Kord Wissmann, PhD, PE, D.GE . | Geopier Foundation Company

Lawrence, KS | Nov 2017

Our Geo-Journey:Where do we go from here?

University of Kansas

This Lecture might be a bit…..different

WHY are we all Geo-Engineers???

Start with the WHY

Each of our Geo-Journeys start with a first date at the “U”

My first date (30 years back) left me feeling…

When you graduate you will have choices…

(My love was called…”Harding Lawson (Associates)”)

But whether we pick Academe or Industry, we all commence our honeymoons

After a few years, most of us yearn for others…

After 3-4 years in the field, I felt like I needed some marriage counseling

I got my “romance” back after switching jobs….most of us do this

We then retake our vows……… with another lover.

(for me, her name was Shannon / Wilson )

[Our relationship lasted 4 years]

The Strained Relationship

With time, the second marriage strained again….because of the gap in expectations:

The Promise:

Exciting engineering………. solve hard problems.

Do a great job………work on neat projects.

The Reality:

Timesheets / billability………small budgets.

“Bid” to win …… we can’t quite do what we’d like to do.

And we face some tough questions when we write our proposals…

But it wasn’t always this way….

Our profession at it’s start?

Early History

Our ancestors built some great things – how?

Pre-historic “observational method” – a mixture of experimentation, art, and geometric rules.

Early History

The ancients at “ground improvement”

Early History Early History Egyptians > 2000 years ago:

Over-excavation below pyramids.

Babylonians > 1500 years ago:

Earth reinforcement with reeds.

Chinese > 1500 years ago:

Tamping with stones / earth reinforcement.

The beginnings of pilings for stabilization

Early History

Rialto Bridge (Venice, 1500s). Abutment piles.

Bridge of Beaugency(1200s) – scour protection.

(Ref: www.tu-dresden.de)

Reconstruction of Roman piling hammer during empire’s expansion across the Rhine

We practiced in the Middle Ages

Early History

Soil explorations…..“boot heel” method?

Unknown 5m thick soft clay layer

(Ref: www.tu-dresden.de)

The Great Cathedrals

Settlement at St.Paul’s Cathedral &

Salisbury Cathedral

Collapse at Malmesbury Abbey

Consolidation

Venice, Italy

Mexico City

Shear strength

Embankment Failure led to train wreck, Netherlands, 1918

(Ref: www.tu-dresden.de)

Our “modern” engineering roots were French

• Coulomb applied mathematics to define shear strength.

• Determined sliding surfaces in slopes and walls.

1700s

(Ref: www.tu-dresden.de)

And more French

1800s

Wm. J.M. Rankine: Passive & active earth pressures

Henry D’arcy: Permeability

(Ref: www.tu-dresden.de)

And more French

1800s

Boussinesq: Elasticity theory

John & Washington Roebling conceived of, designed, and constructed the Brooklyn Bridge, 1870 - 1883

1800’s: Iron & steel brought dreamlike structures

1880’s: Typical (heavy) masonry construction – Hotel Vendome (Boston)

Ref: J. David Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., P.G.Missouri University of Science & TechnologyJanuary 14, 2009

1885: Home Insurance Building (Chicago) using steel support – 25% of the weight of masonry

1930: Empire State Building

And tall buildings > 20 stories

Los Angeles Aqueduct: 1908-1913

1900’s: Population growth needed water supply

Hoover Dam 1931 - 1935

Bringing the Great Dams of the West

Grand Coulee Dam Commenced in 1933

In the 1900’s, the Germans (Austrians) took charge

1900sKarl Terzaghi: Effective stress and consolidation

Arthur Casagrande: Plasticity

Kurt Atterberg: Self-named “limits”

Soil exploration methods advanced

1902: Rotary wash borings gave way to “Dry samples” taken when a change in soil layer felt by driller

Ref: J. David Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., P.G.Missouri University of Science & TechnologyJanuary 14, 2009

Harvard University, Cambridge MA, June 22-26, 1936

1936: 1st international conf. on Soil Mechanics

Early Geo-engineering Firms

Firm Founding Metro Location Year Founded

Mueser Rutledge New York, NY 1910

Dames & Moore Los Angeles, CA 1938

Tibbets-Abbett-McCarthy-Stratton New York, NY 1942

Spencer J. Buchanan & Associates Bryan, TX 1946

Law Engineering Atlanta, GA 1946

Soil Testing Services Chicago, IL 1948

Woodward-Clyde Oakland, CA 1950

Leroy Crandall Los Angeles, CA 1954

Shannon & Wilson Seattle, WA 1954

Greer & McClelland Houston, TX 1955

D’Appolonia Pittsburgh, PA 1956

Jacobs Associates San Francisco, CA 1956

Haley & Aldrich Boston, MA 1957

Harding Associates San Francisco, CA 1959

Ardaman & Associates Orlando, FL 1959

Golder Associates Toronto, Canada 1960

Kleinfelder San Francisco, CA 1961

Soil & Material Engrs Detroit, MI 1964

Goldberg Zoino Boston, MA 1964

GEI Consultants Boston, MA 1970

Langan New York, NY 1970

Earth Tech Los Angeles, CA 1970

25 (after Bonaparte, 2012, used with permission)

1990’s

(Ref: Geotechnical Business Association, GBA)

By the 1990’s, we offered many

services.

