sc.D., P.E, Dist. M.ASCE, NAS, NAE
University Distinguished Professor, Emeritus
Virginia Tech
ABSTRACT
San Pablo Dam, located near Oakland in Northern California
and completed in 1921, is a hydraulic fill structure founded
on alluvial deposits. Mormon Island Auxiliary Dam, a part of
the Folsom Project located near Sacramento and completed
in 1956, is a compacted fill embankment founded on
hydraulically-deposited dredger tailings from gold mining
operations. Each dam was subsequently deemed unsafe
under anticipated seismic loading conditions. Several
modifications have been made to each dam to improve
resistance to anticipated earthquake loadings, extending
over the period 1967 to 2010 at San Pablo Dam and from
the late 1980's to 2012 at Mormon Island. These modifications are described and
illustrated, and some conclusions and lessons learned about the development of
geotechnical earthquake engineering for dams, seismic remediation strategies, the
importance of proper site and material characterization, and the advantages and
limitations of some ground improvement methods are offered.
Jim Mitchell joined the faculty at Virginia Tech in 1994 and now is University Distinguished
Professor Emeritus and Consulting Geotechnical Engineer. From 1958 to 1994 he was on the
Civil & Environmental Engineering faculty at the University of California, Berkeley. His
teaching, research and consulting activities have focused on soil behavior, soil stabilization,
ground improvement, environmental geotechnics, and mitigation of seismic risk. He was the
2006 recipient of the ASCE Outstanding Projects and Leaders Award (OPAL) in Education. He
is a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy
of Sciences.
10
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Lessons Learned From Landslides
Suzanne Lacasse, Ph.D.
Technical Director
Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Norway
ABSTRACT
Protecting society from landslides and
reducing exposure and risk to population and
property are areas where the geotechnical
profession can practice both the art and the
science of engineering legated by Karl
Terzaghi. The paper presents several case
studies of slope failure and examples of
landslide risk management.
For each case study, lessons learned are
drawn. Since factor of safety remains the main
indicator to ensure slope safety, the
significance of factor of safety is discussed. The geotechnical engineer’s role is not only to
act as technologist providing judgment on factors of safety, but also providing input in the
evaluation of hazard, vulnerability and risk associated with landslides. The geotechnical
profession should be increasingly perceived as reducing risk and protecting people.
Dr. Lacasse was born in the small mining town of Noranda in northern Québec, Canada. She
completed first her Bachelor of Arts, and in 1971, her studies in Civil Engineering at Ecole
Polytechnique of Montréal. Graduate studies followed at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in the USA and Ecole Polytechnique. She obtained her Ph.D. in 1976. She was
Lecturer at Ecole Polytechnique (1973-1975), and on the faculty of the Civil Engineering
Department at MIT (1975-1983), where she also was Head of the Geotechnical Laboratory. Dr.
Lacasse went to the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) as a post-doctoral fellow in 1978.
She became permanent employee in late 1980, and worked on research and consulting
assignments, both in Norway and abroad. She became NGI's Managing Director in 1991, a
position she held until December 2011. Since 2012, she acts as Technical Director at NGI. She
served as President of the Canadian Geotechnical Society in 2003-2004.
Dr. Lacasse received many awards, including doctorates Honoris Causa from the University of
Dundee (Scotland) and the Norwegian University of Trondheim, the Robert Legget Award of
the Canadian Geotechnical Society, the K.Y. Lo Medal of the Engineering Institute of Canada for
excellence in engineering, and the Effective Teaching Award in Civil Engineering at MIT. She is
member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineers, the Canadian Academy of Engineers, the
French Academy of Sciences - Section Technologies, the Norwegian Academy of Engineering
and Sciences, the Norwegian Engineering Academy, the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and
Letters, and the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Technology. Dr. Lacasse is a fellow of
the Royal Society of Canada, a fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a fellow of the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and an honorary member of the Norwegian
Geotechnical Society. She gave the37th ASCE Terzaghi Lecture in 2001 and the 8th ISSMGE
Terzaghi Oration in 2013.
