aeg 2015 program with abstracts

NewsNewsProgram with Abstracts – 2015

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Hotel Layout 2Schedule of Events 3Technical Session Numbers and Names 62015 Annual Meeting Committee Chairs 7Acknowledgements and Special Thanks 8Welcome Letter from Governor of Pennsylvania 10Welcome Letter from Pennsylvania Department

of Conservation and Natural Resources 11Welcome Letter from AEG’s President 12Welcome Letter from 2015 General Co-Chairs 13AEG 2015 Awardees 14AEG Foundation 2015 Scholars 15

Exhibitors, Sponsors and AcknowledgementsExhibitors 16Exhibitor Layout 22Sponsors 23

2015 Technical ProgramProgram 27Keynote Speaker 272015 Karl Terzaghi Lecturer 28The 2014–15 AEG/GSA Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer 29The 2015–16 AEG/GSA Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer 30

Technical Program ScheduleWednesday, September 23, 2015 33Thursday, September 24, 2015 35Friday, September 25, 2015 39Poster Sessions 43

2015 Annual Meeting Abstracts 44

Author and Title Index 96

The associationOfficersPresident: KENNETH C. FERGASON

Amec Foster Wheeler, 602-329-9714, [email protected] President/President Elect: PAUL M. SANTI

Colorado School of Mines, 303-273-3108, [email protected]: DALE C. ANDREWS

Carmeuse Lime & Stone, 412-777-0728, [email protected]: KATHY G. TROOST

University of Washington, 206-909-9757, [email protected] President: GARY C. LUCE

Resource Concepts Inc., 775-690-0537, [email protected]

Association Contacts Headquarters—Association Manager Marrijane Jones

1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H Zanesville, Ohio 43701Phone: 844-331-7867, Fax: [email protected]

AEG Foundation—President: DAVE FENSTER, [email protected]

Communications Directors: MATT BRUNENGO, 503-534-0414, [email protected] and KAMI DEPUTY, [email protected], 425-463-5903

AEG News (ISSN 0899-5788; USPS 954-380) is published six times a year by theAssociation of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG), with the quarterly issuesNos. 1–4, published in March, June, September and December, respectively. TheAnnual Report and Directory issue is published in January. The Annual Meeting Pro-gram with Abstracts issue is published in September. Print copies are distributed atthe meeting. Subscriptions for Association members, which includes all six issues ofthe AEG News, are included in annual membership dues. Nonmember annual sub-scription is $40.00, and includes only the four regular issues (#1–4) of the News. TheAnnual Report and Directory issue and the Annual Meeting Program with Abstractsissue are priced separately. Back issues of the AEG News are $10 each. Inquiriesshould be sent to AEG Headquarters: Marrijane Jones, Association Manager,1100 Brandywine Blvd. Suite H, Zanesville, Ohio 43701 844-331-7867.

Periodical Postage paid at Zanesville, OH, and additional mailing offices: POST-MASTER: Send address changes to AEG News, 1100 Brandywine Blvd. SuiteH Zanesville, Ohio 43701, USA. AEG News is printed by The Ovid Bell Press,Fulton, MO 65251, USA.

© 2015 Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists—All Rights Reserved

Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those officially representing theAssociation of Environmental & Engineering Geologists except where expressly stated.

AEG News Editor Managing Editor/ProductionAnna Saindon Andrea Leigh Ptak Geotechnology, Inc. Communicating Words & Images11816 Lackland Road, Suite 150 6542 52nd Ave. So.St. Louis, MO 63146 Seattle, WA 98118314-581-6286 Office: [email protected] Cell: 206-300-2067

[email protected]

Submission InformationIn order of preference:1. Send files via email, preferably as attachments, to both email addresses

above. Optimum file format is MSWord 2004. Users of other software programs should convert their file to ASCII or text only.

2. Images should be sent as high-resolution jpeg or tiff files. Questions? ContactAndrea Ptak at 206-725-9169/[email protected].

3. The policy of AEG News editorial staff is to limit the credentials of an individualto two. For example, if John Smith has a MS, a PhD and a PG plus a CEG anda CGWP, his credentials would be limited to John Smith PhD, PG, the two principal credentials. BS/BA and MS degrees will not be recognized. No effortwill be made by the AEG News editorial staff to determine if individuals whosecredentials are missing from the submitted copy actually have academic orprofessional credentials, nor will the staff verify the existence or correctnessof the credentials submitted.

For detailed guidelines visit: www.aegweb.org/publications/aeg-news/submit-to-aeg-news

Advertising in the NewsContact AEG Headquarters at [email protected].

Next Submission DeadlineOctober 31, 2015, for the December IssueCanada Agreement number: PM40063731; Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Station A, PO Box54; Windsor, ON N9A 6J5; Email: [email protected]

2015 Annual Meeting – Program with AbstractsNewNews

September 2015 AEG NEWS 58 Annual Meeting Program with Abstracts 1

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

2 AEG NEWS 58 Annual Meeting Program with Abstracts September 2015

EVENT PLACE TIME

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21Registration Grand Ballroom Foyer 8:00am–5:00pm

Field Trip #1: Bolivar Dam Seepage Barrier Construction Project Departs from Hotel Lobby 8:00am–4:00pm

Field Trip #2: Landslides in the Vicinity of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Departs from Hotel Lobby 8:00am–4:30pm

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22Registration Desk Grand Ballroom Foyer 7:00am–5:00pm

AEG Executive Council Meeting Kings Terrace 8:00am–5:00pm

AEG Foundation Board Meeting Chartiers 8:00am–5:00pm

Field Trip #3: All Aboard! Pittsburgh’s Environmental and Engineering Geology from its Waterways Departs from Hotel Lobby 8:00am–3:00pm

Field Trip #4: Rock Cut Slope Construction Along the Ohio River Departs from Hotel Lobby 8:00am–4:30pm

Short Course #1: Rockfall Characterization and Control Rivers 8:00am–5:00pm

Short Course #2: Recent Advances in Deep Foundations Brigade 8:00am–5:00pm

Short Course #3: Professional Ethics for Geoscientists and Engineers Traders 4:00pm–5:00pm

Student/Professional Networking Reception Sterlings 5:15pm–6:15pm

Ice Breaker Reception and Exhibitor Opening Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 6:30pm–8:30pm

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23Registration Desk Grand Ballroom Foyer 7:00am–5:00pm

Committee Room Kings Terrace 7:00am–2:00pm

Speaker Preparation Room Traders 7:00am–5:00pm

Speakers/Moderators’ Breakfast Sterlings 1 7:00am–8:30am

Poster Session Presentations Grand Ballroom Foyer 8:00am–5:00pm

Exhibitors Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 8:00am–5:00pm

Guest Tour #2: Heinz History Center Departs from the Hotel Lobby 9:45am–2:15pm

Opening Session Welcome (Ken Fergason, Dale Andrews and Paul Hale) Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 8:00am–8:10am

AEG Foundation Awards Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 8:10am–8:30am

Keynote Speaker: Of Ice and Waters Flowing – The Geologic History of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers, Dr. John Harper Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 8:30am–9:25am

2015 Karl Terzaghi Lecturer: The Evolution of Specialty Geotechnical Construction Techniques: The “Great Leap” Theory, Dr. Donald Bruce Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 9:25am–10:20am

Mid-Morning Break Exhibit Hall 10:20am–10:40am

2014–15 Jahns Lecturer: Eldon Gath Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 10:40am–11:20am

Introduction of the 2015–16 Jahns Lecturer Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 11:20am–12:00pm

Exhibitors’ Luncheon Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 12:00pm–1:30pm

Dams Technical Working Group Meeting Kings Terrace 12:15pm–1:15pm

Operational Committee’s “Meet and Greet” and Recruitment of Volunteers Kings Terrace 1:15pm–2:00pm

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Schedule of EventsThis schedule will be updated with final locations and times and

provided in your registration package.


EVENT PLACE TIME

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 …Advocacy Committee Workshop Kings Terrace 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #1: Tunneling Symposium Grand Ballroom 3 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #2: Geology of Pittsburgh Grand Ballroom 4 2:00pm–3:20pm

Technical Session #3: Licensure and Professional Practice Grand Ballroom 4 3:40pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #4: Urban Environmental Geology Brigade 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #5: Student/Young Professional Career Discussion Benedum 1:30pm-4:20pm

Technical Session #6: Rockfall Mitigation Rivers 2:00pm–5:00pm

Mid-Afternoon Break Exhibit Hall 3:20pm–3:40pm

Environmental & Engineering Geoscience Board Meeting (Invitation Only) Chartiers 4:30pm–6:00pm

Seismic Risk and Hazards Technical Working Group Kings Terrace 5:00pm–-6:00pm

Special Event: Evening Aboard the Gateway Clipper Departs from the Hotel Lobby 6:00pm–10:00pm

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24Registration Desk Grand Ballroom Foyer 7:00am–5:00pm



Speakers’/Moderators’ Breakfast Sterlings 1 7:00am–8:30am

Poster Session Presentations Grand Ballroom Foyer 8:00am–5:00pm

Exhibitors Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 8:00am–5:00pm

Technical Session #7: Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part I Grand Ballroom 3 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #8: Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium - Part I Grand Ballroom 4 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #9: Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part I Benedum 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #10: Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part I Rivers 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #11: General Landslides - Part I Brigade 8:00am–12:00pm

Guest Tour #3: Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob Departs from Hotel Lobby 8:00am–3:45pm


AEG Awards Luncheon & Corporate Business Meeting Sterlings 2 & 3 12:15pm–1:45pm

Field Trip #5: “Mid-Conference Stretch” Building Pittsburgh –A Walking Tour of Pittsburgh’s Building Stones Departs from Hotel Lobby 1:00pm–4:00pm

Technical Session #12: Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part II Grand Ballroom 3 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #13: Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium - Part II Grand Ballroom 4 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #14: Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part II Brigade 2:00pm–3:20pm

Technical Session #15: Geophysics Brigade 3:40pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #16: Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part II Rivers 2:00pm–5:00pm

Mid-Afternoon Break Exhibit Hall 3:20pm–3:40pm

Poster Presentations Reception Grand Ballroom Foyer 6:00pm–7:00pm

Annual Banquet Grand Ballroom 3 & 4 7:00pm–10:00pm

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


EVENT PLACE TIME

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25Registration Desk Grand Ballroom Foyer 7:00am–5:00pm



Speakers/Moderators’ Breakfast Sterlings 1 7:00am–8:30am

Women in AEG/AWG Breakfast Sterlings 2 7:30am–8:30am

Poster Session Presentations Grand Ballroom Foyer 8:00am–11:30am

Exhibitors Grand Ballroom 1 & 2 8:00am–11:30am

Guest Tour #4: Burgh Bits and Bites Walking Tour Departs from Hotel Lobby 10:00am -12:00pm

Technical Session #17: Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part III Grand Ballroom 3 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #18: Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part III Rivers 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #19: Material Properties Benedum 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #20: Seismic and Environmental Hazards Brigade 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #21: “Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” Symposium - Part I Grand Ballroom 4 9:00am–12:00pm


Town Hall Meeting: AEG’s Governance Restructure Update & Open Discussion Kings Terrace 11:20am–12:00pm

Past Presidents’ Luncheon (Invitation Only) Sterlings 2 12:00pm–1:45pm

Board of Directors’ Orientation Meeting Kings Terrace 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #22: Dam Rehabilitation Symposium - Part IV Grand Ballroom 3 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #23: General Landslides - Part II Rivers 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #24: “Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” Symposium - Part II Grand Ballroom 4 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #25: Hydrogeology Brigade 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #26: Mine Reclamation Benedum 2:00pm–3:20pm

Technical Session #27: Environmental Site Remediation Benedum 3:40pm–5:00pm

Mid-Afternoon Break Grand Ballroom Foyer 3:20pm–3:40pm

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26Short Course #4: Characterization of Rock Core and Borehole Conditions for Engineering & Environmental Projects Rivers 8:00am–5:30pm

Short Course #5: Environmental and Engineering Geology Applications in Marcellus and Utica-Point Pleasant Exploration and Production Brigade 8:00am–4:00pm

AEG Board of Directors’ Meeting Commonwealth 1 & 2 8:00am–5:00pm

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27AEG Board of Directors’ Meeting Commonwealth 1 & 2 8:00am–12:00pm

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


LeavethePaperBehind!AEGHasGoneMobile!Schedule, Maps, Networking and more on your mobile

device—completely FREE!

Visit https://guidebook.com/g/AEG2015 or scan theQR code using your phone to download.

SESSION TIME

WEDNESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 23Sponsored by Gannett Fleming

Opening Session Welcome 8:00am–8:10am

AEG Foundation Awards 8:10am–8:30am

Keynote Speaker: Of Ice and Waters Flowing – The Geologic History of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers, Dr. John Harper 8:30am–9:25am

2015 Karl Terzaghi Lecturer: The Evolution of Specialty Geotechnical Construction Techniques: The “Great Leap” Theory, Dr. Donald Bruce 9:25am–10:20am

Mid-Morning Break 10:20am–10:40am

2014–15 Jahns Lecturer: Eldon Gath 10:40am–11:20am

Introduction of the 2015–16 Jahns Lecturer 11:20am–12:00pm

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, SEPTEMBER 23Technical Session #1: Tunneling Symposium 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #2: Geology of Pittsburgh – Sponsored by HDR, Inc. 2:00pm–3:20pm

Technical Session #3: Licensure and Professional Practice 3:40pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #4: Urban Environmental Geology 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #5: Student/Young Professional Career Discussion 1:30pm-4:20pm

Technical Session #6: Rockfall Mitigation 2:00pm–5:00pm

THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 24Technical Session #7: Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part I – Sponsored by Schnabel Engineering 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #8: Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium - Part I 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #9: Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part I 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #10: Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part I – Sponsored by HDR, Inc. 8:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #11: General Landslides 8:00am–12:00pm

THURSDAY AFTERNOON, SEPTEMBER 24Technical Session #12: Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part II – Sponsored by Schnabel Engineering 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #13: Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium - Part II 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #14: Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part II 2:00pm–3:20pm

Technical Session #15: Geophysics – Sponsored by Spotlight Geophysics 3:40pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #16: Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part II 2:00pm–5:00pm

FRIDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 25Technical Session #17: Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part III – Sponsored by Schnabel Engineering 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #18: Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part III 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #19: Material Properties 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #20: Seismic and Environmental Hazards 9:00am–12:00pm

Technical Session #21: “Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” Symposium - Part I 9:00am–12:00pm

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session Numbers and NamesSee page 33 for full Technical Session listings.

General Co-ChairDale AndrewsCarmeuse Lime & StonePittsburgh, [email protected]

General Co-ChairPaul HaleL.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc.Punxsutawney, [email protected]

Field TripsRich RuffoloGAI ConsultantsHomestead, [email protected]

FinanceNichole J. WendlandtGannett Fleming, Inc. Pittsburgh, PA [email protected]

Guest ToursFaith AndrewsPNC Financial Services [email protected]

Elizabeth MorrisWerner [email protected]

Meeting ManagerHeather ClarkVacaville, [email protected]

Poster SessionBill [email protected]

PublicityNathan SaracenoDiGioia, Gray & Associates, LLCMonroeville, [email protected]

Short CoursesEdward H. BarefieldMichael Baker Jr, Inc.Moon Township, PA 412-375-3224 [email protected]

Abdul Shakoor Kent State UniversityKent, [email protected]

Special EventSteve LadavatDawood Engineering, Inc.Harrisburg, [email protected]

SponsorshipThomas B. SturgesPennsylvania Drilling Co.Imperial, PA [email protected]

Student/Volunteer CoordinationCaleb SturgesPennsylvania Drilling Co.Imperial, PA [email protected]

Janet FolajtarAGES, Inc.Canonsburg, [email protected]

Technical Program CommitteeBrian GreeneGannett FlemingPittsburgh, [email protected]

Matt MorrisGannett FlemingPittsburgh, [email protected]

Abdul Shakoor Kent State UniversityKent, [email protected]

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

EVENT TIME

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, SEPTEMBER 25Technical Session #22: Dam Rehabilitation Symposium - Part IV – Sponsored by Schnabel Engineering 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #23: General Landslides - Part II 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #24: “Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” Symposium - Part II – Sponsored by Schnabel Engineering 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #25: Hydrogeology 2:00pm–5:00pm

Technical Session #26: Mine Reclamation 2:00pm–3:20pm

Technical Session #27: Environmental Site Remediation 3:40pm–5:00pm

2015 Annual Meeting Committee Chairs


AGES, Inc.

BP

Carmeuse Lime & Stone

Dawood Engineering, Inc.

DiGioia, Gray & Associates, LLC

GAI Consultants

Gannett Fleming, Inc.

L.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc.

Kent State University

Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

Pennsylvania Drilling Co.

PNC Financial Services Group

Werner Co.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


AcknowledgementsAEG wishes to acknowledge the following companies/groups for their support with allowing their employees

to assist with the planning of the 2015 Annual Meeting:

Frank Banquets (Technical Program Committee)

Frank Benacquista (Field Trip #3)

Kathleen Bensko (Short Course Committee)

Peggy Bissett (Field Trip Committee)

Karen Rose Cercone (University Coordination Liaison)

Larry Drown (Field Trip #1)

Kristen Enzweiler (Poster Session Committee)

Matt Folk (Field Trip #1)

Ryan Frandray (Planning Committee)

Howard Gault (Field Trip #1)

Tej Gautam (Poster Session Committee)

Richard Gray (Technical Program Committee)

James Hamel (Field Trips #2 & 3)

Bob Hedin (Field Trip #6)

Dan Martt (Field Trip Committee)

Judy Neelan (Field Trip #5)

Bill Niemann (Technical Program Committee)

Paul Painter (Field Trip #4)

David Plas (Planning Committee)

Chuck Schultz (Field Trip #5)

Matt Waugh (Planning Committee)

Jonathan West (Field Trip #1)

Jessica Hostetter (Accounting Manager, Offinger Management Co)

Marrijane Jones (Association Manager, Offinger Management Co)

Yolanda Natividad (Administrative Coordinator, Offinger Management Co)

Amy Campbell (Customer Service, Offinger Management Co)

Special ThanksAEG wishes to thank the following individuals for their assistance with the planning of the 2015 Annual Meeting:

AEG Governance Restructure Update: A Member Town Hall Meeting

Friday, September 25, 2015 – 11:20am-12:00pm – Kings Terrace

A lot of effort is going into bringing about the changes our members asked for out of the needs assessment processthat AEG underwent a couple years back. As part of continual communication of the process, AEG’s leadership will beproviding a 20-minute update on the past year’s efforts with the ongoing Government Restructure. Following theupdate, an additional 20 minutes will be available for open discussion. Please consider joining this session if you areinterested to learn more about why AEG is choosing to adopt a Region-Chapter model, reducing the size our Board of Directors from 30 to 16; and what has necessitated AEG to have an attorney review and restate our bylaws andarticles of incorporation.


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GREETINGS:

It is my pleasure to welcome everyone to the Association of Environmental & EngineeringGeologists (AEG) Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.

To secure a bright future for our commonwealth, it is vital that we invest in education andtraining that is required for rapidly growing industries. Sciences and engineering have beencornerstones of the commonwealth’s economy for generations. Pittsburgh’s very first bridgeswere constructed during the Revolutionary War; the coal, iron and steel industries thrived asthe nation progressed into the 20th century; and today, Pennsylvania proudly displays its richindustrial heritage and urban landscape. I commend those in attendance for their desire tolearn and progress in this industry, and I am certain that AEG will continue to foster technological and educational innovation for many years to come.

As Governor, and on behalf of all of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I amdelighted to welcome everyone to the meeting. Best wishes for a memorable event and continued success.

September 19–26, 2015

225 Main Capitol Building - Harrisburg, PA 17120 - 717-787-2500 - FAX 717-772-8284 - www.pa.gov

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIAOFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

TOM WOLFGovernor

BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGIC SURVEY

An Open Welcome to Members of AEG

Welcome to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the gateway city of Pittsburgh! As a resident of

Pennsylvania, a member of the leadership team of the Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources, the Acting State Geologist of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey (PGS), and most

importantly a fellow geologist, I extend a warm welcome to all of you who are attending AEG’s 58th

annual meeting in Pittsburgh.

The PGS has been investigating how geology affects the lives of Pennsylvania’s citizens for more than

170 years. While the early days were consumed with mineral resources, the last fifty or so years have

seen a significant upswing in engineering and environmental concerns resulting from both natural and

anthropomorphic “geologic” issues. From landslides to surface subsidence to contaminated

groundwater to heaving foundations to oxidizing sulfides, Pennsylvania has experienced a plethora of

“opportunities.” Your meeting here will provide you with abundant examples to view, learn about, and

learn from for your future work. Pittsburgh itself is a city built around bridges, tunnels, and challenging

topography. Take time to get out and visit some of the engineering marvels of your host city and its

surroundings.

The missions of AEG and PGS have much in common—helping the public to understand the impacts of

geology on our lives. We at the Survey welcome you, and invite you to visit our Pittsburgh office where

our staff is knowledgeable about many aspects of the hydrocarbon industry and the local geology.

Should time allow, our Harrisburg office is also open to visits and is home to a staff knowledgeable

about geologic issues from groundwater to landslides, and many interesting topics in-between.

Enjoy!

Gale C. Blackmer, PhD, PG

Acting State Geologist and Director

Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey

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2014 ANNUAL MEETING2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Welcome to the Conference at the Confluence in Pittsburgh, PA. As many of you know, attending the AEG Annual

Meeting is far more than just experiencing an excellent technical pro-gram, but a time to come together as a community of applied geologists. Thecommunity connects through many networks, though ultimately many of us connect as friends. Consider that there are people at this conference whohave been both friends and colleagues for over 50 years!

Of course it’s not the past that we want to concentrate on but the future,so consider that there are a number of people who are attending their firstAnnual Meeting. Please join me in making them feel welcome and helping tobuild those connections that will last for the next 50 years.

We all recognize that we are living more and more in a virtual world andincreasingly attending a technical meeting may not be viewed as a valuable useof a professional’s time (is it billable?). However, I think that those that attend theAnnual Meeting will come away with a very real appreciation of the value ofsuch meetings. As geo-professionals working in an applied world, we all under-stand the value of getting our boots muddy and our hands dirty. Geologistsunderstand that “the field” has value and to get the full understanding of aproblem, fieldwork is necessary to the solution. For technical knowledge, net-working opportunities, short course training, presentation skills, recruiting, etc.,conferences like AEG’s Annual Meeting are “the field” and an invaluable part ofprofessional development. And there are plenty of actual field trips as well.

I urge each of you to take the message back to the office (or equivalent)with you and share it with your colleagues. Be an advocate for your profes-sional development and the opportunities for your colleagues. Tell them whatyou learned, tell them who you met, tell them who was watching you present.Let them know about that new tool or procedure you learned about and howyou think it will work for that project over there. You are a better professionalfor participating in the Annual Meeting.

This meeting presents many opportunities for the development I mentionabove—excellent field trips in Pittsburgh and surrounding regions, technicallysuperb short courses, and the technical sessions and symposia. Learn moreabout dams and dam rehabilitation, learn about landslides and the landslidehazard dilemma that bridges science, policy, public safety, and potential loss.And so much more.

Please enjoy your stay in Pittsburgh and get all that you can out ofthe Annual Meeting. Feel free to stop me to chat about what-

ever is on your mind. And let’s not forget to welcomethe 2015–16 officers—especially our next President,Paul Santi.

Ken C. FergasonAEG 2014–15 President

The Conference at

the Confluence!


The 58th Annual Meeting–

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Conference at

the Confluence!

2014 ANNUAL MEETING

On behalf of the 2015 AnnualMeeting Committee and the

Allegheny-Ohio Section, we warmlywelcome you to the Steel City and the

Keystone State. The members of the Committee have been working forseveral years to bring you the “Conference at the Confluence” and are thrilledthat it is nearly upon us.

We invite you to participate in the many technical and social activities themeeting offers. This program includes all the information for the symposia,technical sessions, poster sessions, field trips, short courses and guest tours.Additionally, it gives information for the ice-breaker reception, lunch anddinner meetings, special event, student activities, and, of course, all of ouramazing exhibitors and sponsors, as well as our awards and awardees andour distinguished lecturers.

The confluence of our three rivers—the Allegheny from the north, Monon-gahela from the south, forming the mighty Ohio to the west—has resulted in alandscape of challenging slopes for a growing urban environment. Just belowthe surface is the Pittsburgh Coal seam, the thickest and mostextensive coal bed in the Appalachian Basin. The legacy of mining can still beseen on several of the field trips offered at the conference. Layer in severalhundred years of industrial heritage and you have present day Pittsburgh, avirtual showcase of engineering geology and environmental opportunities. Wehave selected the area field trips to offer visitors a selection of each of theelements that make the Pittsburgh region a wonderful place to work and live.Field trips run before, during, and after the technical sessions. You canchoose from trips that involve walking, busing, or ferry riding.

Pittsburgh is a thriving city with many attractions. You can experiencemany of these nearby sites through our guest tours or self-guided exploration.Guest tours highlight the cultural diversity and rich history of the area—fromthe dining experiences of the strip district to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwaterand Kentuck Knob. There just wasn’t enough space in the schedule to fit allthe deserving destinations in the area. If you have time, take a short walk orcab ride to the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Natural His-tory, the National Aviary, or one of our many other worthwhile sites.

This is the second time that the Allegheny-Ohio Section has hosted anannual meeting in Pittsburgh. Not only are we recycling the former meeting’shotel 25 years later, we are also recycling several members of the 1990Annual Meeting Committee!

Thank you for coming and enjoy your stay. Let us know if we can helpmake your experience even better.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Welcome to the

58thAEGAnnualMeetingWelcome to the

58thAEGAnnualMeeting

Paul A. HaleGeneral Co-Chair

Dale C.AndrewsGeneral Co-Chair


2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Honorary Members

AbdulShakoor

JamesHamel

AEG confers anhonor of such high

esteem that the distinction is recognizedas a membership class: Honorary Member. This recognitionis given to those persons whose careers have exemplifiedthe ideals of AEG.

Karl and Ruth Terzaghi Mentor AwardDr. Scott Burns

This award, established in 2008, recog-nizes outstanding individuals for theirachievements as Mentors throughouttheir career. The recipient should bean individual who has made lifelong

efforts in providing professional, eth-ical, and technical mentoring for envi-

ronmental and engineering geologists.

Floyd T. Johnston Service AwardHonoring Service to the Association

Marie Marshall GarsjoThis award is presented to aMember for outstanding active andfaithful service to AEG over a min-imum period of nine years to coin-cide with Floyd T. Johnston’s tenureas Executive Director.

Schuster MedalDr. David M. CrudenA joint award from AEG and the Canadian Geotechnical Society

that recognizes excellence in geohazardsresearch in North America. Nominees

must be residents of North America andmeet at least two of the following cri-teria: professional excellence in geo-hazards research with relevance toNorth America; significant contribution

to public education regarding geohaz-ards; international recognition for a profes-

sional career in geo hazards; influentialgeohazards research or development of methods or tech-niques; or teacher of geohazards students.

Douglas R. Piteau Outstanding Young Member Nathan R. SaracenoThis award is presented to a Member orAssociate Member who is age 35 orunder and has excelled in the followingareas: technical accomplishment,service to the Association, and serviceto the engineering geology profession.

Student Professional PaperBenjamin D. HaugenThe Association acknowledges thework of geology students by the

Student Professional Paper Contest.

Claire P. Holdredge AwardNazrul I. Khandaker

The Association’s highest publicationaward, the Claire P. Holdredge Award, is presented to an AEG Member who hasproduced a publication within the past fiveyears that is adjudged to be an outstandingcontribution to the Environmental and EngineeringGeology Profession.

Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer in Engineering Geology

Jerome V. DeGraffA joint committee of AEG and the Engineering Geology Division of theGeological Society of Americaselects the Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer. The Lecturer

presents an annual series of lecturesat academic institutions in order to

increase awareness of students aboutcareers in Engineering Geology.

AEG Service Award (one-time special award)Karen E. SmithAEG will be recognizing Karen E. Smithfor her many years of service and impor-tant, behind the scenes work as EditorialAssistant for AEG News and Environmental& Engineering Geoscience (E&EG).

AEG 2015 Awardees

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Beardsley-Kuper Field Camp ScholarshipAnn Sutton TeichmillerUniversity of Mississippi No Photo Available

Darren SeidelAngelo State University The Beardsley-Kuper Field CampScholarship Fund is proud toannounce its fifth annual awards.Funds are intended to support geology

field camp expenses with applied envi-ronmental and engineering geology that

will be useful to the students’ future professionas an environmental or engineer geologist.

Marliave ScholarshipLauren Schaefer

Michigan Technological University

The Marliave Scholarship Fund wasestablished in 1968 to honor the lateChester E. Marliave, Burton H. Mar-liave, and Elmer C. Marliave, outstandingengineering geologists and supporters of AEG.The funds are distributed as grants, which are intended to support academic activity and reward outstanding scholarshipin Engineering Geology and Geological Engineering.

Stout Scholarship

Sara Lindsey PolugaKent State UniversityGraduate Division– 1st Place

StephanieGugolz

University of GeorgiaGraduate Division – 2nd Place

Justin AlfordEast Carolina UniversityUndergraduate Division – 1st Place, No Photo Available

Robert HuberRadford UniversityUndergraduate Division – 2nd Place, No Photo Available

Dr. Martin L. Stout was Professor of Geology at California StateUniversity, Los Angeles from 1960 to 1990. He is rememberedby all of his students for his passionate and insightful instruction inengineering geology. Dr. Stout was well known for his expertise on

mega landslides, his worldly travels, his good humor, and his gracious manner. This scholarship supports his legacy.

Christopher C. Mathewson Scholarship

Richard GoldbergUniversity of Texas – Arlington

Graduate Division, No Photo Available

Kimberly Belle BarryUniversity of Texas Arlington

Undergraduate Division

Norman R. Tilford Field Study Scholarships

David KorteKent State University

PhD Division

AnnettePattonColorado StateUniversityMasters Division

Sara FischerIndiana University–Purdue University

– Ft. WayneUndergraduate Division

The scholarships are awarded for thesummer field season and were establishedin memory of Norman R. Tilford, who was a leader in engi-neering geology and a professor of engineering geology atTexas A&M University. Norm died in late 1997 while flying hissmall aircraft to meet a student field trip. Norm was dedi-cated to teaching geology in the field and these scholarshipswill support his legacy.

West-Gray ScholarshipPatrick Beaudry

CUNY – Queens College

Established in 2014 with initialfunding provided as a gift from AEGPast Presidents Terry R. West andRichard E. Gray, this fund supports

undergraduate and graduate geologystudents in the eastern half of the United

States through scholarship grants.

AEG Foundation 2015 Scholars


Access Limited Construction – Booth #4225 Suburban Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401805-592-2230www.accesslimitedconstruction.com Contact: Kevin Wiesman, [email protected]

Access Limited Construction is a General Contractor special-izing in rockfall mitigation, slope stabilization, designing andinstalling rockfall protection, and performing difficult accessdrilling throughout the United States.

ADAM Technology – Booth #12Suite 3, 41 Belmont Ave. Belmont, WA 6104 Australia(61) 8 94795575www.adamtech.com.auContact: Kevin Ha, [email protected]

3DM Analyst Mine Mapping Suite – Digital photogrammetricsoftware used in terrestrial, aerial and underground applica-tions. Examples include resource modelling, surveying, geotechnical and geological analysis, blast profiles, stockpilevolume measurement and a variety of other tasks. All are performed from a safe distance when combined with 3DM CalibCam, our block adjustment software. Large projects canbe undertaken with high accuracy using minimal control.

Appalachian Geophysical Surveys – Booth #485511 Greensburg Rd, Apollo, PA 15613-1737724-327-8119www.appageos.com Contact: Craig Clemmens, [email protected]

Geophysical Borehole logging services for hydrological studiesand rock mechanics.

Applus RTD – Booth #913131 Dairy Ashford Rd, Suite 230, Sugar Land, TX 77478832-295-5024www.ApplusRTD.us Contact: Martin Derby, [email protected]

Applus RTD is a leading global industry service provider, deliv-ering technical assurance through non-destructive testing,inspection, and certification to the capital-intensive, high-risk,utility and infrastructure industries in every region of the world.

Association of Environmental & EngineeringGeologists – Registration Area 1100-H Brandywine Blvd., Zanesville, OH 43701844-331-7867, Fax 740-452-2552www.aegweb.orgContact: [email protected]

AEG welcomes you to Pittsburgh! We hope your stay is filledwith informative technical sessions, great meals, and of courselots of networking.

Association of Environmental & EngineeringGeologists 2016 Annual Meeting – Registration AreaContacts: Ken Neal, [email protected] and Steve Evans,[email protected]

AEG is pleased to host the 2016 Annual meeting in Kona,Hawaii. Stop by our booth to get all of the details.

Association of Environmental & EngineeringGeologists Foundation – Booths #1–317926 Dixie Highway, Suite B Homewood, IL 60430312-403-0846www.aegfoundation.org, [email protected]: Patty Bryan, [email protected]

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


ExhibitorsOur exhibitors offer an excellent platform to interact one-on-one with you and your company. Your active interest and participationduring the exhibit hours will help to ensure that vendor support will remain strong during the years to come. Remember, withoutthese exhibitors, AEG would not be able to offer the special touches that make our 2015 Annual Meeting a “step above the rest.”

Be sure to:● Visit each and every booth

● Express your needs

● Ask questions and get answers

● Learn about new products and services

Exhibit Hours:Tuesday September 22 6:30 pm–8:30 pmWednesday September 23 8:00 am–5:00 pmThursday September 24 8:00 am–5:00 pmFriday September 25 8:00 am–11:30 am

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Bucks Geophysical Corporation – Booth #31PO Box 249, Ottsville, PA 18942484-833-3003, Fax 484-833-3004www.bucksgeophysical.comContact: Matthew J. McMillen, [email protected]

Bucks Geophysical Corporation is a full service geophysicalconsulting firm specializing in near-surface and borehole investi-gations. Our capabilities include EM, GPR, MAG, Seismic, Resis-tivity, VLF, utility locating, small-diameter video pipe inspectionsand tracing, and geophysical borehole surveys.

Cascade Drilling – Booth #161010 Greene Street, Marietta, OH 45750614-402-1808www.cascadedrilling.com Contact: Steve Bratton, [email protected]

Cascade Drilling, (formally Boart Longyear E&I) is a world wideprovider of drilling services specializing in the application ofour Sonic drilling system for geotechnical professionals. Wehave applied the sonic system for numerous soft groundtunnel, dam, geotechnical investigation, and geotechnical con-struction projects globally in support of both design and con-struction effort. For more information on our Sonic systemvisit our website.

Collier Consulting, Inc. – Booth #33590 E. South Loop, Stephenville, TX 76401817-915-6174www.collierconsulting.comContact: Rusty Branch, [email protected]

Specializing in surface and borehole geophysics includingdetection, delineation and characterization of a wide variety ofsubsurface features and areas of geologic concern. Servicesinclude top of rock profiling, fault studies, environmental sitecharacterization, karst investigations, and more. Our toolboxincludes seismic, resistivity, EM, mag, gravity, and GPR. Wework on land and water.

ConeTec Inc. – Booth #17606-S Roxbury Industrial Ctr., Charles City, VA 23030800-504-1116www.conetec.com Contact: Mark Knolle, [email protected]

ConeTec is an international site investigation company withoffices throughout the Americas. ConeTec specializes in thedesign and use of in-situ soil testing equipment worldwide.ConeTec designs, builds and operates the most advanced in-situ testing equipment available including a wide range of conepenetration testing (CPT) probes, sampling systems, seismicequipment, geophysical tools and a fleet of purpose built in-situtesting vehicles, drill rigs, and offshore systems. All field investi-gations are performed by specially trained personnel and

supported by experienced site investigation professionals inorder to provide the highest quality site investigation.

Diedrich Drill, Inc. – Booth #575 Fisher Street, LaPorte, IN 46359219-716-5505www.diedrichdrill.com Contact: Rob Caho, [email protected]

Diedrich Drill manufactures a complete line of geotechnical,environmental, drilling rigs and tooling.

Environmental Risk Information Services(ERIS) – Booth #4038 Lesmill Road, Unit 2, Toronto ON M3B 2T5866-517-5204, x43713www.erisinfo.com Contact: Brayden Ford, [email protected]

Environmental Risk Information Services (ERIS) provides com-prehensive data to assess environmental risk for properties inall 50 states. ERIS delivers accurate, affordable, on-demandradius database reports and historical products for Phase I/II,remediation, loan/insurance assessment, or legal due diligenceand meets criteria set by the American Society for Testing andMaterials (ASTM).

Field Environmental Instruments, Inc. – Booth #36301 Brushton Avenue, Suite A, Pittsburgh, PA 15221412-436-2600www.fieldenvironmental.com

Contact: Mitchell Brourman, [email protected]

Field Environmental Instruments (FEI), headquartered in Pitts-burgh, serves the nation’s environmental industry professionalslooking for rental equipment and instruments, health and safetyitems, and supplies. Technical and field expertise supportsproject sites before, during, and after the rental period.

GAI Consultants, Inc. – Booth #20385 E Waterfront Dr, Homestead, PA 15120-5005412-476-2000www.gaiconsultants.comContact: Rich Ruffolo, [email protected]

GAI Consultants, Inc. helps clients manage their ground mate-rials and geologic processes that affect their facilities, proper-ties, and project sites. Our geotechnical engineers andgeologists are highly experienced in the principles of engi-neering, geology, soil and rock mechanics, foundation engi-neering, and subsidence.


2015 ANNUAL MEETING


2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Gannett Fleming, Inc. – Booth #43270 Senate Ave., Camp Hill, PA 17011717-763-7211, Fax 717-761-7059www.gannettfleming.com Contact: Brian Greene, [email protected]

Gannett Fleming provides a full range of geotechnical and geological services, ranging from foundations, dams, andlevees, to earth retaining structures, tunnels and mining operations. These services include geotechnical analysis, digitalphotogrammetry, drilling and geophysics, site characterization,instrumentation, ground modification, design of earth struc-tures, and groundwater studies. One of only 27 ENR Top 100Firms to be ISO 9001:2008 certified, Gannett Fleming hasmore than 60 offices worldwide.

Geobrugg North America, LLC – Booth #1922 Centro Algodones, Algodones, NM 87001505-771-4080, Fax 505-771-4081www.geobrugg.comContact: Tim Shevlin, [email protected]

Geobrugg is the world leader in the design and fabrication ofprotection systems using high-tensile steel wire mesh and net-ting. With standard or customized solutions, years of experi-ence, leading Swiss technology, and collaboration withuniversities and research institutes, Geobrugg is a reliablepartner and the performance benchmark in the industry.

Geokon, Inc. – Booth #1848 Spencer Street, Lebanon, NH 03766603-448-1562, Fax 603-448-3216www.geokon.comContact: Martin Gradijan, [email protected]

Geokon manufactures a full range of high quality geotechnicalinstrumentation suitable for monitoring the safety and stability of avariety of civil and mining structures including dams, tunnels, foun-dations, mine openings, piles, etc. Geokon's product line includespiezometers, pressure cells, strain gauges, inclinometers, loadcells, extensometers, settlement systems, dataloggers, etc.

Geo-Solutions, Inc. – Booth #341250 Fifth Avenue, New Kensington, PA 15068724-335-7273www.geo-solutions.comContact: Ken Andromalos, [email protected]

GeoSolutions is a national leader in full service environmentalremediation and geotechnical contracting, working nationwidein the areas of subsurface stabilization, remedial actions,groundwater control and subgrade improvement. GeoSolutionsoffers innovative, cost-effective and practical solutions to envi-ronmental and civil engineering problems involving soil andgroundwater. The senior managers of GeoSolutions have beenin the forefront of numerous construction technologies includingsoil mixing, jet grouting, slurry walls, biopolymer collectiontrenches, and other grouting services. We have over 200 yearsof combined experience in the specialty construction industryand have worked for a range of clients including those in boththe public and private sector.

GEOVision, Inc. – Booth #451124 Olympic Dr., Corona, CA 92881951-549-1234, Fax 951-549-1236www.geovision.comContact: John Diehl, [email protected]

GEOVision services include geophysical measurement, analysis,and monitoring. We specialize in non-invasive methods of inves-tigation that may reduce the overall cost and liability in engi-neering and environmental projects. The use of geophysics canprovide a better understanding of subsurface geologic andhydrologic conditions; subsurface infrastructure; engineeringproperties of soil and rock; and earthquake hazard.

Hayward Baker Inc. (HBI) - Booth #4453 Century Blvd., Suite 200, Nashville TN 37214. 615-838-9014 x 12301 www.haywardbaker.comContact: Micheal Marasa, [email protected]

Hayward Baker Inc. (HBI), a Keller company, provides design-build geotechnical solutions for problems faced by environ-mental and engineering geologists. Our techniques addressissues such as groundwater control, liquefaction mitigation,landslides, structural support, and soil stabilization for softground tunneling. HBI is annually ranked #1 in the profession by Engineering News-Record.

The Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists (AEG), as part of its Annual Meeting, provides an exhibit area with special events. The sole purpose of this exhibi-tion is to provide the attendees of the meeting with an opportunity to view current and relevant products and services that may be of interest to working engineering geolo-gists, environmental geologists, and hydrogeologists. AEG makes no claims or representations with respect to the quality, performance, or fitness for any purpose, of anygiven product or service that an exhibitor(s) may offer at the conference. AEG makes no endorsement of any product or service. AEG makes no warranty either expressedor implied with respect to any product or service offered at the conference. The quality, performance and/or warranty of any product or service offered at the conferenceis the exclusive, sole and complete responsibility of the exhibitor(s). AEG shall assume no responsibility for or liability resulting from the representations made by anyexhibitor(s) for any product or service offered at the conference.

The Exhibitors’Luncheon

Sponsored by Environmental Risk Information Services

Wednesday, September 23Grand Ballroom 1 & 2, Noon–1:30pm

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

HI-TECH Rockfall – Booth #38PO Box 674, Forest Grove, OR 97116503-357-6508, Fax 503-357-7323www.hitechrockfall.com Contact: Dane Wagner, [email protected]

HI-TECH is a General Contractor who specializes in rockfall miti-gation and installs rockfall protection systems throughout theUnited States. HI-TECH constructs a vast array of rockfall miti-gation systems in a variety of locations such as highways, rail-roads, dams, quarries, mines, construction sites, commercial,and residential properties. Protection Systems and Servicesinclude, but are not limited to: wire mesh drapery, cable netdrapery, rockfall catchment barriers, rock scaling, debris flowsystems, rock dowels, and rock bolts.

Howard Concrete Pumping Co., Inc. – Booth #27701 Millers Run Rd., Cuddy, PA 15031412-257-1800www.howardconcretepumping.com Contact: Arik Way, [email protected]

Howard Concrete Pumping Co., Inc. is a specialty geotechnicalconstruction company specializing in mine stabilization bydrilling and grouting, soil mixing/ground improvement, rockanchors, micropiles, retaining walls, compaction grouting, flow-able fills, and manufacturing of roller compacted concrete.

L.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc. – Booth #371857 Woodland Ave. Ext., Punxsutawney, PA 15767814-938-7370www.hetager.com Contact: Paul Hale, [email protected]

L.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc. has provided quality innovativedrilling services to its clients since 1952. The majority of ourrigs were built in-house in our 1,600-Sq.-Ft. headquartersfacility in Punxsutawney, PA. Our rigs were built by drillers fordrillers to help them help our clients achieve their goals asexpeditiously as possible.

LIM Technology, Inc. – Booth #113495 Piedmont Rd NE – Bldg. 11, Ste. 710, Atlanta, GA 30305404-661-5299www.lim.euContact: Pierre de Groulard, [email protected]

Specializing in drilling data logging equipment, drilling parame-ters recorders, CPT datalogging, borehole log software (cloudbased), and borehole logging & imaging equipment.

LogitEasy (SIA ICD Logs) – Booth #2447-30 157th Street, Flushing, NY 11355914-434-6358www.logiteasy.comContact: John Maris Gobins, [email protected]

LogitEasy is a geoconsulting industry service that enables youto obtain high-quality boring logs for a fixed fee using one ofthree options: 1) Log borings electronically on our field form foriPads, 2) Enter your field notes into our web-based desktopsoftware, or, 3) Send us your field notes for drafting into logs.

Maccaferri, Inc. – Booth #2610303 Governor Lane Blvd., Williamsport, MD 21795301-223-6910, Fax 301-223-4590www.maccaferri-usa.comContact: Ghislain Brunet, [email protected]

Maccaferri has locations in over 100 countries. Traditionally,Maccaferri was known for their double-twist wire mesh prod-ucts, like Gabions, but has expanded its product range toinclude erosion control, retaining walls, reinforced soil slopes,roads and pavement, rockfall mitigation, marine and coastalprotection, and mining solutions.

Midwest GeoSciences Group – Booth #106771 County Road 8 SW, Waverly, MN 55390763-607-0092www.midwestgeo.com Contact: Dan Kelleher, [email protected]

Creating meaningful environmental and engineering educationalexperiences is the main objective for the Midwest GeoSciencesGroup. We collaborate with experts to create field tools such asthe Field Guide for Soil and Stratigraphic Analysis and the FieldGuide for Slug Testing and Data Analysis—our most popularitems. We are proud to partner with AEG for online educationalevents such as webinars. AEG members benefit from reducedregistrations coupled with getting access to teach in front of aglobal audience.

Mount Sopris Instrument Company, Inc. –Booth #134975 E. 41st Avenue, Denver, CO 80216303.279.3211 ext. 103www.mountsopris.comContact: John Stowell, [email protected]

Mount Sopris Instruments is a leading manufacturer of slimborehole geophysical logging systems for the engineering,geotech, groundwater, and environmental industries and fea-tures a complete range of downhole probes, rugged winches,data loggers, and best-in-class WellCAD software. We offermeasurements for oriented fracture and structural analysis,borehole imaging, rock properties, lithology characterization,and groundwater solutions.


National Association of State Boards ofGeology (ASBOG) – Booth #14700 S.W. Harrison Street, Topeka, KS 66603-3745785-291-3860www.asbog.org Contact: Robert Henthorne, [email protected]

Professional licensure examinations

Nicholson Construction Company – Booth #3212 McClane Street, Cuddy, PA 15057412-221-4500www.nicholsonconstruction.comContact: Gretchen Connelly, [email protected]

Nicholson is a versatile geotechnical contractor specializing indeep foundations, earth retention and ground treatment. As theNorth American subsidiary of Soletanche Bachy, one of theworld’s leading geotechnical contractors, we are part of aglobal network of geotechnical resources and expertise. Wework in a wide range of industries and environments, frompower plants and dams, to bridges and skyscrapers. Headquar-tered in Pittsburgh, Nicholson has offices around the country toaddress each region’s unique geotechnical construction needs.

Northwest Geophysics – Booth #1518392 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA 98052425-306-0174www.northwestgeophysics.comContact: Matt Benson, [email protected]

Northwest Geophysics is an equipment lease company special-izing in land, marine, borehole logging and NDE geophysicalinstruments for the engineering and environmental communities.

Olson Engineering, Inc. – Booth #2912401 W 49th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033303-883-2013, Fax 303-423-6071www.olsonengineering.comContact: Paul Schwering, [email protected]

Olson Engineering, Inc., specializes in solving problems forengineers regarding structural and infrastructure conditionassessment, and geoscientists regarding geological and geot-echnical problems needing site characterization. The companyexpertly applies both NDE and engineering geophysicalmethods to provide superior structural assessment and subsur-face imaging to our customers. Olson also designs, assemblesand distributes world class NDT instrumentation.

PennDrill Manufacturing – Booth #28500 Thompson Ave., McKees Rocks, PA 15136412-771-2110www.penndrillmanufacturing.com Contact: Thomas B. Sturges, [email protected]

Specializing in foundation drilling tools, construction augers,deep soil mixing tools, colloidal grout plants, portable electricsilos, automated grout plants, and micropile to 24-inch diam-eter. In addition to our Pennsylvania branch, we have offices inWinchester, VA, and Perris, CA.

Pennsylvania Drilling Co. – Booth #21281 Route 30, Imperial, PA 15126-1240724-695-2400, Fax 724-695-2455www.pennsylvaniadrillingco.com Contact: Thomas B. Sturges, [email protected]

Providing geotechnical and environmental drilling services

Pyramid Environmental & Engineering –Booth #23503 Industrial Ave., Greensboro, NC 27406336-335-3174, Fax 336-691-0648Contact: Doug Canavello, [email protected]

Specializing in environmental and engineering geophysical sur-veys including seismic, resistivity, ground penetrating radar,and EM. Experience in international work.

Ruen Drilling, Inc. - Booth #42PO Box 267, Clark Fork, ID 83811208-266-1151www.ruendrilling.comContact: Arlan Ruen, [email protected]

Ruen Drilling, established in 1974, provides drilling servicesincluding surface, underground and horizontal directional coredrilling for the geotechnical, exploration and geothermal indus-tries throughout the U.S. and South America. Available drillingequipment includes truck, track, skid and helicopter supportedcore drills. Rig capacities are 10,000 ft vertical or angle and3,000 ft horizontal.

Schnabel Engineering – Booth #4711-A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407336-274-9456www.schnabel-eng.com Contact: Gary Rogers, [email protected]

Schnabel Engineering is an ENR Top 10 geotechnical engi-neering firm serving our clients with geologic, engineeringgeology, and engineering expertise on transportation, dam,tunnel, and large civil projects. Schnabel’s integrated geophysi-cists also provide a full suite of investigation technologies tounderstand unseen conditions and provide focused solutions.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Sisgeo North America – Booth #5124 Celestial Drive, Suite A, Narragansett, RI 02882401-782-1045www.sisgeo-northamerica.comContact: Kenny Campbell, [email protected]

Specializing in geotechnical instrumentation, SIGs-NorthAmerica provides geotechnical and structural instruments tothe North American market.