We found new challenges and skills

that helped us refresh our love.

But things had already started to

change in the 1980’s…

Prominent Early Geoengineering Firms (up to 1970)

27 Acquired Diversified

Firm Founding Metro Location Year Founded

Mueser Rutledge New York, NY 1910

Dames & Moore Los Angeles, CA 1938

Tibbets-Abbett-McCarthy-Stratton (TAMS) New York, NY 1942

Spencer J. Buchanan & Associates Bryan, TX 1946

Law Engineering Atlanta, GA 1946

Soil Testing Services Chicago, IL 1948

Woodward-Clyde Oakland, CA 1950

Leroy Crandall Los Angeles, CA 1954

Shannon & Wilson Seattle, WA 1954

Greer & McClelland Houston, TX 1955

D’Appolonia Pittsburgh, PA 1956

Jacobs Associates San Francisco, CA 1956

Haley & Aldrich Boston, MA 1957

Harding Associates San Francisco, CA 1959

Ardaman & Associates Orlando, FL 1959

Golder Associates Toronto, Canada 1960

Kleinfelder San Francisco, CA 1961

Soil & Material Engrs Detroit, MI 1964

Goldberg Zoino Boston, MA 1964

GEI Consultants Boston, MA 1970

Langan New York, NY 1970

Earth Tech Los Angeles, CA 1970

Most Have Changed Since Their Founding

(after Bonaparte, 2015, used with permission)

In Business, Competition for Good Clients and Projects Is a Now a Fact of Life

How are you going to maintain a competitive advantage, tomorrow and 10 years from now?

(after Bonaparte, 2015, used with permission)

Top business challenges (GBA firms)

Technical challenges = 7%

General business = 15%

Legal / risk / litigation = 19%

Staffing / leadership = 28%

Commoditization = 31%

Why???

How about our WHY?

My personal Geo Journey took a turn when I fell back in love….

Finding my Love Again

• Things are a bit different over here

• Looked back to see things in a different…”light”

• And gained a view into that love that I had been losing…

On the dark side.

Dark Side Secrets

Dark siders wear costumes to hide….their darkness.

Many dress shirt providers – with similar shirts. And different prices

Differentiation is a reaction. The market dictates the market – the providers cannot.

A market that is undifferentiated is called ……..

Dress Shirt Rules of Differentiation

Examples of differentiated VPs

VP Examples:

“We give you a warehouse shopping experience for consistently low

prices”

“We get you there without any frills – for a price without any frills.”

“We give you technology that feels good for the highest price

on the market.”

“We bring your family happiness (at the price of our naming)!”

Geo Value Propositions

Differentiation with innovation?

What types of things could we innovate or invent? Construction tools? Testing tools? Software? Engineering methods?

Do we have the DNA to innovate?

1900’s Ground Improvement

Early forms of aggregate reinforcement commenced in the 1930’s

Vibroflotation developed by J. Keller in Germany in the 1930’s for compacting sand.

Some soils didn’t compact easily – so open cavities backfilled with gravel = stone columns

1940’s and 1950’s

More Ground Improvement:

Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) “wick drains” invented by W. Kjellman at SGI in the 1940’s.

Soil Mixing developed by U.S. firm Intrusion Prepakt in 1950’s with most of subsequent development in Sweden and Japan.

1950’s and 1960’s

Wave Equation applied to pile driving

FEA applied to ….anything!

1970’s

In-situ testing

Nuclear power - seismicity

Soil Nailing

1980’s

Geosynthetics and Geoenvironmental

Geo-innovations have occurred in every decade over the last century

So we are an inventive and innovative profession after all!

Do we have the DNA for It?

Geo Value Propositions

The sad truth, however, is that the consulting model does not reward innovation = RISK. Most of these innovations have come from contractors or Academe….

But without differentiation, our market conditions lead us towards…

How can we get our geo love back??????

Take a look at some new things

Foundations:

Post-grouted piers

Rigid Inclusions

Load Transfer Platforms

GeoConcrete Columns

Ground improvement for organics

Materials: Intelligent Compaction

Liquefaction:

EQ drains

Densification devices

Soil improvement mechanisms

Global trends:

Big Data

Climate change

Privatization

Luckily, we have a whole suite of new challenges before us...

New things …Foundations

Post-grouted drilled shafts

Rigid Inclusions (Grouted Impact Piers)(reguiring LTPs)

Geo-Concrete Columns

PV = nRT

New things… Foundations (GeoConcrete Columns)

New Things – Foundations (Ground Improvement)

Armorpact Piers – Ground Improvement for Organics

New things …Intelligent Compaction

Intelligent compaction

Automated Plate Load Testing

New Things – Liquefaction

New-fangled compaction devices for liquefaction

New understandings of liquefaction mitigation

Earthquake drains

New things…Global Trends

Bio-inspired geo systems

Climate change: Geo-solutions for flooding

Geo data systems

New Things….Privatization

Link to all PPP jobs by country. $$ not listed on majority to make a custom chart.http://infrapppworld.com/pipeline-html/projects-in-usa-united-states-of-america

Now how do you feel?

This is our WHY

Parting thoughts

THE END

I hope I left you in a good spot…

THANK YOU for the honor and privilege of being with you today