11
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Slide Stabilization with a 17-meter Tall Reinforced Earth Fill: Lessons Learned
Jose N. Gomez S., P.E., MSCE, M.ASCE
Vice President
Principal Engineer, ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC
ABSTRACT
A 19-story concrete frame building was constructed during
1993-1996 in Bogotá D.C., Colombia S.A. The Project footprint
was about 10,400 m2 (111,800 ft2), and was located within the
financial and international hub of the city, a very traffic
congested intersection. The building was also to have five (5)
basement levels and the gross construction area was
approximately 100,000 m2 (1,075,000 ft2). The bottom
elevation of the basement excavation extended to 17.0 m
(55.8 ft).
The project started in October of 1993 with the required
basements excavation and the construction of a 35 cm (13.75
in) - thick anchor supported shotcrete wall. The wall was
constructed on excavation stages, total length was 37.0 m (121.4 ft) and maximum height
was 17.0 m (55.8 ft). The retaining structure failed in May of 1994 resulting in the loss of
one person life. A reinforced earth fill (REF) within a very limited available space was built
to rehabilitate the sector traffic intersection and to continue with the project
construction. The REF comprised a vertical face and approximately 6,000 m3 (2,400 yd3) of
Clayey Granular Fill (GC); the REF was built in a short period of time of 28 days.
This presentation will provide the back analysis of the wall failure indicating the causes
that originated it. Design and construction considerations of the 17.0-meter REF remedial
solution will also be presented including the internal and external stability analyses that
were carried out. It is important to mention that minor geotechnical details that are not
addressed on time, or oversight on site for lack of knowledge, can cause major
geotechnical failures.
Jose Gomez is a Vice President and the Branch Manager of the Virginia Beach office of ECS
Mid-Atlantic LLC. He has more than 32 years of varied experience in a wide range of
geotechnical and civil engineering consulting for studies, designs, project layouts and
construction supervisions for more than 190 projects since 1980. He has provided geotechnical
recommendations for site preparation, earthwork, excavations, retaining structures,
embankments, dams and levees, slope stability and foundation design for several industrial,
commercial and infrastructure projects.
Mr. Gomez has been adjunct professor for several undergraduate and graduate geotechnical
courses and speaker during the last 25 years of his professional career. Currently, he is an
Adjunct Professor at Old Dominion University, teaching courses in Soils and Foundations. He is
a registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia and North Carolina. Mr.
Gomez has published more than 40 technical papers in a variety of seminars and technical
session and proceedings related to geotechnical and civil engineering projects.
12
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Lessons Learned From Cambridge (UK) Soil Models
Andrew N. Schofield, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Engineering,
Cambridge University
ABSTRACT
To avoid liquefaction of a soil embankment dam in an
earthquake, Casagrande advised compaction to below
a Critical porosity (on the dry side). Taylor found that
the peak strength of such compact soil is the sum of
internal friction plus a component due to work as
compact soil expands; interlocking dilation creates a
“false” cohesion intercept. Cam-clay, our soil model,
has no adhesion between soil grains but on the wet
side it consolidates, yields and deforms as a stable
plastic body; on the “dry side” it fails with slip planes
and with cracks. All this is taught to Cambridge civil
engineering undergraduates.
The presentation will describe centrifuge model tests of ground movement due to
excavation. Both trench and tunnel model tests had results that had value in practice.
Andrew Schofield studied engineering and graduated from Christ's College Cambridge in
1951. He then worked in the Nyasaland Protectorate, Africa (now Malawi) office of Scott and
Wilson Ltd. where he performed research on lateritic soils and low cost road construction. He
returned to Cambridge University to work with Professor Kenneth H. Roscoe on his PhD, which
he completed in 1961. He became an Assistant Lecturer in 1961 and was elected Fellow of
Churchill College, Cambridge in 1963.