Terra Testing, Inc. – Booth #56260 Meadowlands Blvd., Washington, PA 15301724-746-9100www.terratestinginc.comContact: Michael Tiani, [email protected]

Specializing in geotechnical and environmental drilling services.Founded in 1972 and incorporated in 1981, Terra Testing has23 rigs and an airknife. We have West Virginia Certified WellInstallers. Our crews are safety trained with MSHA, OSHA,Range, Safeland, Noble, Hess, First aid, Williams, CSX. Terra is100% disabled veteran owned.

THG Geophysics, Ltd. – Booth #414280 Old William Penn Way, Murrysville, PA 15668724-325-3996www.geo-image.com Contact: Kate McKinley, [email protected]

Services offered by the THG Geophysics include a variety of geo-physical data collection that provides clients with detailed mapsand data often before our team leaves the field. All of our servicesprovide our clients with data that helps them focus their investiga-tions or improve the accuracy of their design specifications.

Triggs Technologies, Inc. – Booth #3933977 Chardon Rd., Willoughby Hills, OH 44094-8497440-585-0111www.triggstechnologies.comContact: Lisa Greene, [email protected]

Triggs Technologies, Inc. manufactures and sells the WILDCATdynamic cone penetrometer, which hundreds of engineering andgeological firms use to derive foundation bearing capacities.

University of Pennsylvania – Booth #25269 Hayden Hall, 240 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104215-573-9145www.sas.upenn.edu/earth/graduate/professional-masters-programsContact: Sally Cardy, [email protected]

Yvette Bordeaux, Program Director

The Master of Science in Applied Geosciences (MSAG) degreeoffers students a specialized degree that combines knowledge

in theoretical areas of geology with technical expertise in geo-chemistry, geophysics, hydrogeology, and engineering geology.Students pursuing their MSAG at Penn may concentrate in oneof three areas: Environmental Geology, Engineering Geology,and Hydrogeology. Similar to the MES program, the MSAGdegree is administered by the College of Liberal and Profes-sional Studies in collaboration with the Department of Earth &Environmental Science.

VERTEK CPT – A Division of ARA – Booth#30250 Beanville Road, Randolph, Vermont 05060802-728-4588www.vertekcpt.com Contact: Ryan Langlois, [email protected]

VERTEK is a world leader in the development and manufac-turing of advanced in-situ soil testing apparatus. VERTEK, a division of Applied Research Associates, Inc., has over 30years of experience developing and building cone penetrometertesting (CPT) technologies, as well as environmental testing andmonitoring equipment for soil and groundwater.

X2 Environmental Contracting, Inc. – Booth #496689 Peachtree Ind. Blvd. Ste L, Peachtree Corners, GA30092770-335-3919www.x2ec.comContact: Michael McJilton, [email protected]

Professional engineers, scientists, and technicians supportingenvironmental consultants with corrective action contractingservices from technology selection, system design and fabrica-tion, to installation and full service operations & maintenance.X2 staff has decades of practical experience in all aspects ofenvironmental remediation; we work seamlessly with our clientsto deliver efficient, compliant projects.

Zonge International, Inc. – Booth #463322 E. Fort Lowell Rd., Tucson, AZ 85716520.327.5501www.zonge.com Contact: Emmett V Reed (Van), [email protected]

Geophysical services provided by Zonge International includeseismic, GPR, ground magnetics and gravity, along with Zongeelectromagnetic and resistivity surveys. Whether the need is forgeophysical tools able to detail near-surface geology or investi-gate deeper geologic features, Zonge International is able toprovide geophysical services suitable for your needs.


2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Exhibitor Hall A

EG

2015 Exhibit H

all Floor Plan

AEG Foundation Silent Auction

Energizing the Seismic Risks and Hazards Technical Working Group

Special Meeting: Wednesday, September 23rd, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm King’s Terrace

The dramatic increase in seismic activity in the central and eastern United States have prompted us to address thecauses and consequences of these events to reduce associated risks. This is an opportunity for AEG members tocontribute their technical resource to the increasing seismic risk and hazards in the United States. As an effort toenergize and reform the AEG Seismic Risks and Hazards Technical Working Group, there will be a group meetingduring the 58th AEG Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh.

The meeting would provide an opportunity to join the technical working group, coordinate technical articles for AEGpublications, and contribute your expertise in advancing our knowledge on seismic risks and hazards. Therefore, ifyou are interested, please join us for this important technical working group meeting.

For more information contact Seismic Risk and Hazards Technical Working Group Co-Chairs Thomas [email protected] or Phyllis Steckel [email protected]

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

At Press Time:Mobile AppCarmeuse Lime & Stone3600 Neville Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15225-1416412-777-0728www.carmeusena.comContact: Dale Andrews, [email protected]

Field Trips:Field Trip #1: Bolivar Dam Seepage Barrier Construc-tion Project (9/21)Abdul [email protected]

Field Trip #2: Landslides in the Vicinity of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania (9/21)Howard Concrete Pumping Co., Inc.701 Millers Run Rd., Cuddy, PA 15031412-257-1800www.howardconcretepumping.comContact: Arik Way, [email protected]

Howard Concrete Pumping Co. Inc. is a specialty geotechnicalconstruction company specializing in mine stabilization bydrilling and grouting, soil mixing/ground improvement, rockanchors, micropiles, and retaining walls.

Field Trip #3: All Aboard! Pittsburgh’s Environmentaland Engineering Geology from its Waterways (9/22)Duane [email protected]

and

L.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc. 1857 Woodland Ave. Ext., Punxsutawney, PA 15767814-938-7370www.hetager.com Contact: Paul Hale, [email protected]

L.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc., has provided quality innovativedrilling services to its clients since 1952. The majority of ourrigs were built in-house in our 1,600-sq ft headquarters facilityin Punxsutawney, PA. Our rigs were built by drillers, for drillers,to help them help our clients achieve their goals as expedi-tiously as possible.

Short Course#4: Characterization of Rock Core and Borehole Con-ditions for Engineering & Environmental ProjectsS&ME, Inc.3201 Spring Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27616540-400-6926www.smeinc.comContact: Jason Murphy, [email protected]

Student Professional Networking Reception Bryan Environmental Consultants, Inc.17926 Dixie Hwy, Suite B, Homewood, IL 60430708-922-9020www.bryanenv.comContact: Patricia Bryan, [email protected]

Bryan Environmental Consultants, Inc., is an expert in environ-mental assessments; site investigations; brownfield redevelop-ment; and remediation services for industry, lawyers, banks andmortgage owners, and municipalities. We combine our experi-ence and expertise with efficient and cutting edge technologyand state and federal regulations in order to deliver timely andquality environmental services at an affordable price. Our focusis always on our clients.

and

AEG Carolinas Sectionwww.aegcarolinas.org

AEG’s Carolinas Section has been active since its establishmentin 1988. AEG Carolinas Section serves the environmental andengineering profession, as well as the public in North and SouthCarolina.

Icebreaker ReceptionGeobrugg North America, LLC 22 Centro Algodones, Algodones, NM 87001505-771-4080, Fax 505-771-4081www.geobrugg.comContact: Tim Shevlin, [email protected]

Geobrugg is the world leader in the design and fabrication ofprotection systems using high-tensile steel wire mesh and net-ting. With standard or customized solutions, years of experi-ence, leading Swiss technology, and collaboration withuniversities and research institutes, Geobrugg is a reliablepartner and the performance benchmark in the industry.

SponsorsWithout the help and financial support of the following individuals and companies, it would be impossible to plan the qualitymeeting to which AEG members have become accustomed.


2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Exhibitor LuncheonEnvironmental Risk Information Services (ERIS)38 Lesmill Road, Unit 2, Toronto ON M3B 2T5866-517-5204 x43713www.erisinfo.com Contact: Brayden Ford, [email protected]

Environmental Risk Information Services (ERIS) provides com-prehensive data to assess environmental risk for properties inall 50 states. ERIS delivers accurate, affordable, on-demandradius database reports and historical products for Phase I/II,remediation, loan/insurance assessment, or legal due diligenceand meets criteria set by the American Society for Testing andMaterials (ASTM).

Annual BanquetSteele and Associates, LLC2390 Forest St., Denver, CO 80207-3261303-333-6071Contact: Susan Steele Weir, [email protected]

A woman-owned engineering geology consulting firm, Steeleand Associates provides project peer review for dam and tunnelconstruction projects and slope stabilization projects.

and

AEG Oregon Sectionwww.aegoregon.org

As the Oregon Section of the Association of Environmental &Engineering Geologists, we are an organization which providesleadership in the development and application of geologic principles and knowledge to serve engineering, environmentaland public needs.

Awards Luncheon & Corporate Business Meeting AEG Carolinas Sectionwww.aegcarolinas.org

The Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists(AEG) Carolinas Section has been in existence as a Section ofAEG since 1988. AEG Carolinas Section serves the environ-mental & engineering profession and the public in North andSouth Carolina.

Past President’s LuncheonDept. of Geology, San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA, 95192-0102408-924-5011www.sjsugeology.orgContact: John W. Williams, Professor of Geology,[email protected]

California’s San Jose State University offers an academic pro-gram in geology leading to a Master’s Degree with emphasis onengineering geology.

Women in AEG/AWG BreakfastL.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc. 1857 Woodland Ave. Ext., Punxsutawney, PA 15767814-938-7370www.hetager.com Contact: Paul Hale, [email protected]

L.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc., has provided quality innovativedrilling services to its clients since 1952. The majority of ourrigs were built in-house in our 1,600-sq ft headquarters facilityin Punxsutawney, PA. Our rigs were built by drillers, for drillers,to help them help our clients achieve their goals as expedi-tiously as possible.

and

Gill Editing OnlineContact: Jane Gill-Shaler, [email protected]

Student Mini Grant ProgramAEG Carolinas Sectionwww.aegcarolinas.org

AEG’s Carolinas Section has been active since its establishmentin 1988. AEG Carolinas Section serves the environmental andengineering profession, as well as the public in North and SouthCarolina.

and

Bryan Environmental Consultants, Inc.17926 Dixie Highway, Suite B, Homewood, IL 60430708-922-9020www.bryanenv.comContact: Patricia Bryan, [email protected]

Bryan Environmental Consultants, Inc., is an expert in environ-mental assessments; site investigations; brownfield redevelop-ment; and remediation services for industry, lawyers, banks andmortgage owners, and municipalities. We combine our experi-ence and expertise with efficient and cutting edge technologyand state and federal regulations in order to deliver timely andquality environmental services at an affordable price. Our focusis always on our clients.

University ShowcaseBe sure to view the University Showcase near registra-tion! We will be spotlighting the work being done ineducation and research by universities across theregion by running a continuous slide show during theconference.

Opening Session Gannett Fleming, Inc. 270 Senate Ave., Camp Hill, PA 17011717-763-7211, Fax 717-761-7059www.gannettfleming.com Contact: Brian Greene, [email protected]

Gannett Fleming provides a full range of geotechnical and geological services, ranging from foundations, dams, andlevees, to earth retaining structures, tunnels and mining operations. These services include geotechnical analysis, digitalphotogrammetry, drilling and geophysics, site characterization,instrumentation, ground modification, design of earth struc-tures, and groundwater studies. One of only 27 ENR Top 100Firms to be ISO 9001:2008 certified, Gannett Fleming hasmore than 60 offices worldwide.

Speaker/Moderator BreakfastsX2 Environmental Contracting, Inc. 6689 Peachtree Ind. Blvd. Ste L, Peachtree Corners, GA30092770-335-3919www.x2ec.comContact: Michael McJilton, [email protected]

Professional engineers, scientists, and technicians supportingenvironmental consultants with corrective action contractingservices from technology selection, system design and fabrica-tion, to installation and full service operations & maintenance.X2 staff has decades of practical experience in all aspects ofenvironmental remediation; we work seamlessly with our clientsto deliver efficient, compliant projects.

All Day Coffee StationsTuesdayCeltic Earth ConsultingContact: Steve Evans, [email protected]

WednesdayDiGioia Gray & Associates, LLC570 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA 15146724-254-6446www.digioiagray.comContact: Paula Deasy, [email protected]

DiGioia Gray & Associates, LLC, is led by internationallyrespected engineers and geologists and has extensive experi-ence providing comprehensive consulting services. DiGioia Grayoffers interdisciplinary, full-service expertise from planning anddesign through construction, operation, maintenance, and reha-bilitation. With our experts as your trusted advisors, we committo provide practical, economical, and reliable solutions thatexceed your expectations.

ThursdayDiedrich Drill, Inc.5 Fisher St, La Porte, IN 46350219-716-5505www.diedrichdrill.comContact: Rob Chao, [email protected]

Diedrich Drill manufactures a complete line of geotechnical,environmental, drilling rigs, and tooling.

FridayAEG San Francisco Sectionwww.aegsf.org

Technical SessionsGeophysicsSpotlight Geophysical Services4618 NW 96 Ave., Doral, FL 33178305-607-2377www.spotlightgeo.comContact: Ron Kaufmann, [email protected]

Spotlight Geophysical provides geophysical surveys for geot-echnical and environmental application across the UnitedStates, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Our services includemicrogravity surveys for karst and abandoned mine projects,seismic surveys for land and shallow marine applications, andelectrical/electromagnetic methods for environmental and geo-logic assessments.

Geology of Pittsburgh and Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design forStratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part IHDR, Inc.11 Stanwix St Ste 800, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1357412-497-6252 www.hdrinc.comContact: Randy Gilbert, [email protected] description:

HDR is an architectural, engineering, and consulting firm that excels at complex projects and solving challenges forclients. More than 9,500 employee-owners, including architects, engineers, consultants, scientists, planners andconstruction managers, in 225 locations worldwide, gathertheir strengths to provide solutions beyond the scope of traditional A/E/C firms.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session BreaksThursdayAEG Kansas City/Omaha Sectionwww.aegweb.org/group/KCOContact: Chair Robert Henthorne, [email protected]

SymposiumSDam SymposiumSchnabel Engineering11-A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407336-274-9456www.schnabel-eng.comContact: Gary Rogers, [email protected]

Schnabel Engineering is an ENR Top 10 geotechnical engi-neering firm serving our clients with geologic, engineeringgeology, and engineering expertise on transportation, dam,tunnel, and large civil projects. Schnabel’s integrated geophysi-cists also provide a full suite of investigation technologies tounderstand unseen conditions and provide focused solutions.

Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design forStratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering SymposiumSchnabel Engineering11-A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407336-274-9456www.schnabel-eng.comContact: Gary Rogers, [email protected]

Registration GiveawaysPower BanksNorthwest Geophysics 18392 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA 98052425-497-9015www.northwestgeophysics.comContact: Matt Benson, [email protected]

Northwest Geophysics an equipment lease company specializingin land, marine, borehole logging, and NDE geophysical instru-ments for the engineering and environmental communities.

Name Badge LanyardsBETA Analytic Inc.305-667-5167www.radiocarbon.com Contact: Darden Hood, [email protected]

BETA Analytic Inc. is the world’s largest and most experiencedprofessional radiocarbon dating service and offers both radio-metric and AMS analyses with results reported within 2–30business days of receipt. Since 1979, more than 6,900researchers have entrusted BETA with over 157,000 of theirresearch and contract samples.

Rite in the Rain NotebooksJ.L. Darling Corporation253-922-5000Contact: Ryan McDonald, Marketing Manager,[email protected] www.RiteintheRain.com

“Rite in the Rain” is an all-weather writing paper specificallydesigned to shed water in any weather condition. Whether youare using a pencil or all-weather pen, “Rite in the Rain” ensuresyour notes survive. Visit www.RiteintheRain.com to see the fullline of writing products available.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


DISCOUNTADMISSION

AEG conference attendees receive $4 off General Admission ($3 off Senior Admission)

when you show your conference badge and ID.

Plan your visit at aviary.org • Open daily 10:00 to 5:00Located just two blocks north of PNC Park

on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side.

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2015 ANNUAL MEETING


2015 Technical Programhe 2015 Technical Program will focus on a variety of

topics including: Two full days of Dam Symposium,Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Charac-

terization for Critical Facilities Symposium, Stability Considera-tions and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subjectto Differential Weathering Symposium, Tunneling Symposium;Symposium: “Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma… Continued,”Geology of Pittsburgh; Seismic and Environmental Hazards;Licensure and Professional Practice, Urban EnvironmentalGeology, Rockfall Mitigation, Geotechnical Site Characterization,General Landslides, Geophysics, Material Properties, Mine Recla-mation, Environmental Site Remediation, and Hydrogeology.

The 2015 Annual Meeting Planning Committee has planneda technical program and short courses that are sure to providean outstanding educational experience for attendees. PDHs willbe available for all technical sessions and short courses. Themain meeting activities will begin at 8:00 am on Wednesday,September 23, 2015, with the Opening Welcome Session. TheOpening Welcome Session will feature keynote speaker Dr. JohnHarper presenting Of Ice and Waters Flowing: The Geologic His-tory of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers and the 2015 Karl Terzaghi Lecturer by Dr. Donald Bruce who will present on The Evolutionof Specialty Geotechnical Construction Techniques: The “GreatLeap” Theory. In addition, the session will feature the currentand upcoming Jahns Lecturers and presentation of the AEGFoundation Awards.

We will once again feature the Student/Young ProfessionalCareer Discussion on Wednesday from 1:30 to 4:20pm. Thiswas one of the most popular and well-received sessions for students at the 2014 Annual Meeting.

A Speaker’s Preparation Room will be open from Sep-tember 23–25, 2015, from 7:00am to 5:00pm Wednesdayand Thursday and 7:00am to 2:00pm on Friday. A computerand projector will be available for presenters to practice theirpresentations. AEG provides an open forum for the presenta-tion of varying opinions and positions. However, opinionsexpressed by speakers do not necessarily represent the viewsor policies of AEG.

Technical Program SponsorsOpening Welcome Session:

Gannet Fleming, Inc.

Technical Sessions & Symposia:● HDR, Inc.● Schnabel Engineering● Spotlight Geophysics● Kansas City/Omaha Section of AEG

Registration Packet GiveawaysSponsored by Northwest Geophysics (Charge it up PowerBank), J.L. Darling Corporation (Rite in the Rain notebooks), andBeta Analytic (name badge lanyards).

Opening Session Keynote SpeakerJohn A. Harper, PG, PhD

John received a set of toy dinosaurs for Christmas when hewas nine years old, and that simple gift instilled in him thedesire to spend his life in the backroom of a dark, dustymuseum, working on dinosaurs. Upon receiving his PhD inPaleontology and Paleoecology from the University of Pitts-burgh in 1977, however, John went to work for the Pennsyl-vania Geological Survey researching Pennsylvania’s oil and gasand subsurface geology instead. Over the next 35 years, as

T

head of the Pittsburgh office, he managed the staff in theirresearch and development of the state’s oil and gas well data-base, as well as taking an active role in informing the publicabout fossil collecting, history of geology, geology of westernPennsylvania, geological hazards such as landslides, and othertopics. When he retired from the Survey in 2012, he wasactively participating in research on geological sequestrationof carbon dioxide and on the geology of oil and gas fromshales such as the Marcellus and Utica. He still spends time atthe Survey helping the staff with their latest projects. John alsohas been a Research Associate in the Section of InvertebratePaleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, since1983, so he also spends time in the Section fulfilling his long-time dream—more or less. He has been working on fossilsnails instead of dinosaurs. Over the years, he has publishednumerous professional and popular articles on many aspectsof geology, paleontology, and petroleum history, and continuesto do so in retirement. He still loves dinosaurs, though!

Of Ice and Waters Flowing: The Geologic History of Pittsburgh’s Three RiversPittsburgh’s three rivers, the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio,as well as many of the larger tributary creeks, are ancient,dating back at least to the Tertiary and possibly into the Meso-zoic. The effect of tectonics and glacial eustacy, from the Pale-ozoic to the Late Pleistocene, played a major role in thedevelopment of drainage and topography throughout thePhanerozoic. Despite the much older controls, however, whatwe see today was most profoundly influenced by Pleistoceneglaciation, which not only changed the courses of these mightystreams but also furnished the basis for most of western Penn-sylvania’s current landscape.

2015 Karl Terzaghi LecturerDonald A. Bruce, PhD, CEngDonald A. Bruce is President of Geosystems, LP, He specializes ingeotechnical construction processes, particularly anchoring (his

Ph.D. dissertation topic), drilling andgrouting. He has 42 years’ experi-ence in dam anchoring and workson projects throughout NorthAmerica and four other continents.Donald is former Chairman of theGeo-Institute’s Grouting Committee,and Honorary Chairman of the Inter-national Society for Micropiles. Heis also an active member of PTI’sCommittee on Rock and SoilAnchors and is a co-author of thepast (1996, 2004) and new (2012)Anchor Recommendations. He has

approximately 300 publications and is co-author of Dam Founda-tion Grouting, and a new book, Specialty Construction Techniquesfor Dam and Levee Remediation. He is the recipient of the Kapp,Baker, and Terzaghi Awards from ASCE.

The Evolution of Specialty Geotechnical ConstructionTechniques: The “Great Leap” TheoryIn historic literature, there is the “Great Man” theory, wherebyhistory is reflected in the biographies of preeminent characters.In the more theoretical and academic branches of specialtygeotechnical engineering, the theory holds with, of course,Prof. Terzaghi one of the heroic great men—a researcher,problem solver, and inspiration sans pareil. In contrast, in thebranch of specialty geotechnical construction, technologicaladvances occur principally through “Great Leaps” as opposedto steady and progressive evolution.

Six criteria must be satisfied in support of awarding “GreatLeap” status, beginning with a project-specific challenge ofunprecedented scope or complexity, and ending with a legacydocument detailing and codifying the leap. These steps areillustrated by reference to developments in drilling andgrouting, cutoffs for dams, deep mixing, and micropiles—alltechniques in which the author has been intimately involvedthroughout his professional career as a researcher, contractor,educator and consultant.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


AEG and the Engineering Geology Division (EGD) of GSA jointlyestablished the Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lectureship in1988 to commemorate Richard H. Jahns (1915–83). DickJahns was an engineering geologist, who had a diverse and dis-tinguished career in academia, consulting and government. Dr.Thomas L. Holzer, who would later become the 1998 JahnsLecturer, conceived the award and guided it through both EGDand AEG to select the first Jahns Lecturer, Dr. James E.Slosson (1925–2007). The lectureship was created to promotestudent awareness of engineering geology through a series oflectures offered at various universities. In order to assure conti-nuity of the award, Dr. Jeffrey R. Keaton, then the 1989–90Chairman of EGD and who would later become the 2004 JahnsLecturer, and Dr. Gregory L. Hempen, then the 1989–90 Presi-dent of AEG and later the 2013–14 Jahns Lecturer, collabo-rated to share the administration and funding of the JahnsLectureship in their separate organizations.

Eldon Gath, PG, CEG was selected as the 2014–15Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer in Applied Geology.Eldon, a consulting engineering geologist, has more than 30years of experience in the identification, investigation, andremediation of geologic hazards, involving land use planning,environmental assessments, field exploration programs, andpresentation of findings. He has particular experience with theevaluation of active faults for construction site planning, thedevelopment of hazard mitigation programs and policies, andhis suite of talks reflect this experience.

Eldon is the President of Earth Consultants International, ageological consulting firm [helping our clients solve complexearth-science problems around the world] that he co-founded in1997, following 12 years with Leighton Consulting in southernCalifornia. He has considerable international experienceincluding field projects in Turkey, Panama, Mexico, Costa Ricaand Papua New Guinea, as well as project involvement in manyothers, and his talks also reflect this international flavor.

Eldon is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Instituteof Technology, with a BS degree in Geology in 1978. He hasbeen in graduate school ever since: MS program at Cal StateLA (1982–90), PhD program at UC Riverside (1993–96), PhDprogram at UC Irvine (1998–2008), but despite getting veryclose, he has never managed to complete the degree due tohis busy consulting responsibilities, professional organizationalinvolvement, and travel schedules; or conflicted priorities, if youask his advisors.

In 1995 he was awarded the Aki Award for OutstandingPaper Presentation at the California Academy of SciencesAnnual Meeting for Active Tectonic Structures in the EasternLos Angeles Basin, then in 2007 received the Outstanding Pres-entation Award at the AAPG Annual Meeting for Quaternary Geo-morphic Development and Seismic Hazards of Orange County,California. Along with excellent coauthors, he has received the2010 GSA E.B. Burwell Outstanding Paper Award for TheGeology of Los Angeles, and the 2012 AEG Claire P. HoldredgeOutstanding Paper Award for Paleoseismology of the PedroMiguel fault, Panama Canal. In 2003, Eldon was the geo-sciences representative for the Committee to Develop a Long-Term Research Agenda for the Network for EarthquakeEngineering Simulation, National Research Council, Board onInfrastructure and the Constructed Environment. He served asSouth Coast Geological Society (SCGS) President in 1987; AEGSouthern California Section Chair from 1990–92; AEG Treas-urer, Vice President, and President from 1993–97; received theAEG Floyd T. Johnston Service Award in 2008; was elected aFellow by GSA in 2011; and was made an Honorary Member ofthe SCGS in 2012. He is a member of AEG, GSA, AIPG, AAPG,EERI, IAEG, IAPG, AAAS, AGU, SSA, PDAC, and all localsouthern California geological groups.

Eldon’s talks focus mainly on his experience with activefaults and fault hazard definition, including both the process andmethodology of the work with the scientific results and theirimplications.

Eldon comments on his experience, “As of this writing(July, 2015), I have given a total of 69 talks to 58 differentuniversities, colleges, or professional groups spanning 20states and 5 different countries, racking up 54,000 air miles

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


The 2014–15 GSA/AEG Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer in Engineering Geology

Eldon M. Gath

on United Airlines alone. Eight of the talks were invited to pro-fessional organizations, fourteen were to different AEG Sec-tions, and 46 were to university programs, either arrangedlunches, weekly symposiums, or regular classes. Lunches,afternoon receptions, or dinners with students and facultyalso followed many of the university talks, providing an oppor-tunity to continue the discussions about career options inapplied geology. These were always the best part of the visit.There are a lot of amazing students out there, insuring thatthe future is in good hands.

“With the summer university break, things have sloweddown talk-wise, allowing time to hit some of the local sectionmeetings, give five talks in Panama, and begin the planningprocess for the fall series of talks before my retirement at theGSA Annual Meeting in Baltimore. And maybe get some realwork in as well.

“It has been an honor and a pleasure to represent the pro-fession this year, and one of the most rewarding and compli-cated years of my career. Thank you for selecting me.”

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


As the 2014–15 Jahns Lecturer, Eldon offered the fol-lowing talks. The number given of each appear inbrackets after the title.● The Santa Ana Mountains: Indenter Tectonics and the

Earthquake Hazards of “The OC” [5]● Tectonic Geomorphic and Paleoseismic Investigations

for the Panama Canal [25]● Active Faulting and Beverly Hills High School: An Unex-

pected Journey into Geo-Ethics [8]● Paleoseismology of the North Panamá Deformed Belt

from Uplifted Coral Platforms at Moín and Limón,Costa Rica [2]

● Geological and Geotechnical Causation Investigation ofa Killer Landslide [5]

● Natural Hazard Identification, Impact Analysis, andRisk Assessment for Community Disaster MitigationPlanning [10]

● Mitigation of Surface-Fault Rupture: Updating Cali-fornia’s Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zoning Act forthe New Millennium [4]

● Engineering Geology: An Overview of the Profession -IMHO [10]

Introducing the 2015–16 JahnsDistinguished Lecturer

Jerome DeGraffJerome DeGraff is a nativeof the Finger Lakes Regionof upstate New York. Hegraduated from SUNYGeneseo in 1967 with a BSin Education/Earth Science.Jerry counted himself luckyboth for surviving a yearteaching general science toeighth-graders and for thenmoving on to become a staffmember at the newlyopened Strasenburgh Plane-tarium (Rochester Museum &Science Center). His fiveyears as a planetarium instructor and museum associate-in-geology resulted in his decision to pursue a Masters inGeology somewhere in the western United States. In 1976,Jerry received his MS in Geology from Utah State Universityhaving completed a thesis on a 595-sq mi mountain rangewithin a nearby National Forest. This started a chain ofevents resulting in Jerry having a 36-year career with theU.S. Forest Service as an environmental or engineering geol-ogist on National Forests in Utah and California.

During his last six years, he was a Forest Service On-Scene Coordinator for Superfund-type issues at abandonedmines and closed landfills within National Forests scatteredthroughout the southern half of California. Since retiring fromgovernment service in 2014, Jerry has devoted himself toteaching graduate courses for the Department of Earth &Environmental Science at California State University-Fresnocontributing to professional journals as aneditor/reviewer/writer, and being active in professional organ-izations. (http://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/ees/faculty-staff/degraff.html),

Jerry will be offering five lectures during his term asthe Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer:

● Fire, Earth & Rain: Emergency Response for Wildfire-Induced Landslide Hazards. (main talk)

● What Does It Take to Effectively Monitor for Environmentaland Engineering Geology Projects?

● The Challenges of Providing Landslide Information during anEmergency Response.

● Dealing with Hazardous Mine Openings – Blasting Is NotAlways a Good Option.

● The Story of the Matthieu Landslide-Dam, Dominica, WestIndies.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Don’t Miss These Special STUDENT EVENTS:

Student/Professional Networking ReceptionTuesday, September 22, 2015, 5:15–6:15pm – SterlingsThe Annual Student and Professional Networking Event ishappening again! This fun and relaxed event is the perfectplace for you to make new friends and meet futureemployers/employees! You don’t want to miss it!

BE SURE TO SIGN UP ON YOUR REGISTRATION FORM.

Student Interview SessionWednesday, September 23 to Friday, September 25,9:00am-4:00pm In case you haven’t heard, the Student and Young Profes-sional Support Committee has revitalized the former INTERVIEW SERVICE. It is now the Informational InterviewService, designed to give students and young professionalsa chance to meet with professional members one-on-one to ask questions, conduct practice or mock interviews, oranything else that would help the next generation of professionals prepare for their future careers. We havereserved a dedicated room for the full meeting, and both professional members and student members can SIGN-UPNOW for half hour time slots at your convenience. SIGN UP SHEET LOCATED AT REGISTRATION.

Poster Presentation ReceptionThursday, September 24, 2015, 6:00–7:00pm –Grand Ballroom FoyerAnother great opportunity to mix and mingle withengineering geology professionals and your peers.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


35th International Geological CongressAugust 27 – September 4, 2016The IGC is an initiative of the International Union of Geolog-ical Sciences (IUGS) and is hosted by a different countryevery four years. As the main activity of the IUGS it coversall geological sub disciplines and aims to provide a forumwhere discussion and debate of the latest developments inthe geosciences can take place. A major Geoscience Expowhere suppliers to the geosciences and organizations candisplay its services and products also forms part of the IGC.

The scientific program is the heart and main focus ofthe 35th IGC and will include three main topics (Geosciencefor Society, Fundamental Geoscience, Geoscience in theEconomy) with over 50 themes proposed. The themes thatmay be of most interest to AEG members include: Environmental Geosciences, Geohazards, Groundwater and Hydroge-ology, and Engineering Geology and Geomechanics.

Another exciting part of the will be the field trips that showcase the geological superlatives of the host country orregion have been planned. These include 35 one- and multiple-day trips in South Africa and 17 multiple-day trips in the restof Africa including a Train-based geo-safari from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, a trip to the highest point on the African Conti-nent (summit of Mt Kilimanjaro) and to the lowest point (bottom of deepest gold mine in the world).

A Geohost program designed to assist geoscientists and students from developing countries to attend the 35th IGChas also been developed. Please visit http://www.35igc.org/ for more information. Early bird registration will open inNovember 2015 so be sure to book your spot early. See you in Cape Town next year!

Call for Papers:AEG Members are encouraged to submit papers on interesting case histories, original research or otherprojects to its journal on the following topics:• Environmental geology • Engineering geology • Feasibility studies • Geotechnical engineering • Geomorphology • Low-temperature geochemistry• Applied hydrogeology • Near-surface processes

• Review papers in applied geosciences and technical notes (< 6 pages)

Benefits Include:• 4 Issues Per Year • Papers Are Peer Reviewed • Best Student Paper Award • Best Paper Award

Instructions for Authors: http://eeg.allentrack.net/

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Wednesday, September 23, 2015 – Afternoon

Technical Session #1Tunneling SymposiumRoom: Grand Ballroom 3 Convener: Paul HeadlandAEG has organized a half-day Tunnels Symposium for the Pittsburgh meeting for Wednesday, September 23, 2015. We have several presentations on the investiga-tion, evaluation, and application of engineering geology to design and construction of tunneling projects. Our keynote presentation will be presented by Dr. PaulMarinos attending from Athens, Greece, who will kick off the program with a talk on Tunneling in Difficult Ground – Geological Uncertainties and Decisions. There areeight additional talks that include: geological models, tunneling in karst, control of geological risk, geophysical survey application, and ground characterization. Groundconditions and ground behavior are recognized by professionals working in the tunneling industry as the source of the greatest risk and therefore the skilled applica-tion of engineering geology by experienced practitioners and AEG members is a key component to project success.

Time Speaker Title

2:00–2:40 Marinos, Paul Tunneling in Difficult Ground - Geological Uncertainties and Decisions

2:40–3:00 Dill, Robin Ground Characterization for the MDC’s South Tunnel Project: “Redefining the Jurassic of the Hartford North Quadrangle” (Presented by Leo Martin)

3:00–3:20 Rogers, J. David Influence of Geology on Construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike

3:40–4:00 Fusee, Rebecca The New Irvington Tunnek Excavation and Geologic Documentation

4:00–4:20 Piepenburg, Michael Use of Pre-Cast Concrete Segments in Rock Tunnels for Risk Control

4:20–4:40 Raymer, Jack Avoiding Karst by Getting Under It: Jefferson Barracks Tunnel, St. Louis

4:40–5:00 Daniel, Joel Evaluation of Subsurface Conditions using MASW to support Trenchless Construction Design in an Urban Environment

Technical Session #2Geology of PittsburghSponsored by: HDR, Inc.Room: Grand Ballroom 4 Moderators: Richard Gray and Brian GreeneThis session will focus on the unique aspects of Pittsburgh’s geology to include its history, strategic location at the “Forks of the Ohio,” geology, physiography, mineralresources, geohazards, and some regionally significant environmental/engineering projects. The session will begin with a tribute to the geo-pioneers of the region—those engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers that have made a significant difference and led the way for many of the practitioners that work in Pittsburghtoday. These geo-pioneers were educators, mentors and highly respected professionals in every sense of the word. The tribute will take the form of a video that willshowcase their remarkable careers. Ryan Fandray will introduce the geological setting that will include the physiography, tectonic setting, stratigraphy and structuralgeology of the Pittsburgh region. The region’s energy and industry production, infrastructure and subsequent geohazards will also be discussed. Richard Gray will dis-cuss the impacts of coal mining on structures in western Pennsylvania. Coal remains the most prevalent energy resource in the Pittsburgh region and its extractionhas been linked to many occurrences of mine subsidence with the associated formation of sinkholes and subsidence troughs. Brian Greene will review some of thesignificant dams that have been built in the region to protect the city of Pittsburgh from flooding that had plagued it for many years. Two of the geo-pioneers that arepresented in the opening of the session: Dr. Shailer Philbrick and Harry Ferguson—both had long, distinguished careers with the Pittsburgh District Corps of Engineersand played a key role in many of the dam projects.

Time Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Gray, Richard Geo-Pioneers Video

2:20–2:40 Fandray, Ryan Summary of Pittsburgh Geology

2:40–3:00 Gray, Richard Impacts of Coal Mining on Structures in Western Pennsylvania

3:00–3:20 Greene, Brian Impacts of Geology on Dam Design in Western Pennsylvania

Technical Program Schedule

Advocate for Geoscience! – Wed. Sept. 23/Kings Terrace/2:00pm–5:00pmThe AEG Advocacy Committee will lead a hands-on, brainstorm workshop that will help participants take practical ideas backto their AEG Sections and workplaces. Geoscience has become marginalized over the past few decades, at least partlybecause of passive geoscientists. It’s time to change that trend. Please join us to help develop and implement a proactiverecovery plan for geoscience.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session #3Licensure and Professional PracticeRoom: Grand Ballroom 4 Moderator: Marie GarsjoTime Speaker Title

3:40–4:00 Steckel, Phyllis Advocacy and Geoscience: Leveraging Traditional Media for Awareness, Support, and a Wiser Public

4:00–4:20 Toskos, Theodoros Balancing Professional Judgment and the Risk of Decision

4:20–4:40 Toskos, Theodoros Professional Geologists and Contaminated Site Remediation Licensure

4:40–5:00 Williams, John A Study of the Importance of and Trends in Professional Ethics in the Geosciences by the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG/E)

5:00–5:20 Garsjo, Marie Improving your Technical Writing to Make Yourself Heard

Technical Session #4Urban Environmental GeologyRoom: Brigade Moderator: Barney MarkunasTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Hatheway, Allen Derelict Manufactured Gas, Coke, and Tar Sites of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

2:20–2:40 Isphording, Wayne Pratfalls and Pitfalls in Environmental Litigation

2:40–3:00 Lord, Jacques Low-Threat Closure of a UST Release Site in California: Would the Sierra Club Be Happy?

3:00–3:20 Lord, Jacques California Mandates 25% Water Use Reduction: Are Cisterns the New Solar Panel Industry?

3:40–4:00 Hatheway, Allen Reflection on Some of the Remaining Outstanding Environmental Threats of Pennsylvania’s “Remediated” and Unremediated Coal-Tar Sites

4:00–4:20 Saindon, Rosanna The Clock is Ticking – EPA Coal Ash Rule – Summary and Impacts to the Profession

4:20–4:40 Shriner, Jason Petroleum Release Investigation and Remediation Overview – Newberry, Indiana (presented by Jason Lenz)

4:40–5:00 West, Terry Two Ways to Deal With Combined Sewer Overflow: A Tale of Two Cities, Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana

5:00–5:20 Rehman, Khaista Analysis of the Devastating Kashmir Earthquake 2005 Aftershocks

Technical Session #5Student/Young Professional Career DiscussionRoom: Benedum Moderator: Greg Hempen

Greg Hempen, PhD, PE, will offer a presentation to encourage career-topic discussion in Applied Geology by attending students and those with entry positions. (Actu-ally, all professionals are welcome to attend for the benefit of commenting to our younger cadre.) Greg developed the presentation as part of his Jahns Lectureship.The presentation is outlined to cover three areas: 1) Experience and Networking, 2) Obtaining your first (next) job, and 3) Having an enjoyable career. The main pur-pose of the presentation is: to expose those interested in Applied Geology careers to varied factors in acquiring and developing a job role into a career, and toencourage questions and comments from those attending on their individual concerns. Greg will make suggestions based on his experience as an employee (in gov-ernment and private practice) and from the developed assessment of friends and some pertinent authors. The intent is to assist those interested in an AppliedGeology career to comprehend the “employer’s perspective.” The presentation will offer considerations/recommendations on: an individual’s preparations; presenta-tion of one’s skills, talents, experience; the process of acquiring an offer and negotiating for the position; career development; and, enjoying one’s chosen career.Consider attending, the session may provide some kernel of information that assists you in having a great career.

Time Moderator Title

1:30–4:20 Hempen, Greg Student/Young Professional Career Discussion

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session #6Rockfall MitigationRoom: Rivers Moderator: Paul PainterTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Ames, Trevor Innovations for Slope Instability (Presented by: Martin Woodard)

2:20–2:40 Freitag, George South River Road – A 25-Year Rockfall Case Study on a Weathered Basalt Slope, Salem, Oregon

2:40–3:00 Jacklitch, Carl A Geotechnical Investigation of the 2013 Fatal Rockfall in Rockvile, Utah

3:00–3:20 Marchetty, Srikanth Influence of Slope Characteristics on Rockfall Velocities and Bounce Heights

3:40–4:00 Marchetty, Srikanth Investigation of Rockfall Characteristics using Full-Scale Rollout Tests

4:00–4:20 Painter, Paul OH SR (WAS) 7-18.10: Differential Weathering Failure Innovative Remediation

4:20–4:40 Keating, Rebecca Developing a Customized Rock Slope Inspection and Hazard Rating System

4:40–5:00 Woodard, Martin Rock Slope Remediation Project in Differentially Weathering Rocks: KY-1460 Pikeville, Kentucky

Thursday, September 24, 2015 – Morning

Technical Session #7Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part I Sponsored by Schnabel Engineering

Room: Grand Ballroom 3 Conveners: Brian Greene and Kerry Cato

The AEG Dams Technical Working Group has organized a two-day Dams Symposium for the Pittsburgh meeting for Thursday and Friday (September 24–25, 2015).We have several presentations on international structures. Our keynote presentation will be by Dr. J. David Rogers on Gatun Dam, Panama – Megastructure of 100Years Ago. On Friday, Dr. Paul Marinos, attending from Athens, Greece, will kick off the program with a talk on Rogun Dam, Tajikistan, The Highest Dam of the Worldin a Challenging Geological Environment. There are 31 additional talks in topical sessions that include: seepage and foundation issues; risk evaluation; site investiga-tion and foundation issues; grouting and cutoffs; seismic, erosion; and stability, data management, and dam removals. This will be the largest concentration of talkson dams at any AEG Annual Meeting, we are fortunate to have so many AEG members working in the renaissance of this important area of our practice.

Time Speaker Title

8:00–8:40 Dr. Rogers, J. David Keynote: The Gatun Dam – Megastructure of 100 Years Ago

8:40–9:00 Conway, John Portugues Dam: Challenges and Success in RCC Dam Foundation Documentation and Treatment

9:00–9:20 Crist, Kristopher “Is the Dam Leaking?” A Study of the Current Status of the Druid Lake Dam in Baltimore, Maryland

9:20–9:40 Holderbaum, Rod Dissecting the Catastrophic Foundation Failure of a Newly Constructed Dam

9:40–10:00 Richards, Kevin Narora Weir – A Historical Perspective of Piping Theory

10:20–10:40 Nield, Michael A Tale of Three Projects: Addressing Dam Safety Concerns within the Muskingum River Basin, Ohio

10:40–11:00 Shaffner, Pete Dr. Ralph Peck Warned Us That Risk Assessment Was Likely Not a Sustainable Approach for Assuring the Safety of Our Dams. Was He Correct and What Are We Doing to Resolve His Concerns?

11:00–11:20 Kelson, Keith An Engineering Geologist’s Role in Risk-Informed Decision-Making for USACE Dam and Levee Safety

11:20–12:00 Open Discussion on Risk

Got Volcanics?Call for abstracts for the March issue of AEG News…The March special edition of the News will be on volcanics. Please submit ideas for articles to AEG News editorAnna Saindon at [email protected]. Final articles will be due no later than January 31, 2016. As a reminder,photos and other graphic images must be a minimum of 300 dpi—ideally at 7.5” wide for cover consideration.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session #8Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium - Part IRoom: Grand Ballroom 4 Conveners: Gerry Stirewalt and David Fenster

The goal of this symposium is to illustrate how tectonic setting is considered in characterization of sites for critical facilities that require an assessment of potentialgeologic and seismic hazards to ensure protection of public health and safety and the environment. Depending on location of the sites for critical engineered struc-tures (e.g., hospitals, bridges, dams, nuclear power plants, or other critical facilities), the potential hazards could include, but might not be limited to, fault displace-ment; earthquakes; volcanic activity; seismically-induced landslides; flooding due to fault-related, fracture-associated, or seismically-induced dam failure; and tsunami.Speakers should focus on case histories and discuss how geologic and seismic characteristics of the site for a facility relate to the tectonic setting in which the site islocated with regard to possible natural hazards that must be assessed. That is, the presentations should not only discuss the results derived from observation, meas-urement, and analysis of geologic structures and seismic sources or source zones, but also address the relationship of the geologic structures and seismic sourcesand source zones to the tectonic setting in which the site for the facility is located as a key factor for consideration in the hazard assessment.

Time Speaker Title

8:00–8:20 Stirewalt, Gerry Introduction to Symposium and Speakers

8:20–9:00 Hatcher, Robert The Need to Understand Crustal Structure and Regional Geology in Siting Critical Structures

9:00–9:20 Chapman, Martin Mineral, Virginia, 2011 and Charleston, South Carolina, 1886: Results from Some Recent Seismological Investigations

9:20–9:40 Cumbest, Randolph “Correlation of Regional Geologic and Tectonic History with Geologic Mapping of Foundation Excavations at the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station, South Carolina” (Presented by Frank Syms)

9:40–10:00 Fenster, David Borehole Data Interpretation vs. Excavation Mapping – We Might Be Surprised, or Not!

10:20–10:40 Burns, Scott Site Characterization of Critical Facilities in Oregon on Cascadia Margin

10:40–11:00 Shlemon, Roy Site Investigation Case Studies – Lessons Learned & Tectonic Settings

11:00–11:20 Schaeffer, Malcolm Tectonic History of the Western Sierra Nevada, CA: Implications for Seismic Design of a Proposed Hydroelectric Facility

11:20–11:40 Coppersmith, Kevin The Influence of Tectonic Setting on the Characterization of Seismic Sources for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis

11:40–12:00 Coppersmith, Ryan Challenges in Characterizing Fault Sources in a Reactivated SCR Environment, Southern South Africa

Technical Session #9Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part IRoom: Benedum Moderators: Steve Evans and Andrew KefferTime Speaker Title

8:00–8:20 Addison, Priscilla Characterizing the Vulnerable Sections along a Railway Corridor Underlain by Permafrost Using Remote Sensing

8:20–8:40 Poluga, S. Lindsay Rock Mass Characterization and Stability Evaluation of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, South Dakota

8:40–9:00 Salazar, Sean Ultra-Violet Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy for Remote Measurement of Soil Water Potentials

9:00–9:20 ElShinawi, Abdelaziz Geotechnical Study of The Dredging Sediment Stabilized With Portland Cement Along The Coast of Hurgada City, Red Sea, Egypt

9:20–9:40 Evans, Stephen Shafting the Lahars - Rebuilding the DNR Rd.1 Bridge over the Nisqually River

9:40–10:00 Steckel, Richard How to Operate Drones in the United States and not get Busted by the FAA!

10:20–10:40 Keffer, Andrew Geotechnical Challenges for Streambank Protection Projects

10:40–11:00 Lobo-Guerrero, Sebastian Pile Setup Effect in Driven Friction Piles in Western Pennsylvania: Case Studies

11:00–11:20 Lomoschitz, Alejandro Geotechnical Units and Associated Problems in Volcanic Terrains: Canary Islands, Spain

11:20–11:40 Monaco, Thomas Uplift Results in a Sliding Bridge Abutment

11:40–12:00 Perlow Jr., Michael Development of Unmanned Vehicles for Geo-Environmental Hazard Assessment

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session #10Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part IRoom: Rivers Conveners: Abdul Shakoor, Steve Brewster, Paul Painter

Rocks subject to differential weathering are prevalent in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, and many other states across the country. Differentialweathering results in slope instability problems that may not be adequately evaluated and analyzed by the conventional approaches. This symposium focuses on sta-bility problems and cut slope design that take into account the long-term effects of differential weathering. The specific topics include: site investigation techniques,factors affecting differential weathering, predicting the rate of undercutting, potential modes of failure, global versus local stability considerations, rock fall simulations,risk assessment of rock cut slopes, recent improvements in cut slope design, catchment ditch design, evaluation of cut slope performance over time, remediationmeasures, case histories, future trends and research needs. This symposium will provide state-of-the-art information to professionals, researchers, and studentsworking in the field of slope stability.