With Ken Roscoe and Peter Wroth in 1958 he published "On the Yielding of Soils", which
showed how plasticity theory and critical state soil mechanics could be used to describe the
coupled volumetric and shear behavior of soils (Roscoe, Schofield & Wroth 1958) which led to
the development of a constitutive model known as 'Cam Clay' that was formalized in the classic
text by Schofield & Wroth in 1968.
Schofield was influenced by work on geotechnical centrifuge modeling by G.I. Pokrovsky in the
USSR to study geotechnical engineering and soil mechanics problems. He developed a
prototype geotechnical centrifuge in Cambridge and later adapted a centrifuge in the English
Electric Company in Luton, UK to be used for geotechnical modeling in 1966.
He accepted a Chair at the Institute of Science and Technology in Manchester (UMIST) in 1968
and developed a 1.5 m radius geotechnical centrifuge there. Following Roscoe's untimely
death in 1970, he returned to Cambridge in 1974 and was appointed as a Professor in the
Cambridge University Engineering Department to lead the Soil Mechanics group. Working with
a mechanical design engineer, Phillip Turner, he developed a 5 m radius geotechnical
centrifuge at Cambridge University that continues to be heavily used in 2010. Professor
Schofield retired from the University in 1997, but his continued work is evidenced by the
publication of a book in 2005.
13
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil: From The Experimental To The Familiar
Robert. D. Holtz, Ph.D., P.E. D.GE
Professor Emeritus
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington USA
ABSTRACT
The lecture begins with a historical review of reinforced soil
technology, from the ancients, the developments by H. Vidal
and K. Lee on Terre Armée and Reinforced Earth, the early
uses of geosynthetics for soil reinforcement in France (Bidim),
Sweden (Wager and Broms), and the USA (USFS, FHWA, J. R.
Bell, T. A. Haliburton, B. R. Christopher and others). The
advantages and basic behavior of geosynthetic reinforced soil
(GRS) are presented along with an overview of current design
procedures, and with reference to UW analytical research
results. Practical suggestions are given for dealing with creep,
pullout, and backfill drainage. Although GRS is quite a mature
development, a few technical and professional issues remain;
primarily, too many failures of these structures occur. Reasons for these failures and
some suggestions as to what the profession can do about them are presented. The
lecture ends with several examples of successful applications of GRS and reinforced soil
technology.
Bob Holtz, PhD, PE, D.GE, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at the University of Washington in
Seattle, has also taught at Purdue and Cal State-Sacramento. He has degrees from Minnesota and
Northwestern, and he attended the Special Program in Soil Mechanics at Harvard under Prof. A.
Casagrande. He has worked for the California Dept. of Water Resources, Swedish Geotechnical
Institute, NRC-Canada, and as a consulting engineer in Chicago, Paris, and Milano. His research,
sponsored by several federal and state agencies as well as private companies, has mostly been on
geosynthetics, foundations, soil improvement, and soil properties. Bob is author, co-author, or editor of
25 books and book chapters, including Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2nd Edition (with W.
D. Kovacs and T.C. Sheahan, 2011). He is also author or co-author of more than 280 technical papers,
discussions, reviews, and major reports. Bob is a Fellow, Life, and Distinguished Member of ASCE. He
was on the first Board of Governors of the Geo-Institute, was President in 2000-01, and currently is the
G-I International Secretary. He has also been active with the ISSMGE, TRB, ASTM, and NAGS-IGS, and
has had an active consulting practice throughout his academic career. Bob has taught many short
courses and given numerous lectures, both in the US and abroad, including the 46th Karl Terzaghi
Lecture in 2010.
14
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Lessons Learned From Geotechnical Investigations at DC Clean Rivers Tunnel Project
William W. Edgerton, P.E.
Principal and Immediate Past President
Jacobs Associates, Engineers/Consultants
San Francisco, CA
ABSTRACT
An extensive geotechnical investigation program is
currently being performed in the Washington DC area as
part of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer
Authority’s (DC Water) Long Term Control Plan (LTCP),
which is being implemented through the DC Clean Rivers
(DCCR) Projects. The DCCR Projects consists of an
approximately 20.4-km-long (12.7 mile) tunnel system,
including 18 large-diameter deep shafts and supporting
structures, all in soft ground. The majority of the soil and
field testing for the project is being performed in the
Potomac Group sediments. Results and lessons learned for
both the field and laboratory testing from the project is
presented as well as the soil properties developed for the project.