Time Speaker Title

8:00–8:40 Hamel, James Geotechnical Framework of Slopes in Flat-Lying Sedimentary Rocks of the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau

8:40–9:00 Farny, Nicholas J. Innovative Methods of Measuring Discontinuities: Utilizing Lidar and Smartphone Applications for Rock Slope Stability on Price Mountain, Virginia

9:00–9:20 Watts, Chester 3D Photogrammetry from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Generating Virtual Rock Slope Models

9:20–9:40 Tinsley, Ryan Prioritization of Aging Rock Slopes on I-77 in Virginia

9:40–10:00 Hajdarwish, Ala Geologic Factors Controlling Cut Slope Design; Case Studies: S.R. 0322, Potters Mill Gap – Centre County and Turnpike Total Reconstruction Project ñ Mile Post 124.5–133.8, Pennsylvania

10:20–10:40 Wooten, Richard M. Geologic Factors Influencing the Differential Weathering of Metasedimentary and Metavolcanic Rock Sequences: Their Controls on Rock Slope Failures in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont of North Carolina

10:40–11:00 Liang, Robert Analysis of Flexural Toppling of an Anti-Dip Slope in Fushun Open Pit in China

11:00–11:20 Admassu, Yonathan A Multifaceted Approach to Designing Cut Slopes Subjected to Differential Weathering: A Case Study from Ohio

11:20–11:40 Painter, Paul Rock Slope Stabilization Using Pinned Slope Drape and Cellular Wall (Mus-60–6.72)

11:40–12:00 Justice, Samantha Application of a Hazard Rating System for Rock Slopes Along a Transportation Corridor Using Remote Sensing

Technical Session #11General Landslides - Part IRoom: Brigade Moderator: Jerome DeGraff

Time Speaker Title

8:00–8:20 Admassu, Yonathan Multivariate Statistical Approach to Re-Evaluate the Slake Durability Index Test (ASTM 4644 - 08)

8:20–8:40 Parks, Dave Bluff and Beach Sediment Dynamics in the Elwha and Dungeness Drift Cells before, during and after Elwha River Dam Removals

8:40–9:00 Coyle, Kevin Geohazard Risk ReductionThrough the Installation of High-Tensile Strength Anchored and Draped Steel Mesh

9:00–9:20 Duran, Robert An Integrated Approach for Mapping and Analysis of the Rio Chama Rockslide, Archuleta County, Colorado

9:20–9:40 Gomez, Francisco Measuring Spatial and Temporal Variations in Rates of Land Sliding using Ground-Based Radar Interferometry

9:40–10:00 Admassu, Yonathan Terrestrial Lidar-Based Rockfall Hazard Rating for Cut Slopes along Highways: A Case Study from the Afton Mountain Cut Along I-64W, Virginia

10:20–10:40 Wilhite, Coralie Slope Failure Investigation and Mitigation Design, Pine Flat Dam, Piedra, Fresno County, California

10:40–11:00 Hamel, James Alluvial Bank Instability Along the Monongahela River, Southwestern Pennsylvania

11:00–11:20 Hamel, James Three Fatal Rockfalls in the Pittsburgh Area

11:20–11:40 Korte, David Modeling Landslide Distribution, Recurrence, and Size in the Drift Creek Watersheds, Lincoln County, Oregon

11:40–12:00 Smith, Joel Advances in Landslide Monitoring Through Video and Time-Lapse Photography: Examples from USGS Landslide Research Sites

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Thursday, September 24, 2015 – Afternoon

Technical Session #12Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part IISponsored by Schnabel Engineering

Room: Grand Ballroom 3 Conveners: Kevin Richards and William NiemannTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Bair, Jeffrey Dam Foundations & Differing Site Conditions – Calaveras Dam Replacement Project

2:20–2:40 Rogers, Gary RCC Dam Foundation Preparation and Cleaning – A Photographic Tour of Hard Rock Bottoms

2:40–3:00 Nichols, Holly The Value of Geologic Services During Construction of Crafton Hills Enlargement Dam, San Bernardino County, California

3:00–3:20 Riley, Donald RCC Gravity Dam Replacement for the Wohlford Dam, Escondido, California (Presented by Kerry Cato)

3:40–4:00 Wagner, Cassandra The Failure of Camará Dam: Repetition of a Known Failure Mode from Misinterpretation of a Geologic Vulnerability

4:00–4:20 Simpson, Bryan Geologic Discontinuity Mapping, Difference Modeling and Rock Scour Delineation Using Photogrammetric Methods

4:20–4:40 Rutledge, Alex Diverting Water from the Upper Hidden Basin to Terror Lake, Kodiak, Alaska

4:40–5:00 Perry, David Subsurface Characterization at LADWP Headworks West Reservoir (HWR) Site, City of Los Angeles

Technical Session #13Importance of Tectonic History and Setting in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities Symposium - Part IIRoom: Grand Ballroom 4 Conveners: Gerry Stirewalt and David FensterTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Hanson, Kathryn Paleoseismicity of the Kango Fault, South Africa: Addressing Fault Characterization Issues in Stable Continental Regions

2:20–2:40 Gath, Eldon Cocos Ridge Collision as the Tectonic Driver for a Regional Understanding of Seismic Hazard of the North Panama Deformed Belt

2:40–3:00 Waterman, Matthew Identification and Evaluation of Seismically Induced Geohazards: A Case Study for a Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline (Presented by David Fenster)

3:00–3:20 McCalpin, James Holocene Surface Faulting in High-Latitude Glaciated Shields

3:40–4:00 Stirewalt, Gerry/Fenster, David A Summary of the Symposium on Importance of Tectonic Setting and History in Site Characterization for Critical Facilities

4:00–5:00 Panel Discussion

Technical Session #14Geotechnical Site Characterization - Part IIRoom: Brigade Moderator: Briget DoyleTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Sturman, John Collapse Risk Management in an Arid Alluvial Environment

2:20–2:40 Zwissler, Bonnie Thermal Remote Sensing for Moisture Content Characterization at Mine Tailings Impoundments: a Field Study

2:40–3:00 Bouali, El Hachemi Can we Extract Information Regarding Transportation Asset Condition from Satellite-Based Radar Interferometric Data?

3:00–3:20 Puente Querejazu, Alvaros Assessment of the Progression of Coal Mine Subsidence in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, using InSAR

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session #15Geophysics (Spotlight Geophysics)Room: Brigade Moderator: Eric CrossTime Speaker Title

3:40–4:00 Beird, Maggie Geophysical Mapping of Fracture Flow in a Hard Rock Setting

4:00–4:20 Cross, Eric Sinkhole Mapping & Void Detection in Karst – Electrical Resistivity Case Studies at Carlsbad Caverns and in Tennessee

4:20–4:40 Seliem, Gamal Geophysical Studies in Some Areas in Egypt

4:40–5:00 Yeakley, Julia Influence of Salt Tectonics on Seafloor Morphology from Algeria to Sardinia - Seismic

5:00–5:20 Harro, David Improved Imaging of Covered Karst using the Multi-Electrode Resistivity Implant Technique (MERIT) Case Studies

Technical Session #16Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part II Sponsored by Schnabel Engineering

Room: Rivers Conveners: Abdul Shakoor, Steve Brewster, Paul PainterTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Marinos, Paul G. Deep Seated landslides in Greece: Cases Associated with Infrastructure Works

2:20–2:40 Woodard, Martin Telegraph Hill Rock Slope Improvement Project: Construction Issues and Value Engineering Proposals

2:40–3:00 Banks, Brian K I-68 “Sideling Hill” Rock Slope Hazards and Mitigation Concepts, Washington County, Maryland

3:00–3:20 Sheahan, James M. A 20-Year Performance Review of Major Cut Slopes on US460 in Rock from the Appalachian Plateau of Virginia

3:40–4:00 Bateman, Vanessa Rockslope Stability in Karst Terrain

4:00–4:20 Rogers, J. David Various Techniques for Stabilization of Deteriorating Cut Slopes in Sedimentary Strata

4:20–4:40 Roman, William State Route 87 Rockslide Mitigation near Forksville, Pennsylvania

4:40–5:00 West, Terry Rock Block Slide Along Ohio River, Indiana, Causes Damage to Residential Buildings

Friday, September 25, 2015 – Morning

Technical Session #17Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part IIISponsored by Schnabel Engineering

Room: Grand Ballroon 3 Conveners: Nichole Wendlandt and Kristen EnzweilerTime Speaker Title

9:00–9:40 Marinos, Paul The Highest Dam of the World in a Challenging Geological Environment

9:40–10:00 Robison, David Successful Foundation Preparations in Karst Bedrock of the Masonry Section of Wolf Creek Dam

10:20–10:40 Gault, Howard Barrier Wall Verticality and Overlap Approval at Five US Army Corps of Engineers Dams

10:40–11:00 Wullenwaber, Jesse Challenges of Grouting and Anchoring an 1880’s Masonry Dam

11:00–11:20 Bole, Daniel Double Row Grout Curtain Design and Construction for Cedar Creek Dam in Malakoff, Texas

11:20–11:40 Rock, Amanda Two-Dimensional Application of Annandale’s Erodibility Index Method to Estimate Plunge Pool Scour

11:40–12:00 Deputy, Kami Rerouting a River - The Carmel River Reroute and Dam Removal (Presented by Meredith Beswick)

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session #18Stability Considerations and Rock Slope Design for Stratigraphic Sequences Subject to Differential Weathering Symposium - Part IIIRoom: Rivers Conveners: Abdul Shakoor, Steve Brewster, Paul PainterTime Speaker Title

9:00–9:20 Lukkarila, Chad Lessons Learned from the Review and Assessment of a Cut Slope for a Water Tank Reservoir

9:20–9:40 Scarpato, David Accounting for Icefall Hazards During Rockfall Catchment Ditch Design

9:40–10:00 Weber, Mitchell Sandstone Highwall Restoration at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

10:20–10:40 Painter, Paul OH SR (JEF)-7-34.2 Emergency Response to Rock Slope Failure

10:40–11:00 Shakoor, Abdul Stabilization Methods for Cut Slopes Subject to Differential Weathering: Some Examples from Ohio and Pennsylvania

11:00–11:20 Lyne, Bob Full Scale Mechanics of Surficial Slope Stabilization

11:20–11:40 Liang, Robert Development of UASLOPE Method for Evaluating Slope Stabilization Using a Single Row of Drilled Shafts

11:40–12:00 Hajdarwish, Ala Impact of Mudstone and Groundwater on Structurally Oriented Cut Slope Design, Case Study: Pennsylvania Turnpike Roadway Total Reconstruction, Somerset, Pennsylvania

Technical Session #19Material PropertiesRoom: Benedum Moderator: Bill RomanTime Speaker Title

9:00–9:20 Stokowski, Steven Application of Petrography to Highways

9:20–9:40 Babineaux-Sabin, Claire Incorporating Cullet into Beach Ecosystems: Effects on Biota Health

9:40–10:00 Gautam, Tej Influence of Geologic and Index Engineering Properties on Disintegration Behavior of Clay-Bearing Rocks under Natural Climatic Conditions

10:20–10:40 Friede, Erik Sustainability Implications of Excessive Conservatism in Concrete Footing-Rock Foundation Friction

10:40–11:00 Haugen, Ben Efficient Identification of Potential Settlement Causes Using the Rapid Settlement Diagnostic System (RSDS) (Presented by Jaquelin Negri)

11:00–11:20 Malizia, John The Effect of Water Content and Density on Strength and Deformation Behavior of Clay Soils

11:20–11:40 Krippner, Janine Quantitative Mapping of Granular Flows Using <1 m Resolution Satellite Data: Pyroclastic Density Currents in Kamchatka

11:40–12:00 Kee, Michael Analyzing Contact Metamorphism of the Stanley Shale in the Igneous Intrusive Complex at Magnet Cove, Arkansas

Technical Session #20Seismic and Environmental HazardsRoom: Brigade Moderator: Joe Krupansky

Time Speaker Title

9:00–9:20 Molyneux, Russell The Assessment and Mitigation of Earthquake Damage to Dwellings in Christchurch, New Zealand - Part 1

9:20–9:40 Awad, Andrew Geotechnical Case Studies of Mitigation of Earthquake Damage to Dwellings in Christchurch, New Zealand - Part 2

9:40–10:00 Farough, Aida Evolution of Physical Properties of Ultramafic Rocks at Hydrothermal Conditions: An Experimental Study on Serpentinization Reactions

10:20–10:40 Elhifnawy, Hassan Urban Feature Extraction Using Sequential Techniques

10:40–11:00 Hatheway, Allen History of Manufactured Gas and Coal Tar of Pennsylvania

11:00–11:20 Hatheway, Allen Pennsylvania’s Derelict Coke Oven Sites: Beehives, Beehive Block Ovens, and Coke-Oven By-Product Plants

11:20–11:40 Hatheway, Allen Derelict Manufactured Gas, Coke, and Tar Sites of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

11:40–12:00 Wintle, Jack In-Situ Remediation of Chlorinated Solvents in Low-Permeability Soils of the Brevard Fault Zone: Matching Remedial Technologies with Compatible Geo-Chemical Conditions

Technical Session #21“Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” Symposium - Part IRoom: Ballroom 4 Convener: Jennifer BauerThe theme of this Symposium is to continue the conversation started by the AEG Professional Forum Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma, Bridging Science, Policy,Public Safety, and Potential Loss that was held in Seattle, WA, in February, 2015. It will offer a summary of information learned at the Seattle forum, as well as bringtogether more voices and perspectives from other parts of the country. Speakers will be from a variety of backgrounds including private, local, and state, geoscien-tists gathering data on landslides, and those that use this data such as emergency managers, planners, and government. The Symposium will conclude with a paneldiscussion intended to facilitate discussion among the audience to gather more input on the top priority action items to move foward, and any others that come up.Come be a part of this symposium, which has the purpose of advancing the use of landslide mapping information and assessing risk to save lives.

Time Speaker Title

9:00–9:20 Bauer, Jennifer Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma – A Summary of the First AEG Professional Forum

9:20–9:40 Delano, Helen An Overview of Landslide Mapping in Pennsylvania

9:40–10:00 Waage, Eric Landslides in the Spectrum of Disasters: Emergency Management Lessons from a Low Landslide Risk State

10:20–10:40 Molinari, Mark Managing Recognized Landslide Hazards: Land Use Planning and Zoning, Strategies and Public Education/Notification

10:40–11:00 Seadler, Abby Messaging and Momentum: The Potential for Comprehensive Landslide Legislation in the 114th Congress

11:00–11:20 Morley, Derek Those Who Forget the Past: Lessons Learned from Wrangling Landslides in the West

11:20–12:00 Troost, Kathy/Bauer, Jennifer Workshop Review and Panel Discussion

Friday, September 25, 2015 – Afternoon

Technical Session #22Dams Rehabilitation Symposium - Part IVSponsored by Schnabel Engineering

Room: Grand Ballroom 3 Conveners: Jim James and Kevin MinningerTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Serafini, David Characterization and Mitigation of Fault Rupture Hazard: Engineering Basis of Design (Presented by Keith Kelson for Isabella Auxiliary Dam, California)

2:20–2:40 Lindenbach, Evan Proposed Temperance Flat Dam – Bureau of Reclamation Rock Mechanics Testing and Reporting

2:40–3:00 George, Michael 3D Block Erodibility: Experimental Results and Application

3:00–3:20 Mok, Chin Man Risk Analysis of Dam Erodibility

3:40–4:00 Loar, Todd Qualitative Foundation Rock Block Stability Evaluation Performed for Green Peter Dam, Oregon

4:00–4:20 Bateman, Vanessa The SIMDAMS Project: Bringing Dam Safety into the Information Age

4:20–4:40 Bellusci, Chris We Need a Dam Sensor Reading

4:40–5:00 Nandi, Arpita Channel Adjustments Associated with Dam Removal: How Important is the Scale of Study?

Technical Session #23General Landslides - Part IIRoom: Rivers Moderator: Rosiland MunroTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Painter, Paul OH SR (JEF)-7-5.0: Slope Instability Due to Abandoned Mine Workings

2:20–2:40 Lomoschitz, Alejandro The Pico de Navas Slump (Burgos, Spain): A Large Rotational Rocky Landslide Caused by Underlying Clayey Sand Layers

2:40–3:00 Sadagah, Bahaaeldin Debris Flows and Rockfall Case History Along Mountainous Road West of Saudi Arabia

3:00–3:20 Ahmed, M. Landslide Inventory Mapping Hunza River, Northern Pakistan (Presented by David Rogers)

3:40–4:00 Smithmyer, Andrew The Importance of Residual Shear Testing in Evaluation of Landslides in Glaciolacustrine Deposits

4:00–4:20 Shu, Biao Study of Ground Collapse Induced by Large Diameter Horizontal Directional Drilling in Sand Layer Using Numerical Modeling

4:20–4:40 Liang, Robert Reliability Based Slope Stability Evaluation Using Stochastic Geological Modeling Techniques and FEM Simulations

4:40–5:00 Schwering, Paul Got Groundwater?

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Technical Session #24“Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma…Continued” Symposium - Part IIRoom: Grand Ballroom 4 Convener: Jennifer BauerTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Keaton, Jeff Landslide Inventory Maps: Every Square Meter Matters

2:20–2:40 Parks, David Changes to Washington Forest Practices Rules and Unstable Landform Identification Processes Following the 2014 SR530 (Oso) Landslide

2:40–3:00 Bible, Gary Landslide Phenomena of Chimaltenango District, Guatemala

3:00–3:20 Audience Discussion Critical Data Collection for Landslide Inventories

3:40–4:00 Dirringer, Sebastian Lidar-Based Landslide Inventory and Susceptibility Mapping of the Drift Creek Watershed, Lincoln County, Oregon

4:00–4:20 Kern, Ashley Predictive Modeling of Debris Flows Probabilities Following Wild Fire in the Intermountain Western United States

4:20–4:40 Marinelli, Matthew Debris Flow Inventory and Susceptibility of West Prong Little Pigeon River Watershed, Great Smoky Mountains National Parks

4:40–5:00 Audience Discussion of Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard, and Risk Modeling

Technical Session #25HydrogeologyRoom: Brigade Moderator: William NiemannTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Epstein, Olga Modeling the Pollution Prevention Benefits of Adding Biochar to Erosion-Prone Agricultural Soils

2:20–2:40 Brunkal, Holly Bulking Factors to Predict Debris-Flow Peak Discharge (Presented by Paul Santi)

2:40–3:00 Mok, Chin Man Cost-Effective and High-Resolution Hydrogeologic Characterization Using Hydraulic Tomography

3:00–3:20 Perry, Eric Groundwater Management in a Closed Flooded Coal Mine-Pool

3:40–4:00 Flewelling, Samuel Assessing Potential Upward Migration of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid and Brine through Fractures, Faults, and Intact Rock

4:00–4:20 Krivos, Heather Electrical Resistivity Imaging of Karst Topography in the Arbuckle Mountains

4:20–4:40 Prvanovic, Alex Field and Laboratory Investigations of the Time-Dependent Behavior of Permeability of Jointed Glacial Till

4:40–5:00 Yalvac, Sefa Time Series Modeling of the Up Coordinates in a Subsidence Zone

Technical Session #26 Mine ReclamationRoom: Benedum Moderator: Paul PainterTime Speaker Title

2:00–2:20 Bailey, Pamela Huntington District Post Mineral Extraction Reclamation

2:20–2:40 Painter, Paul Mine Remediation under a Major Transportation Corridor

2:40–3:00 Powell, Gabe Predictive Modeling of Sinkhole Hazards through Correlation of InSAR Subsidence Measurements and Local Geology

Technical Session #27Environmental Site RemediationRoom: Benedum Moderator: Nichole WendlandtTime Speaker Title

3:40–4:00 Bardsley, David Soil Sampling Utilizing Horizontal/Directional Drilling Methods

4:00–4:20 Ball, Brian A Case Study of Ecosystem Restoration along the Reach of South Fork New River in Boone, North Carolina

4:20–4:40 German, Madeline Field VOC Analysis – When the Numbers don’t Match

4:40–5:00 Fritz, Brian Avoiding Archaeological Pitfalls

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2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Poster SessionsWednesday, September 23 to Friday, September 25

Times: Wednesday – Thursday: 8:00am–5:00 pm, Friday: 8:00am–11:30am

Poster Presentation Reception – Thursday: 6:00pm–7:00pm

Location: Exhibit Hall in Grand Ballroom Foyer See each poster for presenter’s schedule. A list of presenters and poster numbers along with a map will be included in the regis-tration packets and be available at the registration desk.

Presenter Title

Adem, Esubalew Analysis of the Inter-Dyking Deformation Pattern at the Ongoing Dabbahu-Manda Hararo (Afar) Rift, Ethiopia Using GPS and InSAR Techniques (out of order)

Coppersmith, Ryan Yakima Fold Belt Structures, Eastern WA: Style and Rate of Faulting Based on Structural Analyses and Quaternary Studies

Crabtree, Brandon Water Supply and Usage: Oktibeha County, Mississippi

DiGiulio, Jennifer Digitization of the 1991 Mount Jefferson Geologic Map: Project motivation and Applicationsa

Duran, Robert Multivariate Clustering Analysis and 3D Modeling for Rock Mass Characterization in a Hydrothermal Fluid Flow Study

Foote, Jeremy Changes in the Hydrological Environment in Choctaw County Mississippi since 1995 (out of order)

Harmon, Matthew Hydraulic Properties of the Stratigraphic Interval Separating Natural Gas Bearing Black Shales and Fresh-Water Aquifers in the Appalachian Basin

Haskin, Jesse Data Acquisition and Processing Using Freely Available Software and Inexpensive Remote Controlled Aircraft

Hedin, Benjamin Use of Small Limestone Incubation Devices to Elucidate Factors Affecting the Dissolution of Calcite by Acid Mine Drainage

Huber, Robert Mountain Lake Alternative Water Source Feasibility Study

Khameiss, Belkasim A Preliminary Documentation of the Coral Reefs from Libya

Khameiss, Belkasim Geological Tourism Northeast Libya

Khameiss, Belkasim Karastic Distribution Between Wadi Aljubiah and Wadi Al Bakur Area

Kumar, Santdeep Well Logging in Ground Water Hydrology

Linsenbigler, Rochelle Northern Pennsylvania Groundwater Well Mapping and the Identification of Contaminate Sources

Lomoschitz, Alejandro Site Investigation in Volcanic Terrains for Building Projects

Nandi, Arpita Debris Flow Potential Estimation using Hydrological Modeling, a Watershed Scale Case Study from Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Paulina, Tyler Analyzing Surface Water-Ground Water Interactions in a Pittsburgh Stream

Pfeil-McCullough, Erin Soil Disturbance via Longwall Coal Mining: Subsidence Impacts to Forests in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Preisberga, Anniya 3D Digital Imaging of Boleo Copper Mine Outcrops with a Quadcopter UAV

Ricketts, Tyler Economic Salt Dome Development

Schaefer, Lauren High-Velocity Frictional Properties of Basalt: Implications for Landslides, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes

Seidel, Darren Using Areas of Concentrated Fecal Coliform Bacteria to Identify Species Specific Sources in Urbanized Sections of the Concho River, Tom Green County, Texas

Semmens, Stephen Evaluation of Earth Dam and Levee Sustainability through Assessment of the Surrounding Environments (Presented by Wendy Zhou)

Stewart, Joshua Developing Remote Sensing Methods for Bedrock Mapping of the Front Range Mountains, Colorado

Utevsky, Elinor Tracers of Ore Fertility & Crustal Signatures: Applying Zircon Geochemistry & Geochronology to Plutons in the Western Cascades, WA & OR

Vargo, Ana Geologic Evaluation of Battle Creek Debris Basin for Rehabilitation, Utah County, Utah

Don’t miss the Poster Presentation Reception – Thursday, September 246:00pm–7:00pm in the Grand Ballroom Foyer

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Characterizing the Vulnerable Sections along a Railway CorridorUnderlain by Permafrost Using Remote Sensing Addison, Priscilla, Michigan Technological University, [email protected];Thomas Oommen, [email protected]; Pasi Lautala, [email protected](TS #9)

The Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) is a 510-mile railway that runs in Mani-toba, Canada. It connects The Pas in the northwest to the port ofChurchill in the north. Permafrost was encountered along the corridorduring construction in the 1920s. There is a gradual northward trendin its occurrence from discontinuous to continuous permafrost. Overthe past eight decades, warming climate, combined with poor engi-neering properties of the railway embankment material, has resulted inthawing of the permafrost resulting in differential settlements. To keepthe line operational the owner, OmniTRAX Inc., has to perform exten-sive and costly maintenance annually. A logistic regression model hastherefore been developed to delineate vulnerable sections of theembankment to apply preventive measures to. Remotely sensedindices from Landsat ETM+ and high-resolution images giving informa-tion on vegetation, surface water, temperature, variable embankmentheight, and drainage condition were used as predictors. Annual mainte-nance data of the HBR was used as the response variable. A total of302 data samples were obtained. These samples were split into 75%training set and 25% hold out set to validate the model. To avoid over-fitting and biased estimation of error, ten-fold cross validation wasapplied to the training set before building the model. Initial results gavean accuracy rate of 85% and a sensitivity of 95%. This model is a firststep towards building an effective tool for OmniTRAX Inc. to better allocate limited maintenance funds and also locate most problematicsections to apply extensive permafrost stabilization measures.

Multivariate Statistical Approach to Re-Evaluate the Slake Durability Index Test (ASTM 4644 – 08)Admassu, Yonathan, James Madison University, [email protected];Hassan Hamdan, [email protected] (TS #11)

The slake durability index (SDI) test is designed to quantify durability ofmainly weak rocks. The test is basically tumbling ten pieces of rockseach weighing 40–60 grams for two ten-minute cycles in a water sub-merged mesh drum (2mm mesh size). SDI values depend on the frac-tion of material held within the drum after the test is completed. Somenon-durable rocks can have as high SDI as those of durable rocks, dueto the fact that fragments of retained material can be larger than2mm. Is the size of the 2mm mesh appropriate to characterize dura-bility of rocks? We sieved the retained material after the SDI test for78 mudrocks and 74 sandstones/limestones. The retained materialwas sieved by 6.33mm, 4.75mm, and 4.00mm; 2mm sieves and thecumulative percentage greater-than-each sieve size were recorded. Todescribe the degree of fragmentation of the retained material, a frag-mentation index is introduced. The index is the ratio of the range ofpercentage greater (by weight) for each sieve size to the range ofgrain sizes was calculated. Multiple/bivariate regressions on mudrockswere performed to see which grain size fraction (>6.33mm, 4.75 –6.33mm, 4-4.75mm, 2-4mm) better explains the observed variation inthe fragmentation index. The results showed that the >6.33mm frac-tion has the highest control on the dependent variable explaining86.3% of the variation. This implies that the SDI test based on the2mm mesh should be re-evaluated in light of these results.

Terrestrial Lidar-Based Rockfall Hazard Rating for Cut Slopesalong Highways: A Case Study from the Afton Mountain Cutalong I-64W, VA Admassu, Yonathan, James Madison University, [email protected];Abdul Shakoor, [email protected] (TS #11)

Cut slopes along highways can fail due to the presence of unfavorablyoriented discontinuities releasing rockfalls. Rockfall hazard rating sys-tems are used to rate cut slopes with respect to their likelihood ofreleasing rockfalls. Existing rating systems, which are semi-quantitative,consider geological and non-geological factors to rate cut slope poten-tial to release rockfalls. The main geologic factor in these rating sys-tems is the orientation of discontinuities with respect to slope faces.Discontinuity orientation measurement can be time-consuming and attimes dangerous. lidarfrom airborne or terrestrial platforms has beenused to remotely measure discontinuities. This research introduces aquantitative rockfall hazard rating method, which is calculated as theproduct of probability for failure (due to discontinuity orientation) andthe presence of rockfall release surfaces. To demonstrate the method,the Afton Mountain cut along westbound I-64 was scanned with a terres-trial lidarscanner (TLS). The collected XYZ points were processed inorder to extract discontinuity orientation data using ArcGIS. Theprocess involved creating triangulated irregular networks (TINs) fromimported XYZ points and calculating aspect (azimuth) and slope (dip) ofeach TIN. The TINs were then filtered to pick actual rock discontinuities.The TIN filtering was performed based on frequency, spatial distribu-tion, and total perimeter of TINs. Probabilistic kinematic analysis wasperformed as well as percentage area of rockfall release area to calcu-late rockfall hazard rating due to discontinuity/slope face orientation.This rating system, although not inclusive of other non-geological factors appears to be more reliable and easy to interpret.

A Multifaceted Approach to Designing Cut Slopes Subjected to Differential Weathering: A Case Study from Ohio Admassu, Yonathan, James Madison University, [email protected];Abdul Shakoor, [email protected] (TS #10)

Cut slopes subject to differential weathering fail as a result of rapidweathering of weak rock units leading to undercutting of the overlyingstrong rock units, which eventually fail as rockfalls. Therefore, the sta-bility of cut slopes subject to differential weathering does not dependon orientation of discontinuities or rock mass strength. Hence, the tra-ditional methods of slope stability analysis are not applicable to suchslopes. To develop a methodology for designing slopes subject to dif-ferential weathering, we collected geological, geotechnical, and geo-metrical data for 26 cut slope sites in Ohio. The slopes were dividedinto four groups based on their stratigraphic attributes: Type I–thicksandstone underlain by thick shale or claystone/mudstone, TypeII–sandstone interlayered with shale or claystone/mudstone in nearlyequal proportions, Type III–limestone interlayered with claystone/mud-stone in nearly equal proportions, and Type IV–claystone/mudstoneinterlayered with minor, thin limestone layers. The approaches we usedto investigate undercutting-induced failures and propose design recom-mendations included: multivariate statistics to identify the factors thatcontrol depth of undercutting, computer simulation to study trajecto-ries of rockfalls, 2D numerical modeling to study the process of under-cutting, and field measurements of natural slope angles of the erodingweak layers. Based on the results, we recommend cut slope angles

Abstracts

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


for each stratigraphic sequence that consider slope angles forundercut units to reduce rockfall potential, slope angles for undercut-ting units that are close to naturally stable angles, benches to reduceundercutting, drainage to reduce erosion, and catchment ditches tocontain rockfalls.

Landslide Inventory Mapping of the Hunza River Watershed in PakistanAhmed, M. Farooq, Missouri University of Science & Technology,[email protected]; J. David Rogers, [email protected] (TS #23)

This study summarizes the continuation of a series of regional land-slide inventories undertaken in Northern Pakistan. The project includedassembling an inventory of historic mass wasting features in the basin,including landslides, rock falls, and rock avalanches, and debrisobstructions, especially, those along the Hunza River. A hillshade topo-graphic map was created by stitching ASTER Digital Elevation Models(DEMs) with 30m resolution topographic sheets of 40m resolution,using ArcGIS. The methodology utilizes anomalous topographic expres-sion to identify landslide features. The screening process includesexamination of topographic anomalies and inconsistencies, which areatypical of underlying lithologic and structural contacts. The mostcommon forms of anomalous topographic expression associated withlandsliding include; divergent contours, crenulated contours, arcuateheadscarp evacuation zones, isolated topographic benches andknobs, and converging first-order watercourses. The mapped landslidefeatures closely matched several identified historic landslides in theHunza River watershed. Historic landslide damming of the Hunza Riverhas occurred at Attabad, Boultar Glacier, Gannish-Chiss, and Ganesh-Saukien, etc. the outbreak floods of landslide dam events leave anom-alous geomorphic signatures, which were identified and helped validatethe mapping methodology adopted for this study. Landslide damsappear to be the dominant mass wasting processes shaping the morphology of the main river channel in the Hunza River watershed.

Innovations for Slope InstabilityAmes, Trevor, GeoStabilization International, [email protected]; MartyWoodard, marty@gismos (TS #6)

When we look to contributing factors in slope instability and rockfallhazards, we find that most geohazards can be managed with proactiveengineering controls as a viable solution using slope reinforcement androckfall containment systems. From continually monitoring a slope forinstability, assessing and modifying designs with updated geologicalinformation, including rock mass properties and slope geometry, todeveloping a reinforcement protocol that best suites the failure poten-tial. These engineered designs can have a significant and positiveimpact on slope integrity and safety by reducing potential hazards.This presentation looks into geohazard mitigation topics facing opera-tions with a comprehensive look into practical remediation techniques,including the application and design of rockfall barriers and fences forareas of highly weathered rock near high traffic areas such as accessramps, roadways, and portals. These types of systems provide anadequate measure to reduce the risk to personnel and infrastructureby controlling rocks as they fall from a slope. Considering variousproactive steps in managing geotechnical hazards, developing remedi-ation strategies for areas of concern, and minimizing slope and rock-fall hazards is a topic of growing concern. Participants should leavewith a better understanding of 1) Geotechnical considerations forslope designs; 2) Highwall/slope remediation techniques and investiga-tion protocols; 3) Rockfall mitigation techniques including Stabilizationand Protection methodologies and 4) Slope monitoring techniques.

Geotechnical Case Studies of Mitigation of Earthquake Damageto Dwellings in Christchurch, New Zealand – Part 2Awad, Andrew, Coffey, [email protected]; David L Knott,[email protected]; Russell Molyneux,[email protected] (TS #20)

The Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (2010–11) caused significantliquefaction-induced damage to dwellings overlying the flat alluvialplains of Christchurch. New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovationand Employment (MBIE) commissioned technical specialists andresearchers to develop a technical guidance document (Guidance) toaid the remediation works. The aim of the Guidance was to provide aconsistent process for assessing the damage and prescribing theappropriate foundation remediation strategy for individual dwellings.Overall, the Guidance proved to be beneficial and innovative in that itintroduced the use of ‘readily repairable’ foundations on land that wassusceptible to liquefaction damage in future earthquakes. However,because of Christchurch’s depositional geology and historical land usein certain areas, sober engineering judgement at some sites high-lighted the limitations of the Guidance. In this session, the authorspresent case studies where the foundation solutions provided by theGuidance did not meet the site-specific geotechnical challenges andfurther engineering input was required. The geotechnical challenges inthese case studies include: global lateral movement and slope insta-bility; lateral ground stretch; soft compressible and organic soil layersoverlying deep liquefiable soils with no adequate bearing layer; largepredicted liquefaction-induced settlement; contaminated land; higherflood level requirements; and constructability challenges. The identifiedhazards, assessment methodology and results for each case studyare presented and discussed together with the proposed foundationsolutions.

Incorporating Cullet into Beach Ecosystems: Effects on BiotaHealth Babineaux-Sabin, Claire E., Mississippi State University Department ofGeosciences, [email protected]; Brenda L. Kirkland (TS #19)

The goal of this study is to determine whether glass cullet has detri-mental effects on biota of all scales, including microbes. Glass cullet—made of recycled, crushed glass of a size comparable to beachsediment—is geologically compatible to aggregate. Sieve analysisshows the grain distributions of glass cullet as it compares to naturalbeach sand. Glass cullet is also similar to sand in chemical composi-tion. To test the effects of a glass cullet environment on hermit crabs,three aquaria were set up with varying amounts of cullet in each.Sand, mixed glass cullet and sand, and just glass cullet were imagedwith standard microscopy and SEM to show size comparisons, surfacecharacteristics and attached microbes. The potential impacts of thisstudy include determining whether crustaceans are compatible withglass cullet and if microbial biota inhabit glass cullet similarly to quartz-dominated sand. These experiments are designed to determine ifglass cullet is compatible with natural beach sand found in Mississippion a variety of scales, as well as, identify whether there is need foranalysis of how other biota might be affected. Glass cullet as an alter-native aggregate in beach nourishment projects has not yet been usedon the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The significance of this study is to determine whether glass cullet is safe for use as an alternative beachaggregate, which will induce both ecologic and economic advantages.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Huntington District Post Mineral Extraction ReclamationBailey, Pamela, USACE Engineer Research and Development Center,[email protected]; Michael F. Spoor (TS #26)

This presentation should define reclamation requirements to assureformulated Huntington District project benefits. As has been mandatedby statutes, regulations, guidelines, and case law precedents mine sitereclamation includes phased revegetation, impoundments, wetlands,and adjacent stream restoration. Reclamation actions were predicatedon phased bond releases. Long-term consequences were not fully eval-uated. Thousands of acres within project lands and adjacent drainagebasin areas were adversely impacted by subsequent volunteering ofnuisance and exotic species, as a consequence of seasonal revegeta-tion by seeding, shrub and woody species plantings and related recla-mation actions. Resulting degradation of wildlife habitat quality anddiversity has precluded realization of formulated project benefits.Losses of suitable habitat acreage were partially addressed by naturalsuccession of native woody shrub and tree species from adjacentareas. District and ERDC staffs have evaluated mined lands, withinproject and adjacent drainage areas, which were reclaimed usingestablished methods. Vegetation and soils surveys indicate thesereclamation actions should be revised to provide for extensive plantingof native nursery and pioneer herbaceous species. Extended plantingperiods would be required and total reclamation costs reduced. Shruband tree succession would, upon establishment of herbaceous vegeta-tion cover, be defined by adjacent forest edge volunteering of nativespecies. Extents and diversity of woody shrubs and trees should,during a period from five to ten years after establishment of herba-ceous cover, form significant habitats adapted to local soils andbedrock characteristics, seasonal moisture and shading components,features, slope geometries, and micro-climate conditions.

Dam Foundations & Differing Site Conditions – Calaveras DamReplacement Project Bair, Jeffrey M., Black & Vetch, [email protected]; Kerry Cato; SusanHou (TS #12)

Calaveras Dam is located on Calaveras Creek in the Diablo MountainRange in Alameda County, California. This 220-foot-high earth-fill damwas completed in 1925 and is being re-built to address seismic stabilityconcerns with the existing dam. The new structure will be a zoned earthand rock fill embankment including a new concrete-lined, ungated, ogee-crested spillway and a new intake tower and shaft. Geologic investiga-tions conducted during the planning and design phases of the projectrevealed existing landslides (active, inactive, and dormant) in the rightand left abutments, and highly variable conditions within required excava-tions for the new dam that included highly fractured sandstones (temblorsandstone), and hard intact schists and greywackes embedded in amatrix of siltstone and shale (Franciscan complex). All major civil con-struction, particularly those with substantial excavation volumes andother subsurface work, experience some amount of change during con-struction. Calaveras Dam, which entails excavation and placement ofnearly ten million cubic yards of earth and rock in variable difficult geo-logic conditions, is no exception. Further complicating matters, theproject site is very constrained, and only limited options are available fortemporary or permanent storage of excavated materials. Requiredchanges in material sequencing to address differing site conditions havebeen a significant source of extensions in the project schedule andincreases in project costs. This paper discusses challenges in the exca-vation works associated with the project and related to differing site conditions. The paper further discusses steps taken by the Project Teamto appropriately manage these risks, and to the full extent practical, minimize impacts to the project schedule and budget.

A Case Study of Ecosystem Restoration along the Reach of South Fork New River in Boone, North CarolinaBall, Brian, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District,[email protected]; Kenneth Darko-Kagya,[email protected]; Michael F. Spoor; Andrew Keffer,[email protected]; Phillip Hatfield,[email protected] (TS#27)

Most valuable and important ecosystems in the world have been sub-ject to considerable degradation, which results in harmful impacts tothe livelihoods of people and damage to the ecosystem. Naturaland/or anthropogenic activities are the cause of these environmentaldistresses. There is national mandate to restore the degradedecosystem structure, function and dynamic process to near its orig-inal state or at least to a less degraded more natural condition.Restoration design requires several interdisciplinary professional staffapproaches and parameters, which are very complex and interre-lated. It is difficult to predict the immediate and long-term successesof ecosystem restoration, however there are several accepted waysto restore an environment that has undergone degradation. Thispaper presents relevant integrated environmental engineering restora-tion design and construction requirements as completed alongdegraded reaches of the South Fork New River in Boone, North Car-olina as a case study. Practical restoration techniques such asstream bank characterization and restoration, in-stream placement ofrock structures, planting and structural use of native herbaceousshrub and tree species, and related riparian and wetland bettermentare presented. The importance of redirecting water flow together withsediment transport related substrate improvements are discussedhere. All these methods/procedures should reestablish high qualityviable riparian habitat and adjacent wetlands to affect this ecosystemrestoration project.

I-68 “Sideling Hill” Rock Slope Hazards and Mitigation Concepts, Washington County, MarylandBanks, Brian K., Schnabel Engineering, Inc., [email protected](TS #16)

Maryland’s largest highway rock cut slopes occur along I-68 in Wash-ington County. Comprised of two opposite-facing rock cut slopes,each about 1,600 feet long and 360 feet high, the Sideling Hill roadcut is well known for its impressive exposure of sedimentary rocklayers folded into a tight syncline. The orientation of the road isroughly perpendicular to the syncline axis, which offers a unique viewof the folded and faulted rock strata. The slopes were designed withfour 20-foot-wide benches, with 0.25H:1V bench faces each up toabout 80 feet high. The rockfall catchment areas at the base of theslopes were designed to be up to 40 feet wide with a shallow V-shaped configuration. The original construction was completed in1985. Schnabel Engineering performed a rock slope hazard investiga-tion for the Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) to identifyslope conditions that may contribute to rock slope instability androckfall. The investigation included a lidar survey to develop a 3D ter-rain model and topographic plan of the existing rock slopes; a fieldreconnaissance to perform rock structure mapping and observeexisting rock slope conditions; and digital mapping using the 3D ter-rain model. Rock slope stability analyses were performed to deter-mine areas of potential instability. Schnabel Engineering developedrecommendations and conceptual designs for rock slope mainte-nance to reduce the rockfall hazard. MSHA is using the results of theconcept study to choose a maintenance concept to carry forwardinto final design and construction.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Soil Sampling Utilizing Horizontal/Directional Drilling MethodsBardsley, David, Directed Technologies Drilling, Inc.; [email protected]; Dan Ombalski, [email protected] (TS #27)

Horizontal/directional drilling (HDD) methods have been utilized in theenvironmental drilling industry for the installation of monitor and remedi-ation systems. New refinements in drilling equipment, steering/locatingtechnology and sampling tooling have given consultants, site ownersand drillers the ability to use the technology to obtain soil samplesusing HDD technology. The specific tooling technology includes avariety of soil samplers for use in multiple types of geologic conditions.The equipment is designed for use with small (less than 25,000 lb.capacity) drilling rigs, which require a limited surface operating foot-print. Benefits of the method include: accessing areas under obstruc-tions limiting or preventing the use of vertical drilling equipment;steerable drilling assembly allows for multiple samples from one bore-hole or rig up location; bore entry point can be located in areas whereoverlying formations are not contaminated, eliminating the potential forcross contaminating vertical formations, and reduce crew risk bymoving the drilling equipment from hazardous locations; busy road-ways, ponds and manufacturing-operating units. Several recent projectsdetailing the effectiveness of horizontal/directional soil sampling opera-tions will be examined, including: sampling beneath a river, samplingbeneath a waste storage lagoon, and sampling beneath a landfill.

Rockslope Stability in Karst TerrainBateman, Vanessa C., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, [email protected] (TS #16)

While the risks associated with sinkholes in karst terrain are welldocumented, the risks to both the public and infrastructure pre-sented by both natural and man-made rock slopes in karst terrainare often misunderstood. Rock cut design, even where a rockfallcatchment ditch is included, seldom accounts for the unstableepikarst zone and for the secondary toppling failure mode in morecompetent rock evident in many karst areas. Vertical karst chimneysand weathering along joints can produce substantial stability prob-lems in the remaining rock face. The secondary toppling failuremode often develops from the combination of solution-widened jointsin the rock face and from differential weathering of the rocks in thestratigraphic sequence. This failure mode is most often forgottenwhere the geology is relatively flat lying leading practitioners to dis-count the possibility for a structurally controlled rock failure in anarea that is not considered to be structurally complex. Where theepikarst zone is deep, this can leave large unstable rock bouldersand columns surrounded by soil that are relatively stable in-situ, butpresent rockslope stability risks where they are exposed. Thegeology of middle Tennessee, particularly in the outer Central Basin,Highland Rim, and at the margins of the Cumberland Plateau is suchthat many of these problems can be expected, and these issuesshould be accounted for in design. Illustrations of these problemsare given from multiple sites including Center Hill Dam, the CordellHull Dam access road, and along several Tennessee roadways.

The SIMDAMS Project: Bringing Dam Safety into the Information AgeBateman, Vanessa, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,[email protected]; Christopher J. Kelly,[email protected]; Baron Worsham, [email protected]; William G. Walker Jr,[email protected]; Meghann Wygonik,[email protected]; Sarah Wiles,[email protected] (TS #22)

The benefits of information management systems and 3D models forcivil works projects are widely known. Yet there have often been manyimpediments to implementing consistent information managementpractices for Dam Safety projects. These impediments have includedrelevant data and information scattered across multiple hard drives,servers and file rooms, as well as limited software access and compli-cated programs that require a specialist to operate. Information man-agement systems that have been implemented have been done on aproject-by-project basis and each has their own organizational struc-ture. The SIMDAMS (Site Information Modeling and Dam ManagementSolutions) project is providing a consistent framework and structure tobring relevant USACE dam safety information into GIS-based site infor-mation models that not only include the spatial representation of damsafety related features, but also the underlying deep data, includinghistorical reports, drawings and documents that make a completeinformation model of a dam site. Using GIS as the spatial framework,the projects are virtually constructed in 2D and 3D GIS to provide thevisual interface. The underlying document library is then connected tospatial data features providing engineers and geologists with organ-ized access to all relevant data needed to assess the safety of thedam. These models are designed to be easily transferrable from siteto site, and are also being implemented in a web interface, makingboth the models and documents widely available and easy to use fornon-GIS specialists.

Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma – A Summary of the FirstAEG Professional ForumBauer, Jennifer, Appalachian Landslide Consultants, PLLC,[email protected] (TS #21)

The first AEG Professional Forum—Time to Face the LandslideDilemma, Bridging Science, Policy, Public Safety, and Potential Loss—was held in Seattle, WA, in February 2015. The forum broughttogether over 200 geologists, engineers, planners, emergency man-agers, students, and others from public, private, and academicemployers. Twenty-two speakers and 15 poster presenters sharedtheir experiences and knowledge with the intent of working together todevelop steps toward reducing landslide impact on public safety. Atten-dees learned about federal, state and county strategies for landslidehazard assessments, what the insurance industry needs to know toinsure landslides, how planning and zoning are used to mitigate geo-logic hazards, what information Emergency Managers need duringlandslide crises, and how to communicate with federal representativesabout geohazards. Following the presentations, forum attendees par-ticipated in an interactive workshop. Groups discussed five differenttopics: 1) Creation of a “Loss Model,” 2) Communication between sci-ence, policy, and the public, 3) Public education, 4) Regulation andPlanning, 5) Next steps to continue this discussion. Six top level pri-ority action items came out of these groups: a) to form a central com-mittee to continue the work the forum started, b) work onstandardizing core methods such as for lidar and mapping, c) imple-ment priorities of the public education group, d) develop emergency

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


management kits for pre-emergency hazard mitigation plans, e) writean article for the press about the forum, and f) plan the next forum.This Annual Meeting Symposium serves as the next forum and buildsupon the conversation started in Seattle.

Geophysical Mapping of Fracture Flow in a Hard Rock SettingBeird, Maggie, THG Geophysics Ltd., [email protected]; PeterHutchinson, [email protected] (TS #15)

The topographic remnants of mountain building in New Jersey consist of a series of fault-bounded ridges and valleys. Theseridges are often composed of Middle Proterozoic granites andmetamorphic suites that are fractured and faulted, providing conduitflow for surface water. Surface water exploits the fractures andfaults as it migrates down gradient to integrate with the regionalaquifer in the adjacent valley. The southeastern side of a northeasttrending granitic ridge in this region, is the site of at least fivetrenches that received hazardous waste. Volatile organic com-pounds (VOC) associated with the waste disposal have beendetected in residential water wells northwest of the ridge. Electricalimaging (EI) proved to be an excellent method of mapping the path-ways for conduit flow through a fault and fractures. A sub-regionalMiddle Paleozoic fault, the Mansfield Fault, traverses the ridge fromthe north to the south and passes beneath one of the wastetrenches on the southeast side of the salient. Electrical imaging ofthe subsurface documented the placement of the fault and its cata-clastic zone. Further, EI provided additional information as to itsaerial extent. EI imaged a number of fractures—some that passbeneath the trenches and integrate with the aquifer to the north.These fractures and fault provide pathways to transport the VOCs inthe groundwater to residential water wells.

We Need a Dam Sensor ReadingBellusci, Chris, GeoEngineers, [email protected]; LindsayFlangas, [email protected] (TS #22)

As our critical infrastructure ages, the regulations for public safetyand federal compliance continue to tighten. GeoEngineers’ Earth Ana-lytics for Hydroelectric Dams is a technology and science platformbuilt to manage critical-asset sensor data, and meet the demandingFederal compliance reporting requirements. We have implementedEarth Analytics for Hydroelectric Dams for Portland General Electric(PGE). PGE staff needed a more efficient and streamlined way tomanage and report dam safety data to the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission (FERC). PGE’s existing process required more than 200hours to compile, analyze and generate the FERC-required dam safetyreports. The agency required its new system to satisfy two criticalrequirements: 1) improved efficiency and 2) actionable intelligence. Inthis presentation, GeoEngineers will demonstrate how our Earth Ana-lytics platform solved PGE’s dam safety reporting needs. The new,online, hosted solution allows PGE operations and management staffto access and store dam sensor readings from both traditional dataloggers and wireless sensors using a user-role-based security model.The application allows staff to define advanced “listening” triggers oralarms to notify users of exceedances or potential thresholds. PGEstaff can now visualize and analyze data in ways that have tradition-ally required a high degree of subject-matter expertise and additionaltime to produce.

Landslide Phenomena of Chimaltenango District, Guatemala Bible, Gary, Cougar Dome, LLC, [email protected]; RachaelCloud Bible, [email protected] (TS #24)

Landslides continue to cause loss of life and property in Guatemala.One such area, the Chimaltenango District is located in the CentralGuatemalan Highlands. Destructive landslides and lahars are a chronicproblem in the area. In 2015, a cooperative project was initiated withthe Alliance for International Reforestation, also known as AIRGuatemala, to map the known landslides in the District. Landslideswere mapped using ESRI ArcView software and the ESRI world image.The northern half of the district is underlain by deeply weathered Ter-tiary volcanics. Upon deforestation, these volcanics are subject toincreased landslide activity. Using Varnes’ classification of landslides,debris slides and mudflows are the dominant type of landslides. Atpresent, this area is being analyzed using open Modeler Desktop 1.1.0to produce predictive maps of the areas that would be subject toincreased landslide activity upon deforestation. The southern half ofthe Chimaltenango District is underlain by Quaternary volcanics. Debrisslides and mudflows are relatively rare in this area. However, laharsemanating from the top of Volcán De Fuego are common on the lowerflanks of this volcano. This is one of the most active volcanos in LatinAmerica and there is a large deposit of volcanic ash located primarilyaround the west side of the cone. This ash deposit appears to beunstable and will continue to ‘feed’ lahars for the immediate future.Avoiding development of the lahar prone areas appears to be the mostfeasible means to preventing the loss of human life.

Double Row Grout Curtain Design and Construction for CedarCreek Dam in Malakoff, TexasBole, Daniel P., Hayward Baker Inc., [email protected]; MarcT. Miller, [email protected] (TS #17)

This case history presents the design and construction of a grout cur-tain, trench drain and collector system, to address the demand forfresh water supply for the Tarrant Regional Water District’s CedarCreek Dam (Joe B. Hogsett Dam) project on Cedar Creek Lake inMalakoff, TX. The project consists of two significant work phases: theconstruction of a 1,400 linear-foot double row grout curtain along theleft abutment area and the construction of approximately 1,300 linearfeet of a trench drain and collector system. The double row grout cur-tain is spaced 10 feet on center with holes battered at 15° from ver-tical and an average depth of 80 feet. The design of the grout curtainrequired work in two different zones of geologic medium. The uppergrout zone was composed of a “packsand,” which typically consistedof sands and gravels, while the lower grout zone consisted primarily offractured shale. The grouting required a suite of grout mixes, all ofwhich are considered balanced stable grouts. In addition to the use ofbalanced stable grout mixes, all grouting operations were performedutilizing the geotechnical contractor’s proprietary i-Grout system. Thefinal stage of construction was the installation of a 1,300 linear feetdrainage trench and collector system that was designed to handleadditional water. The trench was excavated into a permeable sandlayer to allow for transport of water into the trench drain and collectedin a controlled manner.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Can We Extract Information Regarding Transportation Asset Condition from Satellite-Based Radar Interferometric Data? Bouali, El Hachemi, Michigan Technological University, [email protected](TS #14)

As many transportation agencies adopt asset management (AM) programs for preventative care and long-term maintenance purposes,it is becoming more apparent that the myriad of disparate asset typesacross large-scale transportation networks (e.g., state-wide level) aredifficult to adequately manage in a timely fashion. There seems to be adisconnect between the robust requirements for successful AM imple-mentation, as described by various transportation agencies’ AM frame-works, and the completion of these requirements in the field. Forexample, the recently-passed Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21stCentury Act (MAP-21) dictates that each State Department of Trans-portation is required to develop a risk-based AM plan and are encour-aged to include all infrastructure assets within the right-of-way corridor.This is a daunting task if done entirely via field-based methods. Theauthors investigate the use of radar interferometry, a remote sensingtechnique where all data are acquired via active microwave sensorsattached to polar orbiting satellites, towards the condition assessmentof various asset types (e.g., geotechnical, transportation, and pave-ment) within the transportation corridor. An analysis of different radarinterferometry outputs—primary products such as interferograms,coherence maps, amplitude imagery, and persistent scatterer points—is explored to see if secondary products may be generated to furtherassist in the initial condition assessment and long-term monitoringsteps of AM programs.

Bulking Factors to Predict Debris-Flow Peak DischargeBrunkal, Holly, Colorado School of Mines, [email protected]; Paul Santi, [email protected] (TS #25)

The rational equation is a simple and commonly used technique for cal-culating runoff peak discharges from small drainage basins. The rationalequation computes clear water flood values and does not account forincreased peak discharges during debris-flow events. A large databaseof debris-flow peak discharges (Q) allowed for a comparison with theexpected basin discharge as computed using the rational equation. Theobserved values for debris flows in unburned and burned areas weredivided by the computed Q values of runoff using the rational equation.This ratio is the bulking factor for that debris-flow event. It is shown thatunburned and burned basins constitute two distinct populations fordebris-flow bulking. The bulking factors for burned areas are consistentlyhigher than for unburned basins. Previously published bulking factors forunburned areas would be appropriate for this data set in about 50% ofthe observed cases. Conversely, the bulking factors for burned areasthat were found in the published literature were well below the increasesseen in over half of the cases investigated in this study. Average bulkingfactors for unburned areas ranged from 1.4–10X depending on basinsize, and for burned areas they range from 2.8–30X. Peak dischargebulking rates were found to be inversely related to basin area. Debrisflows are becoming a more frequent hazard and more communities arefound in areas of increased risk. An understanding of the potential peakdischarges from debris flows reduces the risk to infrastructure. Site Characterization of Critical Facilities in Oregon on Cascadia MarginBurns, Scott, Portland State University, [email protected] (TS #8)Oregon lies on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which has incrediblepotential for large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Siting of criticalfacilities has to take into consideration the chances of large earthquakesand eruptions. Three different types of earthquakes have to be evaluatedfor each site: North American crust quakes (up to M = 6.5); Juan deFuca plate quakes up to M = 7.3; subduction quakes up to M = 9.0+.

The recurrence interval for the subduction quakes is 500 years for thewhole plate boundary and about 300 years for the southern margin. Lastcomplete fracture was in the year 1700. The whole coast has to be con-cerned with two types of tsunamis: distant ones up to two meters highand local ones during subduction zone quakes up to 15 meters high.The whole coast has been mapped for tsunami inundation and evacua-tion routes have been drawn up. Critical facilities are not allowed in thetsunami inundation zones (mainly below 15 meters elevation). The dis-tance from different volcanoes needs to also be evaluated. The largecomposite volcanoes have mainly lahar and ash potential, especially Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Mazama. Steep slopes also have a large potentialfor landslides in large quakes so landslide potential maps are being produced at this time. The tectonic setting of Cascadia dominates all characterization of critical sites in Oregon.

Mineral, Virginia 2011, and Charleston, South Carolina, 1886:Results from Some Recent Seismological InvestigationsChapman, Martin, Virginia Tech, [email protected]; Qimin Wu; Anna Hardy;Jacob Beale (TS #8)

The hypocenters of earthquakes located using data from a temporarynetwork deployment in the Summerville, SC, area define a south-striking tabular seismogenic zone dipping 43 degrees to the west inthe upper 12 km, and the majority of the focal mechanisms indicatereverse faulting on approximately N-NW trending nodal planes. Thoseobservations and our previous analyses of reflection profiles in theSummerville, SC, area support the hypothesis that the source of the1886 Charleston earthquake was compressional reactivation of asouth-striking Mesozoic extensional fault. The modern seismicity nearSummerville is in many ways similar to the aftershock sequence of theM5.8 2011 Mineral, VA, earthquake, which had a reverse mechanismand most moment release at approximately 7.5 km depth. In bothcases, hypocenter locations define a tabular seismogenic zone, withthe majority of events at shallow depth (1 to 6 km). In both cases, thefocal mechanisms show considerable diversity. In the case of the Min-eral earthquake, more than half of the solutions exhibit reverse mecha-nisms with P-axis trends differing by more than 15 degrees from thatof the mainshock mechanism. The same is true for the South Carolinadata set in terms of the difference between focal mechanism B-axistrend and the azimuth 186o strike of the seismogenic zone. Thesesimilarities suggest the possibility that in both cases the seismicity fol-lowing the mainshock is largely controlled by Coulomb stress transfer,acting on minor faults with a range of orientations, despite the factthat the hypocenter locations appear to define at least part of a planarmainshock damage zone. This is certainly the case for the Mineral, VA,aftershocks. It appears this is also the case for the on-going seismicityin the epicentral area of the 1886 Charleston earthquake, despite thepassage of nearly 129 years since the mainshock.

Portugués Dam: Challenges and Success in RCC Dam Foundation Documentation and TreatmentConway, John, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,[email protected] (TS #7)

The Portugués Dam foundation presented challenges for the geologicdocumentation and foundation treatment due to steep slopes at theabutments, river diversion requirements and complex geology. Docu-mentation and treatment of the rock foundation were some of the mostcritical activities performed during the construction and prior to theplacement of the Dam’s RCC structure. Foundation treatment was nec-essary in order to remove unacceptable foundation materials andimprove its quality for the dam structure stability. The Portugués Damfoundation consisted of approximately 10,000 sq yd of meta-sediments

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intersected by shears and diorite dikes. It was photographed andmapped immediately after the excavation reached lines and grades andwas cleaned sufficiently to allow a view of the geology and its structure.The foundation geology was mapped and documented by state of theart 3DM photogrammetry. Foundation treatment areas consisting ofweathered, fractured, soft and loose rocks were also detailed mappedand photographed prior to dental concrete placement in preparation forthe dam RCC. This mapping recorded final foundation conditions underthe dam. Foundation treatments or improvements consisted in exca-vating poor quality rock and were necessary replacing it with dentalconcrete, injecting cement grout for consolidation and building a groutcurtain to improve the foundation and reduced the permeability. Thesemethods enhanced the quality of the foundation to meet design needsand the long-term stability of the dam. The Portugués Dam FoundationReport has the permanent record of the successful detailed foundationmapping completion and foundation treatments.

The Influence of Tectonic Setting on the Characterization ofSeismic Sources for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard AnalysisCoppersmith, Kevin, Coppersmith Consulting, Inc., [email protected] (TS #8)

Seismic source characterization (SSC) for probabilistic seismic hazardanalysis (PSHA) has become a specialized multi-disciplinary field withinthe earth sciences that is aimed at defining locations, sizes, and ratesof future earthquakes that can give rise to vibratory ground motions ata site or sites of interest. Because relatively rare moderate-to-largeearthquakes are of interest for engineering design or safety analyses,the observed record of historical and instrumental seismicity is oftennot sufficient to define confidently the characteristics of future earth-quakes. The SSC tools used to define future earthquake characteris-tics are functions of the tectonic environment, which ranges fromactive plate boundary regions to stable continental regions. In allcases, uncertainties in seismic source characteristics must be com-pletely quantified and propagated into the PSHA. This talk will drawfrom examples of actual SSC models developed for critical facilities toillustrate approaches to defining the spatial and temporal aspects offuture earthquakes. The Diablo Canyon SSC model lies within an activetectonic environment and the hazard is dominated by the details of thenearby faults, including their potential rupture geometries, slip rates,magnitude frequency distributions, and temporal distributions. Like-wise, active faults and the Cascadia subduction zone in the BC HydroSSC model are characterized by their slip rates, paleoseismic recur-rence intervals, and details of their rupture geometries. Moving to lessactive tectonic environments, the Yucca Mountain, NV, and the Han-ford, WA, SSC models use a combination of fault sources and seismicsource zones to represent the future spatial distribution of seismicity.The geometry of nearby faults is important, as is information related tothe slip rates on faults, but the spatial distribution and rupture charac-teristics of future earthquakes within source zones can also contributeto the hazard. In stable continental regions, the causative faults aretypically difficult to identify and a variety of geologic and geophysicaldata are used to define source zones with relatively uniform futureearthquake characteristics. Using the CEUS SSC and the Thyspunt,South Africa, SSC models as examples, a variety of tools are availablesuch as spatial smoothing to define future earthquake locations andthe assessment of maximum magnitudes becomes quite important.Repeated large magnitude earthquake sources are seen locally, suchas New Madrid, and the temporal distribution of seismicity is a keyissue. Tools for expressing the uncertainties in SSC characteristics,including logic trees, will also be discussed in this presentation.

Yakima Fold Belt Structures, Eastern WA: Style and Rate ofFaulting Based on Structural Analyses and Quaternary StudiesCoppersmith, Ryan, Coppersmith Consulting Inc., [email protected]; Christopher Slack, [email protected];Kathryn L. Hanson, [email protected]; Jeffrey Unruh,[email protected] (Poster)

As part of the SSHAC Level 3 Hanford Sitewide Probabilistic SeismicHazard Analysis (PSHA) study, regional fault sources in the Yakima FoldBelt (YFB) were characterized to evaluate timing, recency of faulting,and slip rate. Since the initial detailed studies in the 1970s, contro-versy has existed regarding the style and rate of contemporary defor-mation in the YFB. To understand the slip history of individualstructures within the YFB, a structural analysis combining field, GIS-based mapping, and subsurface information from a regional hydrogeo-logic model was performed for 15 faults and associated anticlineswithin the Columbia River Basalts (CRB). A 10-m resolution DEM wasused to evaluate the amplitude and wavelength of the YFB folds, whichin turn provide constraints on the geometry of the underlying domi-nantly reverse and reverse-oblique faults. Topographic analysis of thefolds in conjunction with regional geologic maps, were evaluated toassess varying amounts of structural relief along the entire trend ofeach fold and potential characteristic rupture segments. Long-termaverage slip rates used to characterize fault sources in the SSC modelwere derived from the vertical slip required to generate the structuralrelief on the CRB in the YFB, and the period of time over whichregional shortening occurred (6 and 10Ma). Quaternary mapping andgeochronology studies provided new slip-rate information for three ofthe faults: Rattlesnake Mountain, Manastash, and Umtanum. Late Qua-ternary vertical slip rates were similar to the long-term (post-10 Ma)average slip rates (generally ranging from ~ 0.02 to 0.12 mm/yr).

Challenges in Characterizing Fault Sources in a Reactivated SCREnvironment, Southern South AfricaCoppersmith, Ryan, Coppersmith Consulting, Inc., [email protected]; Kathryn L. Hanson, [email protected];Johann Neveling, [email protected] (TS #8)

A major challenge in characterizing fault sources in SCR environmentsoften stems from the inability to distinguish the recency and slip ratesbetween Quaternary reactivated portions of the fault system and otherparts of the fault system that do not show reactivation. Establishingthese characteristics for all parts of a fault system is important toseismic hazard studies. A unique opportunity to observe a Quaternaryreactivated fault within a portion of a Mesozoic fault system is presentin southern South Africa. The late Paleozoic Cape Fold Belt dominatesthe structural configuration of southern South Africa and formed alongthe southern margin of Gondwana. Cape Orogeny compression wasfollowed by extension associated with the breakup of Gondwana andthe superposition of a Mesozoic extensional system onto the fold belt.The 480 km long Mesozoic fault system includes the major basin-bounding Ceres-Kango-Baviaanskloof-Coega (CKBC) fault. SouthernSouth Africa lies within a stable continental region (SCR); however, evi-dence of up to three Pleistocene to Holocene normal faulting eventsalong a 100 km reactivated portion of the Kango fault has been docu-mented, including 10–33 m of normal dip slip of pediment surfaces(Hanson et al., 2014). Along the extent of the CKBC, river drainageshave incised 150 m into the Paleozoic Table Mountain Group quartzite,resulting in the abandonment of high-level pediment surfaces that arevery resistant to erosion. The silcrete and underlying pediment surfaceat the bedrock alluvium contact are generally considered to beMiocene in age and have exposed surfaces that have been stable for350 kyr to 3 Myr based on cosmogenic nuclide (26Al /10Be) dating

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(Bierman et al., 2014), providing unique regional strain gauges forevaluating the presence or absence of fault deformation. To determinethe recency and relation of fault timing of the reactivated Kango faultsegment to major neighboring faults in the CKBC fault system, geo-logic mapping along pediment surfaces that overlie the Baviaanskloof,Western Coega, and Kouga faults was undertaken. Detailed mappingof the bedrock fault locations and the silcrete unconformity, and thesurface itself reveals a demonstrable lack of surface rupture alongthese faults, thus confirming the lack of Quaternary reactivation alongmost of the CKBC fault system. The mapping studies provided dataused to evaluate the seismogenic probability of these faults forseismic hazard analyses and they provide insights into the spatial andtemporal reactivation of faults within SCR.

Geohazard Risk Reduction through the Installation of High-Tensile Strength Anchored and Draped Steel Mesh Coyle, Kevin, Geobrugg North America, [email protected](TS #11)

Shale gas recovery requires venturing into some of the most remoteand rugged country in the Continental U.S. Many of these areas aregeologically unstable and prone to surface slides, yet because theyare remote these hazards have no impact on society and warrant noremediation. Shale gas recovery in these remote areas exposespeople, equipment, and infrastructure used for the harvesting andtransmission of shale gas creating significant exposure and risk ofloss. The landslide and rockfall hazards that shale gas operations areexposed to can be significantly reduced with anchored or draped flex-ible-steel mesh protection systems. These mitigation measures can berapidly installed without heavy equipment even in the most remoteareas where access is difficult providing economical geohazard mitigation compared to other currently used options.

Water Supply and Usage: Oktibeha County, MississippiCrabtree, Brandon, Mississippi State University, [email protected];Darrell Schmitz, [email protected] (Poster)

Oktibbeha County primarily depends on an aquifer in the Gordo forma-tion for its fresh water needs. This formation has never been analyzedfor its ground water potential in the context of usage exclusive toOktibbeha County. The last hydrogeological study of the formationswas completed in 1965 and included analysis of the surrounding coun-ties and focused on extraction by the larger municipalities. This projecthas investigated the aquifer systems within the county and identifiesalternative sources of groundwater. Wells and surface water featureshave been analyzed for usability by the county. Surface water andground water was investigated as a potential reservoir source. Poten-tiometric surface maps have also be updated in the area to reflect cur-rent and projected ground water levels. Updated cross sections of thegeologic units have been created in order to provide a more detailedunderstanding of the structure and the hydraulic properties of theaquifer systems in the County.

“Is the Dam Leaking?” A Study of the Current Status of theDruid Lake Dam in Baltimore, Maryland Crist, Kristopher, The Robert B. Balter Company, [email protected];Joseph F. Whittle, Jr.; Matt Leone (TS #7)

Historically, the Druid Lake Dam is fascinating. Built between 1864 and1871 within a 100-foot-deep ravine using soil from the local area and“puddling” methods, the dam was the largest earthen dam in thecountry. Construction issues and cost over-runs reduced the lakecapacity to 430 million gallons of water, down from the 1 billion gallon

design. Development impacted the dam, including construction of I-83,located at the toe, and the 28th street off-ramp, built into the face ofthe dam. Studies of the dam’s stability and seepage conditions wereperformed over the years, identifying no seepage issues, but identi-fying shallow sloughing failures in the downstream face. An attempt tocorrect this was made by reducing the top width from 60 feet to 30feet by flattening the upper slope and constructing a retaining wallupstream of the off-ramp. Recently, settlement within I-83 in front ofthe dam raised concerns by the Maryland Department of the Environ-ment of the condition of the dam. Contracted by the City, the studyteam implemented a two-phase plan to study the dam, including a geo-physical evaluation supplemented by a geotechnical study. The geo-physical study identified concerns at distinct locations of the dam,which were then evaluated using geotechnical borings, piezometersand monitoring wells. Field and laboratory data was used in significantseepage and slope stability analyses. This presentation will describethe study and the challenges that arose during the evaluation of thedam; and will provide a summary of the findings and conclusions.

Sinkhole Mapping & Void Detection in Karst - Electrical Resis-tivity Case Studies at Carlsbad Caverns and in TennesseeCross, Eric, Pyramid Environmental & Engineering, [email protected]; Doug Canavello, [email protected](TS #15)

Variations in resistivity can be used to make inferences into the geo-logic conditions of the subsurface, including changes in soil type,depth to rock, competency of bedrock, groundwater characteristics,and possible void spaces. Recently, Pyramid has used surface resis-tivity mapping at two project sites to identify voids in limestone andassess active sinkhole conditions. The first site was located atCarlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. Pyramid designed atwo-part electrical resistivity survey to examine the entire length(~7000 feet) of a proposed subsurface utility for possiblecaves/voids in the upper 75–100 feet of the limestone formation thatmay prove to be hazardous for construction. The mapping involvedboth a 2D resistivity survey along the length of the proposed utilityroute and 3D resistivity surveys at the locations of the possible cavesthat were identified. The second project was located in Tennessee ata remediation site where a ground collapse had occurred. The sitewas characterized by shallow limestone, and the ground collapse wasthought to be associated with sinkhole conditions resulting from theunderlying karst. The resistivity survey combined 2D and 3D imagingto delineate the lateral extent of the sinkhole and assess its potentialdepth of influence into the limestone formation. This paper presentsthe results of these electrical resistivity surveys and discusses theinterpretations made at each site regarding sinkhole activity and subsurface voids.

Correlation of Regional Geologic and Tectonic History with Geo-logic Mapping of Foundation Excavations at the V. C. SummerNuclear Station, South CarolinaCumbest, Randolph J., Lettis Consultants International, Inc,[email protected]; Stephanie Briggs, [email protected]; Frank H. Syms, [email protected] (TS #8)

Preconstruction evaluation of foundation conditions for critical facilitiesis typically based on information from borings augmented by other geo-logic, geophysical, and geotechnical investigations. Because thesetechniques are limited in sampling density and spatial resolution, inter-pretations of geologic conditions at foundation grade based on theminvolve uncertainty about geologic, seismic, and geotechnical hazardsthat may be present. This uncertainty can be reduced by documenting

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conditions in plant foundation excavations through a detailed geologicmapping program. Regional geologic and tectonic investigations pro-vide the context for interpreting field data collected during the mapping.The regional context defines geologic conditions that could occur infoundation materials at the site, including characteristics that may war-rant further assessment to ensure site suitability. Lithologies, stratig-raphy, and structural features encountered during foundation mappingand the geologic and tectonic history inferred from the relationshipsbetween these characteristics should fit into the regional context to pro-vide increased confidence in interpretations made based on the detailedgeologic mapping. For a new nuclear power plant, a primary impetusfor geologic mapping lies in regulatory requirements and guidelines ofthe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including a license conditionthat requires detailed geologic mapping of excavations for safety-related structures at the plant site. Geologic investigations performedfor the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS) in the South CarolinaPiedmont, which included detailed geologic mapping of plant foundationexcavations, illustrate the importance of understanding results of thegeologic mapping in light of the regional geologic and tectonic frame-work to minimize uncertainty about the presence of potential geologic,seismic, and geotechnical hazards that could affect site suitability. Themapping revealed the following information about foundation bedrockthat conformed with timing of regional geologic and tectonic events: 1)Lithologic units comprising Charlotte Terrane country rock at theVCSNS site were deposited as a volcanic and sedimentary sequence inan island arc, subjected to regional metamorphism, and penetrativelydeformed prior to 535 Ma (PreCambrian-Cambrian). 2) The WinnsboroPlutonic Complex, which largely comprises foundation bedrock at theVCSNS site, intruded Charlotte Terrane rocks around 309 Ma (Carbonif-erous). 3) Fracturing and hydrothermal alteration of potassium feldsparcollected from the most prominent shear zone in foundation bedrock ofUnit 2 occurred around 215 Ma (Triassic). The geologic mapping docu-mented that faults and shear zones younger than Mesozoic did notoccur in the excavations for safety-related structures at the plant site,confirming that pre-excavation predictions made about foundation conditions remained valid.

Evaluation of Subsurface Conditions Using MASW to SupportTrenchless Construction Design in an Urban EnvironmentDaniel, Joel, Schnabel Engineering, Inc. [email protected];James Whitt, [email protected]; Paul Headland,[email protected]; Michael Nuhfer, [email protected] (TS #1)

The Hornerstown and Industrial Park Interceptor project located in John-stown, Pennsylvania will comprise approximately 6,300-feet of 36-inchsewer interceptor and 18 new manholes. The planned constructionmethods include a combination of trenchless drives and open cutreaches. The proposed sewer alignment presents challenges for bothopen-cut and trenchless installation methods, as it crosses beneath busyroadways/intersections, a rail line, overhead and buried utilities, StateRoute 56 overpass; and passes very close to numerous building founda-tions. The subsurface conditions at the site include flood-related debris,fluvial clay, silt, sand, and gravel overlying cyclic sequences of shale,sandstone, and limestone, including coal associated with the Alleghenyand Glenshaw Geologic Formations. Preliminary design requires knowl-edge of local subsurface conditions, including soil stiffness, top ofbedrock, and location of possible historical flood debris. The multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) seismic method was used tosupplement boring data to evaluate subsurface conditions. This methodis especially useful in urban areas where ambient electromagnetic noisemay negatively impact the success of other geophysical methods such

as electromagnetics and ground-penetrating radar. The MASW surveyswere used to evaluate tunneling conditions along the drive alignmentsand to evaluate the extent of rock excavation in open cut reaches. Thisgeophysical survey provided a better understanding of subsurface condi-tions along the entire interceptor alignment at the beginning of thedesign phase to support the design and decision making processimpacting means, construction method selection and construction costto be made with more confidence.

An Overview of Landslide Mapping in PennsylvaniaDelano, Helen L., DCNR - Pennsylvania Geological Survey,[email protected] (TS #21)

Geologists in Pennsylvania have studied landslides since the 1940s.Landslide mapping by the USGS began as part of the Greater Pitts-burgh Regional Geologic Study in the 1970s. Additional mapping byUSGS and Pennsylvania Geological Survey (PGS) through the 1980sexpanded coverage to include approximately 400 quadrangles inwestern and north-central Pennsylvania. Features were mapped fromaerial photographs of different resolutions, with limited field checking.All of these maps are available in PDF format from the PGS websitehttp://dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/. Lidar elevation data was collected forall of Pennsylvania during 2006–08 as part of the PAMAP program. A3.2-foot Digital Elevation Model, 2-foot contours, and LAS files are pub-licly available through the PASDA data portal www.pasda.psu.edu. PGSis working toward a renewed landslide mapping program. Small proj-ects have used lidar data to look for landslides, and new information iscompiled digitally. Limited comparisons of lidar data with the historiclandslide mapping across the state show that older maps vary in howwell they capture slide features and areas of broad susceptibility. In thelandslide-dense southwestern Appalachian Plateaus, areas of high inci-dence match well. In the Ridge and Valley province of central Pennsyl-vania, lidar confirms generally low incidence of slides, despite steepslopes, but allows recognition of some which are not on the old maps.Across northern Pennsylvania, which is largely forested, the older map-ping identified features which lidar does not confirm, and lidar revealsmany additional features, especially in areas with glacial lake clays.

Rerouting a River – The Carmel River Reroute and Dam Removal Deputy, Kami, Kleinfelder, [email protected] (TS #17)

San Clemente Dam was constructed between 1920 and 1921 andwas built to impound drinking water for the Monterey Peninsula. Thedam is a 106-foot-high, 300-foot-wide concrete arch dam with the orig-inal capacity to store 1,425 acre-feet of water. Since the dam wascommissioned, the reservoir has accumulated over 2.5 million cubicyards of sediment and now impounds less than 100 acre-feet of water.During the 1990s, a safety order was issued based on findings thatthe dam could fail during the maximum credible earthquake or prob-able maximum flood. Following a final environmental impact studyreleased in 2008, California American Water (owner) presented theoption to remove the dam. Concurrent with this option, geotechnicalexplorations were performed and an indicative design approach wasdeveloped to remove the dam, reroute the Carmel River, and stabilizethe accumulated sediments in place. The second year of this multi-year project included the final design approval and start of construc-tion (the first year included additional exploration). The RerouteChannel feature was designed to reroute the Carmel River from itssediment-filled course by excavating through the ridge dividing theCarmel River and San Clemente Creek. The final design evaluated rockmass conditions, kinematic stability, global stability, and erosion poten-tial. As part of the design, an alternative instrumentation system was

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


proposed for monitoring movement of the slope. This presentationpresents the exploration, design, design differences, and excavationfindings of the Reroute Channel feature of the Carmel River Rerouteand Dam Removal project.

Digitization of the 1991 Mount Jefferson Geologic Map: ProjectMotivation and Applications DiGiulio, Jennifer, Oregon State University, [email protected](Poster)

Geologic maps are fundamental tools for portraying rock, sediment,and soil deposits as well as visualizing spatial and temporal distribu-tions amongst geologic units. They stimulate scientific thinking andfacilitate multidisciplinary investigations. Digital databases (shapefiles,attribution tables, metadata, geochemistry) exist for several volcanicand hydrothermal centers from Mount Baker to Mount Lassen alongthe Cascade arc. With the exception of Mount Jefferson, the OregonCascades are particularly well-represented by Mount Hood, Three Sis-ters, Newberry (in prep), Breitenbush, and Crater Lake. This postersummarizes the methods utilized in constructing an open-file geodata-base of Richard M. Conrey’s 1991 geologic map of Mount Jefferson,thereby “filling the data gap” in the central Cascade arc. The mapincludes shapefile and attribution data for over 180 individual geologicunits, ~1,000 georeferenced whole-rock geochemical analyses (mostlyunpublished), 36 age dates, magnetic polarity data, and a trails layerto maximize use of the resource in the field. The production of thismap has immediate utility in structure and hazards mapping, geot-hermal investigations, and incorporation into regional databases (e.g.,Oregon Geologic Data Compilation).

Ground Characterization for the MDC’s South Tunnel Project:Redefining the Jurassic of the Hartford North QuadrangleDill, Robin, AECOM, [email protected]; Leo Martin; Andrew Perham(TS #1)

AECOM has completed an exploration program for the MetropolitanDistrict’s South Tunnel project in Hartford, CT. The finished tunnel willbe 18 feet in diameter and approximately 4 miles long. The tunnelcrosses the regional geologic trend and provides a cross sectionthrough the middle of the Triassic-Jurassic sedimentary basin, a half-graben structure. A series of volcanic flows separated the depositionof the lacustrine and fluvial deposits. Faulting continued throughoutthe depositional period with up to 4,000 feet of displacement alongregional faults identified in historical literature. Four formations willbe encountered in the proposed tunnel: the Portland Formation; theHampden Basalt; the East Berlin: and the Holyoke Basalt. The Port-land and East Berlin Formations are brownish red siltstone and mud-stone deposits with some sandstone lenses. Both have graylacustrine deposits that are traceable across the project area. Thebasalts are dark-gray or greenish-gray fine to medium grained. Sixty-two borings and associated insitu and laboratory testing were com-pleted to characterize the structural geology, hydrogeology, rockproperties and ground conditions. Fifteen faults were encounteredduring the geotechnical investigation program. Artesian conditionswere also encountered near the contact between the East Berlin For-mation and Holyoke Basalt. One of the main goals of the explorationprogram was to characterize the extent of faulting and character ofbedrock within fault zones. This paper will present the geologic pro-file along the proposed tunnel; and a characterization of the faults,hydrogeologic conditions, and properties of the bedrock that will beencountered by the South Tunnel.

Lidar-Based Landslide Inventory and Susceptibility Mapping ofthe Drift Creek Watershed, Lincoln County, OregonDirringer, Sebastian, Kent State University, [email protected];Shakoor, Abdul, [email protected] (TS #24)

Light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data was collected in2011 for the Drift Creek Watershed, Lincoln County, Oregon. Lidar-derived images, including hill-shade and slope maps, were used tomap landslide deposits, scarp flanks and head scarps. Landslide fea-tures, such as the type of movement, relative age, pre-failure slopeangle, head scarp height, failure depth, and direction of movement,were also characterized. Landslide susceptibility zones for the water-shed were generated combining a factor of safety approach, which uti-lizes the infinite slope analysis. Spatial statistics were calculated withrespect to landslides and their proximity to roads and streams. A totalof 473 landslides were located in the Drift Creek Watershed throughapplications of the Geographic Information System (GIS). A portion ofthe total number of landslides mapped using lidar data were fieldchecked to ensure mapping accuracy. Rock and soils samples, col-lected in the field, were used to classify fine and coarse-grained mate-rials that comprise most of the watershed. Effects of timberharvesting practices are profound in the study area, impacting bothhydrological and ecological regimes. Logging roads, in most cases,either cut across the toes of the landslides or apply large live loads toslope crests, thereby promoting landslide-related erosion. This studyfound that in the Drift Creek Watershed, landslides directly impact 22%of streams and 14% of roads. All of the streams in the study area flowinto the Alsea River, which ultimately discharges into the Pacific Ocean.

An Integrated Approach for Mapping and Analysis of the RioChama Rockslide, Archuleta County, Colorado Duran, Robert, Department of Geology & Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, [email protected]; Wendy Zhou,[email protected]; Paul M. Santi, [email protected] (TS #11)

The Rio Chama area experienced a natural rockslide in spring 2004.The focus of this study is to quantify and characterize the event, toinvestigate the possible trigger(s) and failure mechanisms, and to iden-tify possible similar events nearby. An integrated approach was usedto investigate the Rio Chama rockslide, which included field mapping,Global Positioning Systems (GPS) surveying, Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) based analysis, and a variety of remote sensingmethods. Field mapping incorporated with GPS surveying providedfirsthand information about the extent of the event, and elevation pointdata on the surface of the slide. Optical remote sensing assisted indelineating the boundary of the slide because the vegetation wasdestroyed and/or covered up during the slide. Interferometric Syn-thetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) was used to produce time-series DigitalElevation Models (DEMs) ranging from pre to post-rockslide. Thevolume of the slide was estimated from the change in elevation pre topost-slide. An elevation surface was interpolated from the GPS pointdata with GIS, and was used to calibrate the post-slide DEM generatedby InSAR. The data collected by the field visit and remote sensingmethods was used to produce a hazard map of the surrounding areato identify where similar rockslides could occur. The methods devel-oped during this study can be applied to other areas of southern Col-orado and northern New Mexico in order to produce hazard maps forareas where large rockslides are a concern.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Multivariate Clustering Analysis and 3D Modeling for Rock MassCharacterization in a Hydrothermal Fluid Flow StudyDuran, Robert, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering,Colorado School of Mines, [email protected]; Wendy Zhou,[email protected] (Poster)

Characterization of discontinuities, including foliations, faults, and jointsin the rock mass is essential for geothermal fluid injection studiesthrough a fractured rock network. The objective of this study is to clas-sify discontinuities into different groups in support of analyzing fluidflow through a fracture network and characterizing the heat extractionfrom the rock mass. Traditionally, discontinuities were identified usingorientation only as the basis of cluster analysis. RocScience’s DIPS isthe most representative software package for traditional joint clusteranalysis. In this study, discontinuities are analyzed based on not onlyorientations but also other parameters using a multivariate clusteringanalysis algorithm and software package, CYL, developed by one ofthe authors. CYL takes into account multiple discontinuity parametersincluding orientation, aperture, infilling, roughness, persistence,spacing, and lithology simultaneously. In this study, scanline surveyswere first carried out to collect discontinuity data from Edgar Mine inIdaho Springs, Colorado. The scanline data was analyzed by both tradi-tional and multivariate discontinuity clustering. The results from CYLare compared to and validated with the results from DIPS. A 3D geo-logic model incorporating discontinuity cluster information was built fora selected section of the Mine using C-Tech Mining VisualizationSystem (MVS). The integration of joint cluster analysis and 3D geologicmodeling provides valuable information for determination of the drillinglocation for hydrothermal fluid flow study. It facilitates the fracture net-work modeling and visualization, and it can also be potentially used inanalyzing fluid flow through virtual mine back simulation.

Urban Feature Extraction Using Sequential Techniques Elhifnawy, Hassan, Department of Civil Engineering, Military TechnicalCollege, Cairo, Egypt, [email protected] (TS #20)

This research produces a fully feature classification technique fromRGB image. The proposed classification technique makes a combina-tion from different segmentation methods to classify all features inurban areas. The first one is produced using blue and green colorchannels for vegetation areas identification. The color invariantimage is segmented into two clusters; one of them represents vege-tation areas. The second color invariant image is produced using allRGB color channels. Otsu segmentation technique is applied todetect shadows areas as one of the resulting clusters. However,RGB color space is not suitable for detecting roads and buildings.Consequently, it is transformed into two other color spaces, YCbCrand HSV. Luminance color channel is extracted from YCbCr colorspace, and hue and saturation color channels are extracted fromHSV color space. This is followed by global color thresholding, as asupervised clustering technique, application on these color channelsindividually and together to detect roads, sandy, and unhealthy vege-tation areas. The remaining features, of the original urban image, areclassified as buildings. The investigated technique is automated andsuitable for all urban areas from high-resolution RGB images cap-tured by digital cameras or satellite imaging sensors. This techniqueperforms exceptionally when there are high distinguishable textureproperties for different features. It will be shown that, in case ofexisting texture similarity properties of different features, it is recom-mended to use additional information such as spatial data to be ableto separate them efficiently.

Geotechnical Study of the Dredging Sediment Stabilized with Portland Cement along The Coast of Hurgada City, Red Sea, EgyptElShinawi, Abdelaziz, Zagaig University, [email protected];Viealeta kramarenko, [email protected] (TS #9)

A large volume of sediments is dredged each year in order to maintainharbor activities and make the artificial lagoons along the study area.This research aims to study the feasibility of material on the character-istics of the material as a flexible pavement subgrade material and var-ious purposes. The study conducts a stabilization method usingPortland cement in order to increase the strength of the soil sediment.The sediment volume of the dredging on 2007 was about 30 millionm3 and growing all the time and disrupted the function of the coastalline. The sediment dredging was examined through research that con-ducted an unconfined characteristics compressive strength and CBRlaboratory test, then stabilized with Portland cement using existingstandard codes (ASTM). The analysis result of the dredging sedimentshowed that: the soil is classified as silt-clay soil with plastic index 17.62%, which fine-grained soil dominates with the percentage of 96.5%and lies under the type of inorganic soil. The soil has physical andmechanical characteristics which are not suitable to be used directlyas subgrade or as any construction materials. The result showed thatthe addition of cement as well as the percentage of the length of timecuring raises soil strength. The utilization of sediment material stabi-lized by Portland cement can be used for various utilities, especially assubgrade of road pavement.

Modeling the Pollution Prevention Benefits of Adding Biochar toErosion-Prone Agricultural Soils Epstein, Olga, ARCADIS, [email protected]; Dakota J.Tallman, [email protected]; Steven G. Hart, [email protected]; EdwardKavazanjian, [email protected]; Rolf U. Halden,[email protected] (TS #25)

Water pollution as a result of agricultural runoff is a concern in manyparts of the world where agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertil-izers are applied in an attempt to increase harvest yields and managecrop blight. Later, after harvest, the disposal of non-compostable agri-cultural residues poses a waste management problem. With advancesin gasification technologies driving the price and size of commercialunits down, a green alternative has emerged to address this two-pronged problem. The co-production of energy and biochar via gasifi-cation of biomass in oxygen-starved conditions stands to decreasethe environmental burden of conventional waste disposal, while cre-ating a structural and chemical soil amendment. Modeling rainfall-runoff and landscape erosion generated in unamended versusbiochar-amended soils will provide a first line of evidence for begin-ning to quantify how structural amendments can help mitigate waterand soil pollution on a landscape scale. In this study we simulated therainfall-runoff, sediment transport, and landscape erosion response ofagricultural plots using lab-derived physical characteristics of soilsamended with 0%, 4%, and 8% ponderosa pine biochar. The results ofthese modeling experiments are being used to develop screening-level metrics to address the question of biochar’s performance as anagricultural amendment under different soil texture, climate, planttype, and morphologic conditions.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Analysis of the SDyking Deformation Pattern at the OngoingDabbahu-Manda Hararo (Afar) Rift, Ethiopia Using GPS andInSAR TechniquesEsubalew, Adem, Arba Minch University, [email protected];Elias Lewi (Poster)

The Afar depression, in the northeastern part of Ethiopia, offers uniqueopportunities to study the transition from continental rifting to oceanfloor spreading. This process, which is the outcome of tectono-mag-matic events, has been under investigation using different geophysicaland geological techniques. The current study mainly focused on GPSand InSAR methods to analyze the inter-dyking deformation patternalong the Dabbahu-MnadaHararo (Afar) rift segment. The InSAR datawas used to identify the time of dyke events and the GPS data tostudy the inter-diking deformation pattern. A sequence of 12 dykeevents occurred from June 2006 to June 2009 and based on the GPSdata two major pattern of deformation have been identified. These arebeing categorized into before and after June 2009 dyke events. Mostof the GPS stations before June 2009 showed larger displacementrate whereas after June 2009 intrusion, the displacement in most ofthe stations was relatively smaller. Even though the deformationprocess is still active, sites such as DAFT, DA45, DAYR and DATR indi-cated that the displacement rate is relatively stabilizing in the postseismic relaxation period. Moreover, sites such as, DA25 and DA35,had large offsets in their time series right at the time of dyking events,which is an indication of major deformation due to the rifting process.Except the distant sites DA60 and DASM all the other stations weremostly affected by the dyke intrusion, such that there was an offset inthe data during the dike intrusion.S

Shafting the Lahars – Rebuilding the DNR Rd.1 Bridge over theNisqually RiverEvans, Stephen, PanGEO, Inc., [email protected]; NicholasWeikel, [email protected] (TS #9)

The Washington State DNR Road 1 crossed the Nisqually River bymeans of a 180-foot-long, single-lane bridge south of the town of Ash-ford, Washington. In 2006, a major flood event caused the river toleave the narrow channel that it had occupied since roughly 1965,migrate north and destroy approximately 180 feet of the approachberm to the bridge. Review of the existing bridge determined that itwas in satisfactory condition, so the plan was to join the existingspans to three new spans, lengthening the bridge to 500 feet.PanGEO conducted site exploration at the locations of planned piers.To penetrate the bouldery lahar deposits of the site, a Becker drill wasused. Exploration began on April 29, 2013 and finished May 3, 2013.The borings were advanced to between 78 and 80 feet below surface.Due to environmental considerations, shallow groundwater and theclose proximity to the Nisqually river bridge, the drilled shafts wereselected for the piers and constructed with a hydraulic casing oscil-lator and top drive rotary drilling machine. In this method the full lengthtemporary casing acts as shoring to stabilize the excavation and con-trol groundwater. Groundwater was controlled by maintaining 10 feetof water head and a 2-foot soil plug in the casing. After the shaft hadbeen excavated concrete was placed from the bottom up by thetremie method, concurrent with casing extraction. The concrete wasallowed to flow up inside an oversized permanent surface casing,sealing off the groundwater.

Summary of Pittsburgh GeologyFandray, Ryan W., GAI Consultants, Inc. Pittsburgh, r.fandray@ -gaiconsultants.com (TS #2)

Pittsburgh is located west of the Appalachian Mountains in a deeplydissected portion of the Appalachian Plateau Province. The plateauconsists of erosional remains of the Appalachian Coal Basin, whichwas formed, and subsequently uplifted as a result of plate tectonicinteractions, which created the Appalachians. The strata underlyingPittsburgh are mid to late Pennsylvanian age with most of the Cone-maugh and Monongahela series exposed. The paleo-environment ofthe Pennsylvanian was a time of climate change, with tropical coalswamps located near the equator. Surficial bedrock is associated withdeltaic depositional environments with a cyclical nature, from fluctu-ating sea levels. As a result, the strata are dominated by thinsequences of sandstone, shale, claystone, coal, and limestone. Therelatively flat surface of the plateau is dissected by local drainage fromthe three principal rivers of the region: Allegheny, Monongahela, andthe Ohio. The formation of Pittsburgh’s three rivers has a long historyfrom before the Pleistocene Period linked to the retreat of continentalglaciation and subsequent meltwaters. Pittsburgh was not glaciated,however, periglacial activity and sand-gravel outwash represent resultsof the terminated glaciation to just north of the city. The region is con-sidered an energy center due to its abundance of natural resources.Some of the natural resources include coal, natural gas, oil, salt, lime-stone, sand and gravel, and water; these play a major role in thedevelopment of certain industries in the Pittsburgh region. Combiningthe slopes, climate, resource extraction, infrastructure, and industryhas produced many geologic hazards affecting Pittsburgh.

Innovative Methods of Measuring Discontinuities: Utilizinglidarand Smart Phone Applications for Rock Slope Stability on Price Mountain, VAFarny, Nicholas J., Kleinfelder, [email protected] (TS #10)

To determine stability of rock slopes, discontinuity orientations mustbe measured precisely, with cost and time efficiency. Severalmethods exist for taking field measurements of discontinuity orienta-tions. The objective of this study was to compare the traditionalmethod of hand measuring discontinuities with a Brunton compass tothe more modern methods of measuring discontinuities with smartphone applications and ground based lidar. The field site is a rockoutcrop along Coal Hollow Road on Price Mountain, VA. The PriceMountain structure is a doubly plunging anticline window in the PulaskiThrust Sheet. The rock outcrop consists of the Upper Price Forma-tion, a Mississippian aged sandstone with frequent coal seams. Thesite features a set of bedding planes that dip steeply into the slopeface, yielding toppling failures. In addition, three distinct sets of jointsexist creating both planar and wedge failures. Using window mapping,discontinuity orientations were measured along 200 feet of outcropusing a Brunton compass and a smart phone application, along with alidarsurvey. These measurements were compared using stereonetanalysis to determine the time and cost efficiency and relative accu-racy of the different methods. The results show a strong agreementbetween measurements taken with the Brunton compass and thesmart phone application. However, the ground based lidarsurveyshows that lidar, while time efficient, needs calibration with fieldmeasurements and observations to yield good results. Methods likelidarcannot completely replace traditional field surveys and input fromexperienced professionals.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Evolution of Physical Properties of Ultramafic Rocks atHydrothermal Conditions: an Experimental Study on Serpentinization ReactionsFarough, Aida, Virginia Tech, [email protected]; Diane Moore,[email protected]; David Lockner, [email protected]; Robert Lowell,[email protected] (TS #20)

Serpentinization of ultramafic rocks—during which olivine andpyroxene minerals are replaced by serpentine, magnetite, brucite andtalc—is associated with aseismic slip in fault zones and hydrothermalactivity at mid-ocean ridges. To advance our understanding of the evo-lution of fluid transport properties of host rocks, we performed aseries of flow-through experiments on cylindrical cores of intact andfractured ultramafic rocks, simulating 2 km deep in the crust. Multipleperidotite and pyroxenite samples were tested, to investigate theeffect of mineral assemblage on fluid-rock interaction and permeability.The matrix permeability of the samples are estimated to be in therange of 10-(22–23)m2 and the effective permeability varied between10-(16–21)m2, and it decreased by about two orders of magnitude in7–10 days, showing that serpentinization reactions result in a rapiddecrease in permeability. Assuming flow between parallel plates, wefind the fracture permeability varied three–six orders of magnitudehigher than effective permeability and decreased by approximately twoorders of magnitude during the experiments, which suggests the frac-ture is the main flow path and zone of precipitation. The mineralogicalanalysis using electron micro probe and scanning electron microscopyimaging show precipitation of serpentine phases along the walls of thetensile fracture, which is the main flow path. Thus formation of imper-meable mineral seals, such as serpentine within fault zones can resultin development of high fluid pressure conditions, which could affectaseismic slip in faults and earthquake recurrences.

Borehole Data Interpretation vs Excavation Mapping – We MightBe Surprised, or Not!Fenster, David F., Bechtel Nuclear, Safety and Environmental,[email protected]; Frank Syms, [email protected]; Nick A. Barbato, [email protected] (TS #8)

NRC Regulations require an applicant to demonstrate that a site is suit-able for the reactor technology ultimately selected for construction.One of the conditions established by the NRC for the Vogtle site wasto confirm the presence, or absence, of tectonic deformation beneaththe power blocks by completing detailed geologic maps of the excava-tions. The initial licensing documentation depends upon the results of acomplete site characterization program that includes surface and sub-surface investigation programs, the consideration of geologic struc-tures and the tectonic setting of the site and the region. BechtelPower Corporation, assisted by William Lettis Associates, performedthe surface and subsurface investigations at the Plant Vogtle site,located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain about 25 miles south of Augusta,GA. The subsurface investigation included over 100 borings, associ-ated laboratory testing and both seismic refraction and reflection sur-veys. A structure contour map of the foundation bearing layer (BlueBluff Marl) and geologic cross sections indicated that this competentstratigraphic unit was not deformed across the site. The subsurfaceinvestigation also indicated that the Pen Branch Fault, north of thelocations of the proposed reactors is not a capable seismic source.Although the Blue Bluff Marl could be easily identified in the borings,the overlying Utley Limestone appeared to vary in thickness from over20 to less than 5 feet across the site. Since the Utley Limestonewould be completely removed during site excavation, this variation inthickness of the Utley, interpreted as a result of limestone dissolution,did not affect the conclusion that the site would be suitable for a new

nuclear power plant. Key aspects of the mapping program were toverify the engineering characteristics of the foundation bearing BlueBluff Marl as well as the presence, or absence, of tectonic deforma-tion. Detailed maps from the excavation were directly compared tosubsurface maps developed from the site characterization investiga-tions. The foundation bearing conditions in the Blue Bluff Marl noted inthe excavation compared very well with the predicted conditions fromthe borings. Mapping of some of the more variable units above theBlue Bluff Marl such as the Utley Limestone enhanced interpretationsfrom boring data. The presence, or absence, of tectonic deformationis often difficult to discern from typical surface and subsurface explo-ration techniques due to borehole spacing and other limitations. In theNRC regulatory environment, only detailed geologic excavation mapping can confirm and document initial interpretations.

Assessing Potential Upward Migration of Hydraulic FracturingFluid and Brine through Fractures, Faults, and Intact Rock Flewelling, Samuel, Gradient, [email protected]; Matt Tymchak, [email protected]; Manu Sharma,[email protected] (TS #25)

Advancements in directional drilling technologies and hydraulic frac-turing (HF) have allowed for oil and gas production from previouslyuneconomical tight formations (e.g., shale, tight sandstone, tight car-bonate). The increased HF activity has raised concerns about potentialupward migration of HF fluid and brine through rocks that overlaythese formations. The pathways along which potential fluid migrationmight occur include the intact (i.e., not hydraulically fractured) rock,induced fractures, and preexisting faults. In this presentation, we eval-uate the constraints on upward fluid migration through these path-ways. We derive theoretical limits to fracture height growth andpotential fault interactions then compare these predictions to micro-seismic measurements at over 12,000 HF stimulations across NorthAmerica. Our analysis shows that induced fractures and fault move-ments during the HF process are much smaller than the thickness ofoverlying rocks, and hence these pathways do not create directhydraulic communication with shallow groundwater resources. Ourevaluation also demonstrates that where there is a natural tendencyfor upward flow through intact rock (i.e., overpressure), geologic con-straints limit upward fluid fluxes to insignificant magnitudes. Conse-quently, it does not appear to be physically plausible for HF fluid andbrine to migrate upward and affect shallow potable groundwater viafractures, faults, or intact rock.

Changes in the Hydrological Environment in Choctaw CountyMississippi since 1995Foote, Jeremy, Mississippi State University, [email protected];Darrel Schmitz, [email protected] (Poster)

This project examines the state of the hydrological environmentrecorded before the establishment of an industrial complex and com-pares it to the current state of hydrological environment. This projectis broken into two sections; the first is conducting a baseline analysisof the surface and groundwater in Choctaw County. The baselineanalysis samples all of the surface water features within and in closeproximity to an industrial complex. Each surface water features isinventoried and tested for a verity of variables including specific con-ductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and pH. Samples ofthe surface water are also tested for the presence of chemical con-stituents as well as a verity of other factors that are detailed by theEnvironmental Protection Agency water quality standards. The streamflow rates of the inventoried streams and springs are also recorded toanalyze the input and output of surface water into the study area.

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Potentiometric levels and water quality are also recorded in the studyarea to determine the subsurface water quality and flow rate throughthe area. This section of the project will show the current condition ofthe hydrological environment in Choctaw County surrounding the com-plex. The second part of this project will be an examination of howhydrological environment has changed since the original baselineanalysis 15 years prior. This section of the project will show that, withthe establishment of an environmentally conscious industrial complex,that the hydrological environment has not been substantially or directlyaffected by that complex.

South River Road – A 25-Year Rockfall Case Study on a Weathered Basalt Slope, Salem, OregonFreitag, George, GRI, [email protected]; Michael Zimmerman, [email protected] (TS #6)

South River Road (SRR) is located in the southwest portion of Salem,OR, at the toe of the west slope of the Salem Hills, an upland areacomposed of Neogene-aged Columbia River Basalt (CRB) and marineEugene Formation. SRR occupies a narrow space between the toe ofthe slope and the UPRR railroad and Willamette River floodplain to thewest. East of SRR at the top of the Salem Hills bluff are public utilitiesand residences. The rock cuts made in CRB on the east side of SRRhave been the location of 20+ rockfall events over the past 11 years.SRR rock cuts are in two locations; the north section is about 1,000feet long and ranges from about 15 feet high in the north to about 45feet high in the south. The south section is about 300 feet long and upto about 30 feet high. Slopes are typically 0.5H:1V or steeper. Adraped mesh system, narrow catchment zone, and concrete barrierwith top fence were installed in 1990 and have been effective inreducing damage to SRR from rockfall debris up to about 2 feet indiameter. Several large-diameter rockfall events (including a single 8-foot-diameter boulder in 2011) and large rockslides have alsoimpacted the mesh system and barrier. The most recent eventoccurred in December 2014 when a rockslide about 50 feet wide gen-erated about 400 cubic yards of debris and temporarily closed SRR.