William W. Edgerton P.E., is a Principal with the firm of Jacobs Associates, headquartered in San
Francisco, California. For the last ten years he has served as the President, directing strategic planning,
business development and administration, while acting as the Principal-in-Charge and working in a
technical capacity on various underground projects. Since 2013 he has served as the Chair of the
Executive Committee for the Underground Construction Association, a division of SME. He continues to
serve as an ASCE program evaluator for civil engineering programs on behalf of the Accreditation Board
for Engineering and Technology (ABET). He is a member of the Moles, and is the recipient of the
Beavers’ 2012 Engineering Award.
He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering at Tufts University, Medford, MA, and his M.B.A. in
Procurement and Contracting at George Washington University, Washington, DC, and holds PE licenses
in nine states.
In the 25 years he has worked for Jacobs Associates, he has represented both owners and contractors
on a number of heavy civil and tunnel projects; as a construction manager on wastewater treatment
plants, transit and water tunnels; and as a designer of water, wastewater, and transit tunnels. He has
worked on Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build projects, for both contractors and for owner agencies.
Projects with which he has had significant involvement include the Cove Point LNG Terminal, the
WMATA subway system, Crystal River power plant Units 3 & 4, Dallas North Tollway, Los Angeles
Metrorail system, Gallipolis Lock and Dam, Hong Kong SSDS, Narragansett CSO, Hollywood Water
Quality Improvement, Los Angeles NEIS, San Francisco Islais Creek, the MWD Inland Feeder System,
Puerto Rico’s Tren Urbano, San Diego’s San Vicente Pipeline, King County’s Brightwater Conveyance
system, WSDOT’s Alaskan Way Viaduct projects, and the SFPUC’s Bay Tunnel. He currently serves as
the Manager of Tunneling for DC Water’s Clean Rivers Project in Washington, DC.
15
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Ground Improvement for Liquefaction Risk Mitigation – Methods, Verification, and
Recent Research
Dr. Allen L. Sehn, P.E.
Vice President, Engineering, Hayward Baker
ABSTRACT
Current practice for liquefaction risk assessment will be
briefly reviewed. Ground improvement approaches to
mitigate the liquefaction risk will be presented along with a
discussion of verification methods. A summary of recent
research on the effectiveness of shear reinforcement for
liquefaction risk mitigation will also be presented.
Dr. Sehn is Vice President, Engineering for geotechnical specialist contractor Hayward Baker
Inc. He provides engineering support and design assistance to all of Hayward Baker’s offices
and assists consultants and owners in identifying ground improvement and foundation
solutions appropriate for their projects. His responsibilities also include evaluation and
development of new and revised methods for ground improvement, evaluation of grout mixes
and properties for various applications, and technical risk assessment. Prior to joining
Hayward Baker, he spent 13 years conducting research and teaching graduate and
undergraduate courses in Civil Engineering. Dr. Sehn earned his Ph.D. in geotechnical
engineering at Virginia Tech and is a registered professional engineer. He is a member of
ASCE, ISSMFE, and ASTM, and serves on ASCE’s Soil Improvement Committee.
16
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Lessons Learned in Installing Large Concrete Piles in Potomac Soils
Gnana Gunaratnam, P.E.
Associate, D.W. Kozera, Inc.
David W. Kozera, P.E.
Principal, D.W. Kozera, Inc.
ABSTRACT
The $5 Billion Panama Canal expansion project would allow the
Post- Panamax ships and larger container ships from Asia and
the Pacific to use the Ports along the U.S. East Coast. In
preparation of the Post-Panamax ships, several ports along the
East Coast are deepening the navigation channels and
upgrading the berths. The deeper water and heavier crane
loads require the use of larger and longer concrete piles to
support the foundation loads. The concrete piles perform
better than steel piles in corrosive marine environment and
they are economically attractive. However, installing these
larger piles to the required tip elevation and capacity without damaging the pile is a
challenge.