Sustainability Implications of Excessive Conservatism in ConcreteFooting-Rock Foundation Friction Friede, Erik, Amec Foster Wheeler, Louisville, KY, [email protected];Jeffrey R. Keaton, [email protected] (TS #19)

Commonly, Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria is used to calculate shearresistance at the concrete-bedrock interface in designing structurefoundations. For dams and other heavy structures, the interface typi-cally is considered to be smooth and planar. Neglecting roughnessleads to conservative designs. Conservatism is necessary; however,excessive conservatism is inconsistent with sustainability principles. Ini-tial design of a foundation that needed to resist large lateral loads neg-lected roughness and incorporated steel dowels in holes drilled in thefoundation rock that were tied into the reinforced foundation. Realisticmodeling of the rock-concrete interface as a rock joint using the Hoek-Brown criterion and Barton-Bandis joint roughness allowed steeldowels to be eliminated, thereby conserving material, energy, and timeresources. In this case, sustainability factors associated with reducingexcessive conservatism include mining, manufacturing and transporta-tion of the steel required for the dowels, drilling and grouting requiredto install the dowels, and the extra time and energy required to pre-pare the rock surface for placement of steel and concrete because ofedowel stick-up. In the case of laterally loaded concrete foundations,sustainability factors associated with utilizing interface roughnesscould include reduction in rock excavation and concrete volume if

passive pressure were used in addition to frictional resistance. Geolo-gists’ contributions in all projects can be at a higher level if they understand sustainability implications.

Avoiding Archaeological Pitfalls Fritz, Brian, Quemahoning LLC, [email protected] (TS #27)

Unexpected archaeological discoveries can result in costly projectdelays and expense. Environmental site assessments related to devel-opment projects often require completion of cultural resources sur-veys as part of necessary regulatory clearance for state and federalpermit applications and funding. This presentation examines theprocess of hiring an archaeological consultant for conducting culturalresources surveys. Similar to environmental site assessments,archaeological surveys typically follow a three-step process. An initialsurvey is designed to identify the presence of archaeological sites.More detailed follow up surveys are conducted to evaluate theintegrity and significance of archaeological sites. When a historicallysignificant archaeological site is identified, avoidance and mitigationplans are designed and implemented. Examples of potential pitfallsand case studies will be reviewed. Some useful tips will be providedthat will assist project managers in making better decisions whenarchaeological surveys are required.

The New Irvington Tunnel Excavation and Geologic DocumentationFusee, Rebecca, Hatch Mott MacDonald, [email protected];Sue Bednarz, [email protected] (TS #1)

The New Irvington Tunnel (NIT) is part of the 167-mile-long HetchHetchy aqueduct system, and a key component of San Francisco’sWater System Improvement Program to upgrade and replace agingwater infrastructure. The approximately 3.5-mile-long NIT is located inthe eastern San Francisco Bay area of Alameda County. The NIT align-ment extends through the East Bay Hills, which consist of faulted,folded and overall highly deformed sedimentary rocks. NIT design andconstruction were aided by historic records from the nearby and subparallel Existing Irvington Tunnel (EIT), which was built between 1928and 1931. EIT construction records were combined with an extensivegeotechnical investigation to develop the Geotechnical Data and Geot-echnical Baseline Reports for the NIT. Nevertheless, due to the com-plex geology along the alignment, ground conditions were difficult tocharacterize throughout the design phase and challenging to anticipateduring construction. This paper explains how EIT geology and pre-design investigations were used to anticipate conditions for NIT, andhow actual ground conditions affected tunnel excavation. This paperalso describes geologic mapping techniques, documentation, andpractical experience that could be useful for other workers performinggeologic characterization and documentation during tunnel construc-tion projects. Note that NIT construction was still underway when thispaper was written.

Improving Your Technical Writing to Make Yourself HeardGarsjo, Marie Marshall, Garsjo Technical Communications, [email protected] (TS #3)

Your writing reflects both you and your company, and it is important tominimize distractions and errors if you want your message to comethrough. I will present a few simple improvements you can make thatwill clarify your writing, and share a few pet peeves that will changethe way you see the world. This will be an interactive presentation sobe prepared to think. Lessons from this talk will not interfere with current texting protocols.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Cocos Ridge Indenter Provides a Regional Understanding for theSeismic Hazard of the North Panama Deformed Belt, CaribbeanCoast, Costa RicaGath, Eldon, Earth Consultants International,[email protected]; Tania Gonzalez; Walter Montero (TS #13)

As part of a Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) for anew harbor development, we were able to quantitatively investigate thepaleoseismic history of the western North Panama Deformed Belt(NPDB) because that history is expressed as a suite of coseismicallyuplifted coral platforms on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica,between Moín and Limón. The NPDB is an 800-km-long offshore thrustfault zone that runs westward from Colombia, along the northern coastof Panama, before stepping ashore at Moín, Costa Rica, on the left- lateral Río Blanco tear fault, where it continues west as the Siquirres-Matina reverse fault. We interpreted and dated as many as 12earthquake events spanning the last 7,000 years, including the AD1991 and 1822 events. The NPDB is accommodating incipient sub-duction of the Caribbean plate under the Panama microplate. In theproject area, the NPDB is accommodating backarc thrusting of thenortheast-directed 72–90 mm/yr subduction of the Cocos Plate undereastern Costa Rica. The Cocos Ridge, a NE-trending seamount chainon the subducting plate, is impacting the isthmus as an indenter,resulting in the transfer of ~7 mm/yr northward into the crust becauseof the ridge’s difficulty in subducting. At Limón, we determined that3.8 ± 0.3 mm/yr of this convergence slip is occurring on the NPDB,as measured from the 1.9 ± 0.2 mm/yr uplift rate of the coral plat-forms. Numerous crustal faults onshore may be accommodating theresidual strain of ~3 mm/yr; assigning this differential to a regionalstrain field simplifies the PSHA calculations without having to definefault-specific slip rates. Thus, an understanding of the regional contextof tectonic deformation can provide valuable constraints on otherwiseunconstrained seismic hazard models and rates.

Barrier Wall Verticality and Overlap Approval at Five U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers DamsGault, Howard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,[email protected]; Kristen M. Enzweiler,[email protected] (TS #17)

Concrete Panel Barrier Walls have been constructed at a number ofU.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) dams. Since 2001 USACE hasconstructed relatively deep concrete panel barrier walls at Mis-sissinewa, Clearwater, Wolf Creek, Center Hill and Bolivar (ongoing)dams. In the simplest terms, these projects involve the excavation ofholes at known locations and backfilling them with concrete. We willaddress the process of verifying the holes location (orientation inspace including verticality) and overlap at each of the five cutoff wallprojects prior to allowing concrete placement. Verification of the loca-tion and dimensions of the excavation is dependent upon on-boardhydromill size and instrumentation, as well as, surveying techniques.On board instrumentation allows adjustment to the various geologicconditions at the projects and records important production data. Inall of these projects, confirmation of the excavation verticality is pri-marily achieved with a Koden® survey. Each contractor and USACEteam developed similar but different procedures/requirements for verticality and overlap measurement. It is critical to the successfulperformance of the cutoff walls, and the projects themselves, thatthese criteria are met.

Influence of Geologic and Index Engineering Properties on Disintegration Behavior of Clay-Bearing Rocks under Natural Climatic Conditions Gautam, Tej, Dept. Petroleum Engineering and Geology, Marietta College, [email protected]; Abdul Shakoor, [email protected](TS #19)

Geologic and index engineering properties of clay-bearing rocks greatlyinfluence their disintegration behavior. These properties were deter-mined for twenty clay bearing rocks including five claystones, five mud-stones, five siltstones, and five shales. The geological propertiesincluded amount of clay material, types of clay minerals, and texturalcharacteristics. Engineering properties included natural moisture con-tent, dry density, void ratio, absorption, adsorption, liquid limit, plasticlimit, and slake durability index. Twelve replicate samples of each of the20 clay-bearing rocks were also exposed to natural climatic conditionsfor one year. Each month, one of the 12 replicate samples of each rockwas removed from natural conditions and its grain size distribution wasdetermined. The amount of disintegration of each replicate sample wasquantified in terms of disintegration ratio (DR), defined as the ratio ofthe area under the grain size distribution curve of disintegrated materialfor a given sample to the total area encompassing all grain size distri-bution curves of the tested samples. Geologic and engineering proper-ties were correlated with DR values after 1, 6, and 12 months ofexposure. Results show that clay content, percentage of expandableclay minerals, plasticity index, adsorption, and slake durability index arebetter indicators of short-term disintegration behavior, whereas expand-able clay mineral content and absorption influence long-term behavior.Regression models suggest that short term disintegration behavior canbe predicted more accurately than long term behavior, as indicated bydecreasing R2 values (0.81, 0.76, and 0.27) for samples exposed for1, 6, and 12 months, respectively.

3D Block Erodibility: Experimental Results and Application George, Michael, University of California – Berkeley,[email protected]; Nicholas Sitar, [email protected] (TS#22)

The stability of rock blocks is highly influenced by the orientations ofdiscontinuities that define block shapes. For scour assessment, how-ever, blocks are typically simplified to rectangular or cubic geometries,which can lead to improper characterization of the block failure modeas well as incorrect determination of block erodibility threshold. Accord-ingly, an extensive research endeavor was performed to investigate theinfluence of geologic structure on the erodibility of non-idealized 3Drock block geometries. This presentation covers experimental resultsfrom physical hydraulic model testing to determine thresholds for 3Dblock erodibility, statistics for hydrodynamic pressures distributedaround block faces, and kinematics of block failure under hydraulicloads. Knowledge from the hydraulic model as well as from field investi-gations is used to develop a reliability-based, block theory frameworkfor analysis of block erodibility, which is also discussed. Funding for thisproject was principally provided by the National Science Foundation(Grant # 1363354) and the Hydro Research Foundation.

Field VOC Analysis – When the Numbers Don’t MatchGerman, Madeline, Smith Gardner, Inc.,[email protected] (TS #27)

In 2014, a convenience center in North Carolina’s coastal plainreceived a complaint about a hydraulic line leak from compactingequipment. The initial field screening and soil removal was performed,which indicated hydrocarbon contaminant concentrations on-site were

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below the10 ppm TPH No Further Action limit. Subsequent, laboratoryanalysis of on-site soils indicated the presence of DRO still above theTPH No Further Action limit. Therefore additional soil investigation andexcavation was required. Multiple analysis options were considered toensure impacted soils would be removed. Ultimately a state govern-ment approved VOC analytical method for field analysis (QROS) waschosen. This presentation will discuss: both phases of the investiga-tion; potential causes for the discrepancy between the initial fieldscreening data and the laboratory data; the process that led up tousing QROS; information regarding current options for field analysis ofVOCs and a brief summary about how QROS works.

Measuring Spatial and Temporal Variations in Rates of Landsliding Using Ground-Based Radar Interferometry Gomez, Francisco, University of Missouri, [email protected]; Benjamin Lowry, [email protected] (TS #11)

“Close-range” remote sensing technologies provide new means forstudying localized surface displacements, including landslides. Thisstudy applies a relatively new tool, Ground-Based Interferometric Radar(GBIR), to measure temporal and spatial patterns of movement in aslow-moving (1–2 cm/month) slide near Granby, Colorado. GBIR iscapable of measuring sub-millimeter displacements and provides ameans of addressing questions about landslides that may require hightemporal precision (<1 hr). For example, recent studies have sug-gested some landslides may exhibit sensitivity to unlikely sources,such as atmospheric tides. Repeated GBIR deployments permitassessing long-term (seasonal) variations in slide kinematics. EachGBIR deployment involves long observation sessions (5–36 hours) withimages acquired every 7.5–15 minutes. Data redundancy permitsinterpolation of displacement time-series with 0.3–0.4mm uncertaintiesin displacement. Resulting velocities demonstrates seasonal variationscorresponding with piezometric changes driven by seasonal snowmeltand precipitation. Additionally, short-span time-series for individualobservation sessions document time-dependent displacement ratesover periods of several hours, which may reflect short-term variationsin hydrogeological conditions. GBIR offers a significant improvement intemporal and spatial resolution compared with satellite and airborneradar interferometry. Like other imaging techniques, GBIR may capturespatial variations of displacement that may elude benchmark surveysor other in situ measurements. The sensitivity and temporal samplingof GBIR complement well the spatial resolution and 3D displacementsmeasured with other methods, such as terrestrial laser scanners andlow-altitude photogrammetry.

Impacts of Coal Mining on Structures in Western PennsylvaniaGray, Richard E., DiGioia, Gray & Associates, LLC (TS #2)

In 1759 British Soldiers started mining the Pittsburgh Coal Seam onCoal Hill (now Mt. Washington) across the Monongahela River from FortPitt (downtown Pittsburgh). A number of coal seams have been mined inthe region. However, the Pittsburgh Coal with an average thickness ofsix feet extends over an area of 6,000 square miles. Active long-wallmining in this seam continues in counties south of Pittsburgh. Subsi-dence over abandoned mines in the Pittsburgh Coal and other seamshas to be considered in the design of western Pennsylvania structures.Although, the vertical components of subsidence are usually largest,horizontal movements and the resulting strains and displacements areoften most significant in causing structural damage. Areally, the move-ments cover from a few square feet to acres and vertically from a fewinches to several feet. The most common subsidence features are sink-holes which develop where the cover above a mine is thin, generally 60feet. Competent strata above the mine will limit sinkhole development.

Troughs develop where a coal pillar or pillars fail by crushing orpunching into the mine floor. Pillar strength may be affected by ground-water fluctuations or weathering. Stress concentrations may causespalling of pillars; and the resulting smaller pillars, if unable to carry theloads, will fail. Failure of one pillar results in a redistribution of stressesby arching of the mine roof, which may cause adjacent pillars to fail bycrushing or punching. Punching occurs where a soft seam of rock, gen-erally claystone, is located immediately below the coal. Subsidencetroughs associated with abandoned mines may be up to a few hun-dreds of feet in diameter. Trough diameters above abandoned mines inthe Northern Appalachian Coal Field commonly measure 1.5 to 2.5times the overburden thickness, reflecting the limit to which the over-burden can bridge over local crushed pillars or roof failures before sag-ging into the distressed area. Unless total coal extraction has occurred,there is no interval above an abandoned mine that is safe from subsi-dence and subsidence may occur long after mining. If a site is under-mined and subsidence cannot be ruled out options available to designprofessionals include: relocation, insurance, flexible or rigid designs, ifmine is shallow—excavate and backfill, and deep foundations extendingbelow the mine

Mine Stabilization Impacts of Geology on Dam Design inWestern PennsylvaniaGreene, Brian H., Gannett Fleming, Inc. Pittsburgh, [email protected](TS #2)

Flood control dams and navigation lock and dam structures have along history in western Pennsylvania dating back to 1878 with the Fed-eral Government’s construction of the Davis Island Lock and Dam.Located directly downstream of the City of Pittsburgh, the Davis IslandLock and Dam was the first navigation project to be constructed onthe Ohio River, and it incorporated the early use of cofferdams. Sinceconstruction of the Davis Island project, numerous U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers dams and navigation structures have been built, and re-built,within the region. Geology has played a part in all of these projects,from the alluvial and glacially derived valley soils to the underlying sedi-mentary bedrock formations. By mapping shallow rock foundations oflock and dam projects in the Pittsburgh region, local geologists andgeotechnical engineers were the first to study and understand the phe-nomena of valley stress release. The presentation will review key floodcontrol dams and navigation lock and dam structures in the region andfocus on the foundations built to support them. Included are: wood pilesupported structures, shallow foundations on rock, and concretedrilled shafts embedded in rock. Three of the case histories presentedinvolve dam projects that received ASCE Pittsburgh Section Out-standing Civil Engineering Achievement awards. One of these recog-nized projects involved the innovative use of float-in technology toconstruct Braddock Dam, located on the Monongahela River approxi-mately ten miles upstream of Pittsburgh. Completed in 2004, theBraddock Dam project represented a construction first.

Geologic Factors Controlling Cut Slope Design; Case Studies:S.R. 0322, Potters Mill Gap, Centre County and Turnpike TotalReconstruction Project, Mile Post 124.5 to 133.8, PennsylvaniaHajdarwish, Ala, A.G.E.S., Inc, [email protected]; Daniel Martt,[email protected] (TS #10)

Designing a safe cut slope depends on various important geologic fac-tors such as rock type and its degree of weathering, structural orienta-tions of all discontinuities, and groundwater conditions. Regardless ofthe financial factor, several cut slope alternatives can be presented,based on understanding the geologic controls within the project area.The proposed roadway alignment is an engineering factor that can be

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


changed if geologic controls warrant. A complete subsurface investi-gation is needed to create a geologic model of the project area.These factors can change within the project limits, thus allowing forseveral cut slope designs. The relationship between the roadway orien-tation and the geologic factors creates a set of favorable or unfavor-able conditions that ultimately control cut slope design. The presenceof a weak layer with lower shear strength parameters or a highergroundwater table, in a kinematically unfavorable setting, will require aflatter cut slope design. A steeper cut slope design can be reachedfor the same conditions if a kinematically favorable setting is encoun-tered. The “continuity” of joint systems can create an unfavorable set-ting even if the lithology is favorable, thus requiring gentler cut slopes.The case study dealing with S.R.0322 represents a favorable-condi-tions model where bedding strike is perpendicular to roadway align-ment; therefore, steeper slopes are considered in better qualitybedrock and gentler slopes in lower quality bedrock. The TurnpikeTotal Reconstruction Project represents an unfavorable-conditionsmodel where bedding strikes parallel to roadway alignment, withweaker layers controlling the potential failures, thus gentler cut slopesare considered.

Impact of Mudstone and Groundwater on Structurally OrientedCut Slope Design, Case Study; Pennsylvania Turnpike RoadwayTotal Reconstruction, Somerset, PennsylvaniaHajdarwish, Ala, A.G.E.S., Inc, [email protected]; SureshGutta, [email protected] (TS #18)

Mudstones are considered problematic mudrocks and the majority oflandslide failure in Pennsylvania are related to such rocks. The NewBaltimore landslide failure occurs along bedding planes of mudstonewhere they daylight along the roadway and Raystown branch of JuniataRiver. The intersection of bedding planes with the roadway and theJuniata River represents unfavorable conditions, which is considered tobe the main cause of the landslide. The trigger for the landslide is theundercutting of the toe of the slope by the stream The four-mile sec-tion of the roadway, west of the New Baltimore landslide, has very sim-ilar kinematic and lithologic conditions to the New Baltimore landslidearea, but without any major or minor landslide failures. What causesthe failure in one area but not another, despite the similar kinematicand trigger conditions, is the question engineering geologists face.Intensive subsurface investigation at both areas indicated one majordifference: the quality of mudstone samples collected west of the land-slide area is better. Groundwater monitoring along both areas indi-cated a seasonal fluctuation of groundwater levels at the NewBaltimore landslide; however, groundwater levels were fairly constantalong the four-mile section west of the landslide area. Studying aerialphotographs and structural orientation of bedrock units for the region,the recharge zone for the landslide area is considered geomorphologi-cally limited and isolated which explains the fluctuation in groundwatertable. The recharge zone for the four-mile section of the roadway westof the landslide is geomorphologically larger and continuous. It isbelieved that mudstones will have higher shear strength values whennot subjected to fluctuation of water content and they will degradefaster, even when not exposed to atmospheric conditions, with fluctu-ating groundwater levels.

Geotechnical Framework of Slopes in Flat-Lying SedimentaryRocks of the Unglaciated Allegheny PlateauHamel, James, Hamel Geotechnical Consultants, [email protected](TS #10)

The Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau includes portions of western Penn-sylvania, eastern Ohio, and western West Virginia. During Pleistocenetime, continental glaciers extended south to this region. Torrentialrunoff from periglacial precipitation and glacial meltwater rapidlyeroded valleys in flat-lying, interbedded, strong and weak sedimentaryrocks. Valley stress relief produced characteristic patterns of fracturesand discontinuities ó vertical to sub-vertical tension joints in strong,brittle strata, e.g., sandstones; curved shear joints and slickensidedfractures in strata of intermediate to low strength and stiffness, e.g.,shales, siltstones, claystones; shear zones where strengths had beenreduced to residual or near-residual levels along weak bedding con-tacts, particularly those of argillaceous strata, e.g., clay shales, clay-stones, coal underclays. This left masses of relaxed and fracturedrock extending into valley walls. Some of these rock masses slid out intranslational or rotational failure modes, probably pushed by highwater pressures from periglacial precipitation and/or rapid drawdownof ponded water. Subsequent erosion removed portions of rockslidemasses. Other portions were excavated during railroad and highwayconstruction over the past 160 years. Rockslide remnants have poten-tial for reactivation by excavation, load application, and drainagechanges. These remnants, along with zones of rock fractured andloosened by valley stress relief, are sources of shallow rockslides androckfalls along transportation corridors and other facilities. Examplesare presented from slopes along the Monongahela and Ohio Riversacross from downtown Pittsburgh, which were investigated in 1994and 1995 for a proposed busway that was never constructed.

Three Fatal Rockfalls in the Pittsburgh Area Hamel, James, Hamel Geotechnical Consultants, [email protected](TS #11)

The Pittsburgh area is underlain by flat-lying cyclic sedimentarystrata—i.e., repetitive sequences of interbedded strong and weakrocks, mainly of Pennsylvanian age. Rockfalls develop where theserocks are exposed in steep natural or excavated slopes. Weatheringand erosion of weaker strata, e.g., claystones, clay shales, undercutmore resistant strata, e.g., limestones, sandstones, containing verticalto sub-vertical stress relief joints. Blocks of these latter rocks fall byslumping or toppling, depending on geometry, loading, and supportconditions. Rockfalls are exacerbated by root pry, ice wedging, andwater pressures in joints. Because they occur rapidly, rockfalls occa-sionally cause injury or death. Most of the historic rock falls causinginjury or death have occurred along railroads and highways. OnDecember 25, 1937, a 2 yd3 sandstone boulder fell on railroad tracksacross the Ohio River from downtown Pittsburgh. An express train wasderailed. The locomotive fell to Carson Street fifty feet below killing theengineer and fireman; several others were injured. On December 22,1942, 150 yd3 of sandy shale crushed a bus on Route 930 along theOhio River 16–17 miles downstream from Pittsburgh. Twenty-twopeople were killed and four were injured. On February 16, 1983, 300yd3 of sandstone fell on Saw Mill Run Boulevard 1.5 miles southwest ofdowntown Pittsburgh where slope work was being done to remediaterockfall problems. This occurred ten minutes after the road was re-opened to traffic following blasting in rock above. Two people werekilled; one was injured.

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Alluvial Bank Instability along the Monongahela River, South-western Pennsylvania Hamel, James, Hamel Geotechnical Consultants, [email protected](TS #11)

The Monongahela River flows north into Southwestern Pennsylvaniawhere it joins the Allegheny River at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.“Monongahela” is from the Native American name meaning, “river withthe sliding banks.” The Monongahela Valley is unique for many rea-sons, including its Pleistocene history and its coal mining history overthe past 250 years. Pleistocene erosion and deposition left a narrowbedrock valley with 300-foot-deep incised meanders, Illinoian-age ter-races high on valley edges, and colluvial soil and rock masses loweron steep valley walls, with later Holocene alluvium around meanderloops. Coal mining left extensive surface and underground workingsand waste disposal areas, some active but most now abandoned. Thecomplex, site-specific conditions of alluvial bank instability are illus-trated by a reach 59–60 miles upriver from Pittsburgh. This reach, onthe inside of an incised meander loop, has a flood plain 30 feetabove river level with a width of 200–1,000 feet, then a bedrockslope 140 feet high to a 0.7 mile wide terrace of Illinoian-age alluviumin an abandoned meander loop. Pennsylvanian age rock strata dip 1% riverward. Groundwater flows riverward through abandoned under-ground and surface mine workings and flood plain soils, including astream channel filled with coal waste. Alluvial banks fail by typicalmass-wasting processes, i.e., slumps, block slides, soil falls, all exac-erbated by piping (seepage erosion). Even without coal mining fea-tures, this reach provides a technical basis for the Native Americanname “river with the sliding banks.”

Paleoseismicity of the Kango Fault, South Africa: AddressingFault Characterization Issues in Stable Continental RegionsHanson, Kathryn, Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure,Inc., [email protected]; Christopher Slack,[email protected]; Ryan Coppersmith, ryan@ - coppersmithconsulting.com (TS #13)

Challenging aspects to the identification and characterization of active,seismogenic faults in intraplate or stable continental regions are: 1)low cumulative neotectonic displacement, 2) the apparent temporalclustering of surface-faulting events in which relatively short episodesof activity may be separated by quiescent intervals of tens to hun-dreds of thousands of years or longer, and 3) possible migration ofthe locus of activity. The Kango fault (a Mesozoic basin-bounding fault)lies in a seismically quiescent region within the Eastern Cape Provinceof South Africa, but has evidence for three latest Pleistocene toHolocene surface-faulting events preceded by a long period of severaltens of thousands of years of no activity/behavior typical of otherstable continental region (SCR) faults. The 92ñ101 km long easternsegment of the Kango fault appears to be unique among the faultswithin the 600-km-long Ceres-Kango-Baviaanskloof-Coega fault systemin that it shows evidence of repeated normal-slip surface-rupturingevents in the Quaternary. The occurrence of these eventsótwo eventsin the past 10ñ15 kyr along the western part of the approximately100-km-long reactivated portion of the fault, and at least one eventbetween 22.6 ka and 25.4 ka along the eastern part of the reacti-vated part of the faultóindicates that the Kango fault may be within aperiod of higher activity. Low cumulative Quaternary displacements(10ñ33 m) and low long-term average slip rates are based on meas-ured offsets of high pediment surfaces and a buried erosional strathsurface that record long-term (350 kyr to 3 Myr).

Hydraulic Properties of the Stratigraphic Interval Separating Natural Gas Bearing Black Shales and Fresh-Water Aquifers inthe Appalachian BasinHarmon, Matthew, Marshall University, [email protected]; WilliamL. Niemann, [email protected] (Poster)

The use of hydraulic fracturing (HF) to extract oil and natural gas fromblack shales, specifically those found in the Appalachian ForelandBasin (AFB), has expanded rapidly in recent years. Commensurate withthis expansion has been increased concern for potential upward migra-tion of HF fluid and brine into overlying fresh water aquifers. In the AFBsuch aquifers are generally separated from HF zones by significantvertical thicknesses (commonly in excess of one mile) of sedimentarystrata and would appear to be well protected. However, published liter-ature addressing this risk has relied heavily on theoretical argumentsand numerical simulations accompanied by broad assumptions. Inaddition, these studies have produced widely varying conclusionsranging from possible migration of HF fluids into fresh water aquifersin less than ten years to the absence of the necessary upwardhydraulic gradients and permeabilities necessary to drive significantflow over time scales less than 106 years. To help ground-truth someof the assumptions, results and conclusions from these previousstudies, the current research seeks to compile a database of pub-lished or established measurements of hydraulic properties for AFBstrata separating HF zones and freshwater aquifers. Hydraulic-relatedproperties considered include lithology, texture, permeability, porosity,and production data from water/oil/gas records.

Improved Imaging of Covered Karst Using the Multi-ElectrodeResistivity Implant Technique (MERIT) Case Studies Harro, David, Geo3Group, [email protected]; Henok Kiflu,[email protected]; Sarah Kruse, [email protected] (TS #15)

The Multi-Electrode Resistivity Implant Technique (MERIT) involves rapidinstallation of parallel surface and buried arrays of electrical resistivityelectrodes. Implanting, deep electrodes increases the depth of investi-gation of a resistivity survey by a factor of two, effectively decreasingthe required array length by one-half and enhancing resolution capabili-ties of electrical resistivity tomography at depth. This paper will focuson three case studies performed using this technique. Case Study 1: Arevisit to the first full scale field trial location of MERIT at the BordeauxVillage in Tampa, Florida. In 2010 a sinkhole that swallowed a car atthe Bordeaux Village made national news. 20 MERIT implants were setat 7.6 meters (25 feet) deep with an array length of 59 meters (194Feet). The inversion of MERIT data resulted in a 2D Electrical Resis-tivity Tomography (ERT) profile with resolution to approximately 20meters (65 Feet) with an image of the car that was swallowed by thesinkhole. Case Study 2: Sinkhole feature at the University of SouthFlorida Geopark. Existing sinkholes at the University of South Floridahave been utilized for geophysical and hydrogeological studies overmore than 20 years. Multiple monitor wells, cone penetrometer tests(CPTs) and standard penetration tests (SPTs) serve as ground-truthingfor numerous geophysical studies. A 56-meter (18-foot) profile con-sisting of 14 MERIT implants was installed to a depth of 7.6 meters(25 feet). The resulting tomographic images showed the configurationof the competent rock profile of the sinkhole in the subsurface downto approximately 20 meters (65 feet). Case Study 3: Ground subsi-dence at a self-storage facility in Tampa. The property was identifiedas a Historic landfill. Differential movement of self-storage facility led toa ground subsidence investigation. An observable area of deflection inthe roofline and evidence of interior differential settlement wasreported. A geophysical survey using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

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and Standard Penetration Test (SPT) was first utilized to investigate thecause of ground subsidence. The GPR survey and SPT did not inter-sect the anticipated depth to determine if sinkhole conditions werepresent. A 65-meter (213-foot) MERIT array, using 14 implants, wasinstalled to 6 meters (20 feet) deep. The resulting MERIT imagereveals a break in the continuity in the subsurface with a possible sink-hole feature associated with the landfill to depth of approximately 19meters (62 Feet).

Data Acquisition and Processing Using Freely Available Softwareand Inexpensive Remote Controlled AircraftHaskin, Jesse, University of Missouri at Kansas City, [email protected](Poster)

The combination of freely available software for processing data fromdigital photography and inexpensive remote controlled (RC) aircraftcould be an efficient means of acquiring data from areas previouslyinaccessible. Applications of these technologies could be used to pro-vide entities at all resource levels with a low-risk, high-return method ofaerial imaging, as well as deriving meaningful results from the data fora variety of Earth Science applications. Such a method could beapplied to volatile areas where the risk of losing more expensive equipment would make data collection otherwise unfeasible. RC quad-copters are a variety of aircraft popular among hobbyists and amateurs for their stability, durability, relative ease of flight, and theirpotential to be inexpensive when compared to other types of RC air-craft. The video or images gathered could then be manipulated in avariety of ways using software available freely from reputable sourcessuch as using vector graphics software to draw a precise stratigraphiccross-section of the higher altitude of a cliff face. By keeping costs toa minimum, more opportunities are presented to interact with thepublic through both outreach and “citizen scientist” programs wherethe general public could submit data acquired through their personaluse of such aircraft. A variety of methods, processes, and operationaltechniques were evaluated for their precision, effectiveness, and easeof use over a wide range of climate and working conditions.

The Need to Understand Crustal Structure and Regional Geologyin Siting Critical StructuresHatcher, Robert D. Jr., Department of Earth and Planetary Sciencesand Science Alliance Center of Excellence, University of Tennessee,[email protected]; J. Wright Horton Jr., David L. Daniels; Stephen L.Snyder (TS #8)

Electricity generated by nuclear power plants is competitive withenergy output of fossil fuels, and does not contribute to the increasingvolume of atmospheric carbon. Enormous effort and finances areexpended in the siting and construction of nuclear plants, along withthe very detailed geologic and geotechnical foundation investigationsrequired prior to and during construction. Licensing of nuclear powerplant sites has customarily involved compilation of regional geologicdata, details of local geology, and seismic hazard assessment (currentand paleoseismic) within a 200-mile radius. Other data sets, e.g., geo-morphic history, geochemical and geochronologic data, and localseismic refraction and reflection surveys are also employed to betterunderstand the local geology. Modern aeromagnetic data with one-mileor closer spacing, in concert with gravity data, available for most ofthe U.S., are useful for better understanding of geology and crustalstructure. These data are particularly useful in regions of the centralU.S. and Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, where sedimentary cover orpoor density of quality detailed geologic maps obscures surfacegeology preventing resolution of deep crustal structure. Even wherehigh quality geologic maps exist, potential field data still provide useful

insight into crustal structure. All of the earthquakes in the central andeast-central U.S. are sourced in the basement below the sedimentarycover. Aeromagnetic and gravity data see through cover and help iden-tify potentially active or reactivated faults, e.g., the bounding faults ofthe Reelfoot rift and the New York–Alabama magnetic lineament. Earth-quakes in the interior of the Appalachians are shallow, but the crys-talline Appalachians have <15 percent high-quality geologic mapcoverage, so potential field data are useful for understanding crustalstructure, estimating size and modeling shapes of plutons, and identi-fying faults. Existence and continuity of the Eastern Piedmont faultsystem (EPFS) in the southeastern U.S. was first demonstrated usingaeromagnetic data. The much greater extent of the EPFS beneath theAtlantic Coastal Plain in the Carolinas could not have been determinedwithout these data. Aeromagnetic data also yield information on dis-placement sense and magnitude of faults, particularly strike-slip faults.Displaced magnetic anomalies clearly demonstrated dextral displace-ments on segments of the EPFS beneath the Coastal Plain. A majoryounger, sinistral fault (the Estill fault) has been recognized that displaces large anomalies as well as segments of the EPFS. Use ofpotential-field data should be an integral part of the siting and siteinvestigation process for critical structures.

Derelict Manufactured Gas, Coke, and Tar Sites of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, USAHatheway, Allen W., HMAEG, [email protected] (TS #4)

Philadelphia is the little known site of America’s first manufactured gas(1792), the greatest degree of U.S. municipal (Philadelphia Gas Trust)ownership of gas manufacturing (since 1834), and of a nationally- centralized, superior degree of technological development and utilityholding company supremacy, after 1882. The fledgling gas industryformed (1824) the venerable Franklin Institute and guided it towardmuch related scholarly activity. In 1888, Philadelphia began the mostadvanced system of municipal manufactured gas service in the nation,operated by the United Gas Improvement Co. (U.G.I.) on long-termlease. U.G.I. also had control over the entire surrounding county/ -suburban gas and electric utility service and distribution territory andclosely integrated the surrounding consumer gas service. A strongindustrial sector provided itself with manufactured fuel gas, with self-operate producer gas plants for more favorable costs. In many waysthe city put into operation the most successful regional gas-manufac-turing and distribution system in the nation, resulting in dominance oflarge (central stations) gasworks, as well as the abandonment of sup-planted gasworks, the latter of which then slid into the fog of history.Many of the 117 derelict plants discovered to date remain virtuallyunrecognized and without significant remedial attention across the 52numbered wards. A word of caution: no aspect of PAH history or reme-diation at Philadelphia is either straight-forward or simple. Geologically-based site and waste characterization remains essential; a formalpaper is planned for submittal in 2015.

Derelict Manufactured Gas, Coke, and Tar Sites of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, USAHatheway, Allen W., HMAEG, [email protected] (TS #27)

Manufactured gas was established in 1835, one year after Philadel-phia’s deliberate research and commitment lead to its first gas-works. By1870 the combination of coal and unrestrained industrymade Pittsburg synonymous with massive production of iron andsteel, and unrestrained industrial commerce. More than 80 locationsof derelict gasworks and other coal-tar sites are now known in theCity of Pittsburgh—places where the never-degraded PAH and othertoxic residuals and wastes of the manufactured gas, coke and tar-

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residuals industries have left their human-threat footprints. There isevery reason to believe that the actual number of tar-impacted siteseventually will become much greater (perhaps twice the numberstated here), considering the high-degree to which gas and coke-making was paramount to the central economy of the city. Manufac-tured gas companies were created to respond to gas-lighting needswithin the city’s confined ridge-and-valley compartments, and as suchwere more numerous than the population otherwise would have sup-ported. Pittsburgh could never receive enough of its nearby Con-nellsville beehive coke, and by 1900 was installing large by-productcoke-oven plants (then the vogue nationally). The city, driven by itsown iron and steel prominence, had emerged by 1908 as thenational higher-education (Carnegie Institute and the Mellon familyinterests) center for design, construction, and ownership (KoppersCo.; Mellon family interests) of the new by-product coke ovens forthe nation at large. Coal tar reigned (1876–1940) here as themaster feedstock-center of the national chemical industry; a formalpaper is planned for submittal in 2015.

Reflection on Some of the Remaining Outstanding EnvironmentalThreats of Pennsylvania’s “Remediated” and Unremediated Coal-Tar SitesHatheway, Allen W., HMAEG, [email protected] (TS #4)

Un-remediated (or poorly-characterized and poorly-remediated) coal-tarsites represent the real “thief-in-the-night” environmental tragedy ofmodern society. Associated toxic compounds and admixtures of coaltar have, by direct affinities with cancer in humans, are poorly under-stood by the public, its leadership, and by some professionally-qualifiedscience and engineering environmental response practitioners. Environ-mental response in Pennsylvania is typical of coal-tar cleanup in thedeveloped world-at-large. Qualified technical responders are burdenedwith two major limitations, sometimes bordering on debilitation. Much ofsuch burden comes from restrictions originating at the hands of individ-uals of lesser competence and/or persons who bow to strictly eco-nomic impacts of coal-tar sites facing remediation under conditions of“good science” and “good engineering.“ It is the author’s sense that thesame general set of “bad science” short-comings have been at work inPennsylvania, where the general PAH threat to public health and environ-mental safety are at the highest levels of short-fall as any other state orprovince, worldwide; here the shear magnitude of sites should raisealarm. Meanwhile, environmental regulators “pull their hair out” in frus-tration. There is but one way to adequately characterize a coal-tar site,and that is with an adroit geologist who learns how the site actuallyoperated historically, then works out that operation on the ground, andtracks the generation and fate of residuals and wastes. The author sup-ports his findings with ten Pennsylvania-generic short-falls in apprecia-tion of the existing-and-prevalent Pennsylvania coal-tar threat; a formalpaper is planned for submittal in 2015.

History of Manufactured Gas and Coal Tar of Pennsylvania Hatheway, Allen W., HMAEG, [email protected] (TS #20)

Pennsylvania represents America’s most over-arching scene of historicmanufactured gas activity. This is a burdensome “honor,” for its con-siderable implications in the modern age of uncontrolled hazardoussubstance site threats. This claim is supported by the historic record,in which Philadelphia witnessed the first gas manufacture (1792) inAmerica, then (1882) assumed national leadership and influence inresearch, development and spread of manufactured gas technology,holding-company ownership, technical development and marketing ofinnovative gas-manufacturing technologies, as well as the engineeringbehind construction of much of the most advanced gasworks designs

and construction. Accelerated utility holding company activity beganabout 1895 and produced a complex and interwoven system of gasdistribution territories, in which older and smaller gasworks were termi-nated and have now become lost in the shuffle of time. Additional com-plexity relates to the unlicensed industrial producer-gas plants, as wellas a vigorous coal-tar by-product and fine-chemical industry also flour-ished and now has been forgotten, leaving their never-degraded residuals and waste remaining in place. Ten reasons are presented tosupport this claim for Pennsylvania’s national prominence in manufac-tured gas, as well as the present environmental liability for remediationof its coal-tar sites. Today’s net effect includes the author’s known andsuspected tally of more than 1,214 historic coal-tar sites in the state,as well as its determined responsible-party resistance to timely andcomprehensive geologically-based site and waste characterization.Several categories of these derelict sites remain unrecognized and,therefore are going unaddressed; a formal paper is planned for submittal in 2015.

Pennsylvania’s Derelict Coke Oven Sites: Beehives, BeehiveBlock Ovens, and Coke-Oven By-Product Plants Hatheway, Allen W., HMAEG, [email protected] (TS #20)

Coke, mankind’s everlasting great achievement of energy-superior,smokeless fuel, was discovered in England around 1726. Cokeremains the ultimate conversion by-product of coal and one of the two(along with petroleum) dominant energy sources on Earth. From 1830,southwest Pennsylvania produced charcoal (from wood) as fuel for itsemerging iron industry; this was soon replaced by the first fourYoughiogheny River Valley coal-fed beehive coke-oven plants in 1850.The new fuel industry became near-instantly well enough financed totake the American lead in production of a series of constantlyimproved coke-production technologies. By 1869 the charcoal ovenswere under general conversion to beehive coke ovens, which sur-passed charcoal in that year and then overrode the use of anthracitecoal in 1875, then greatly multiplied after 1888, and carried on bystandardized design after 1894, and remained in declining use until1984. On the other hand, by-product recovery coke oven technologyarrived in America (from Belgium) in 1892 and took hold in Pennsyl-vania in 1895, and was greatly expanded after 1901. Taken together,nearly 31,000 individual coke ovens (in blocks of 500) were operatingby 1905, and thereafter expanded, by way of the new by-productrecovery ovens, to at least 40,000—the greatest body of coal-tar-related toxic PAH (polycyclical aromatic hydrocarbon) caches inAmerica, and possibly in the world at large. Most important in terms ofpotential contamination was the need to quench hot-drawn coke, andthe fate of quench-water PAH uptake; a formal paper is planned forsubmittal in 2015.

Efficient Identification of Potential Settlement Causes Using theRapid Settlement Diagnostic System (RSDS)Haugen, Ben, Colorado School of Mines, [email protected];Jacquelyn Negri, [email protected]; Dr. Paul Santi, [email protected];Hayden Brown, [email protected] (TS #19)

Differential settlement, commonly referred to as “settlement,” causesextensive damage worldwide and has a significant impact on engi-neering design and mitigation. Identification of settlement origins (e.g.karst, groundwater withdrawal, liquefaction etc.) can be challengingand expensive. The ability to identify the likely cause(s) of settlementusing a rapid forensic analysis can reduce field time and constrain siteinvestigation strategies, thereby reducing costs. The Rapid SettlementDiagnostic System (RSDS) has been developed as a tool for efficientlyidentifying likely sources of geology-related settlement. The RSDS

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enables personnel to quickly isolate potential causes of settlementusing initial site observations and basic site knowledge. Those whowould benefit most from the RSDS should have some exposure to set-tlement analysis and mitigation, but do not need to be experts. RSDSis a four-step questionnaire in Microsoft Excel format. The first stepdistinguishes whether or not the observations involve geology-relatedsettlement. The second and third steps narrow down the list of likelysettlement causes for the area of concern. The fourth step providesthe final calculation and rank indicating which settlement types aremost likely at fault, and should be investigated further through adetailed site investigation (e.g. drilling, geophysics, mapping). Develop-ment of the RSDS is ongoing and would benefit from field validation.

Use of Small Limestone Incubation Devices to Elucidate FactorsAffecting the Dissolution of Calcite by Acid Mine DrainageHedin, Benjamin C., Hedin Environmental, [email protected];Robert S. Hedin (Poster)

Limestone is a commonly used alkaline reagent in the passive treat-ment of acid mine drainage. The performance of limestone-based sys-tems is difficult to predict using conventional geochemical modelingtechniques. We have developed an incubation device (ALKastTM) thatprovides a simple method for conducting replicated limestone dissolu-tion tests. The device is constructed from 150 cc plastic syringes with120-gram inserts of limestone gravel. The device is filled with approxi-mately 40 mL of AMD and after a known incubation period the water isdischarged and measured for pH and alkalinity. Testing at existing pas-sive limestone treatment systems has shown good correlationbetween the ALKast alkalinity after six hours and the alkalinity pro-duced by the treatment system. ALKasts are being used to explore theimpact of various treatment and system design factors on alkalinitygeneration including: 1) treatment of “fresh” AMD compared to aerated“stale” AMD, 2) impact of the additional of a cation exchange media tothe limestone. The poster will describe the ALKast device and provideresult from testing using the devices.

Dissecting the Catastrophic Foundation Failure of a Newly- Constructed DamHolderbaum, Rodney E., Gannett Fleming, Inc., [email protected];Timothy W. Johnston, [email protected] (TS #7)

Hope Mills Dam, located in the Town of Hope Mills, NC, was con-structed in 2007–08 to replace an existing earth dam that failedduring a flood event in 2003. The reconstructed dam consisted of afour-cycle, labyrinth spillway on a pile foundation, with a maximumheight of approximately 25 feet. Construction was substantially com-plete in August 2008 and in September 2009 heavy rains caused thereservoir to rapidly fill resulting in flows over the spillway crest. Theresulting flows induced vibrations that were felt within shops severalblocks away in the Town of Hope Mills. Because of the observed vibra-tions and other conditions observed during construction, approval fortemporary impoundment was issued by the State dam safety regulatorin October of that year provided that a rigorous monitoring programwas implemented. By September 2009, monitoring of the damrevealed substantial flows exiting the spillway underdrains and minorstructure movement. In December 2009, photographic and video evi-dence appears to show piping of fine-grained soil materials from thedam foundation. In June 2010, drain flows increased dramatically andwere accompanied by extensive piping of material from the foundation,resulting in foundation failure and complete release of the reservoir.This presentation will discuss details of the design and construction ofthe dam, and identify probable mechanisms contributing to the failure.

Mountain Lake Alternative Water Source Feasibility StudyHuber, Robert, Radford University, [email protected] (Poster)

Mountain Lake is one of only two naturally formed lakes in Virginia. Itwas once a major tourist attraction and was the filming location for themovie Dirty Dancing. It has a history of dramatic natural lake-level fluctu-ation that extends over the past 4,200 years. Although the lake was fullfor most of the twentieth century, levels began to drop annually startingin 2001–02 and dried up completely in September 2008. Levels haveyet to recover to full pond, causing the tourism and associated eco-nomic benefit to dwindle. This is a progress report on the examinationof an adjacent unmapped watershed that previous studies have identi-fied as a possible water source that could be developed and managedto restore lake levels. The quantitative objective of this study will be toestimate the amount of water that the watershed could reasonably pro-vide, and determine if its influence would be greater than the water lossside of the water balance equation. The methods used in this study willbe seismic and electrical resistivity geophysical surveys to model thesubsurface and identify the extents of the proposed watershed. Prelimi-nary geophysical surveys have been completed and show that the sur-veys completed over the summer will be an effective method forcollecting data. In addition to the quantitative objective of this study, italso emphasizes the effectiveness of seismic and electrical resistivitygeophysical surveys in identifying water resources.

Pratfalls and Pitfalls in Environmental LitigationIsphording, Wayne, Tulane University, [email protected] (TS #4)

Geoscientists and engineers now often find themselves called upon toprovide testimony as expert witnesses in a variety of litigious matters.As such, this typically involves their being examined by opposingcounsel—both in deposition, or during actual trial. Only the most naiveor inexperienced individuals enter such situations believing that rightultimately prevails and, assuming the correctness of their conclusions,the opposing litigants will cease to contest the matter in question.Also, not surprisingly, attorneys retained to defend contested allega-tions are most concerned with maintaining their lifestyles (i.e., justi-fying their fees!) by demonstrating their abilities to protect their clients,despite being given facts that show them truly in err, and do not con-cern themselves with the mundane consideration as to which side trulyis “correct.” Two examples are provided where defendants’ counselseither blatantly ignored case facts by attempting to utilize a legal pro-cedure known as a Daubert Challenge to prevent mineralogical dataharmful to their client’s case from being presented in court or con-tended that geochemical data that clearly implicated their client wasnot collected in a scientifically accepted methodology and that theinformation should be excluded as testimony during the actual trial.Such examples should be of particular value to the novice scientistwith little experience in litigation.

A Geotechnical Investigation of the 2013 Fatal Rockfall inRockvile, UtahJacklitch, Carl, Kent State University, [email protected]; AbdulShakoor, [email protected] (TS #6)

In December 2013, a rockfall occurred in Rockville, UT, where an esti-mated 2,700 tons of rock fell on a house, resulting in two fatalities.The main objective of this study was to assess the hazard potential ofthe east-west slope throughout the town to identify the sections thatare most susceptible to slope failures. This was accomplished throughdetailed field and laboratory investigations of four sites along the slopethat included mapping of discontinuities, site stratigraphy, and travelpathways of rockfall debris, and determining the Atterberg limits, dry

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


density, slake durability index, and friction angle of rock samples. Astereonet analysis was performed to determine the principle joint setsfor use in the kinematic analysis by the DIPS software. The maximumrollout distances for various block sizes were determined using theRocFall software. The results of the kinematic analysis and field obser-vations indicate that wedge, plane, and toppling failures are possible.Based on the preliminary results of kinematic and RocFall analyses,frequency of freeze-thaw cycles, role of differential weathering, slopeheight, slope angle, and the proximity of the homes to the slopethroughout the town, the eastern portion of the town appear to facethe highest rockfall hazard and the central portion a moderate to highhazard. The western portion of the slope has a high to moderatepotential for rockfalls but the hazard is low due to the lack of residen-tial property. The proposed remedial measures include wire meshnets, rock bolts/anchors, and avoidance of the hazardous slopes.

Application of a Hazard Rating System for Rock Slopes along aTransportation Corridor Using Remote SensingJustice, Samantha, Michigan Technological University,[email protected]; Stanley Vitton, [email protected]; ThomasOommen, [email protected]; Rudiger Escobar Wolf,[email protected] (TS #10)

Rockfall hazards are a significant and ongoing threat to infrastructurelocated within steep terrain. Assessing the relative hazard along atransportation corridor, therefore, is important in determining the likelylocation and mode of rock slope failure. Understanding where to focusattention and funds is vital for the infrastructure agencies because ofthe high cost of implementing preventative measures for long lengthsof infrastructure. Hazard analysis has historically relied upon experi-enced field engineers assessing each site, which is not time or costeffective. This study focuses on using remote sensing techniques toanalyze rock slopes along transportation corridors. A case study fromSouthern Nevada with several failing rock slopes along a railroad lineis presented. The analysis uses Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), ortho-photos, and high-resolution remote sensing data to analyze individualrock slopes with a risk of failure. The rockfall hazard is measuredusing the Rockfall Hazard Rating System (RHRS) method, while therock mass strength is measured using the Geological Strength Index(GSI) and the Slope Mass Rating (SMR) method. A workflow is devel-oped that can be immediately implemented by transportation agenciesfor use in maintenance programs.

Developing a Customized Rock Slope Inspection and HazardRating SystemKeating, Rebecca, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.,[email protected]; Paul J. Murphy,[email protected] (TS #6)

Many transportation agencies are experiencing increased costs formaintenance and operations, as rock exposures constructed 50–60years ago are degrading, posing rockfall hazards and triggering rock-fall events. This paper will present the procedures used to develop acustomized detailed rock slope inspection and hazard rating systemfor high-risk rock cuts to be utilized along highways in Massachusetts.The evaluation will take into account the specific geologic conditionsfound on Massachusetts highways and will build on existing rock sloperisk and hazard rating systems, including the Rockfall Hazard RatingSystem (RHRS), which are used in other States and Countries. Thebenefits of performing a pilot study to assess the effectiveness of theproposed rating system will be presented. The major components ofthe customized detailed system will be discussed. A primary goal ofthe system is to allow MassDOT to systematically rate each high-risk

rock slope for potential hazards and assign a numerical value to therating. This rating provides MassDOT with a proactive approach torock slope maintenance and management and will lead MassDOT tomore informed decision making to plan for safety improvements, optimize the benefits from investing limited safety budgets, and reducemaintenance and other operational costs.

Landslide Inventory Maps: Every Square Meter MattersKeaton, Jeffrey, Amec Foster Wheeler, [email protected] (TS #24)

Maps of earthquake hazards display at all locations the horizontalacceleration associated with a specified exceedance probability anda specified exposure time period (i.e., 2% in 50 years). Thus, earth-quake hazard maps provide continuous information on how big thehazard is and how often it is expected to occur. Landslide inventorymaps display locations of landslide features with limited informationon how big the hazard is at selected locations only, but contain noinformation about how often slope movements are expected tooccur. A shift in thinking is needed to provide consistent slopehazard information across a state or the nation. This shift wouldfocus on stability of slopes and provide continuous designations.Some slopes are landslides of one type or another, whereas manyslopes have geologic evidence of stability. Landslide inventory mapsimply that slope hazards do not exist where deposits or features ofpast landslides are not recognized. A five-part scheme to classifystability of slopes and landslides was developed in the 1980s andupdated in the 1990s. Its main categories are: 1) unstable slopes, 2) slopes with inactive landslides, 3) potentially unstable slopes, 4)apparently stable landslides, and 5) apparently stable slopes. Thisclassification provides a useful starting point for a continuous slopehazard map that is a major improvement over landslide inventorymaps and approaches the level of earthquake hazard maps. The sizeand frequency aspects remain to be defined.

Analyzing Contact Metamorphism of the Stanley Shale in theIgneous Intrusive Complex at Magnet Cove, Arkansas Kee, Michael, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and theArts, [email protected] (TS #19)

A 1963 study described the geochemistry of igneous rocks of theMagnet Cove Intrusive Complex and mapped a zone of contact meta-morphism extending outward between 1,000–2,500 feet from the intru-sion. Since the study, no more detailed investigations of the effects ofthe heat of the intrusion on the surrounding Stanley Shale have beenconducted. It is evident by visiting Magnet Cove that the zone of meta-morphism exceeds these limitations because rocks >2500 feet fromthe intrusion were observed to display characteristics of hornfels. Toinvestigate this observation, samples collected from Jones Mill Quarrywere made into thin sections and examined under a petrographic micro-scope. Porphyroblastic nonfoliated subhedral biotite growing inside acryptocrystalline quartz matrix alongside medium-grained quartz, orperhaps andalusite, was observed in the sample 100 feet from theintrusion. The granoblastic biotite crystals observed in the nearestsample were not present in any other samples taken farther from theintrusion, thus indicating a clearly defined biotite isograd. According toa 1952 report, Ouachita sedimentary rocks display regional metamor-phism consistent with the chlorite zone but lack a well-developed folia-tion. Thus, while it is clear from the texture of the first sample that thebiotite formed through contact metamorphism, thereby indicating expo-sure to temperatures of approximately 400∞ to 500∞ C, it is difficult todistinguish whether the surrounding chlorite zone rocks were altereddue to contact or regional metamorphism. Future studies could addressthis by using an SEM for better determination.

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Geotechnical Challenges for Streambank Protection ProjectsKeffer, Andrew, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District,[email protected]; Michael F. Spoor; Guy, Enrich,[email protected] (TS #9)

Huntington, and many other USACE Districts, have encountered exten-sive bank erosion and failure-related endangerment of adjacent LocalProtection Projects (LPPs) and critically essential public facilities. Aswas observed during stream and river reconnaissance, extensive bankretreat often occurred during and immediately after bank full and floodstage events. Flood flow-related bank recharge and subsequentseepage and internal erosion often resulted in the failure and accumula-tion of soils at the base of slopes. High water shear and tractive forces,including helical, secondary currents, and overland flows reworked andtransported these failed soils and recently deposited sediments duringsubsequent events. These processes continue and banks have becomeoversteepened and unstable. These banks have continued to erode andfail during stream and river recession from high stages and floods.These failure conditions, which include bank recharge soils saturationand groundwater fluctuations are significant causative processes. How-ever, the relative importance of seasonally persistent groundwater discharge from fine sand and dispersive clay layers and lenses, withinand upgradient from, oversteepened banks have not been sufficientlydescribed. Processes of bank groundwater recharge and discharge andrelated failures, as these conditions affect streambank protection projects, will be discussed during this presentation.

An Engineering Geologist’s Role in Risk-Informed Decision-Making for USACE Dam and Levee Safety Kelson, Keith I., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific DivisionDam Safety Production Center, [email protected]; Pete T. Shaffner, [email protected]; James E. Wright,[email protected] (TS #7)

USACE dam and levee safety risk management includes risk analysis,assessment, and control, all considered in context of Tolerable RiskGuidelines. The process helps identify and understand primary riskcontributors, assists in communicating risk, justifies and prioritizessafety-related decisions, and leads to consistent, defensible courses ofaction. The engineering geologist plays a critical role in this processas part of multi-disciplinary risk teams that assess potential hazards,and combine them with system response (fragility) and consequencesto analyze risk. A geologist’s process-based training and site-specificknowledge informs probability estimates and identifies primary riskcontributors in foundation characterization, seismic hazard, and hydro-logic loading. Geologists communicate critical information on founda-tion properties (bedrock strengths, alluvial-deposit continuity, fault andfracture geometries) and potential hazards (landslides, liquefaction, dis-solution). Experienced geologists condense large data sets and clarifycomplex geologic relations via detailed geologic maps, cross-sections,aerial photographic analysis, and sometimes, 3D visualization mod-eling. Understanding and capturing uncertainties in near-surface mate-rials and geomorphic processes are paramount. Geologic input toseismic loading (fault rupture, strong ground motion) includes charac-terizing seismic sources and geologic components of site response.Evaluating hydrologic loading can also benefit from geomorphic evi-dence of paleoflood discharges. For dam-safety modification studies,the geologist can constrain uncertainties and thus help streamline con-ceptual design. During construction and post-construction activities, ageologic understanding of site conditions is essential for evaluatingdevelopment of potential failure modes. In summary, careful, informedgeologic input is critical for improving dam-safety decisions at all levelsof risk-informed decision-making.

Predictive Modeling of Debris Flows Probabilities Following WildFire in the Intermountain Western United StatesKern, Ashley, Michigan Technological University, [email protected];Thomas Oommen, [email protected]; Rick Coffman, [email protected];Priscilla Addison, [email protected] (TS #21)

It has been recognized that wildfire followed by a storm event, triggersboth floods and debris flows in mountainous regions. The ability to pre-dict and mitigate these hazards is crucial in order to protect publicsafety and infrastructure. Data on 15 individual burn basins, which contained 388 samples and 24 predictor variables were obtained fromthe USGS. After randomly selecting a subset of data to hold out as atest set, modern predictive modeling techniques utilizing machinelearning were applied to the remaining data. Ten-fold cross validationwas then applied to the training set to ensure nearly unbiased errorestimations and also avoid model over fitting. Linear, nonlinear andrule based predictive models were developed and tested on the holdout data set. Results for nonlinear approaches were nearly twice assuccessful as those for the linear models and previously publishedwork for predicting debris flows. The most important attribute to thesemodels is the ability to correctly identify a “true positive” which iscalled the sensitivity of the model. When predicting using the test set,the resulting sensitivity for our best model was approximately 80%.This implies that when utilizing this model, 80% of the predicted debrisflows should be observed. This paper thoroughly describes all debrisflow probability models and techniques used as well as future effortstowards implementation.

A Preliminary Documentation of the Coral Reefs from LibyaKhameiss, Belkasim, Ball State University -Geological Department,[email protected]; William Hoyt; Saad K. El Ebaidi, AhmedMuftah; James Klaus; Ann Budd (Poster)

Corals studies in Libya are very limited, although they play an impor-tant role in the oil exploration as they form excellent reservoirs of coralreef buildups at some oil fields of Sirt Basin (e.g. Intisar “Idris” andSahabi Fields). Both fields are producing from Paleocene coral reefs.Meanwhile, in Cyrenaica corals are of less importance, as they are notreported in subsurface Tertiary rocks, which probably to the environ-mental settings of these sediments out of the core of reef as occurredin the surface. Meanwhile, corals are reported from older (Jurassic)subsurface successions as in Concession NC-152, but the cementa-tion diagenesis led to blocking and destroying the porosity. This studypresents the first surface documentation work of eight scleractiniancoral species from the exposed sediments in northern Libya, where sixtaxa reported from Al Jabal al Akhdar region, these include a) an asso-ciation of huge colonies of Caulastrea sp. and Stylophora sp., fromthe Middle Eocene Darnah Formation at West Darnah roadcut section.The co-existence of the fast Caulastrea sp. with the slow Stylophorasp. is due to the competition strategy; b) Antiguastrea sp. is reportedfrom the Oligocene Algal Limestone of Al Bayda Formation atDaryanah – Abyar roadcut section; c) Cyphastrea sp. and Aleveoporasp. from Oligo-Miocene Al Faidiyah Formation at Al Fatayah cementquarry and d) Tarbellastraea sp. from Middle Miocene Benghazi Formation at Benghazi cement Quarry. In addition to, two speciesAstraeaopora sp. and Actinacis parorai are reported from the UpperMiocene sediments of formation “M” in As Sahabi area.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Geological Tourism Northeast LibyaKhameiss, Belkasim, Ball State University – Geological Department,[email protected]; Abdelfattah Hamed,[email protected]; Al Zubir Hdhireia, [email protected];Nour Alden Albaaga, [email protected] (Poster)

Libya is rich in geological features (fossils, type locations, mountainsdisplaying faults, and fold) and geomorphic features such as springs,sinkholes, caves, and dolines etc., in addition to, the famous archeo-logical sites as seen in Cyrene, Apollonia, and Athrun prehistoriccities. This reconnaissance study aimed to: 1) introduce the impor-tance of this subject for local people and international tourists, and 2)educate the visitors how to keep these features, safe to with standfor long time. Most of the previous visits focused on the archeologicalsites, and most of the geological visits are indirectly during the geo-logical conferences. This paper mainly concentrated on Cyrenaica inparticular Al Jabal Al Akhdar, where several spectacular features arecommonly developed.

Karastic Distribution Between Wadi Aljubiah and Wadi AlBakur AreaKhameiss, Belkasim, Ball State University - Geological Department,[email protected] (Poster)

Karastic features are important in geomorphological studies. Wadi Alju-biah and wadi Al Bakur area are mainly known by varieties of karsaticfeatures in different elevations and formations. These features areresult of climatological and structural effects. Wadi Aljubiah and wadiAl Bakur area have different kind of formations from Middle Tertiary.These formations are Apollonia, Darnah, Al Baydah, Al Abraq, Al Faydiah, Benghazi, and Wadi Al Qattarah Formations. The type of sedi-ments changed from west to east directions with fauna giving us dif-ferent ages in young to old rocks. Karstic Features found on the wholearea such as caves, sinkholes, solution cavities, rock falls, and rock-slides. The purpose of this paper is to determine and document thesekarst features, and formations which has large numerous and diversityof these features and the formation which has less diversity. The for-mations have numerous number of karastic features are the Darnah, Al Baydah (Algal Limestone Member), and Benghazi Formations basedon type of content such as fossils and the reaction of carbonate rockwith acidic rain (climate effect). On other hand, Apollonia and Wadi Al Qattarah Formation are affected by structural differences are bedsliding, faulting, and jointing.

Quantitative Mapping of Granular Flows Using <1 m ResolutionSatellite Data: Pyroclastic Density Currents in Kamchatka Krippner, Janine, University of Pittsburgh, [email protected]; Michael S.Ramsey, [email protected] (TS #19)

To better understand dangerous hazards associated with granularflows (e.g. pyroclastic flows, debris avalanches, landslides) sub-meter,high-resolution data are being used to evaluate fresh pyroclastic den-sity current (PDC) deposits. Eruptions originating from the activesummit dome of Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka, Russia, regularlyproduce PDCs that deposit material on the volcano’s southern flanks.Using WorldView-02 and QuickBird-02 panchromatic data, the twomost extensive deposits have been mapped, one from 2010 covering~29 km2 and another from 2005 covering ~24 km2, to describe thesurficial morphologies and deposit distribution. The deposits are com-plex with overlapping flows and lobes showing a range of morpholo-gies including channels (up to 36 m wide), levees, variable lobateterminations, compaction features, ripples, and transverse ridges.Arcuate scarps (up to 200 m wide) are the source of secondary

remobilized flows with developed channel and lobate morphologies,and elongate irregular regions that display down-flow facing arcuateridges indicating flow compaction. In the 2010 deposit block concen-trations are highly variable with the highest surface concentrationswithin 10 km of the dome. Blocks exceeding 9 m in diameter werefound over 10 km from the dome attesting to their high-energyemplacement. The deposit edges show interaction with topographyincluding super-elevation and overbank deposition, and vegetationdamage zones where trees were singed or felled and subsequentlyaccumulated. Using satellite data to describe the morphology, distri-bution, and damage resulting from the PDCs provides a rapid methodof post-event evaluation and hazard assessments.

Electrical Resistivity Imaging of Karst Topography in the ArbuckleMountains Krivos, Heather, THG Geophysics Ltd., [email protected]; PeterHutchinson, [email protected] (TS #25)

In many regions of the U.S., subsidence related to karst topographyposes a major risk to engineered structures. A wind farm project pro-posed for the western portion of the Arbuckle Mountains area is withina known karst province. The geology of this area consists of theUpper Cambrian to Lower Ordovician Arbuckle Group. The ArbuckleGroup consists of intercalated sequences of thick carbonates andthinner shales and sandstones. Post-Pennsylvanian mountain buildingtilted these beds to a nearly vertical position. Subsequently, caves andvoids developed within the carbonate beds, presumably by ground-water migrating along the nearly vertical bedding planes and fractures.Numerous dissolution cavities and several major cave systems havebeen mapped within the proposed wind farm site. Electrical resistivityimaging was determined to be the most effective method of mappingsubsurface voids and caverns for the strong electrical contrastbetween carbonate units and void-filling sediments. Electrical resistivityimaging during early stages of the wind farm development identifiednumerous caverns and voids. Several wind tower locations weremoved after electrical imaging indicated the presence of a subsurfacevoid. Further, the access road to a major portion of the site had to bererouted due to the presence of a cavern system.

Well Logging in Ground Water HydrologyKumar, Santdeep, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology, s [email protected]; Aniket Saxon, [email protected](Poster)

The annual investment in water supply and sanitation in U.S. is$28.5bn or $97/capita (2005) but providing full water and sewerageconnections, with primary wastewater treatment to the urban popula-tion would raise the annual cost of meeting the 2015 goal to U.S. $49billion. This paper discusses in details of several problems pertainingto the interpretation of well logs in ground water hydrology. Certaininterpretive methods of the oil industry are demonstrated to be unsat-isfactory for hydrologic purposes, and certain other methods, whichhave not been significant in the oil industry, are recommended for usein ground-water hydrology. The application of geophysical well loggingto groundwater hydrology is comparable to its use in petroleum explo-ration in the 1930s. However, we can take advantage of equipmentand interpretation techniques developed in the oil industry that areavailable now for use in ground-water investigations. Although mostpetroleum well logging techniques may be utilized in hydrology withmodifications in equipment and interpretation to consider basic eco-nomic and environmental differences between petroleum and ground-water evaluation. If logging is to be widely applied to groundwaterexploration and evaluation, the cost of equipment and services must

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be minimized. Fortunately, this can be easily done, because mostwater wells are shallower than oil wells and the temperatures and pressures are also lower.

Reliability Based Slope Stability Evaluation Using StochasticGeological Modeling Techniques and FEM Simulations Liang, Robert, The University of Akron, [email protected]; XiangrongWang, [email protected]; Hui Wang, [email protected];Zhao Li, [email protected] (TS #23)

Risk analysis has been increasingly applied to geotechnical engi-neering problems, such as slope stability evaluation, and rockfallhazard assessment, among others. However, despite recent advance-ment in probabilistic based slope stability analysis, existing methodsare limited to only considering uncertainties due to soil propertiesdetermination. There is a need to consider other uncertainties thatcould influence stability analysis outcome. One of such uncertainties isrelated to subsurface soil and rock formation and layering structures.This paper describes a reliability analysis process suitable for slopestability problems with heterogeneous and anisotropic geologicalbodies based on an integrated approach using stochastic geologicalmodel and FEM simulation techniques. Aimed to reflect the effects ofthe uncertainty from the subsurface profile formation, the proposedprocess consists of three components: 1) preprocessing—discretiza-tion of the interested geological body and utilization of known siteinvestigation data, 2) subsurface profiles generating—generating sub-surface profiles using a novel approach involving neighborhood sys-tems and local transition sampler based on Markov random fieldsimulation to represent all possible subsurface soil/rock profiles of theinterested geological body, and 3) reliability simulation—Monte Carlosimulation using FEM program for each generated subsurfacesoil/rock profiles. To illustrate the presented method, a slope stabilitycase is studied and the corresponding probability distribution functionof the factor of safety is obtained by fitting the simulation results.Some realization results are used to elucidate the possible influence ofthe uncertainty from the subsurface profile formation on the slope sta-bility and failure mechanism.

Analysis of Flexural Toppling of an Anti-Dip Slope in FushunOpen Pit in ChinaLiang, Robert, The University of Akron, [email protected]; Zhao Li,[email protected]; Jin-An Wang, [email protected] (TS #10)

The northern slope of Fushun Open Pit, which is a typical anti-dip engi-neering rock slope with a weak cutting-through fault, experienced sig-nificant toppling deformation when cut at approximately 50o. Since themining is carried out deep within the steep slope, high stability for thislarge-scale open pit slope is required. In order to evaluate slope sta-bility and ensure safety in production, the deformation characteristics,the failure mechanism, and the evolution process of the northern slopeare analyzed. This study starts with field investigation, involvingrevealing the hydrogeological features, the structural characteristics,and the deformation attributes as well as obtaining rock properties ofthe slope. Moreover, a series of numerical simulations are conductedto model the entire progressive flexural toppling process from stabilityto instability. Four stages have been identified in the deformationprocess. Furthermore, the simulated results are validated using dataobtained from continuous monitoring by employing an advancedremote sensing technique called ground-based interferometric syn-thetic aperture radar (GB-InSAR), which is capable to provide reliableearly warning alerts of slope instability and allow maps (e.g. displace-ment map and velocity map) showing the overall long-term dynamicevolution of slope movements. This case study indicates the unique

geological structure with various joints and discontinuities; further-more, groundwater, intense rainfall, and mining activities are identifiedas the main triggers for different failure stages. The simulated evolu-tion process and the recorded deformation patterns help engineers togain a better understanding of rock mass movement of anti-dip slopes.

Development of UASLOPE Method for Evaluating Slope Stabilization Using a Single Row of Drilled ShaftsLiang, Robert, The University of Akron, [email protected] (TS #18)

In this paper, a design procedure for stabilizing an unstable slope witha row of equally spaced drilled shafts is presented. This designapproach is based on the concept of the soil arching phenomenonoccurring due to the rigid inclusions of the drilled shafts in the movingsoil mass. The soil arching will redirect the earth thrust into the drilledshafts, which then transfer the loads into the firm rock layer (rocksocket) through the lateral soil-structure interaction. The soil archingtherefore would reduce the driving force transmitted down slope onthe down-slope side of the drilled shaft. As a result of the reduceddriving force, the factor of safety of the slope with the installed drilledshafts is increased. The soil arching effect is quantified by the semi-empirical load-transfer factor, which is obtained by regressionanalysis of more than 90 cases of 3D finite-element simulationresults. By incorporating the proposed semi-empirical load transferfactor, a new limiting-equilibrium based slope stability computer pro-gram, UASLOPE 2.2, has been developed for complex slope geom-etry, soil profile and groundwater table conditions. By comparing withthe previous version (i.e., UASLOPE 2.1), UASLOPE 2.2 program iscapable of performing “1-CLICK” optimization design strategy bysimply setting the range and interval increment of the location of arow of drilled shafts, which can efficiently minimize the design periodand optimize the design results. Finally, a design example is providedto illustrate the proposed design procedure.

Proposed Temperance Flat Dam - Bureau of Reclamation RockMechanics Testing and Reporting Lindenbach, Evan J., Bureau of Reclamation, [email protected];Robert V. Rinehart, [email protected] (TS #22)

The recent successive years of drought are a reminder to Californiansof their need for improved water storage capabilities. The Bureau ofReclamation (Reclamation) is proposing the construction of an approxi-mately 600-foot-high roller-compacted concrete dam on the SanJoaquin River above Millerton Reservoir, to store an additional 1.26million acre-feet of surface water. As part of the feasibility-level designto be submitted for Congressional approval in summer 2015, anextensive rock mechanics testing program is being completed oncores from borings located along the proposed dam axis, adjacent tothe axis, and along the outlet tunnel alignment. The program being per-formed by Reclamation’s Material Engineering and Research Labora-tory in Denver, Colorado, comprises indirect tensile strength testing,petrographic analysis, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) testing, anddirect shear testing of existing joints. In support of finite element mod-eling being used to optimize the design of the dam, UCS values, RQDvalues, fracture densities, and other variables used in the Rock MassRating (RMR) system are bundled by depth and evaluated probabilisti-cally. Monte Carlo simulation is then performed, using the distributionsof the input variables to create an output distribution of RMR values.Based on the RMR distribution, a rock mass modulus distribution isdeveloped via published relationships and used to develop a range ofmodulus values for the finite element modeling. Details of the test pro-gram, methods for obtaining a distribution of RMR values, and resultsof the simulations are presented.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Northern Pennsylvania Groundwater Well Mapping and the Identification of Contaminate Sources Linsenbigler, Rochelle, The Pennsylvania State University,[email protected]; Tess Russo (Poster)

Potter County drilling records were obtained from 1980–2013. Drillingrecords include the depth of the borehole, groundwater elevation, wellyield, and notes about water quality if a problem was observed.Groundwater level and quality records from the USGS were used tosupplement the original drilling records, providing groundwater dataover a longer time period, but at a lower spatial resolution. These datawere digitized and put into a database for further analysis. Results ofthis project include historic groundwater level and yield contour maps,and how they have changed over time. We aim to identify spatial andtemporal patterns in groundwater availability and quality, associatedwith wells at given depths. We hypothesize that areas of intense oiland gas drilling or population development may influence groundwateravailability and quality, while legacy oil and gas wells may continue toinfluence water quality in the years after operation ends. To test this,we will analyze groundwater data with respect to oil and gas activitiesin northern Pennsylvania. Specifically, we will obtain locations of wellsand periods of active drilling to determine if there is a correlation withchanges in groundwater availability or quality.

Qualitative Foundation Rock Block Stability Evaluation Performed for Green Peter Dam, OregonLoar, Todd N., USACE-RMC, [email protected] (TS #22)

Green Peter Dam (GPD) was completed in 1966 and is a 380foot-high, 1,517foot-long, concrete gravity dam located on the MiddleSantiam River, 30 miles southeast of Albany, OR. A Potential FailureMode Analysis (PFMA) and Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment (SQRA)identified a failure mechanism associated with global stability ofmonoliths during a seismic event and the presence of potentiallyremovable foundation rock blocks/wedges positioned in the founda-tion. A qualitative geomechanical evaluation was performed to assessstability conditions associated with geometrically capable and/orpotentially removable rock wedges positioned in the foundation ofGPD. The foundation rock wedge geometry is formed by underlying,sub-horizontal clayey shear zones within lapilli tuff layers and laterallyby rock mass discontinuities such as jointing, bedding, dikes, andfaults (i.e. release and side surfaces) in the basaltic lava flow layers.The sub-horizontal shear zones at the site were recognized as poten-tially adverse geologic features early in the site characterizationstudies for GPD because they can result in foundation instabilityissues such as differential settlement, erosion, or more critically foun-dation sliding. The geometry of sliding (i.e. kinematics) of the rockwedge depends on the shape; loading vectors; configuration of thefoundation excavation; and the downstream top of rock topography.Concrete dams have experienced failures due to displacement ofrock wedges positioned in the foundation. Most of these failures wererelated to initial filling and elevated pore/uplift pressures on the rockblock. While no concrete dams are known to have failed due toseismic loading, the increased loading associated with an earthquakecould conceivably cause sliding of a foundation block that is other-wise stable under static loading. However, an increased knowledge ofhigher seismic loading at the site warranted a careful evaluation toassure the risks of foundation rock block sliding are understood andthat confidence in the available data is acceptable. This presentationsummarizes the background, findings, and results of the qualitativefoundation rock block evaluation for the GPD structure.

Pile Setup Effect in Driven Friction Piles in Western Pennsylvania: Case Studies Lobo-Guerrero, Sebastian, A.G.E.S., Inc., [email protected];Daniel F. Martt, [email protected] (TS #9)

Pile setup is referred to a significant increment in geotechnical resist-ance exhibited hours or days after a pile is driven. Because of excesspore water pressure, the soil effective vertical stress and the corre-sponding frictional resistance exerted on the side of the piledecreases significantly during driving operations. However, hours ordays after driving is completed, the excess pore water pressure dissi-pates and the geotechnical frictional (shaft) resistance increases to thenormal values. The pile setup factor is referred as the ratio betweenthe geotechnical capacity after the dissipation of the excess porewater pressure divided by the geotechnical capacity at the end ofdriving. This factor has been documented in the literature to be ashigh as 2.0, It is usually attributed to loose to medium dense finesands and silts. Although the pile setup phenomenon is widely known,it is still difficult to predict exactly under what conditions it will occur. Ifpile setup is suspected to be likely, pile restrike is typically specifiedduring design in case the obtained geotechnical resistance is lowerthan expected. However, even having pile restrike results, sometimesit is uncertain if the restrike capacity should be accepted or if the foun-dation should be redesigned using the capacity obtained during driving(or even if the piles should be driven deeper). This study presents pilesetup factors obtained for different test piles in western Pennsylvaniausing pile dynamic tests (PDA and CAPWAP). General geotechnicalconditions at the different sites are also presented.

Site Investigation in Volcanic Terrains for Building ProjectsLomoschitz, Alejandro, Dept. of Civil Engineering & IOCAG, Universidadde Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, [email protected];Luis E. Hernandez, [email protected]; Jose A. Rodriguez-Losada,[email protected]; Claudio Olalla, [email protected] (Poster)

This work was developed based on the recent Guide for the Planningand Execution of Geotechnical Studies for Building Projects in theCanary Islands (Spain), GETCAN-011. The Canary Archipelagogeology is dominated almost entirely by a succession of volcanicmaterials and structures. The guide articulates the basic appropriatemethodology for planning of geotechnical prospecting in building proj-ects and for conducting geotechnical studies, in accordance with cur-rent regulations and volcanic terrains. Once the type of woodardbuilding and type of terrain is defined, guide criteria have to beapplied to determine the minimum intensity and extent of the fieldexploration activities. The minimum depth for surveys is establishedby taking into account the peculiarities and problems associated witheach of the geotechnical units and the type of building. As a result ofthis work, a geotechnical map of the Canary Archipelago at a scale of1:25,000 has also been generated. This is now available on-line forbuilding designers and urban planners to consult. Given that almostall the volcanic materials of the planet can be found in the CanaryIslands, this guide could be of potential applicable use for other areasof volcanic origin.

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Geotechnical Units and Associated Problems in Volcanic Terrains: Canary Islands, SpainLomoschitz, Alejandro, Dept. of Civil Engineering & IOCAG, Universidadde Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain,[email protected]; Luis E. Hernandez,[email protected]; Jose A. Rodriguez-Losada, [email protected];Claudio Olalla, [email protected] (TS #9)

Volcanic terrains of the Canary Islands are described and classified inthis study. The terrains are grouped into geotechnical units of similargeomechanical behavior to indicate the most common geotechnicalproblems associated with them. The seven main islands that comprisethe Canary Archipelago have a total surface area of 7,450 km2(2,961 mi2). Despite this relatively small size, an extensive variety oflithologies and volcanic structures can be found here, as well as oftenvery pronounced topographies. As a result, the description and classi-fication of soils and rocks is by no means a simple task. Ten geotech-nical units were considered for this study. These include six volcanicunits: basal complexes, salic lava flows and massifs, weathered basaltmassifs, intact basalt lava flows, pyroclastic materials and brecciatedmaterials; alluvial and colluvial deposits; and 4 sedimentary andanthropic units: alluvial and colluvial deposits; littoral deposits; clayeyand/or silty soils and artificial fills. Twenty-two (22) different lithotypeshave been identified: 12 in reference to rocks and 10 in reference topyroclasts. Each was characterized on the basis of laboratory testingto obtain the principal geomechanical characteristics. This classifica-tion has been incorporated in the Guide for the Planning and Executionof Geotechnical Studies for Building Projects in the Canary Islands,GETCAN-011, drawn up by the Department of Public Works, Transportand Territorial Policy of the Canary Regional Government (2011).Finally, this type of classification (geotechnical units and lithotypes)may be of potential applicable use for other similar volcanic regions ofthe planet.

The Pico de Navas Slump (Burgos, Spain): A Large RotationalRocky Landslide Caused by Underlying Clayey Sand Layers Lomoschitz, Alejandro, Dept. of Civil Engineering & IOCAG, Universidadde Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain,[email protected]; IgnacioMenendez-Pidal,[email protected]; Eugenio Sanz, [email protected] (TS#23)

The Pico de Navas landslide, Burgos (Spain), was a large and complexrotational movement, affecting a volume of 50x106 m3. It certainlyoccurred before the 5th century and probably during the Recent orMiddle Holocene, as can be deduced from historical and paleoclimaticdata. Although the landslide now appears to be inactive, its study con-tinues to be of interest because of its well-preserved morphology andits similarity to other large and well-known slides such as that atCatherineís Point on the Isle of Wight (UK). These slides have incommon the existence of underlying clayey to sandy layers, where thesurfaces of rupture were established, and the presence of overlyinglayers of limestone rocks. In the case of the Pico de Navas slide, thesurface of rupture on its upper part coincides with a pre-existing ver-tical fault dating from the Alpine orogeny. It incurves towards the hori-zontal following a layer of sand with kaolin belonging to the SandUtrillas Fm (Albian). The geotechnical properties of this material havebeen studied in detail. The movement to be activated surely needed ahigh water table and erosion of the slide base, as many other land-slides do. This description of the movement may be of use to under-stand slope ruptures in many other areas of the Iberian Cordillera(mainland Spain) where the Sand Utrillas Fm is present and a verylarge number of civil works have been affected by landslides.

Low-Threat Closure of a UST Release Site in California; Wouldthe Sierra Club Be Happy?Lord, Jacques, MARRS Services Inc., [email protected](TS #4)

In 2013 the California Water Quality Control Board promulgated guid-ance that allowed for more rapid closure of petroleum sites. This low-threat closure strategy takes a new look at old releases. In the past, arelease was bad, and free product on the water table was worse. Themantra was that free-product had to be removed or mitigated to theextent practicable. In my first experience with closure using low-threatguidance, I was looking at a sizeable plume of free-product over a footthick and 300 feet wide, in an urban (densely developed) setting. Thesite had an absentee owner (residing in a foreign country) and mitiga-tion was going nowhere so the County DEH turned the site over to theState. This presentation looks at the California Low Threat Closurestrategy where closing meant walking away from significant contamina-tion. Is it ethical for a professional geologist to do that? The State saysI can, but is it the right thing to do as a professional motivated by envi-ronmental and habitat restoration? This presentation looks at the fac-tors that allowed the site to be closed (i.e., what made such a majorspill low threat?), and examines if that justifies leaving such a signifi-cant free product release in place. Your personal and professional con-clusion is based on your willingness to compromise for the greatergood and statistically sweep things under the carpet.

California Mandates 25% Water Use Reduction; Are Cisterns theNew Solar Panel Industry?Lord, Jacques, MARRS Services Inc., [email protected](TS #4)

Drought is dominating our headlines in California. Mulholland knew 100years ago that water in California was power. Now it is affecting moreand more people as the snowpack dwindles and the Colorado Rivergets divided up between more water users. What is a geologist to do(other than accept a composting toilet as normal)? Countries with sim-ilar situations include Australia and the Bahamas. They both havestrong rain catchment industries to supplement or replace traditionalwater sources. Cisterns, underground rain storage structures, arecommon in Texas and other parts of the Central western USA. And thecistern may be the new UST for geologists to work with as installationincreases in the next decades to come. Rain catchment will not onlyaugment water supply for thirsty parts of California, but with the new2015 Storm Water Permit for Industrial Facilities that makes dis-charging rain water from your property so difficult, installing cisternsas retention and/or detention basins will mitigate two major issues;reduce or eliminate storm water discharge from the property, andhave readily available irrigation water. Geologists will have a hand insite assessment and design, excavation depth, drainage grading, andother subsurface aspects of rain catchment that are not yet commonknowledge. A review of some of the different cistern technologiesavailable today rounds out this presentation.

Lessons Learned from the Review and Assessment of a CutSlope for a Water Tank Reservoir Lukkarila, Chad, Kleinfelder, [email protected] (TS #18)

A new water tank reservoir was constructed north of the city of EastWenatchee in Douglas County, WA. The reservoir tank was constructedon a pad excavated into a hillside, creating a large cut slope in the soiland rock. Kleinfelder’s services were completed in multiple phasesduring design and construction including third party report review, fieldengineering, and construction monitoring. Kleinfelder provided review

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of the draft geology report and noted the following concerns: 1) lim-ited field investigation, 2) no analysis of rock mass or discontinuitydata, 3) no stability analyses completed for proposed 45–76-degreecut slopes, and 4) no rock fall hazard analyses completed for the cutslope. With the limited investigation and analysis, the potential forvarying conditions and changes encountered during construction couldincrease construction and maintenance costs. Additional analyseswere not completed by the civil engineer and, as construction began,differing conditions were encountered than observed during the engi-neer’s initial field investigation. The owner stopped construction andhired Kleinfelder to complete additional investigation and analyses.This presentation will address the concerns for the limited field investi-gation and engineering analyses, the findings of Kleinfelder’s additionalanalyses, and a summary of construction activities including lessonslearned along the way.

Full Scale Mechanics of Surficial Slope StabilizationLyne, Bob, Geobrugg North America LLC, [email protected];Tim Shevlin, [email protected] (TS #18)

Slope stabilization systems that use flexible facings in combinationwith grouted anchors have been widely used to stabilize steep soil andweathered rock slopes for more than a decade. These systems haveproven to be a very cost-effective solution, and have seen widespreadacceptance. The tools used to design these systems have been basedon small scale modeling and testing of individual components. Empir-ical evidence has shown that these design models are providing solu-tions that are technically sound. The absence of scientific, full scaletesting, however, has prevented full validation of the design tools. Anextensive series of tests has now been performed to provide an in-depth look at the full-scale mechanics of slope stabilization. The testseries was based on the use of a simulated slope consisting of alarge-scale box that could be tilted to simulate a full range of slopeangles up to 85o. Multiple soil types where tested in conjunction with avariety of different flexible facing materials. Instrumentation on the testbox provided load information, and laser scanning of the slope surfaceprovided detailed data regarding deformations of the soil. This paperwill discuss how this full scale test series has provided validation of thesystem dimensioning concept and the importance of load transferwithin the system. It will also introduce new types of mesh and spikeplates that offer solutions for a broader range of slope conditions aswell as more detailed cost optimization of system designs.

The Effect of Water Content and Density on Strength and Deformation Behavior of Clay Soils Malizia, John, Kent State University, [email protected]; Abdul Shakoor,[email protected] (TS #19)

Density and water content have a profound effect on the strength anddeformation behavior of compacted clays. However, this effect has notbeen quantified, especially the water content at which the transitionfrom brittle to plastic behavior occurs for low, medium, and high plas-ticity clays. The objective of this research was to find the transitionwater content by investigating the effect of varying water content anddensity on the strength and deformation behavior. Six samples each oflow, medium, and high plasticity clay were compacted, three on eachside of optimum water content (OWC), to establish their compactioncurves. The compacted samples were failed under unconfined com-pression. Additionally, three compacted samples of each clay typewere failed using the direct shear test. Visual inspection and thestress-strain curves from the two tests were used to determine thetransition between brittle and plastic behaviors. The low, medium, andhigh plasticity clays had maximum dry density (MDD) values of 103

pcf, 94 pcf, and 89 pcf, with OWC values of 21%, 26%, and 27%,respectively. The compressive strengths were 50 psi, 60 psi, and 59psi, respectively. The unconfined compressive strength first increasedand then decreased with increasing water content, with the transitionoccurring within 3% of the OWC for each clay type. The high plasticityclay had the highest cohesion while the low plasticity clay had thehighest friction angle. The transition between brittle and plastic behav-iors for the three clays occurred between 19–20%, 29–30%, and30–32% water content, respectively.

Influence of Slope Characteristics on Rockfall Velocities andBounce HeightsMarchetty, Srikanth, The University of Akron, [email protected];Abdisa Musa, [email protected]; Robert Liang,[email protected]; Anil Patnaik, [email protected] (TS #6)

Rockfall trajectories mainly depend on the characteristics such as sur-face roughness, normal coefficients, and tangential coefficients alongthe slope profile. Several computer simulation methods use theseparameters to estimate the bounce heights and velocities of rockfalls.The sensitivity of these parameters was studied using Colorado Rock-fall Simulation Program (CRSP) for typical Ohio slopes. Full-scale rollouttests were performed on three different slopes with inclination 30degrees, 45 degrees and 55 degrees. The rockfall heights for thesetest sloped were between 60–80 feet. Rollout tests were conductedwith test rocks made from reinforced concrete in the shape of cubic,cylindrical and spherical rock. The test slopes were modeled in CRSP,using lidardata and the coefficients of slope profile were adopted fromthe CRSP manual based on the test slope characteristics. The sensi-tivity of slope characteristics on rockfall velocities and bounce heightswere studied for a wide range of variables. Computer simulationsrevealed that with the increase in surface roughness, the bounceheights increase and velocities decrease, whereas with the increase inenergy coefficients, bounce heights decrease and velocities increase.The computer simulation results were then compared with rollout testresults to validate the accuracy of computer models in predicting thevelocities and bounce heights with the range of coefficients defined inthe CRSP manual to develop an insight into the influence of the energycoefficients. The results of the study will be presented in this paper.

Investigation of Rockfall Characteristics Using Full-Scale RolloutTestsMarchetty, Srikanth, The University of Akron, [email protected];Abdisa Musa, [email protected]; Robert Liang,[email protected]; Anil Patnaik, [email protected] (TS #6)

Full-scale rollout tests were conducted on three typical Ohio slopes toinvestigate the rockfall characteristics such as velocities, bounceheights, and energies. Test slopes with inclinations of 30 degrees, 45degrees and 55 degrees were prepared at a site in Akron, OH, withslope heights of 58.5 feet, 55.5 feet, and 40.3 feet, respectively.Additional heights ranging from 16–20 feet were achieved by droppingthe test rocks from the extended bucket of a trackhoe. Several testrocks were manufactured in different shapes and sizes using steel rein-forced concrete. High-speed cameras were used to record the motionof the test rocks down the slope and to capture the velocities andbounce heights of the test rocks at the ditch location and at the con-crete barrier at the bottom of each slope. The motion of the test rockswas analyzed using a software program called PONTOS to determinethe velocities and bounce heights for each rollout test. The actualslope geometry was scanned with lidar and modeled in Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program (CRSP) to estimate the bounce heights,velocities and energies of the falling rocks. The surface roughness was

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


determined from field measurements. The energy coefficients wereused from the CRSP manual based on the slope properties. CRSPanalysis was found to underestimate the bounce heights and impactvelocities of the rocks compared to the corresponding measuredvalues from rollout tests. The total energies estimated from CRSPanalyses were also smaller than those established from theserollout tests.

Debris Flow Inventory and Susceptibility of West Prong LittlePigeon River Watershed, Great Smoky Mountains National ParkMarinelli, Matthew, Kent State University, [email protected]; AbdulShakoor, [email protected]; Arpita Nandi, [email protected] (TS #24)

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is highly suscep-tible to debris flow hazards. The purpose of this study was to assessdebris flow susceptibility of the West Prong Little Pigeon River (WPLPR)watershed of GSMNP. Geographic Information System (GIS) was usedto first create a debris flow inventory map based on the data derivedfrom light detection and ranging (lidar), aerial photographs, field obser-vations, and literature. The inventory map was then used as a calibra-tion tool for a GIS-based logistic regression model to predict debrisflow susceptibility as influenced by geologic, hydrologic, and structuralfactors of the watershed. Data regarding these factors was obtainedfrom online sources for both debris flow crests and pathways. Thelogistic regression model helped reduce the 23 initially selected fac-tors to eight factors for debris flow crests (slope aspect, drainagebasin, bedrock geology, liquid limit, plastic limit, stream end-points,amount of rain, and distance to adjacent stream) and seven factors fordebris flow pathways (depth to bedrock, bedrock geology, K saturationvalue, land use, liquid limit, plastic limit, and distance to adjacentstream). The final debris flow susceptibility maps contain areas of verylow, low, medium, high, and very high susceptibility. The maps will pro-vide a better understanding and awareness about the risk associatedwith debris flow occurrence and susceptibility in GSMNP, therebyhelping visitors, staff, and researchers. The maps will also serve as atemplate from which inventory and susceptibility maps can be made ofthe entire GSMNP.

The Highest Dam of the World in a Challenging Geological EnvironmentMarinos, Paul G., Nat. Tech. University Athens, [email protected];Alessandro Palmer (TS #17)

Rogun dam, under construction in Tajikistan, will be the highest dam inthe world, 335m. The geological context is within the western syntaxof the Himalaya, with intensive shortening. Inside the great Tajikdepression decollement faults are rooted in a Jurassic evaporitic layer.The site consists of alternating sandstones and siltstones. An earthfilldam with central core was selected. A salt wedge exists under thedam along a creeping fault, which, if not addressed, could impact thefeasibility of the project. Under the effect of orogenic forces the salt isbeing extruded at an estimated rate of 2.5 cm per year. It is being dis-solved at the same rate. The impoundment would result in an increasein the hydraulic gradient, which, if not mitigated, would result in anincrease in the dissolution rate and formation of cavities. The proposi-tion is to grout all around the top of the salt wedge to create ahydraulic barrier to maintain reservoir pressure and minimize the watergradient between the two sides of the salt wedge. Time dependentdeformations were observed in the underground machine cavern. Thiswas not due to softening of the siltstones but to progressive distressof the rock mass, which now could be controlled effectively. An issueof great concern was the presence, immediately downstream of the

dam, of a strange morphology possibly due to an old giant landslide.The assessment made is that this is a particular but stable tectonicstructure due to evaporitic diapirism.

Deep Seated landslides in Greece: Cases Associated with Infrastructure WorksMarinos, Paul G., National Technical University of Athens/Independentconsultant, [email protected]; Vassilis P. Marinos,[email protected] (TS #16)

The structural and tectonic setting of mountainous Greece is theframework for possible development of large scale, deep-seated grav-itational landslides. These landslides are associated with large thrustsin flysch, which result in massive brittle rock formations, such as lime-stones, thrusting over flysch, or tectonic nappes in flysch, that mayform sliding planes. Deep creep is present in flysch, propagating tothe surface, which drives the strong rock cover, fracturing anddetaching it. As a result, huge isolated blocks of limestones tend to“float” and “travel” on the mountain slopes. The movement is veryslow, imperceptible, but may accelerate after accumulation of defor-mation or due to an extreme external event, natural or manmade.This can result in the occurrence of catastrophic landslides. Erosionor small-scale landslides at the base of slopes can be a triggeringfactor. The size of these detached masses can reach hundreds ofmeters in both depth and width along the valley sides. Investigationshould be based on structural understanding and a thorough geomor-phologic analysis. If feasible and justified by the scope of the project,boreholes and reconnaissance galleries should be long and deep.Surface monitoring is always of great help. This paper presents anumber of case histories of large-scale infrastructure works, and thesolutions adopted in such landslide-prone terrains. It will include casehistories of a highway where major realignments were implementedand of a high dam, just upstream of such an unstable mass, withdesign modifications of the spillway and diversion tunnels.

Tunneling in Difficult Ground – Geological Uncertainties andDecisions Marinos, Paul G., Nat. Tech. University Athens, [email protected](TS #1)

The growth of infrastructure needs has increased the demands forthe excavation of tunnels in poor ground and varying geological condi-tions. The assessment of ground for design has to be based on asound understanding of the regional geological environment and theestablishment of a geological model, where data and conditions aretranslated into an engineering description. A series of geologicalmodels for a variety of rocks associated with different structural con-ditions in various tectonic environments, based on geological historyare presented. Site investigation is an important factor for the estab-lishment of the geological model and it must be based on sound geo-logical understanding of regional geology, otherwise it is likely not toprovide true value. Examples and case history examples from bothmountain and urban tunnels under complex or difficult geological con-ditions are discussed. Going from the geological model to the groundmodel, the design requires knowledge of Awad—the quality of thematerial in which the tunnel will be constructed. Engineering designrequires design parameter values and the lecture explores and dis-cusses methods that can be used to assess the geological factorsthat have an impact on the data quality. These factors are primarilythe quality of the intact rock, fabric of the rock mass, the quality ofdiscontinuities. Since the attempt of Terzaghi, in 1946, to correlatethe characteristics of a rock masses for tunnel design, a number ofrock mass classifications have been developed and play an important

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role for providing input data on strength and deformation propertiesof the ground for numerical models. A discussion on this issue is pre-sented, along with field application of this rock mass quantitativecharacterization and its limitations. Together with the rock mass prop-erties, the in situ field stresses need to be estimated or measured.Although the role of engineering geology has been extended into thearea of defining the design parameters, the analytical process, in theform of numerical analysis, should be driven by sound geologic rea-soning so that analysis does not misinterpret reality. The under-standing of the true ground behaviour is of paramount importancebefore any calculation is attempted. Thus, the engineering geological“I.D.” of the geomaterial and the stress environment define thisground behaviour such us: brittle failure, gravitational falling or slidingor “chimney” type failure, or ravelling, or formation of a “plastic” zoneby shear failure with deformation problems and squeezing, orswelling. Geological uncertainties and decisions, in the design andconstruction are discussed.

Holocene Surface Faulting in High-Latitude Glaciated ShieldsMcCalpin, James, GEO-HAZ Consulting, Inc., [email protected](TS #13)

Swedish and Finnish Radiation Safety Authorities (SSM and STUK) havesupported studies of seismic hazards to proposed high-level radioac-tive waste repositories. The repositories (Forsmark, Olkiluoto) will bebored ca. 500 m deep into Precambrian shield rocks at sites on oppo-site sides of the Gulf of Bothnia. The major concern is coseismic prin-cipal or distributed faulting within the repository volume within the next100,000 years. Fault scarps up to 155 km long with per-event dis-placements >5 m lie north of 66.25∞N, near the maximum postglacialrebound areas, but were unknown farther south (repository sites at60.4∞N and 61.25∞N). However, in the late 2000s offshore seismicsurveys near Olkiluoto revealed faults displacing the postglacial sedi-ments and seafloor. Starting in 2013, 2m-lidarwas collected over theentire area of Sweden and Finland. To date, several new fault scarpshave been discovered in central Sweden and Finland, the southern-most of which is at 61.35∞N (Bollnas, Sweden), several hundred kmsouth of previously known scarps. These discoveries indicate that sur-face faulting can occur at the latitude of the repositories during thenext maximum glacial rebound, which is within the 100,000-yr planningperiod. That fact further highlights the need to consider the possibleeffects of distributed faulting in the repository, in response to a sur-face rupture at some distance from the repository. Current modelsused in Scandinavia to predict movement on fractures at the reposito-ries are based on rock mechanics principles, and not the seismologi-cally-based Probabilistic Fault Displacement Hazard Analysis (PFDHA)used in the U.S.

Progress in Investigation and Quantification of Water Track Networks in Boreal Regions Mendbayar, Uyanga, University of Alaska Fairbanks,[email protected]; Debasmita Misra, [email protected] (Poster)

Water tracks are the most dominant drainage pathways that routewater through the soil over permafrost in the polar environments.Existing literature on water tracks is limited and is largely confined totundra areas devoid of vegetation. The primary objective of thisstudy is to initiate the development of methods for mapping watertracks in boreal areas, many of which contain predominant engi-neered infrastructures. The ancillary objective of the study is to con-duct a preliminary analysis of the geotechnical impact of the watertrack drainage networks on such infrastructures. The area of interestfor this study is the Goldstream Road in Fairbanks, AK. The road

experiences high amounts of damage, possibly due to prominentwater tracks that intercept with the road. To investigate the roaddamage, the Alaska Department of Transportation have conducted ageophysical study on the Goldstream Road in 2012. As an outcomeof our research, we plan to create a water track distribution mapfrom a drainage network around the Goldstream Road using high-spatial-and-spectral-resolution satellite and airborne imagery and cor-relate it with the geophysical data from the 2012 study to test if thewater track interaction intensifies the road damage. So far, NDVI pro-cessing was done on 2010 SPOT 5 image. Aerial orthophoto and aDEM were acquired in September of 2014. The study is projected tobe finished by the end of this summer upon completion of fieldworkand groundtruthing. Findings and conclusions from the study will bepresented at the conference.