This presentation attempts to present the lessons learned in installing 30-inch
and 24-inch square concrete piles at the Port of Baltimore. The subsurface
conditions consisting of stiff clay and dense sand required the use of steel
stingers at the bottom of the concrete piles. Embedded Data Collectors (EDC)
for dynamic measurements were utilized for the first time at the Port of
Baltimore to evaluate the integrity of the pile-stinger connection. These
embedded sensors provided unprecedented insight into the integrity of the
stinger-concrete pile connection. Modifications were made to the pile design,
pile driving system, and the pile installation procedures based on the dynamic
test measurements. The difficulties encountered in mobilizing the required
ultimate capacities during dynamic testing and the lessons learned in
measuring the ultimate pile capacities are also discussed. Static and Statnamic data
collected are compared to the dynamic test data and the results are discussed.
Gnana Gunaratnam, P.E., an associate with D.W. Kozera, Inc., is proficient with several deep
foundation tests and geotechnical instrumentation. He assisted in developing a lateral Statnamic test
to back-calculate dynamic soil properties as a research assistant at Johns Hopkins University, where he
received his Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. Mr. Gunaratnam is a registered Professional Engineer
in the State of Maryland, and holds a master level certification in dynamic pile testing.
David W. Kozera, P.E., is the president of D.W. Kozera, Inc. He is a well-known geotechnical engineer
with over 35 years of geotechnical experience in the Mid-Atlantic region. He is an expert in
geotechnical explorations, ground improvement techniques, deep foundation design and testing, and
support of excavation design. He has worked on over 300 design and construction projects, and
authored several technical papers. Mr. Kozera received his Master’s degree in Civil Engineering at
Syracuse University under the supervision of Professor Fred Kulhaway.
17
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Do You Need More Geo in Your Geotechnical? Lessons Learned From Hydrogeology and
Slope Stability
Chester F. Watts, Ph.D., P.G., M. ASCE
Radford University & Virginia Tech
ABSTRACT
Communication between geologists and geotechnical engineers is not always
as effective as it could be sometimes to the detriment of engineering
projects. The two disciplines frequently seem to speak different languages,
where words like consolidation, sorting, and grading can have different
nuances depending on who is speaking or writing and who is listening or
reading. More complex concepts like dip vectors versus poles plotted on
stereonets for rock slope engineering analyses based on structural geology
can be even more challenging. While many professionals do succeed in
bridging the gaps, those trained narrowly in one discipline or the other, for
whatever reason, tend to have a hard time understanding what members of
the other may have to offer. Simply put, not enough geologists are taught
how to work with engineers and not enough engineers seem willing to hear what geologists might
have to share with them of value. And sadly, the differences sometimes devolve into bitter turf
battles when one feels their territory threatened by the other due to overlapping subject matter.
It does not need to be like that! There are no easy answers but there are lessons to be learned. If
your geotechnical practice is limited mostly to soils, then your answer to the title question is likely
to be “usually not, I have access to all the geology I’ll ever need,” yet you might be surprised by
what you do not know. If your practice includes aspects of rock mechanics or hydrogeology
involving bedrock, then your answer might already be “I wish I knew how to bring more geo into
my geotechnical.” University programs that bring geotechs and geologists together to study and
learn as interdisciplinary teams can help bridge the communication gap.
Dr. Watts specializes in engineering geology and is a Certified Professional Geologist in the state of
Virginia. Dr. Watts held the position of Dalton Distinguished Professor of Geology at Radford University,
where he began teaching in 1984. He also teaches “Geology Applied to Engineering” at Virginia Tech
and is the author of ROCKPACKTM computer software, used internationally for analyzing the safety and
stability of mountain slopes, mines, quarries, highways, buildings, and bridge foundations. Dr. Watts
served for 18 months as the 2001 GSA/USGS Congressional Science Fellow, working on U.S. Senator Joe
Lieberman’s personal staff, and then as the 2003 AEG/GSA Jahns Distinguished Lecturer across the
United States.