Risk Analysis of Dam ErodibilityMok, Chin Man, GSI Environmental Inc., [email protected]; RobertWright, [email protected] (TS #22)

Many tall dams on fractured rock were designed and constructed over50 years ago. In recently years, some dams have experienced signifi-cantly larger flood events than they were designed for, resulting inovertopping dam crests. When dam overtopping occurs, the hydraulicpower of the impinging water jet might cause rock foundation anddownstream erosion/scouring, which potentially could lead to signifi-cant consequences. Future flood events are expected to be moresevere due to climate change. This paper focuses on addressing theprominent risk concern associated with erodibility of foundation rocksupporting tall concrete dams, particular for sites with unrecognizedadverse geologic conditions. Hydrologic and geologic systems aredynamic and heterogeneous. However, our knowledge of geologic andhydrologic parameters is often limited, raising the concern of uncer-tainties in dam erodibility analysis. This paper presents the use of riskanalysis to evaluate the probability of dam erosion accounting for theuncertainty associated with geologic and hydrologic parameters aswell as the erosion criteria. Land-based lidarwas utilized to obtain thestatistical characteristics of the rock joint data for developing proba-bilistic rock joint property models. The stability/erodibility of the rockfoundation was evaluated based on Annandale’s Erodibility Indexmethod and Bolleart’s Comprehensive Scour Model. Uncertainty of theAnnandale’s erosion criteria is addressed in the reliability analysis. Damerosion hazard curves can be developed considering the recurrencecharacteristics of extreme hydrologic events.

Cost-Effective and High-Resolution Hydrogeologic Characterization Using Hydraulic TomographyMok, Chin Man, GSI Environmental Inc., [email protected]; T. C. Yeh,[email protected]; Walter Illman, [email protected] (TS#25)

The fate and transport of chemical constituents in the subsurfacedepends strongly on the spatial distribution of groundwater flow, whichis governed by hydraulic conductivity and storativity. Highly permeableregions and fractures are major constituent migration pathways. Low-permeability zones are potential residual sources. Poor performance ofenvironmental control and remediation at many recalcitrant sites aredue to inadequate delineation of the spatial distribution of hydraulic con-ductivity. Conventional site investigation techniques generally provideonly local-scale or regionally averaged estimates. They might not pro-vide direct hydraulic information. Interpretation of various types of infor-mation is might be subjective, inconsistent, and uncertain. It is oftencostly to obtain data for estimating subsurface details in appropriateresolution and reliability. Hydraulic tomography (HT) is a technology

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developed in recent years for high-resolution delineation of hydraulicconductivity and storativity distributions. It involves: 1) conductingsequential aquifer tests over a well network, and 2) jointly analyzing thecomplete data set. The aquifer tests involve sequentiallypumping/injecting water from different depth intervals or different wellswhile monitoring the pressure responses at other locations in theaquifer. The principle is analogous to CAT scan. By jointly interpretingthe complete data sets from multiple tests, a detailed, consistent,three-dimensional interpretation of the heterogeneous hydrogeologicproperties can be obtained, including the spatial distribution of high- andlow- hydraulic conductivity zones. The results are critical for performinga reliable risk assessment and for developing optimal environmentalcontrol and remediation operations. This presentation will discuss theprinciple of HT, examples of HT applications, and projects to demon-strate the superior cost-effectiveness of HT over conventional site characterization techniques.

Managing Recognized Landslide Hazards: Land Use Planningand Zoning, Strategies and Public Education/NotificationMolinari, Mark, AECOM, [email protected] (TS #21)

Various state and local governmental agencies in the U.S. addressknown landslide areas and slope stability in the planning/zoning processand provide that information to potential land developers and the gen-eral public. This presentation reviews some examples in the westernU.S. that the author is most familiar with, but it is likely representativeof the type and range of what is done in many other areas. Most landuse development is regulated by cities and counties via a combinationof zoning, ordinances, permit application requirements and/or buildingcodes. These jurisdictions may address landslides/slope stability, orthis may be addressed under more general provision addressing geo-logic hazards and/or soil foundation condition. Some jurisdictions justadopt the state or international building code with or without somemodifications/exemptions; however others have more specific require-ments in ordinances and/or guidance for when an engineering geologicand/or geotechnical engineering report is needed. Adjacent/nearbyjurisdictions may have substantially different requirements. Some non-engineering methods used to mitigate or manage development on ornear slopes and in the vicinity of known landslides include: avoidance,setbacks from slope crests and toes, Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts, designated landslide hazard zones/areas, and incorporationinto open space or recreational areas (e.g. parks and golf courses)within subdivisions or large developments. In the current digital age,many people use the appropriate regulatory entity’s website for informa-tion on land use permitting and requirements. Current examples will bepresented to demonstrate the variability in amount and quality of information and user friendliness.

The Assessment and Mitigation of Earthquake Damage toDwellings in Christchurch, New Zealand – Part 1Molyneux, Russell, [email protected]; David Knott,[email protected]; Andrew Awad, [email protected](TS #20)

The Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (2010–11) resulted in significantdevastation in the Christchurch area. An assessment of damageensued and properties were grouped into two main zones: Green(repair/rebuild can begin) and Red (land repair would be prolonged anduneconomic). Developing a repair or rebuild strategy for individualdwellings was an involved process that required a thorough under-standing of site ground conditions. This presentation focuses on thedesktop study and site walkover phase of the work performed foreach dwelling. Part 2 presents several case studies. The assessment

and mitigation of earthquake impacts was based on the frameworkdeveloped by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment(MBIE) and provided a common approach. In addition, the CanterburyGeotechnical Database provided a plethora of information to consult-ants including pre- and post-earthquake aerial photographs, seismichazard maps, lidardata, and ground motion data. A site walkover wasundertaken to observe land and structural damage as well as toassess how the structure performed. The work was complicated by:1) the presence of potentially liquefiable sediments associated withalluvial and marine depositional environments, 2) the presence of peatand organic-rich deposits and fill, both of varying thickness and extent,3) lack of information on existing foundations, and 4) groundwater atdepths of less than 2m in many areas.

Uplift Results in a Sliding Bridge AbutmentMonaco, Thomas, Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects,[email protected]; Mitchell Weber [email protected] (TS #9)

Maintenance workers noticed that the steel girders on the north abut-ment of a three-span interstate bridge were causing spalling of the backwall concrete. The DOT decided to cut four inches off the girders torelieve the pressure on the abutment. To their dismay, the next annualinspection showed the girders up against the back wall, again. Amaz-ingly, the abutment sits on six rows of piles driven over 70 feet into thesand and gravel foundation strata. The concept that the abutment wassliding seemed unlikely to all involved. The design consultant wasengaged to characterize the foundation conditions and to evaluate thesliding stability. Various geotechnical exploration methods wereadvanced including field reconnaissance; standard penetration borings(SPT); and geotechnical instrumentation (piezometers and inclinome-ters). The SPT borings encountered blowing sands and characterizationof the foundation strata was inhibited. The magnitude of the abutmentmovement and the potentially artesian foundation conditions warrantedthe introduction of piezometric, cone penetration testing (CPTU). Therarely used CPTU in conjunction with dispersion testing provided the fol-lowing in-situ parameters: permeability, equivalent N60, Young’s mod-ulus, relative density, effective internal angle of friction, the constraintmodulus, shear modulus, shear strength, undrained strength ratio, overconsolidation ratio, shear wave velocity, and stress ratio soil sensitivity.The CPTU continually determined the excess pore pressure, providinginsight to interconnectivity of layers. This paper will describe in detailthe CPT results, the sliding evaluation, the piezometric surface for thebridge, and the proposed mitigation alternatives.

Those Who Forget the Past, Lessons Learned from WranglingLandslides in the West Morley, Derek, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, [email protected]; John Wesling, [email protected] (TS #21)

Landslides can be unruly beasts. Just when you think you know whatyou’re doing, you get bit - sometimes quite unpleasantly. Each land-slide has its own special character and set of particular factors atplay. But collectively, patterns emerge, and some truisms and rules-of-thumb can be inferred about landslides, their evaluation, and remedia-tion design. Leveraging these lessons can help practitioners minimizesurprises and stay out of trouble. Years of experience grappling withlandslides across California has produced a useful array of lessons, forpractice in California and elsewhere. The following lessons will be pre-sented: 1) landslides aren’t for the faint of heart, 2) really big slidescan happen—no, really, 3) big slides are usually bigger than they look,4) you can’t keep a good bump down, 5) not the slide plane, a slideplane, 6) critical-state-dense discrete; critical-state-loose flow, 7) if it’snot a spoon, change your tune, 8) it’s not about the rock mass; it’s

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


about the discontinuities, 9) investigate the slide; investigate the not-slide, 10) f you don’t understand the landslide mechanisms, you’re notdesigning a landslide repair, 11) berm vs. buttress: know what you’redoing and why, 12) rock beats scissors, 13) when in doubt, hog it out,14) you can’t magic it in, 15) check on the 815; camp on the D8, and16) you touch it, you own it. These lessons, while not comprehensiveor universally applicable, are offered in the spirit of assisting us all inbeing more successful in taming the beasts.

Channel Adjustments Associated with Dam Removal: How Important is the Scale of Study?Nandi, Arpita, East Tennessee State University, [email protected] (TS #22)

Dam removal has recently gained attention as a watershed and eco-logical restoration strategy in the United States. Post dam removalgeomorphological change of the stream channel has been docu-mented in scientific literature at the watershed scale and lab scale,but insufficient data exist at the hillslope scale. The objective of thisstudy is to examine whether stream channel geomorphologicaladjustment is independent of scale. A sediment-loaded silt fencedam was used in this study. The effect of post dam removal onchannel morphology was monitored in terms of headcut erosion, andknick point incision (width and depth) and changes in channel sinu-osity. After the silt fence dam removal, channel development was ini-tiated by headcut formation, which migrated at a rate of 0.24cm/day upstream for about eight months and then gradually reachedattenuation. The channel progressed through four distinct stages.The wide, shallow, meandering channel (1st stage: initial conditions)became incised to a maximum depth of 0.51 m, and sinuositydecreased as flow was concentrated in a deep, narrow channel (2ndstage: downcutting). Upon reaching base level, surface runoff beganto meander within the channel, widening it through slumping and ero-sion of the channel banks (3rd stage: floodplain development). Max-imum width of the incised channel reached 0.46 m. Currently, thechannel is in a state of widening and aggradation as some deposi-tion has been observed (4th stage: quasi-equilibrium). The stages ofchannel development and the headcut retreat pattern are consistentwith other findings at the watershed scale.

Debris Flow Potential Estimation using Hydrological Modelling, a Watershed Scale Case Study from Great Smoky MountainsNational ParkNandi, Arpita, East Tennessee State University, [email protected]; ArpitaMandal, [email protected] (Poster)

Debris flows initiations by landslides are a frequent hazard in theSoutheastern Appalachians in the United States. The highly weatheredlow-grade, fractured metasedimentary rocks are typical of the region,which are primary locations of widespread debris flow activity trig-gered by spring and summer thunderstorms. Field observations andprevious studies suggested that favorable geology and the subsur-face hydrologic processes play an important role as a trigger mecha-nism through weathered rock or saprolite infiltration. The study isconducted in watershed scale in West Prong Little Pigeon River water-shed (WPLPR), Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN. Hydrolog-ical modeling of watersheds to determine runoff from rainfall hasbeen widely used in flood modeling; however such studies are limitedin debris flow research. WPLPR watershed is an ideal candidate tostudy rainfall-runoff effect, as the extreme rainfall events are oftenassociated with debris flows in the area. Hydrological modeling usingthe HEC HMS system produced the runoff from rainfall, infiltrationcapacity of the bedrock and saprolite in debris flow initiation zones.The simulation for peak discharge was estimated by the Curve

Number method (CN) using the lidar digital elevation model, hydro-logic soil group, landuse and rainfall as input parameters. Thethreshold of runoff was predicted for which failure could occur, andwas compared with adjacent weather station data.

The Value of Geologic Services during Construction of CraftonHills Enlargement Dam, San Bernardino County, CaliforniaNichols, Holly J., California Department of Water Resources,[email protected]; Ante Mlinarevic, [email protected](TS #12)

Convincing clients that a full-time engineering geologist is necessaryduring construction can be a hard sell during project scoping; CraftonHills Reservoir Enlargement Project was no exception. This projectincluded the construction of an earthen dam, a double-row grout cur-tain, mass excavation to shape the reservoir, and connecting the tworeservoirs by notching through a ridge. These factors provided aunique opportunity to have a full-time engineering geologist providereal-time observations and interpretations during the Crafton HillsEnlargement Dam (CHED) foundation excavation, construction, andpost-filling monitoring. The project area is located within a seismicallyactive setting comprised mostly of meta-granitic rock, cross-cuttingdikes, and older alluvium. The CHED foundation was mapped at ascale of 1”=10’ and all other cut slopes were mapped at 1”=20’. Thismapping detail has proven its worth in determining the bedrock’s struc-tural characteristics, locating borrow material, mitigating unstable cutslopes, installing instrumentation, and in analyzing seepage followingthe refilling of the enlarged reservoir. Mapping revealed a prominentdike that projects through the original Crafton Hills Dam (CHD) founda-tion not previously mapped; this dike is believed to be a significantcontributor to seepage observed downstream of CHD. Structural geo-logic blocks and dikes mapped in the CHED foundation are alsoproving important in understanding the source of new springs. Theinvestment in geologic mapping for the enlargement project has andcontinues to pay off in terms of understanding the site and providingengineers quick access to information that lead to appropriate andeffective mitigation and repairs.

A Tale of Three Projects: Addressing Dam Safety Concerns withinthe Muskingum River Basin, Ohio Nield, Michael, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, [email protected]; Adam Kays; Seth Lyle; Jeff Maynard (TS #7)

A network of 16 dams was constructed, mostly in the 1930s, toreduce flood impacts within the Muskingum River Basin in easternOhio. Detailed risk assessments and/or reanalysis have been con-ducted for several of these projects due to poor performance duringhigh-water events or important updates in design criteria. To date,three projects have been shown to pose sufficient potential risk to warrant corrective action: Dover Dam, Bolivar Dam and Zoar Levee.Dover Dam is a concrete gravity dam founded on bedrock. Analysesindicated potential sliding and overturning failures within bedrock foun-dation with concerns for overtopping. This resulted in a recently com-pleted construction project to raise the dam crest and install 137strand-type rock anchors. Bolivar Dam is an earthen dam founded primarily on glacial outwash. During high-water events, sand boils andexcessive uncontrolled seepage develop downstream of the damthrough the bedrock abutment. To reduce the risk of internal erosionwithin the foundation, a downstream seepage berm was extended anda 4,500-foot-long, partial-depth seepage barrier is currently being con-structed. Additionally, a grout curtain will be constructed to reduce therisk of scour and erosion within the abutment. Zoar Levee (an appurte-nance of Dover Dam) is an earthen levee protecting the historic town

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


of Zoar, Ohio. During high-water events, seepage concerns manifestedlandward of the levee and downstream of the diversion dam. Riskassessment determined that potential for internal erosion through theglacial outwash foundation warranted corrective actions for the Levee.Risk reduction measures are currently being designed.

Rock Slope Stabilization Using Pinned Slope Drape and Cellular Wall Painter, Paul P., Ohio DOT, [email protected] (TS #10)

Through Muskingum County, Ohio the principal north-south roadway cor-ridor is State Route 60, which generally follows the Muskingum River.Just south of the Village of Duncan Falls a section of the road locallyknown as “the narrows” was constructed through cut and fill methods.The fill section, which was experiencing slope instability, is along thewest side of the road. A near vertical rock cut, up to 40 feet in height,is along the east side of the road. The rock slope was constructedthrough highly variable bedrock types including interbedded sandstone,shale, and claystone units as well as thick and massive channel sand-stone within the center of the cut. The rock slope was experiencingmultiple modes of failure based on differential weathering and regionaljoint set patterns. The rock slope was primarily stabilized by re-cuttingto a uniform slope angle, securing the interbedded rock using a pinnedslope drape consisting of Tecco mesh and rock dowels, and installingrock bolts in areas of localized massive sandstone instability due tojoint sets. In areas where the claystone bedrock was present at thebase of the cut, the rock was cut at an over steepened angle andarmored by construction of a cellular confined wall system to minimizethe potential of future differential erosion.

OH SR (JEF)-7–5.0: Slope Instability Due to Abandoned Mine WorkingsPainter, Paul, Ohio DOT, [email protected] (TS #23)

Ohio State Route 7 is a primary north-south highway located along theOhio River. During the early winter of 2011 a series of major muddebris flows buried portions of the road multiple times, resulting inclosing the roadway. Upon investigation it was determined that anearby mine drain installed to maintain impoundment of mine drainagewithin an abandoned coal mine had been compromised due to local-ized slope instability. The resulting loss of the mine drain resulted in abuildup of excess hydrostatic pressures in which led to a mine blowoutthrough the hillside. A Federal Emergency Declaration was issued andthe hillside was recut in accordance with ODOT GB3 guidelines. Thetotal project extended a length of 2700 feet with a cut in excess of430 feet at its apex. Special attention to the area of the miningresulted in widened mid-slope drainage benches. All these featureswere utilized to correct the resulting hillside instability and mine issues.

OH SR (JEF)-7-34.2 Emergency Response to Rock Slope FailurePainter, Paul, Ohio DOT, [email protected] (TS #18)

Ohio State Route 7 is a primary north-south highway located alongthe Ohio River. During the early winter of 2011, a major slope insta-bility buried portions of the roadway. Constant active debris falls lim-ited the ability of workers to open the roadway. This required aspecialty contractor who utilized a pneumatic dragline system calleda slusher to remove loose materials, allowing for safe working condi-tions. Upon investigation it became obvious that the slope failure wasa result of weakening of the bedrock through weathering, resulting ina global stability failure. As a result a Federal Emergency Declarationwas issued to address the slope instability. A fast track design andconstruction was initiated to recut the hillside. Limited subsurface

exploration information was obtained to augment existing geotech-nical data. A slope cut design utilizing ODOT’s GB-3 Rock Cut SlopeGuidelines was developed. Two cut slopes were constructed. Thesouthern rock cut was over 700 feet in length and over 100 feet inheight and the northern rock cut slope was 1,200 feet in length andup to 280 feet in height. The rock cut slopes, which were con-structed through multiple bedrock types with drastic differing engineering characteristics, were completed in nine months.

OH SR (WAS) 7-18.10: Differential Weathering Failure Innovative RemediationPainter, Paul P., Ohio DOT, [email protected] (TS #6)

Ohio State Route 7 is a major transportation route along the OhioRiver within the Appalachian Basin. During the late 1990s a majorslope failure occurred within a bedrock slope primarily due to differen-tial weathering of a basal claystone overlain by massive sandstonewith claystone at the top of the slope. The initial remedial alternativeconsisting of re-cutting the slope failed during construction. Otheralternatives were evaluated due to the construction failure and the finalcorrective action consisted of re-cutting the slope with an over steep-ened cut angle within the basal claystone, which was armored withdimensioned sandstone blast rock generated from the mid slope cut.This slope has performed well over the past 14 years proving a newalternative to remediate highly erosive basal claystone.

Mine Remediation under a Major Transportation CorridorPainter, Paul P., Ohio DOT, [email protected] (TS #26)

Ohio State Route 2 is the primary east-west transportation corridor innorthwest and north-central Ohio. Within central northern Ohio in thecommunity known as Gypsum, multi-seam gypsum mining had beenconducted into the 1970’s. Underground mining operation ceased assurface mining operations became the norm. These undergroundworkings are currently experiencing direct communication with LakeErie. As a result of the underground workings and dissolution of thecarbonate rock, voids up to 22 feet in height were identified underState Route 2. Due to active subsidence within adjacent properties,the Ohio Department of Transpiration initiated a monitoring programwith remedial alternatives to ensure the safety of the roadway throughdrilling and grouting methods.

Bluff and Beach Sediment Dynamics in the Elwha and DungenessDrift Cells before, during and after Elwha River Dam Removals Parks, David, Washington Department of Natural Resources,[email protected] (TS #11)

Assessment of bluff retreat and associated sediment volumes con-tributed to the nearshore over time is the first step toward develop-ment of a coastal sediment budget for bluff-backed beaches usingdata sources including aerial photography (1939 and 2001), GPS-based beach profile data (2010-2015), and airborne lidar (2001,2012, 2015). These data are analyzed in context to determine along-shore rates of bluff retreat and associated volume change for theElwha and Dungeness littoral cells of the Strait of Juan de Fuca,Clallam County, Washington. Recession rates from 2001–12 rangefrom 0–1.88 m/yr in both drift cells, with mean values of 0.26 ±0.23 m/yr (N = 152) in Elwha and 0.36 ± 0.24 m/yr (N = 433) inDungeness. Armored sections show bluff recession rates reduced by50 percent in Elwha and 80 percent in Dungeness, relative to theirrespective unarmored sections. Dungeness bluffs produce twice asmuch sediment per alongshore distance as the Elwha bluffs (avg. 7.5m3/m/yr vs. 4.1 m3/m/yr, respectively). Historical bluff recession

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


rates (1939–2001) were comparable to those from 2001–12. Con-tinued monitoring of beach cross-shore topographic profiles andgrain-size distributions between 2010 and 2015 in the Elwha andDungeness drift cells away from the Elwha delta show the coastalresponse to the sediment released from the two Elwha river dams.Transects spatially adjacent to the Elwha river mouth in FreshwaterBay show sustained accretion of up to 1 meter while transects eastof the Elwha river demonstrate a more dynamic behavior with periodsof accretion and erosion.

Changes to Washington Forest Practices Rules and UnstableLandform Identification Processes following the 2014 SR530(Oso) LandslideParks, David, Washington Department of Natural Resources,[email protected] (TS #24)

Following the SR530 (Oso) Landslide disaster, the Washington ForestPractices Board directed the Washington Department of NaturalResources (WDNR) to develop and adopt regulatory and proceduralchanges under the Washington Forest Practices Act to better identifyproposed forest practice activities on or adjacent to potentiallyunstable landforms. The Washington Forest Practices Board adoptedrule changes that allow the Department of Natural Resources torequire additional geotechnical information from applicants regardingforest practices proposals. Additionally, the Washington Forest Prac-tices Board Manual pertaining to potentially unstable landforms wasrevised with an expanded scope and level of detail to more fullyaddress groundwater recharge processes to deep-seated landslides.This paper will provide an overview of the WDNR landslide screeningprocess and unstable landform identification procedures following theSR530 (Oso) landslide.

Analyzing Surface Water–Groundwater Interactions in a Pittsburgh StreamPaulina, Tyler, University of Pittsburgh, [email protected]; Daniel J. Bain,[email protected]; Sarah M. Lavin, [email protected]; Krissy M. Hopkins,[email protected]; Erin Copeland, [email protected](Poster)

Urbanization generally degrades streams, through increased frequencyof erosive flows, higher peak discharge, and lower base flow. PantherHollow Run (Pittsburgh, PA) has been impacted by combined sewageinfrastructure, resulting in loss of ground water recharge, lower baseflow, and flashy, more excessive, flows during rain events. Observa-tions in Panther Run suggest the altered storm flows in Panther HollowRun may change interactions between surface water and groundwater. This research uses the MODFLOW model to build a physicallybased ground water model for Panther Hollow Run. Floodplain stratig-raphy is combined with groundwater and surface water data to gen-erate model predictions consistent with field observations, thereforeconfirming our conceptual model of the system. Assessment ofhydrology in this riparian aquifer system, will enhance continued effortsto repair and improve Pittsburgh’s and other cities’ natural hydrologicalinfrastructure.

Development of Unmanned Vehicles for Geo-EnvironmentalHazard AssessmentPerlow, Max William, [email protected]; Wagner, Joshua,[email protected]; Michael Perlow Jr. (TS #9)

Engineering Knowledge Management LLC developed a unique four-step geo-environmental hazard assessment methodology based uponan evaluation of thousands of failures over the past 35 years. Theimpacts of aging infrastructure and extreme weather on sinkhole col-lapse, subsidence, slope, and landslide failures were analyzed in detailalong with conventional triggering mechanisms and risk factors. Failureevaluations indicated that man’s activities and extreme weather eventswere combining to greatly increase the risk and severity of sinkholecollapse, subsidence, slope, and landslide failures. As part of theabove research effort, a simple unmanned vehicle named GeoBot wasdeveloped for the assessment of sinkhole collapse, subsidence, andslope failures. GeoBot was first used on a 2013 sinkhole collapseinvestigation adjacent to a major stormwater line. GeoBot was usedagain in a 2014 investigation and stabilization of an aging stormwaterarch that collapsed during an extreme rainfall event. The success ofthe low technology off-the-shelf video, tilt-level, and temperatureGeoBot sensors led to plans to develop an interchangeable suite ofthermography, microgravity, GPR, lidar, acoustic, seismic and GPSsensors. In addition, development of a companion GeoCopterunmanned aerial vehicle was also initiated that would utilize the GeoBotsuite of interchangeable sensors. Specifications for next generationGeoBot and companion GeoCopter were developed as part of a 2014University of Pittsburgh undergraduate internship program. Details ofthe next generation GeoBot and GeoCopter unmanned vehicles arepresented along with pre- and post-failure applications for major sinkhole, landslide, slope, wall, and utility failure case histories.

Subsurface Characterization at LADWP Headworks West Reservoir (HWR) Site, City of Los AngelesPerry, David, L., Amec Foster Wheeler, [email protected]; Alek Harounian; Clint Kautsky (TS #12)

The LADWP is in the process of constructing two buried concretereservoirs to comply with new EPA water quality regulations. Thereservoirs are being built on 12 acres within a former groundwaterspreading basin facility in the southeastern San Fernando Valley areaof Los Angeles. The two reservoirs will have a combined capacity ofabout 122 million gallons and will replace storage lost frombypassing of two open reservoirs downstream. This presentation willprovide the geotechnical exploration and testing methods for sitecharacterization. Amec Foster Wheeler has conducted detailed geot-echnical investigations at the site since 2004. The initial site explo-ration consisted of rotary wash and conventional core borings,suspension P-S wave velocity testing, and monitoring well installationsto characterize the basin geometry and hydrogeology. Complexities inthe thickness and composition of the granular alluvial deposits (sand,gravels, and cobbles) beneath the proposed HWR resulted in refinedexplorations consisting of spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW),instrumented Becker Penetration Test (iBPT) soundings for liquefac-tion evaluation, and continuous sonic core borings for detailed strati-graphic control and large bulk samples for gradation analyses. Thegeologic units underlying the project site consist of artificial and engi-neered fill, recent Holocene age alluvial deposits, and late Pleistocenecolluvium containing buried argillic paleosols. These units are under-lain at depth by highly weathered quartz diorite/granodiorite bedrock.The reservoir will have a mat foundation placed on engineered fill.Potentially liquefiable alluvial deposits will be overexcavated to depthsof approximately 20 feet below foundation grade.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Groundwater Management in a Closed Flooded Coal Mine-PoolPerry, Eric, U.S. Office of Surface Mining, [email protected] (TS #25)

Groundwater head and flow in a fully flooded 21,000 Ha coal mine-pool have been managed for over 15 years to prevent mine water discharge to a large river. Mine water has more than 30 mg/L of dis-solved Fe and 3,000 mg/L total dissolved solids. The mine-poolincludes eight mines, closed over a 40-year period, separated only byintact coal barrier pillars. The barriers are about 9–45 m in thickness,and about 2 m in height. Head measurements, pumping records andmine maps were used to estimate a water budget, potential for sur-face discharge, recharge, storage and flow for the mine-pool aquifer.Hydraulic head data from 10 years of post-flooding monitoring in indi-vidual mines, and barrier dimensions were used to estimate barrierleakage rates using a one dimensional Darcy calculation. The mine-pool has an estimated steady state flux of about 8,700 L/min,including outflow by barrier leakage and pumping withdrawal. Themine-pool behaves as a confined or leaky confined aquifer, with spe-cific storativty of about 10-5/m. A pump rate of about 3,200 L/minfrom a single location, maintains mine-pool head below surface dis-charge elevation. Intact barriers between mines are less conductivethan the workings within a mine. If pumping schedules in adjacentworking mines change, flux in the abandoned mine-pool will beaffected. Thus, long term mine-pool monitoring and management isstill needed. Barrier leakage estimates are an important component ofpost closure planning and management of mine-pools, especially inlarge complexes involving multiple mines.

Soil Disturbance via Longwall Coal Mining: Subsidence Impactsto Forests in Southwestern PennsylvaniaPfeil-McCullough, Erin, University of Pittsburgh, [email protected]; DanielJ. Bain, [email protected] (Poster)

Subsidence from longwall coal mining impacts the surface and sub-sur-face hydrology in overlying areas. During longwall mining, coal is com-pletely removed in large rectangular panels and the overlying rockcollapses into the void. Though the hydrologic effects of longwallmining subsidence have been studied in arid systems, in humid-tem-perate regions these effects are not well understood. In particular, it isnot clear how longwall mining will impact soil moisture patterns. Toexplore soil moisture impacts, this study first utilized a simple soilwater modeling framework (ArcGIS-based Water Balance Toolbox) withthe locations of recent longwall mining to predict potential impacts atthe landscape scale. For example, in areas overlying panel edges, soilavailable water capacities (AWC) were altered based on several sce-narios of AWC change and interactions between aspect driven soilmoisture regimes and the mining perturbation were explored over afive year period (2008–13). The predictive modeling was followed by ageospatial analysis of tree canopy water content using Landsat satel-lite imagery of southwestern Pennsylvania. Drought indices (e.g. NMDI)were applied to satellite imagery to expose patterns of vegetationwater stress, which were then compared to mine locations and themodeling results. These model predictions and remote sensing obser-vations will serve as a means to guide field campaigns necessary tounderstand longwall miningís hydrologic impacts in wetter climates.

Use of Pre-Cast Concrete Segments in Rock Tunnels for Risk ControlPiepenburg, Michael, Hatch Mott MacDonald, [email protected]; Michael G. Vitale; Ryan P. Sullivan, [email protected];Robert J. Auber, [email protected] (TS #1)

Erection of a bolted, gasketed pre-cast concrete segmental lining(one-pass lining) within a tunnel boring machine (TBM) is a commonpractice to support tunnels excavated in soft ground. Tunnels exca-vated in rock typically use a two-pass liner comprised of initial sup-ports using a combination of steel ribs, rock bolts, mine straps, wiremesh or shotcrete placed at varying spacing. Once tunnel excavationis complete, a reinforced cast-in-place concrete liner is often placedfor final tunnel support. Until the final liner is placed, the exposedrockmass may experience slaking, spalling and raveling, creatingoverbreak which must be stabilized and backfilled. The Euclid CreekTunnel (ECT) located in Cleveland, OH, was excavated in the ChagrinShale, a weak to medium-strong, horizontally-bedded, potentially-gassy shale. The slake potential of the shale, combined with stressrelief and thin bedding features, creates areas of overbreak primarilyin the tunnel crown and invert. On this project, overbreak, invertdegradation, and gas and groundwater infiltration into the tunnel weresuccessfully pre-empted with a one-pass lining used in conjunctionwith a rapid-gelling, two-component grout mixture. This was the firstuse of such a system in a rock tunnel in conjunction with an unpres-surized open face TBM, and it required grout gel times of 20 to 30seconds to avoid grouting-in of the TBM.

Rock Mass Characterization and Stability Evaluation of MountRushmore National Memorial, Keystone, South Dakota Poluga, S. Lindsay, Kent State University, [email protected]; AbdulShakoor, [email protected] (TS #9)

The National Park Service is interested in the effect of vibrations,caused by July 4th fireworks, on the Mount Rushmore National Memo-rial (MORU) sculptures. The impact of vibrations on the sculptures willdepend on the response of discontinuities traversing the memorial.Mapping of various aspects of discontinuities was conducted atMORU. Two schist and four granite rock blocks, collected from thememorial, were cored and tested to determine their engineering prop-erties. The average compressive and tensile strength values (psi) are4,839 and 344 for granite, and 8,403 and 722 for schist. Averagevalues of porosity, absorption, specific gravity, density, and frictionangle are 2.3%, 0.9%, 2.58, 162.9 lb/ft3, and 41° for granite, and3%, 1.1%, 2.66, 172.4 lb/ft3, and 40° for schist, respectively. Dis-continuity data was used to determine the principal joint sets (PJS)and the Rock Mass Rating (RMR). Granite has two PJS (A: 83°/322°,B: 78°/254°), whereas schist has four PJS (A: 79°/317°, B:65°/261°, C: 36°/075°, D: 78°/290°). The RMR ranges from 60–65for granite and 57–70 for schist (both fair to good rock). A prelimi-nary kinematic analysis shows the potential for flexural and obliquetoppling failures on the forehead slopes of Washington and Lincoln,and the potential for direct toppling on the forehead slope of Jef-ferson. Future work includes determining the PJS of the sculpturesusing lidar, a kinematic analysis for different areas of each sculpture,a global stability evaluation of the rock mass, and an evaluation of thepotential for damage by fireworks.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Predictive Modeling of Sinkhole Hazards through Correlation of InSAR Subsidence Measurements and Local GeologyPowell, Gabe W., Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute and theDepartment of Geology and Geologic Engineering, University of Missis-sippi, [email protected]; Greg Easson, [email protected];Louis Zachos, [email protected] (TS #26)

The Bayou Corne sinkhole in Assumption Parish, LA, began forming inAugust 2012, growing from two acres to more than 30 acres. Thesinkhole has forced the evacuation of approximately 350 local resi-dents, destroyed extensive areas of marsh and trees and threatened anearby hurricane evacuation route. Solution mining of a brine well atthe edge of the Napoleonville Salt Dome caused a sidewall collapseand a rapidly growing sinkhole. The Gulf of Mexico coastal plain ofLouisiana and Mississippi has many salt domes created as Jurassicage salt deposits were deformed and pushed toward the land surface,piercing and deforming the overlying sediments. The mining of saltdomes provides economically important resources through salt andbrine production and storage of petroleum products as part of theU.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In order to assess risk to nearbycommunities from salt dome collapse, it is important to first under-stand the growth rate of the Bayou Corne sinkhole and the conditionssurrounding the Napoleonville Salt Dome that may have exacerbatedits formation. The objective of this study is to create a decision sup-port framework that incorporates geological, topographic and miningdesigns along with critical infrastructure to better understand sinkholehazard formation risk on mined salt domes. We achieved the objectivethrough a geologic investigation of the Bayou Corne sinkhole,designed to operationalize interferometric synthetic aperture radar(InSAR) subsidence measurements in a geologic and anthropogeniccontext to better understand the sinkhole’s formation and growth.

3D Digital Imaging of Boleo Copper Mine Outcrops with a Quadcopter UAVPreisberga, Anniya, University of Missouri Kansas City,[email protected]; Tina Niemi, [email protected] (Poster)

Structure from motion is a range imaging technique in which three-dimensional digital models are constructed using two-dimensional pho-tographic data. This method could drastically reduce the amount oftime needed and cost associated with collection of geologic data fromthe field. Our project used a low-cost, Phantom2 DJI quadcopter droneequipped with a GoPro Hero 3 camera to capture large-scale imageryof natural and man-made exposures in the Boleo copper mine of SantaRosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The implementation of this tech-nique allowed for the collection of geologic metadata in an inexpensiveand rapid fashion over both regional and site-specific scales. A 3Dreconstruction of several strip mine outcrops was created in AgisoftPhotoscanner software and compared to models created using thesame data sets in Pix4D and Photosynth. These data allowed us toassess algorithms for correcting the fish eye effect of a wide-anglecamera together with photogrammetric triangulation and GPS groundcontrol points to produce a geo-referenced image. The purpose ofobtaining the digital outcrop images at the Boleo mine is to define thestratigraphic thickness variations in a geo-referenced GIS image inorder to define the geometry of sedimentary layers above and belowthe ore deposit and interpret the basin-scale, change in the environ-ment of deposition. Measurement of displacements across faults andshortening across folds can also lead to a better understanding of thedeformation history of the ore-bearing basin. Our preliminary resultssuggest that this new remote imaging technology yields high-resolutionstratigraphic and structural data.

Field and Laboratory Investigations of the Time-DependentBehavior of Permeability of Jointed Glacial TillPrvanovic, Alex, Hull & Associates, Inc., [email protected]; AbdulShakoor, [email protected] (TS #25)

To investigate the effect of soil joints on permeability of glacial till, aseries of field and laboratory tests were performed on till from bluffsalong the Lake Erie shoreline. The till at the study sites is low plasticitysilt to low plasticity clay (ML–CL). Joint apertures vary from 1–30 mm,with most joints partially filled with lacustrine sediment or disintegratedtill material. Results showed that the permeability of jointed till wasgenerally time dependent. Field tests performed on jointed portions oftill under non-controlled conditions (variable degrees of joint filling, vari-able water content, and variable water flow regimes) indicated thatjoint aperture and degree of filling significantly influenced the perme-ability of till mass. Field permeability of the intact till was found to bealmost three orders of magnitude higher than that of intact till samplestested in the laboratory. Laboratory tests indicated that, under con-trolled conditions, with joints completely filled, variations in aperturedid not noticeably influence the permeability of till mass. However, theinitial water content significantly impacted the pattern of permeabilitychanges over time as dry samples exhibited a substantially larger dropof permeability than saturated samples, with the largest decrease inpermeability occurring during the first 24 hours. For dry samples,open joints with no filling material completely collapsed and the perme-ability of these samples generally corresponded to the permeability ofthe collapsed till material. Tests on saturated samples with open joints,different joint patterns, and with no filling material, were inconclusive.

Assessment of the Progression of Coal Mine Subsidence in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, Using InSAR Puente Querejazu, Alvaro, Colorado School of Mines/Geological Engineering Dept., [email protected]; Wendy Zhou,[email protected] (TS #14)

Colorado Springs, CO, is located on the southern edge of the DenverBasin, where one of the largest and most accessible coal depositswas found in the state. Due to the proximity of this resource to thesurface, the northern portion of the city started to be mined for coalin the 1850s. The presence of these mines did not pose a threat toColorado Springs until its population, unaware of the risk, started tosettle on areas underlain by mined bedrock. Numerous troughs andsinkholes have developed above such mined areas since. Studiesconducted in 2009 revealed that there are still mined rooms thathave yet to collapse. In light of the potential for ongoing subsidence,Interferometry synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) images were gener-ated to assess ground surface elevation changes in northern Col-orado Springs. The first step consisted in processing conventionalradar data to produce synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of thesurface. Pairs of SAR images were subsequently combined to createinterferograms with vertical resolutions in the centimeter range.Ground deformation over time was derived from multiple SAR acquisi-tions of the same area at different time based on Small BaselineSubset (SBAS) algorithm. The high vertical resolution allowed for theidentification of subtle ground surface drops with time. SAR imagerydates back to 1992. Thus, the evaluation of subsidence progressionwas limited to the last two decades. The obtained results indicatethat coal mine subsidence has continued to occur in northern Colorado Springs during the aforementioned period.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Avoiding Karst by Getting under It: Jefferson Barracks Tunnel, St. Louis Raymer, Jack, Jacobs Engineering, [email protected] (TS #1)

The Jefferson Barracks Tunnel is a deep gravity sewer that will bebored through Mississippian limestone and dolomite in a notoriouslykarstic terrain along the Mississippi river on the south side of St.Louis. The karst ranges from small crevices to large, well-knowncaves. Many of the caves are deeper than the modern level of the Mis-sissippi River. The geotechnical strategy for the project is to set thetunnel deep enough so that it goes under the karst, rather thanthrough it. The intakes and pump station shaft will still pass though thekarst to get to tunnel depth. Karst features were recognized in testborings and geophysical surveys; sinkholes were identified using topo-graphic maps. The maximum depth of karst was predicted by under-standing that riverbluff karst develops along groundwater flow pathsleading from upland areas to the river, and knowing that in the Pleis-tocene the Mississippi River was 35 m lower and in a different locationthan it is today. Cross-hole seismic profiling was used to identify karstfeatures and plan a pre-excavation grouting program for the 21-mdiameter pump station shaft.

Analysis of the Devastating Kashmir Earthquake 2005 Aftershocks Rehman, Khaista, National Centre of Excellence in Geology, [email protected]; Talha Quadric, [email protected] (TS #4)

Along with most of the northern Pakistan (Kashmir and eastern dis-tricts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Muzaffarabad and Balakot were devas-tated by a particularly disastrous earthquake in 2005. This earthquakecaused more than 80,000 deaths and 70,000 injured people, yet littleknown about its aftershocks. We analyzed the instrumental earthquakedata from the International Seismological Centre (ISC) and UnitedSates Geological Survey (USGS)/ Preliminary Determination of Epicen-tres (PDE) for the period October 2005 to March 2006. About 484aftershocks were identified using Reasenberg’s algorithm (Reasenberg,1985). The b-value and its spatio-temporal variability are determinedtogether with the time series plots. The resulted values of distributionparameters are p = 1.58 ± 0.07 and b = 1.1 ± 0.07.

Narora Weir – A Historical Perspective of Piping TheoryRichards, Kevin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, [email protected] (TS #7)

The Narora weir, the diversion dam for the Lower Ganges irrigationcanal system in India, was constructed in 1877. A masonry structure,the crest of the Narora weir is 10 feet above the normal low waterlevel of the river and 4,200 feet long. The Narora weir is founded onfine micaceous sand described as being almost as fine as flour(Buckley 1905), and prone to internal erosion. The left abutment iscomposed of weak friable soil, the kh dir (lowland plain), and the rightbank, the b ngar (highland), is formed of strong, red sand and clay.Due to the unavailability of local stone, the Narora weir was con-structed of brick rather than stone masonry. The Narora weir failed thespring of 1898 during a period of high flow. The concrete and stonestilling basin was damaged over a 350-foot-wide section, and failurehas been attributed to hydraulic forces related to the high flows(Chanson 2000), but early workers attributed the failure to piping(Bligh 1907). Ultimately, the failure of Narora weir was instrumental inthe development of early piping theory (Bligh 1910), which eventuallyled to the understanding that piping and heave are influenced by boththe hydraulic head and foundation conditions at a dam.

Economic Salt Dome DevelopmentRicketts, Tyler, University of Mississippi, [email protected];Phillips King, [email protected]; Greg Easson, [email protected] (Poster)

The Richton Salt Dome is located in Perry County, MS, and moderatelyunderlies the town of Richton. This is the largest as well as the shal-lowest salt dome in Mississippi, with salt encountered at a depth of 767feet. At a depth of 2000 feet, there is an estimated 4,376 acres ofsalt. It is estimated that there are 3,885 acres of limestone cap rock ata depth of 600 feet. These two characteristics make the dome attrac-tive for economic utilization, particularly for hydrocarbon storage andpotential for salt mining. Large areas of salt and at shallow depths arecharacteristics ideal for economic development of the resource. TheRichton Salt Dome has been considered as a site for radioactive wastestorage, petroleum storage, salt mining and sulfur mining. This projectcreated a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) database of all strati-graphic and lithologic data for the Richton Salt Dome. These sourcesincluded data generated by private industry as well as State and Federal governmental agencies. These data were used to develop uti-lization strategies and to provide a single source for pertinent literatureand well information regarding Richton Salt Dome.

RCC Gravity Dam Replacement for the Wohlford Dam, Escondido, CARiley, Donald, Black & Vetch, [email protected]; Bruce Hilton; KerryCato; Greg Zamensky (TS #12)

Wohlford Dam is an existing 100-foot-high, circa 1895, rock fill andhydraulic fill embankment that was updated in the early 1900s and isbeing replaced with an RCC dam because of seismic design inade-quacy. This new, 115-foot-high RCC gravity structure will be con-structed immediately downstream of the existing dam with reservoirvolume remaining constant at 6,500 acre feet (AF). Both abutmentshave 15-degree, upstream oriented axial inflections which have beenmodeled using FEA and shown to perform within design constraintsduring seismic loading. The Elsinore Fault, located 11.4 miles away,provides the seismic design event at 7.64 Mw that is estimated togenerate 0.29g accelerations at the site. Bedrock at the site is com-posed of Cenozoic-age quartz diorite at shallow depth lending the siteto RCC construction methods. The rock will be excavated to depthsranging from 12 to 30 feet in the bottom of the valley to provide afoundation surface that is moderately weathered and better. Noprominent joint sets were identified during exploration and water pres-sure testing showed that many of the stages tested were relativelytight. Some discontinuous zones of low RQD rock will be grouted inplace to minimize blasting of the overlying rock that has an averageseismic velocity in the 8,000–11,000 fps range. Persistent, out ofslope discontinuities were evaluated to assure that no significantsliding blocks were an issue during construction or long-term. Shallowconsolidation grouting will be performed across the entire foundationand a double row grout curtain of oppositely inclined holes will beinstalled along the dam axis to a depth of 70 feet. All foundationgrouting will utilize the split-spacing method. Recent DSOD and FERCrequirements include PFMA (Potential Failure Mode Analysis) that willbe described as well during our talk.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Successful Foundation Preparations in Karst Bedrock of theMasonry Section of Wolf Creek DamRobison, David M.; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District,[email protected] (TS #17)

Extensive foundation preparations during construction of the concretemasonry section of Wolf Creek Dam, located on the Cumberland Riverin southern Kentucky, precluded the need for additional rehabilitation tomitigate seepage through karstic limestone bedrock, while theembankment section has experienced karst related seepage issues.Post-construction efforts to control seepage underneath the embank-ment included grouting, a centerline concrete diaphragm cut-off wallthrough the left portion of the embankment section down to compe-tent bedrock, and a second cut-off wall upstream of the first,extending nearly the entire length of the embankment and up to 75feet deeper than the original wall. No significant remediation below themasonry dam was conducted. The original construction photographsand foundation reports instill confidence that the builders of the con-crete monoliths took adequate measures to ensure that all the mono-liths were founded on competent bedrock. These measures includedextensive borehole investigations both prior to and during excavation,efforts to locate, delineate, remove, and clean all karst solution chan-nels, the removal of all loose rock, grouting in the foundation and sidevertical faces, large stair-step faces on the left abutment, extendedexcavations to remove soft beds, final manual cleaning of rock sur-faces, and the careful documentation of foundation preparations.These measures are not a guarantee to prevent seepage, but they doshow with reasonable certainty that future seepage issues are eitherunlikely or will be significantly inhibited by the preparation made to thefoundation prior to the construction of the concrete monoliths.

Two-Dimensional Application of Annandale’s Erodibility IndexMethod to Estimate Plunge Pool ScourRock, Amanda, Golder Associates, Inc., [email protected]; Jerry D.Higgins, [email protected]; George W. Annandale, [email protected] (TS #17)

This study assesses the accuracy of Annandale’s Erodibility IndexMethod for estimating rock scour depth and invert location in plungepools for four BC Hydro dams in British Columbia, Canada. Themethod compares the stream power of plunging jets, quantified usingpublished research, with the ability of rock to resist the power offlowing water, quantified using a geo-mechanical erodibility index.Annandale’s Erodibility Index relies on in-situ rock parametersincluding UCS strength, RQD, joint spacing, aperture, alteration,roughness, and orientation. Jet stream power calculations relied ondaily discharge records and dam spillway geometries. Numericallygenerated scour profiles were compared with plunge pool surveys;scour depths and invert locations were matched. The study revealedthat correlations between calculated and observed scour profilesimproved with the quality of geologic information and the certainty bywhich jet stream power and decay could be quantified. The geologicinformation at two sites was incomplete and resulted in generalizedcharacterizations of the plunge pool rock scour resistance. The geo-logic information at the two other sites was more informative andallowed quantification of the spatial distribution of scour resistance inboth cases. Results indicate a strong correlation between surveyedand modeled plunge pool depth and invert location for sites wherethe hydraulics and geology are well understood. It is concluded thatAnnandale’s Erodibility Index Method is an accurate method for esti-mating plunge pool depth when this information is available. A lack ofinformation or understanding of the spatial distribution of materialsgenerally results in less accurate predictions.

Influence of Geology on Construction of the PennsylvaniaTurnpike Rogers, David J., Missouri University of Science & Technology,[email protected] (TS #1)

In 1937 the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was created by theState’s General Assembly to consider the construction of a high-speed highway, which could support heavy truck traffic between Pitts-burgh and Philadelphia. The commission decided to utilize the partlycompleted South Penn Railroad alignment as a means of hasteningthe project, using seven of the existing tunnels. Their goal was tocomplete the super highway in just 20 months. Arthur B. Cleaves(1905-85) served as Chief Geologist of the Pennsylvania TurnpikeCommission from 1937-40. He began his geologic assessment bymapping the geology inside the abandoned railroad tunnels, whichhad been excavated more than 50 years previous. New tunnel align-ments were explored using hollow core diamond drilling, and a hori-zontal hole 1,450 feet long was advanced from the old TuscaroraTunnel, a record for horizontal drilling. During construction numerousobstacles had to be overcome, including flowing ground entering theworking face of the Kittatinny Tunnel, and a roof failure in the WestAllegheny Tunnel. The highest open cut was made at Clear Ridge. Itwas 153 feet deep and 2,475 feet long, making it the deepest cut inthe eastern U.S. The highest rock fill embankment was just under100 feet deep, supporting the turnpike west of the Clear Ridge Cut.Massive reinforced concrete culverts conveyed discharge from thelocal stream and the tunnel. The turnpike was completed in 1940,just 20 months after construction began.