In addition to teaching courses in environmental and engineering geology, he serves as a rock slope
stability consultant to numerous highway departments, federal agencies, and engineering firms
throughout North America. His projects have included rock fall fatality investigations in British
Columbia, evaluations of a dam spillway stability adjacent to the San Andreas Fault, an MSHA Review
Board following a massive open pit mine rockslide, and serving on the Consultants Review Board for
construction of the Folsom Dam Auxiliary Spillway in California.Prof. Watts is the recipient of several
regional and national teaching awards, including the 1998 Virginia Outstanding Professor Award from
the State Council for Higher Education. He appeared in a television documentary called SLIDE!, which
aired as part of The Weather Channel’s “Storm Stories” series, as well as on NPR (National Public Radio)
while rock climbing during a rockslide investigation in Yosemite National Park.
18
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Learning From the Mistakes of Others…
David J. Elton, Ph.D., P.E., S.M., F. ASCE
ABSTRACT
Engineers learn more from failures than from successes. Indeed,
one can say failures advance our profession. Several geotechnical
failures are presented and examined, in an effort to keep future
engineers from replicating each failure. Some notable failures,
complemented by minor ones (none of which are the speaker’s!)
are presented for the audience’s consideration. All the failures
could have been avoided with the then-current technology.
Dr. David J. Elton is an ASCE Fellow who has worked Auburn University for over 25 years as a
geotechnical educator and researcher. He earned degrees from College of Technology, Utah State
University, and Purdue University. Dr. Elton has been active in geosynthetics, and served as President of
the North American Geosynthetics Society. The holder of two US patents, and numerous national
teaching, research and service awards, he is a member of several Honor Societies, is a Registered
Professional Engineer, and Soils Magician.
19
September 30 to October 2, 2013
LIST OF SPEAKERS
Gregory B. Baecher, Ph.D., P.E.
G.L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering, University of Maryland
T. L. Brandon, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, W.C. English Geotechnical Research Laboratory, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
William W. Edgerton, P.E.
Principal and Immediate Past President, Jacobs Associates, San Francisco
David J. Elton, Ph.D., P.E., S.M., F.ASCE
Professor of Civil Engineering, Auburn University, AL 36849
Gabriel Fernandez-Delgado, Ph.D.
Consulting Engineer, (Ret. Faculty University of Illinois)
Jose N. Gómez S., PE, MSCE, M. ASCE
Vice President, ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC
Gnana Gunaratnam, P.E.
Associate, D.W. Kozera, Inc.
Robert D. Holtz, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE
Professor Emeritus, University of Washington
David W. Kozera, P.E.
Principal D.W. Kozera, Inc.
Suzanne Lacasse, Ph.D.
Technical Director, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Norway
Gordon Matheson, Ph.D., P.E., P.G.
Chief Executive Officer, Schnabel Engineering, Inc.
Paul W. Mayne, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology,
James K. Mitchell, Sc.D., P.E., G.E., Dist. M.ASCE – Keynote Speaker
University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech
Andrew N. Schofield, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Engineering, Cambridge University
Allen L. Sehn, P.E.
Vice President, Engineering, Hayward Baker
Chester F. Watts, Ph.D., P.G., M.ASCE
20
September 30 to October 2, 2013
Radford University & Virginia Tech
MAP OF WILLIAMSBURG
21
September 30 to October 2, 2013
MAP OF WILLIAMSBURG LODGE
22
September 30 to October 2, 2013
CONFERENCE AREA LAYOUT
EXHIBIT AREA
VIRGINIA ROOM
23
September 30 to October 2, 2013
GOLD SPONSORS
GPE, Inc.
September 30 to October 2, 2013
PLATINUM SPONSORS
In-Situ Soil Testing, L.C
GOLD SPONSORS
GPE, Inc.
KEYNOTE LUNCHEON SPONSOR