Various Techniques for Stabilization of Deteriorating Cut Slopes in Sedimentary Strata Rogers, J. David, Missouri University of Science & Technology,[email protected] (TS #16)

Cut slopes in sedimentary sequences of differing properties, such aslimestone or sandstone with interbeds of shale, exhibit contrasting per-meability, stiffness, strength, and erodibility. Weak horizons, like shale,tend to shrink and swell with seasonal variations in moisture. This ten-dency often fosters differential erosion, leading to undercutting ofmore resistant strata, which then spills onto the highway shoulder orpaved right-of-way. Repair options are often constrained by a generallack of suitable construction access, especially on steep slopes morethan 20 feet high. Geotechnical schemes usually employ empiricaldesign procedures, designed to account for marked increase in mate-rial strength parameters with increasing confinement (depth of over-burden as well as distance behind the exposed slope face). Mitigationoptions vary, depending on the height and inclination of troubled cuts,erodibility of the exposed face, construction access, staging area(s),and the consequences of continued rockfall, sliding, or erosion prob-lems. Some of the most common corrective schemes include installa-tion of hydrauguer slope drains, slope anchors and wire blankets overbiodegradable coir netting, soil nails with gabion mesh, rockbolts withgabion mesh, rockbolts with steel mesh and shotcrete overlays, directapplication of sodium silicate and/or fiber-reinforced shotcrete, soilfiber reinforcement, biotechnical stabilization, and various combina-tions of retention systems, such as mechanically stabilized embank-ments, various types of retaining walls, and anchored gabionmattresses. In choosing between the various schemes, particularattention is usually paid to past experiences with similar situations inthe surrounding area, and the technical abilities and experience oflocal contracting firms specializing in such work.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


The Gatun Dam – Megastructure of 100 Years AgoRogers, J. David, Missouri University of Science & Technology,[email protected] (TS #7)

In 1880 American engineer Charles D. Ward suggested that a damapproximately one and a quarter miles long be constructed across thelower Chagres River near the village of Gatun, on the Atlantic side ofthe Panama Isthmus. In January 1906 the minority report of the Inter-national Board of Consulting Engineers recommended a massiveembankment dam at Gatun backing up a lake that would extend morethan 30 miles, across the Continental Divide. The embankment was tobe 115 feet high, a summit crest 100 feet wide and a maximum basewidth of 2,625 feet wide, encompassing over 22 million cubic yards offill. The embankment would stretch 6,400 feet and was intended toretain the largest man-made lake in the world, with 165 square milesof surface area. It would also be equipped with the world’s largestgated spillway, patterned after those fitted to the Chicago DrainageCanal, completed in 1901. As more fill became available to waste, theside slopes were eventually dropped from 3:1 to just 16:1, or 3.6degrees. This flattening of the side slopes had the added benefit oflengthening “seepage paths” through and around the dam and its foun-dation, lowering the potential for destabilizing hydraulic uplift or highseepage pressures. The lake began to fill in late April 1912 and hasbeen in continuous operation ever since.

RCC Dam Foundation Preparation and Cleaning – A Photographic Tour of Hard Rock BottomsRogers, Gary, Schnabel Engineering, [email protected];Susan M. Buchanan, [email protected]; Mark Landis,[email protected] (TS #12)

Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) dams are typically founded on rock,which has a wide variety of definitions and an even wider range ofinterpretations of those definitions. Examples of excavation, cleaningand treatment of the rock surface prior to the placement of RCC willbe explored through project photographs. The process of exposingand cleaning the foundation surface, suitable for approval by an engi-neering geologist or geotechnical engineer, includes mass excavationthrough the use of large machinery and sometimes blasting, roughcleaning with mid-size to small excavators, and final cleaning withsmall excavators, pneumatic jackhammers, hand tools, water and/orair wands, and vacuum trucks. Treatment of the foundation includesplacement of slush grout, dental concrete and backfill concrete andcontrol of seepage and springs. Complications that arise during thisstage of work include fresh rock overlying weathered rock, seams ofweathered rock or sheared material, abrupt topographic changes inrock surfaces, very gradational strength or weathering profiles,springs and seeps, and contractor attitude and experience. High-lighted projects will include recently constructed RCC dams foundedon igneous and metamorphic rock.

State Route 87 Rockslide Mitigation near Forksville, PennsylvaniaRoman, William, Gannett Fleming, Inc., [email protected]; Robert E. Johnson, [email protected]; Andrew J. Smithmyer, [email protected] (TS #16)

On September 29, 2012, approximately 2,500 cubic yards of rockslid onto a recently-reconstructed, curved portion of State Route 87near Forksville, PA. Preliminary reconnaissance indicated the rockslidewas a planar failure along bedding within micaceous, fine-grainedsandstone of the Catskill Formation. Undercutting of the toe of theslope contributed to the rockslide, which may have been triggered by

above average precipitation. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) construction contractor buttressed theremaining undercut portion of the slope with boulders and lined theedge of the roadway with concrete barriers, which successfullyretained a second, smaller rockslide on December 23, 2013. Thegeotechnical study included two test borings, Lidar and digital pho-togrammetry surveys, and stereonet analyses of discontinuity meas-urements to assess rockfall kinematics. Factor of safety calculationsincluded limit equilibrium and sensitivity analyses with respect tovarying slope orientations, degrees of slope saturation, and failuremodes. Rockslide mitigation alternatives included excavation, hori-zontal drains, cement-grout anchors, and rock buttressing. Rockexcavation along 1.75H:1V and 2H:1V slopes was the recommendedalternative. PennDOT awarded a contract for the excavation, butbefore the work was executed, a third rockslide occurred on March31, 2014, again following relatively heavy precipitation. PennDOT’scontractor successfully completed the rock slope excavation in September 2014. As an added precaution, PennDOT installed 11rock dowels to increase the factor of safety of an atypically shallowdipping bed that daylighted within a portion of the new cut slope.

Diverting Water from the Upper Hidden Basin to Terror Lake,Kodiak, AlaskaRutledge, Alex, [email protected], Schnabel Engineering;Steve Brandon, [email protected]; Robert P. Cannon,[email protected]; Gary D. Rogers, [email protected]; Jennifer Richcreek, [email protected] (TS #12)

Kodiak Electric Association, Inc. is pursuing a plan to supplement sur-face water inflow to the existing Terror Lake Hydroelectric Plant togenerate an additional estimated 30 gigawatthours of energy per yearfor Kodiak Island, Alaska. The objective of the project is to capture adrainage area of approximately four square miles in an area known asthe Upper Hidden Basin and convey the water through a tunnel to theexisting Terror Lake reservoir. The proposed project features include a1.2-mile-long, 12-foot-diameter diversion tunnel, two diversion damsconnected by a 0.6-mile-long water conveyance route, and a 4-mile-long access road. The rocks that will form the foundation and providethe building materials for the above project features include the strongand erosion resistant rocks of the Kodiak Batholith, and the somewhatweaker meta-sedimentary rocks of the Kodiak Formation. SchnabelEngineering performed geologic reconnaissance, an engineering andconstructability analysis that examined four tunnel construction alterna-tives, preliminary design of the two diversion dams, and projecthydraulics. Using a tunnel boring machine to drive the tunnel fromTerror Lake up to the Upper Hidden Basin was selected as the besttunneling alternative, due to groundwater inflow concerns and antici-pated construction duration. Based on the preliminary layout,sequence of construction, risk, and anticipated cost, concrete facedrockfill dams were selected as the best dam type for the two diversiondams at this site. This study determined the project is technically feasible, and is estimated to cost about $67 million.

Debris Flows and Rockfall Case History along MountainousRoads, Western Saudi ArabiaSadagah, Bahaaeldin, King Abdualziz University, [email protected](TS #23)

Construction of mountain roads at western Saudi Arabia is a challenge,where the igneous rock masses are high-rising, steep slopes. Al-Hadamountain at 22 km long shows many incidents of debris flows, rockslope instability, and rockfalls. A studied 150 m-wide portion of Al-Hadamountain road lie along a man-made sharp slope cut suffers from

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


debris flows and rockfalls incidents, during rainy seasons. The 20-m-high rock slope-cut along the road has no benches, backed by a steepnatural compacted 25 m steep soil slope. The steep man-made rockslope cut is very close to the road, with a narrow ditch forming apotentially source areas for both rockfalls and debris flows. The Roc-Fall computer program was utilized to perform the modeling and miti-gation along the rock slope profile. The gully adjacent to the rockslopes shows signs of water filling materials, due to the rainfall. Noremedial measures were taken to prevent the debris flows from takingplace. On March, a heavy rainfall took place and the debris flows wasthe result. It extends for tens of meters across both ascending anddescending roads. No casualties occurred, but damage to the roadresulted. Analyses show that the soil compaction was unsuitable anddesigned for dry conditions. Remedial measures are suggested forboth rockfalls and debris flows incidents, against the run out distanceof the possible next debris flows, utilizing Geographic InformationSystem (GIS) maps to assist emergency management officials in theirresponse, contingency planning, and slope redesign.

The Clock is Ticking – EPA Coal Ash Rule – Summary andImpacts to the ProfessionSaindon, Rosanna, Geotechnology, Inc., [email protected](TS #4)

This presentation will provide a brief overview of the EPA’s coal com-bustion residual (CCR) regulation published April 17, 2015. The regula-tion established comprehensive requirements for the safe disposal ofCCR under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act(RCRA). In addition, this presentation will cover some of the impacts tothe geology and engineering professions regarding who can performthe work and who is required to certify the work. The topics rangefrom siting new CCR disposal facilities to closing facilities and the time-lines associated with each.

Ultra-Violet Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy for RemoteMeasurement of Soil Water Potential Salazar, Sean, University of Arkansas, [email protected]; CyrusGarner, [email protected]; Richard Coffman, [email protected]; ThomasOommen, [email protected] (TS #9)

Soil water potential is an important parameter in the hydro-mechanicalbehavior of unsaturated soils. However, existing methods of obtainingmeasurements of soil water potential have demonstrable disadvan-tages. Traditional methods of obtaining unsaturated soil properties,including laboratory based methods (chilled mirror hygrometer, Tempecell, and pressure plate extractor [PPE]) and in-situ methods (ten-siometer, heat dissipation sensor, electrical resistance sensor), pro-vide only point-wise measurements and consequently suffer from lowtemporal and spatial resolution and limited soil water potential meas-urement range. Therefore, a remote sensing technique was employedto measure the soil water potential using ultra-violet to near-infrared(UV-NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy at the soil surface withoutcontacting the soil. A partial least squares (PLS) statistical techniquewas utilized to correlate the effects of soil suction to the diffusereflectance spectrum in the UV-NIR range (350-2500 nm). In order tovalidate the relationship, calibration reflectance spectra were collectedfor 60 specimens consisting of three soil types and prepared at dif-ferent soil water potential values. PPE were used to prepare speci-mens between 10 kPa and 1500 kPa. The soil water characteristiccurves were determined for each soil using the aforementioned PPEspecimens and a WP4 chilled mirror hygrometer. Measured and pre-dicted values of soil water potential showed good correlation. The PLSregression conducted on the 60 calibration specimens explained 98

percent of the variance expressed in the specimen reflectancespectra. The remote sensing technique presented has the capability toprovide soil water potential measurements at the field scale with highspatial and temporal resolution.

Accounting for Icefall Hazards during Rockfall Catchment Ditch DesignScarpato, David, Scarptec, Inc., [email protected] (TS #18)

Ice accretion can wreak havoc on surface rock excavations and leadto an increase in the frequency of rock and icefall events along high-ways subject to significant precipitation and cold temperatures. Theincidence of icefall is under-reported based on a preliminary poll ofDOTs in various northern-tier states subject to ice development. Icefallhazards are not routinely considered as part of the rock slope designprocess. Although icefall may logically be treated as a variation of aclassic rockfall problem, there are some significant differencesbetween rockfall and icefall hazard evaluation. These differences areprimarily related to the transient nature of ice thickness and distribu-tion, which are correlated with climatic variability from year-to-year.Ditches designed to accommodate rockfall capture may not be suffi-cient to capture icefall. Ice slabs can fall from high above, or canslide or topple depending upon underlying slope geometry and rockmass conditions. High-energy icefall impacts can also generateshatter, which can result in the release of ice projectiles. In caseswhere source or impact zone treatments are not practical, other engi-neered methods may be utilized for mitigating the risk of icefallimpacts to the traveling public. This presentation will cite examplesand describe some of the challenges associated with icefall evalua-tion, prediction of ice block geometry, ditch effectiveness for ditchesfilled with snow or ice, and alternative mitigation strategies for dealingwith the under-represented problem of icefall.

High-Velocity Frictional Properties of Basalt: Implications for Landslides, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes Schaefer, Lauren, Michigan Technological University, [email protected];Jackie E. Kendrick; Thomas Oommen; Yan LavallÈe; Gustavo Chigna(Poster)

High-velocity rotary-shear (HVR) experiments allow for laboratoryanalyses of rock under high slip velocities, large slip displacements,and high normal stresses. Combining these three variables can giveimportant insight into coseismic slip, landslide initiation and runoutdynamics, and magma ascent. Here, we conduct experiments onbasaltic rock gathered from Pacaya Volcano (Guatemala) under avariety of experimental conditions, including: slip velocities of 0.1–1.4m/s, axial stresses of 0.25–6 MPa, and slip distances of 0–75 m.Results show that the distance at which gouge or melt layers formdecreases with increasing axial stress and/or slip velocities, causingthe points of rock-rock maximum shear stress and melt maximumshear stress to vary with slip distance. Comparing our results to othermaterials measured previously- including andesite, gabbro, dacite, androck gouge- we find that the viscosity of frictional gouge and melt canhelp to define the recurrence interval of stick-slip events, implying thatrock and magma composition affect the magnitude, frequency, andduration of slip events.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Tectonic History of the Western Sierra Nevada, CA: Implicationsfor Seismic Design of a Proposed Hydroelectric FacilitySchaeffer, Malcolm F., HDR, [email protected] (TS #8)

The tectonic history of the Western Sierra Nevada Metamorphic Belt(WSNMB), in the vicinity of a proposed hydroelectric facility, is complexand understanding the history is essential in determining the controllingfault and design earthquake for a proposed hydroelectric facility. Thesite is located in the Central belt, one of three internal lithotectonicbelts of the WSNMB. The belt is comprised of Paleozoic and earlyMesozoic age (570-138 mya) metamorphosed igneous and sedimen-tary rocks of oceanic origin intruded by younger Mesozoic age (138-63mya) plutonic rocks and related dikes and vein deposits. The internalbelts of the WSNMB are separated by steeply dipping major faults col-lectively referred to as the Foothills Fault System (FFS) The FFS is azone of complex deformation developed during the Nevadan orogeny(D2; ~160 to 123 mya). Faults of the FFS in many cases followed pre-existing structural trends and were concentrated in serpentinitic zonesin ultramafic complexes (D1; ~220 to 190 mya). The dominant senseof shear along the FFS is east over west (reverse faulting) with a smallcomponent of left-lateral movement. Right-lateral shear along thesystem occurred during the late stages of the Nevadan orogeny andduring the early Cretaceous. Some of the fault segments in the systemwere reactivated during the Cretaceous (D3; ~138 to 65 mya) andCenozoic (D4; 65 mya to recent). The WSNMB is characterized by alow level of seismicity (deformation) due to uplift and gradual tilting ofthe Sierra Nevada block to the west related to the general transformregion. The uplift and tilting started during middle Tertiary time (~38mya). Minor faulting, in response to east-west extension, occurredalong older zones of weakness, including the FFS. The faults in the FFSare “conditionally active” based on the criteria of the CA DSOD. The cri-teria states a conditionally active fault will be “treated as a seismicsource for dam design or reevaluation because of incomplete or incon-clusive evidence, with the understanding that additional investigation oranalysis could change the designation”. The tectonic history of the siteis utilized to demonstrate that the nearest FFS segment (Bowie FlatFault) near the downstream toe of the proposed main dam is inactive(last movement > 35,000 years).

Got Groundwater?Schwering, Paul, Olson Engineering, Inc.,[email protected]; Phil Sirles, [email protected];Margot Truini, [email protected] (TS #23)

Rural land owners rarely get connected to municipal water, thereforethey often drill low-yield wells for residential needs. Domestic wells typi-cally need about ten gallons per minute (gpm). At a 700-acre facilityknown as Tara Mandala Buddhist Retreat, the need for a well with over30 gpm yield inhibited desires to expand their facilities. Facility wellshistorically produced 6–10 gpm which required augmenting their waterneeds by trucking it in. The geology at this property in southwesternColorado, near Pagosa Springs, is conducive to higher productivitywell(s) developed in the Mesa Verde Formation. The owners opted toapply exploration technology in lieu of water-witching, previously usedto locate wells. A high-resolution, shallow seismic reflection survey wasperformed. Two lines were oriented perpendicular to a mapped fault toimage its attitude. The geophysical imaging successfully located thefault, but also imaged an antithetic structure defining a small graben.The analysis estimated a depth of 300 feet to intersect the fault(s). Ata depth of 277 feet, artesian flows were encountered, with flowsexceeding 85 gpm at pressures of ~28 psi Geochemistry tests revealits source is groundwater and not meteoric, which bodes well for con-tinued production. The seismic survey successfully positioned one well

and predicted the depth of production, ultimately providing the ownerswith recovery of the expense of the seismic exploration and the welldevelopment. One year after well completion, artesian flow continuesand the yield exceeds facility need, so they are working to sell excesswater to neighboring ranches.

Messaging and Momentum: The Potential for ComprehensiveLandslide Legislation in the 114th CongressSeadler, Abigail, American Geosciences Institute, [email protected](TS #21)

It often takes a tragedy for society to understand why geoscience isimportant. The SR 530 landslide in Oso, Washington and the West SaltCreek landslide in Mesa County, CO, were no exception. These devas-tating events catalyzed scientists, engineers, insurers, emergencymanagers, the public, and decision makers at all levels to reexaminewhat we know about domestic landslide hazards and reinvigorated thepush for comprehensive, national landslide policy. Although new cham-pions of landslide legislation emerged in the 114th Congress, multipleobstacles still exist to passing legislation. An understanding of theinner workings of Congress and the ability to accurately target yourmessage are crucial to recognize and overcome these potential barriers to passing, and more importantly funding, legislation.

Using Areas of Concentrated Fecal Coliform Bacteria to IdentifySpecie Specific Sources in Urbanized Sections of the ConchoRiver, Tom Green County, TexasSeidel, Darren S., Angelo State University, [email protected]; JamesW. Ward; Scott McWilliams (Poster)

Seasonality has shown to play an extremely responsible role in thefluctuation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) loading on the Concho RiverSystem in San Angelo, TX. However even with temperature changeand other physicochemical parameters varying with seasonal change,several sites exceed EPA’s “safe versus unsafe for contact” surfacewater standard by three to ten times the respected < 320 colonyforming units per 100 mL standard threshold value (at 3.2%). Theobjective of this project is to quantify areas of E. coli loading to furtherunderstand local sources of bacteria pollution. Ten sites located alonghighly urbanized sections of the Concho River will be sampled for E. coli and physiochemical properties including temperature, dissolvedoxygen, specific conductance, conductance, total dissolved solids,and pH. The data set will encompass twenty-six sampling periodsspread out over a year. The E. coli data will be used to isolate areaswhere Bacteroidetes identification DNA markers will be sampled forbirds, humans, and dogs. After the Bacteroidetes analysis is con-ducted, results will yield species specific data to determine the mainsource(s) of contamination. This project gives way to putting a numer-ical and biological answer to pollution of an urbanized surface watersystem with eight dam structures located within the area of interest.

Geophsical Studies in Some Areas in Egypt Seliem, Gamal, Egypt, Minia University, Faculty of Engineering,[email protected]; S. M. Abdelmonem (TS #15)

The Aswan area is one of the important areas in Egypt and because itencompasses the vital engineering structure of the High dam, so ithas been selected for the present study. The Aswan High Dam is con-sidered as a unique structure among all the large irrigation and elec-tric power project in the world. This paper deals with usingmicro-gravity, precise leveling and GPS data for geophysical and geo-detically studies. For carrying out the detailed gravity survey in thearea, were established for studying the subsurface structures. To

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study the recent vertical movements, a profile of 10 km length joinsthe High and old Aswan dams were established along the road con-necting the two dams. This profile consists of 35 GPS/leveling sta-tions extending along the two sides of the road and on the High Dambody. Precise leveling was carried out with GPS and repeated micro-gravity survey in the same time. GPS network consisting of nine sta-tions was established for studying the recent horizontal crustalmovements. Many campaigns from December 2001 to January 2012were performed for collecting the gravity, leveling and GPS data. The main aim of this work is to study the structural features and thebehavior of the area, as depicted from gravity, leveling and GPSmeasurements. The present work focuses on the analysis of thegravity, leveling and GPS data. The gravity results of the presentstudy investigate and analyze the subsurface geologic structures andreveal to there be minor structures; features and anomalies are takingW-E and N-S directions. The geodetic results indicated lower rates ofthe vertical and horizontal displacements and strain values. This maybe related to the stability of the area.

Evaluation of Earth Dam and Levee Sustainability throughAssessment of the Surrounding Environments Semmens, Stephen N., Department of Geology & Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, [email protected];Wendy Zhou, [email protected] (Poster)

Earth Dams and Levees (EDLs) provide a series of valuable servicesincluding flood protection, tidal protection, and water storage. Theability to prolong the life and wellbeing of EDLs extends these servicesand helps reduce the potential for levee failures. This NSF funded,ongoing research focuses on creating a logistic model that predictswhere levee wellbeing and sustainability are threatened by the char-acter of the surrounding environment, including the configuration ofQuaternary geology with respect to the levee alignment, the hydrogeo-logical nature of the alluvial aquifer underneath the levee, and the char-acter of the surrounding ecological landforms. Utilizing GeographicInformation Systems (GIS), levees within areas of interest are dividedinto small sections and the logistical model is applied, incorporatingcomponents of surrounding environmental factors and past leveefailure events. The system then rates levee increments according tohow adversely the surrounding environment may affect the levee sec-tion. The final result of this research will be a multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) system which feeds into a logistical regressionframework, weighing the model inputs and producing a measure of thesustainability of the levee increment. Currently, the model is beingapplied to an area of interest within the lower Mississippi Valley, andthe model is expected to be applied to portions of the Rhine-MeuseRiver delta in the Netherlands in the near future.

Characterization and Mitigation of Fault Rupture Hazard: Engineering Basis of Design for Isabella Auxiliary Dam, California Serafini, David C., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Division Dam Safety Production Center, [email protected];Keith I. Kelson, [email protected]; Ronn S. Rose,[email protected]; Andrew T. Lutz, [email protected](TS #22)

The active Kern Canyon fault runs beneath the right abutment ofIsabella Auxiliary Dam, which impounds Lake Isabella upstream ofBakersfield, California. Comprehensive geologic and paleoseismicinvestigations define a 150-foot-wide zone of active, east-downfaulting in the right abutment. The fault has an average rupture recur-rence of 3,200 years and average coseismic displacement of 3.6feet. A primary consideration for rupture mitigation is the expected

maximum coseismic slip, which was evaluated based on 1) site-spe-cific paleoseismic data and worldwide empirical data on event-to-event slip variability, and 2) scenario-based fault displacements usingempirical relationships between earthquake magnitude and surfacedisplacement. Earthquake rupture scenarios developed from fault-specific paleoseismic and geologic analyses provide a range ofexpected earthquake magnitudes and associated minimum, mean,and maximum coseismic displacements, with annual exceedanceprobabilities developed from earthquake magnitude-frequency rela-tions. From these analyses, a design displacement value of 6.8 feetwas chosen for sizing filter and drain zones for the downstream but-tress modification of the dam. Considering the possibility ofcoseismic transverse cracking and resultant internal erosion andpiping of embankment material at the base of the dam, the designincludes a thicker filter layer across the fault zone (about 2x thedesign displacement). In addition, the overlying drain layer is sizedfor the design displacement; both the drain and filter will extend for600 feet within the embankment, straddling the 150-foot-wide faultzone. These measures are designed to reduce the probability of damdistress from coseismic rupture and propagation of transversecracks in the base of the embankment.

Dr. Ralph Peck Warned Us that Risk Assessment Was Likely nota Sustainable Approach for Assuring the Safety of Our Dams.Was He Correct, and What Are We Doing to Resolve His Concerns?Shaffner, Pete, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Risk ManagementCenter, [email protected] (TS #7)

Dr. Peck offered his opinions of the risk assessment process inpapers in1999 and 2002. In these papers Dr. Peck warned theBureau of Reclamation and the dam safety community that riskassessment was likely not the best approach for dam safety. Hisopinion was based partially on what we might call “unknownunknowns” or what he called “oddball” geologic details that cannotbe accounted for, yet control performance. Notably, Dr. KarlTerzaghi also warned us about the effect of what he called “minorgeologic details”. Dr. Peck’s softened his negative opinion of riskassessment somewhat in the 2002 follow-up paper, but still warnedthat the risk assessment process is likely not sustainable. This pres-entation will discuss what Dr. Peck said about the future of riskassessment, the need for geologic expertise, and address seriousconcerns about the value and implementation of risk assessmentnow and in the future. Topics will include finding the right experts for“expert elicitation”; the problems with developing future engineeringgeology “experts” for dam safety; the lost art of high quality sitecharacterization; the critical importance of understanding the experi-ences of our predecessors and dam case histories, and someserious obstacles we must overcome in an attempt to maintain orimprove the current state of the practice.

Stabilization Methods for Cut Slopes Subject to DifferentialWeathering: Some Examples from Ohio and Pennsylvania Shakoor, Abdul, Kent State University, [email protected] (TS #18)

Slope stabilization is an important aspect of cut slope design. Themain objective of stabilization methods for slopes cut in rocks subjectto differential weathering is to reduce the potential for undercutting-induced failures and associated hazards. Selection of appropriatemethods depends on site stratigraphy, slope design, construction con-straints, and cost considerations. Depending upon these factors, thefrequently used stabilization methods in Ohio and Pennsylvania, wherestratigraphic sequences subject to differential weathering dominate,

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include rock bolts/rock anchors, shotcrete, benches—especially todelay the process of undercutting, buttresses, wire-mesh nets, erosioncontrol mats, drainage, catchment ditches, rockfall barriers, andremoving loose rock blocks. The role of site stratigraphy in selectingthe appropriate method(s) is critical. For thickly bedded sequences ofharder and softer rock units, constructing a wide bench along the con-tact appears to be one of the best methods to prevent undercuttinginduced failures. For inter-layered sequences of relatively thin rockunits, a uniform slope of 1.5H:1V to 1H:1V with adequate catchmentditches and barriers may be suitable. For slopes consisting predomi-nantly of softer rock units, gentler slopes, cut at 2H:1V or less, withcatchment ditches, mid-slope drains, and erosion control matsappears to work best. This paper presents typical and successfulexamples of these stabilization methods from Ohio and Pennsylvania. It includes an evaluation of the effectiveness of catchment ditches forvarious slope configurations, based on rockfall simulations by CRSPand RocFall software packages.

A 20-Year Performance Review of Major Cut Slopes on US460 in Rock from the Appalachian Plateau of VirginiaSheahan, James, HDR Engineering, Inc, [email protected];Steven Mullins, [email protected] (TS #16)

The U.S. 460 widening project near Grundy, VA, included 11 rock cutsbetween 100 and 400 feet in height. The area is within the AlleghenyPlateau Physiographic province, which includes interbedded sedimen-tary “coal measures” rock layers of differing quality. Design, construc-tion and performance of two adjacent rock cuts 300–400-feet-high inmassive sandstones coal seams and silty shale units, completedalmost 20 years ago in 1996, is the subject of this presentation. Cutslope evaluations included review of geologic information, reconnais-sance of existing cut slopes, logging of exposures, a rock joint surveyand discontinuity mapping, borings using RQD and RMR for rock units,unconfined compression tests and slake durability (SDI) tests. Cutdesigns included benching at significant changes in lithology, rockfallsimulation with CRSP, design of catchment areas at the base of cutsand slopes based on results of discontinuity studies. Rock durabilityand structural features, especially valley wall stress relief joints, wereevaluated to reduce the potential for undercutting of more durableunits while providing slopes based on joints with the highest probabilityof failure. This was accomplished by using benches at key strati-graphic breaks and selecting the cut slope ratio based on the charac-teristics of the unit. The performance of the cuts has been visuallymonitored periodically since its completion and will be presented. Thisincludes comparison of discontinuity analyses and durability testingresults against actual performance as well as effectiveness of the“Ritchie Ditch” catchment design since construction was completed.

Petroleum Release Investigation and Remediation Overview –Newberry, Indiana Shriner, Jason, CHMM; Ryan Peterson; Brandon Juergens; MohamedAsif; Richard Lenz (TS #4)

Prior to the passage of the 1976 Resource Conservation andRecovery Act (RCRA), 1.6 million bare steel underground storage tanks(UST) were in use in the United States. Approximately 8,085 of themhave leaked, resulting in at least 130,000 petroleum releases thatneed cleaned up across the U.S. Each state has different rules/regula-tions for petroleum related remediation projects; however, investiga-tion is typically the first step after a release is discovered andreported. The investigation of a historical of petroleum release in New-berry, IN, with multiple off-site sources is documented in thispaper/presentation, which discusses the challenges that occur with

this type of project. Depending upon the severity of petroleum contam-inants in the environment or the presence of sensitive receptors, reme-diation of a release will be necessary. This paper/presentation willdiscuss the investigation and remedial approach of this project.

Study of Ground Collapse Induced by Large Diameter HorizontalDirectional Drilling in Sand Layer Using Numerical Modeling Shu, Biao, University of Arizona, [email protected]; Baosong Ma,[email protected] (TS #23)

With large-diameter horizontal directional drilling (HDD) becoming thepreferred method to construct oil and gas pipeline and utility pipelinebeneath rivers, the issue of potential ground collapse arises whendrilling in loose geological layers such as sand. Ground collapse is aresult of borehole collapse and may cause much serious damage tothe topography and nearby facilities. The present investigation consid-ered the potential causes of ground collapse induced by an actual1.219 m-diameter HDD river crossing project, using the FLAC3Dnumerical modeling tool. The analysis showed that the failure zone firstdeveloped at the crown of the borehole, resulting in subsequent bore-hole collapse due to instability of the above sand and eventuallyleading to ground collapse. Sequential reaming cycles have been simu-lated and the results indicated very little effect in comparison to asingle reaming cycle. The risk of borehole collapse, and consequentground collapse, increases with borehole diameter. Parametric numer-ical modeling has also been conducted to study the influence of soilparameters and drilling mud pressure on the stability of the groundsurface above the borehole. The results showed that soil cohesion andfriction angle have a large influence on the stability of borehole and theground surface, while elastic modulus and Poisson’s Ratio have rela-tively little effect. It was also shown that mud pressure is a very impor-tant factor in maintaining stability of the borehole, and therefore theground surface as well.

Geologic Discontinuity Mapping, Difference Modeling and RockScour Delineation Using Photogrammetric MethodsSimpson, Bryan, USBR, [email protected] (TS #22)

This presentation provides an illustration of recent photogrammetrymethods used in support of geologic mapping and difference mod-eling to evaluate ongoing rock scour of the Thief Valley Dam abut-ments, as part of the Baker Project located near Bakersfield, OR.Collection methods–terrestrial-based photogrammetry was used suc-cessfully in conjunction with field geologic mapping over a five-yearperiod, which included collection of topographic data and measure-ment of joint and intrusion orientations in order to develop a compre-hensive three dimensional model of each of the exposed damabutments. The accurate capture of the bedrock surfaces andexposed discontinuities at each time interval was vital in order toestimate abutment scour over time for the project. Digital photo-graphs were taken of each dam abutment rock exposure. This workwas performed using off-the-shelf cameras and lenses, with rapiddata collection and reasonable processing times. Processingmethods—each dam abutment DTM (Digital Terrain Model) was con-structed using two digital photographs per time event. Processingalso included statistical analysis of joint sets and presentation ofstereonet pole plots. Lessons learned regarding the processing chal-lenges included using different cameras and lenses for specific fieldconditions, comparing of DTM surfaces and lighting variations. Withthe use of photogrammetric methods very accurate data can beeasily obtained, which many advantages over traditional surveys.

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Advances in Landslide Monitoring through Video and Time-LapsePhotography: Examples from USGS Landslide Research Sites Smith, Joel, U.S. Geological Survey, [email protected]; Jason Kean;Jeffrey Coe (TS #11)

Increasing capabilities of digital single-lens-reflex cameras haveallowed us to develop an inexpensive and simple photographysystem capable of long-term, low-power, remote monitoring opera-tions. Depending on the rate of image capture, these systems canfunction as time-lapse still cameras or as video cameras. We devel-oped and began using the photography system with a goal ofenhancing our data interpretation and analytical abilities. We havefound that having a photographic record helps us to more accuratelyinterpret simultaneously collected time-series data. Our camera sys-tems are usually integrated into the data logging system and areactivated only when environmental threshold conditions areexceeded. Alternatively, time-lapse systems may use a microcon-troller for triggering at a predetermined interval and time range. Wehave deployed multiple camera systems at USGS research sitesthroughout the Western United States, usually in combination withgeotechnical and meteorological sensors. Specific examples includea time-lapse system used in conjunction with a rockfall fence toquantify sedimentation rate and relate this rate to time-series data ofrock-profile temperatures, precipitation, humidity, and water content.Other time-lapse systems have been used to provide timing informa-tion for shallow landslides and regressive headscarp failures, or tosee trends in slow earthflow movement. The photography systemhas proven especially beneficial when analyzing large high-frequencydatasets where the mass-movement events may not be immediatelyevident from the time-series data alone. Additionally, multiple high-definition video camera systems have enhanced our understandingof micros-seismic vibrations during debris flows and their relation tosediment depth, basal forces, and debris-flow density.

The Importance of Residual Shear Testing in Evaluation of Landslides in Glaciolacustrine DepositsSmithmyer, Andrew, Gannett Fleming, Inc., [email protected];Frank P. Namatka, [email protected], Richard D. Bohr,[email protected] (TS #23)

For many years, an active landslide has been adversely affecting theroadway on S.R. 0029 in Liberty Township, Susquehanna County, PA,near the New York State border. Movement of the slope drasticallyincreased during and following Tropical Storm Lee and HurricaneIrene in 2011. The landslide is characterized by tension cracks, largebumps, offset guiderail, a significant toe bulge and hummocky groundsurface. Published literature indicated the project area was underlainby glacial materials, including a glaciolacustrine deposit from thePleistocene. Ten borings were drilled to confirm and augment histor-ical subsurface conditions at the project site. Instrumentation, con-sisting of inclinometers and piezometers, was installed to monitorslope movement and groundwater levels. Geotechnical laboratorytests were completed to classify soils and estimate engineeringparameters, including shear strength of the glaciolacustrine deposit.Laboratory testing included direct shear with residual measurementsand triaxial shear. Inclinometer data verified the failure plane waslocated within the glaciolacustrine deposit. Multiple landside repairalternatives were considered to remediate the landslide. Backanalyses were completed to verify soil parameters, and comprehen-sive slope stability analyses using the residual shear strength of theglaciolacustrine deposit were performed to evaluate remedial alterna-tives. Due to the size and geometry of the slide mass, an earth bermwith drainage control and stream relocation was selected as the pre-

ferred remedial alternative. Distinct features of this project included adeep-seated block failure, historical movement, relatively large size ofthe slide mass, low residual shear strength, toe erosion, and previousattempts to remediate the landslide.

Advocacy and Geoscience: Leveraging Traditional Media forAwareness, Support, and a Wiser PublicSteckel, Phyllis, Earthquake Insight LLC, [email protected] (TS #3)

Many of the most difficult issues facing today’s world have roots in thegeosciences. Climate change, geologic hazards, drought and aquiferdepletion, sustainable energy systems, environmental cleanups, andstrategic minerals all are national headline issues in the mainstreammedia. And in your hometown, a proposed plan for a new water-intense development, or a zoning or building-code change, or aneeded upgrade to a local highway may be hot-button local issues. Butunfortunately, in many places, these geoscience-based dilemmas arecoincident with a cutback or even a total loss of basic geoscienceinstruction for most K–12 students, who are the voters as well as theelected officials of the future. Today’s practicing geoscientists have aprofessional responsibility to help the public become better educatedon these issues. A proactive and responsible use of mainstreammedia, both in editorial and opinion pages, is needed. Examplesinclude timely, unbiased fact-based press releases and relevant,enlightening, readable guest editorials.

How to Operate Drones in the United States and Not Get Bustedby the FAA! Steckel, Richard, PAL and Associates, [email protected];Phyllis Steckel, [email protected] (TS #9)

The use of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV), or drones, has skyrocketedin the last five years. Unlike manned aircraft, many of the drones arebeing flown by operators who are not familiar or aware of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and certification requirementsand are being grounded by the FAA. This presentation is an introductionfor those who are not radio controlled or manned aircraft pilots andwish to operate fixed or rotor wing drones in the National AirspaceSystem without running afoul with the FAA. The presentation will covercurrent regulations and requirements for drone operations in the UnitedStates and how potential operators can obtain permission to operatetheir air vehicles. Airworthiness requirements for the vehicle, pilot/oper-ator certification and airspace requirements will be covered. Require-ments have been and will continue to evolve and change. Thispresentation will provide the most current requirements and resourcesavailable to those interested in operating unmanned air vehicles in theNational Airspace System in the United States. The presenter is an FAAcommercial pilot with 4,000+ hours of flight time. The presenter hasalso successfully applied for and granted a Certificate of Authorizationfor drone operations.

Tectonic Setting for Critical Facilities: A Hundred Years of Lessons Learned in CaliforniaShlemon, Roy J., [email protected] (TS #8)

Late 19th Century failures of northern California debris-flow (hydraulicmining) dams and southern California flood-control structures foretoldthe need to assess regional tectonic and local geological setting ofproposed and existing critical (essential) facilities. Apprehension grewafter the 1928 catastrophic failure of the St. Francis Dam. But con-cern particularly accelerated with onset of 1970s and early 1980spaleoseismic investigations for the proposed Auburn dam near Sacra-mento, the safety of the General Electric Test Reactor (GETR) site

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east of San Francisco, and the Point Conception Liquefied NaturalGas (LNG) terminal west of Santa Barbara. Beset by technical debate,by political controversies, and by regulatory arguments, these investi-gations offer lessons learned still applicable to critical facilitiesthroughout the world. Tectonic assessments for the California facili-ties ultimately resulted in formal deterministic definitions of“active/capable” faults susceptible of ground rupture within: 1) ~500ka for nuclear plants [GETR], 2) 100 ka for high, thin-arch concretedams [Auburn], 3) ~150 ka for LNG facilities [Pt. Conception], 4) ~35k for earth-fill embankment dams, and 5) 11.5 k for habitable struc-tures [A-P Act; non-essential]. Construction of the ~700-foot-high, con-crete, gravity-arch Auburn Dam and appurtenant structures started in1968. But the 1975, M 5.7 earthquake near Oroville, about 50 milesnorth, brought construction to a complete halt. Divisive technical andpolitical debate ensued. Were there “active” faults within the founda-tion? What amount of fault displacement could be amenable to struc-tural mitigation? Which regulatory agencies would make the finaldecision of licensing? Consensus was never reached; and AuburnDam was never built. The GETR, a 50 Mw medical test isotopereactor, began operation in 1957 near Pleasanton (Vallecitos), CA. In1975, the U.S. Geological Survey postulated that the “Verona Fault”impacted the site. Acrimonious geological debate and alternativeinterpretations of trench exposures ensued. Ultimately, after years ofseemingly never-ending meetings, the Nuclear Regulatory Commis-sion permitted reactor restarting. But GE declined, having now losttheir medical isotope business to overseas competitors. Proposed inthe early 1970s, the LNG terminal at Point Conception was similarlybeset by regional and site-specific fault issues. 60-foot-deep and 400-foot-long trenches in marine terrace sediments exposed myriadsof faults. But how old were these (>~150 ka?), and how to date thecovering sediments? These technical issues, coupled with NativeAmerican “sacred land” and the changing economic environment ledto formal demise of the project in 1986.

Symposium on Importance of Tectonic Setting and History in Characterization of Sites for Critical Facilities – A Topical SummaryStirewalt, Gerry L., U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of NewReactors, Division of Site Safety and Environmental Analysis, [email protected]; David F. Fenster, [email protected] (TS #13)

Symposium speakers discussed case histories that illustrate theimportance of tectonic setting and tectonic history in characteriza-tion of sites for critical facilities. These case histories covered thefollowing broad range of examples from multiple locations thatincluded the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS), the WesternU.S. (WUS), Canada, South Africa, the Caribbean, Turkey, and Scan-dinavia: 1) crustal structure and geology derived from aeromagneticand gravity data for identification of potential tectonic features in theCEUS, 2) subsurface tectonic structures based on aftershock focalmechanism patterns associated with the 2011 Mineral, VA, and the1886 Charleston, SC, earthquakes, 3) correlation of site-specificgeologic characteristics and tectonic features defined by detailedgeologic mapping of excavations for safety-related engineered struc-tures at the sites of new nuclear power reactors in South Carolinaand Georgia with regional geologic and tectonic framework, 4) tec-tonic setting of the Cascadia margin and assessment of the potentialfor faulting, earthquakes, volcanism, and tsunami in Oregon, 5) les-sons learned regarding the importance of tectonic setting for sitingcritical facilities in California, 6) tectonic history of the WesternSierra Nevada Metamorphic Belt for determination of controllingfaults and the design basis earthquake for a proposed hydroelectric

plant in California, 7) influence of tectonic setting on seismic sourcecharacterization data for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis(PSHA), including settings ranging from active plate boundaries tostable continental regions (SCRs) in the WUS, Canada, CEUS, andSouth Africa, 8) characterization of fault sources for seismic sourcemodel development in a tectonically-reactivated SCR environment inSouth Africa, 9) paleoseismic history of the western North PanamaDeformed Belt as part of a PSHA for development of a new harbor inCosta Rica, 10) natural hazards related to faulting, seismically-induced ground motion, liquefaction, landslides, and tsunami for anatural gas pipeline in Turkey, and 11) holocene surface faulting andpotential seismic hazard at proposed high-level radioactive wasterepositories in Sweden and Finland. For each example, speakersaddressed the technical issues involved and technical approachesused to assess the presence of, and the potential for, geologic andseismic hazards by considering site characterization data in light ofthe tectonic setting and tectonic history of the region in which thecritical facility was located. The examples showcased the practicaluse of geologic data in assessment of natural hazards for criticalfacilities with the specific purpose of ensuring adequate protection ofpublic health and safety and the environment.

Developing Remote Sensing Methods for Bedrock Mapping of the Front Range Mountains, ColoradoStewart, Joshua, Department of Geology & Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, [email protected]; Wendy Zhou,[email protected]; Paul M. Santi, [email protected] (Poster)

The Colorado Front Range Mountains have a history of significant debrisflow hazards capable of causing losses to both property and life. Therecent flash floods in the Larimer, Boulder, and Jefferson Countiesexhibited this when a storm event on September 9–13, 2013, trig-gered a minimum of 1,138 debris flows in the Colorado Front Rangeleading to eight fatalities and causing damage to buildings, highways,railroads, and infrastructure. Following this event, the United StatesGeological Survey (USGS) studied the debris flows that were triggeredby the rainstorm with the intention of modeling debris flow susceptibilityin this region. The objective of our project is to assist in constrainingthe susceptibility modeling by creating and executing a methodology forusing existing remote sensing technology to map bedrock outcrops.Calibrating against seven smaller study areas that span the differentgeologic formations and ecosystems of the Front Range Mountains, thegoal was to produce a map of exposed bedrock outcrops over nine,7.5-minute quadrangles in the Boulder Creek watershed. The benefit ofusing remote sensing is to map the bedrock exposures in a time-effi-cient and cost-effective manner for a significantly sized area of interest.Use of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and unsupervisedclassification methods with Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS imagery yielded theapproximate location and size of bedrock outcrops though the ability todiscriminate between bedrock, colluvium, and sparsely vegetated areasis limited. Further examination of Landsat imagery using supervisedclassification was used to improve bedrock identification.

Application of Petrography to Highways Stokowski, Steven J., TEC Services, Inc., [email protected]; Stephen D. Lane, [email protected] (TS #19)

Many highway professionals consider petrographic analysis primarily forconcrete failure investigations, although it has broad applicability to allof the materials encountered in highway construction. Modern petro-graphic investigations can characterize the raw materials so as to pre-vent poor performance or, at a later time, resolve performanceproblems. Petrography can and is done on the materials used in all

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components of highways: soil and rock cuts and fills, foundations, pave-ments, bridges, tunnels, and incidental construction. A highway systemconsists of more than just bridges and pavements constructed ofcementitious and bituminous concrete. Historic and modern buildingmaterials include brick, dimension stone, and crushed stone, all ofwhich may develop problems that can best be evaluated with a petro-graphic analysis. Petrography has more recently been used to investi-gate the suitability of fly ash and related materials as pozzolans andgeopolymer binders. Polymer asphalt microstructures are also routinelyinvestigated using fluorescence microscopy. In the as-built highway, pet-rography is used to resolve problems ranging from expansive or acid-generating fill to the performance of pavement surface layers andbridges. A relatively new problem is with the usage of crushed concreteas granular base, which may leach lime that is re-deposited as calcite inpavement drains. Another relatively new area of investigation is of bitu-minous concrete, where the mica content of manufactured sand,asphalt absorption into aggregate, the presence of dust layers onaggregate, the effects of compaction during construction, and thedegree of RAP/virgin AC homogenization are quantified.

Collapse Risk Management in an Arid Alluvial EnvironmentSturman, John, Schnabel Engineering, [email protected](TS #14)

A 16-acre urban site in arid western Asia is being redeveloped into anoffice complex. The site has slopes ranging from 6:1 to 1:1 and avarying alluvial subsurface profile. The mountains south of the site risesteeply and the surficial deposits represent sedimentary deposits of re-worked alluvial fans and mudflows. The site is in a high seismic zoneand the city was heavily damaged in a 7.3 earthquake several decadesago. A previous investigation of the site identified collapsible soils withwetting-induced collapse as high as 18%. The collapse potential wasbased on a test result from a test very similar to ASTM Method 5333.The shallow soils contained gravel and some cobbles and were difficultto sample. However, the previous mudflow and a solidified crustdeposit from mudflows had been documented. The challenges in col-lecting undisturbed samples and the results from our study made thecollapse potential difficult to confirm or deny. Our study considered theprevious data, site surficial observations, soil boring and test pit obser-vations, and lab testing to develop an approach to manage risks associ-ated with potentially collapsible soils. The performance of existingbuildings on the site and the surficial features offered some clues as tosite geotechnical risks for the planned development. The approacheventually developed provided some options for the Contractor, and ahigher level of assurance for the Owner.

Prioritization of Aging Rock Slopes on I-77 in VirginiaTinsley, Ryan, HDR Engineering, Inc, [email protected]; LarryArtman, [email protected]; Travis Higgs, [email protected]; Wade Pence, [email protected] (TS #10)

Interstate 77 (I-77) is a high-traffic volume corridor serving commuterand truck traffic between North Carolina and the interchange of I-77/I-81 near Wytheville, VA. HDR Engineering, Inc., (HDR) was contractedby the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to perform multi-phase evaluations of existing cut slopes on I-77 between Mile Posts(MP) 0.0 and 8.0 in Carroll County, VA. The existing rock slopes are aproduct of I-77 construction in the mid-1970s through the Blue RidgeMountains. They vary in height from 40 feet to greater than 250 feetand were constructed in biotite gneiss and greywacke of the Precam-brian-Aged Alligator Back Formation. There are more than 25 high-hazard rock slopes (VDOT RHRS Rating >300) with varying degrees ofrockfall activity, a number of failure mechanisms, and remediation chal-

lenges along a short 3.5-mile section. Selecting priority slopes forevaluation and a remediation can be a challenge on a limited budgetwith this high percentage of hazardous and aging rock slopes on I-77.VDOT has taken a proactive approach to evaluating the existing rockslopes along I-77 between MP 0.0 and 8.0 to reduce the risk to thetravelling public. This presentation focuses on the corridor challenges,I-77 Rock Slope Management Program, design considerations, and theapproaches utilized to prioritize the rock slopes for remediation andselection of remediation options including client collaboration.

Balancing Professional Judgment and the Risk of DecisionToskos, Theodoros, Amec Foster Wheeler Environment and Infrastructure, Inc., [email protected], Brian Worden,[email protected] (TS #3)

As professional geologists we routinely collect and interpret data andmake recommendations based on our observations and analysis. Weare also challenged to “use professional judgment” when certaindecisions must be made. Which often leads to arguments of beingtoo conservative or not conservative enough. At the root of the argu-ment lies the fact that for many people, professional judgment isthought to be a matter of art and intuition rather than fact andanalysis. Anything else is a mental shortcut or arbitrary decision. Onthe other hand, we recognize that any conclusion and recommenda-tion made based on a set of data, carries a certain error and risk.What if the extrapolated position of a fracture or the extrapolatedsize of a contaminant plume is incorrect? Depending on the question,the consequences of error can be great. Understanding, and quanti-fying the potential for error and the consequences of that, enablesus to exercise our professional judgment to come up with recom-mendations that meet the project objectives. Examples for actualprojects will be used to illustrate the discussion.

Professional Geologists and Contaminated Site RemediationLicensureToskos, Theodoros, Amec Foster Wheeler Environment and Infrastructure, Inc., [email protected]; Brian Worden,[email protected] (TS #3)

A number of U.S. states and a few foreign countries have adoptedlicensure of professionals engaged in the remediation of contaminatedsites. Most of these jurisdictions do not have a program for licensingprofessional geologists, even though, in some instances, there hadbeen efforts to do so. Unlike traditional professional licensure that isbased on educational background, site remediation licensure is inter-disciplinary and has a strong regulatory component. On the otherhand, environmental remediation is an important career and occupa-tion path for large numbers of professional geologists, and manyobtain these environmental professional licenses. While environmentalremediation licensure is often perceived as being mostly regulatory,contaminant release, fate and transport is actually happening in a geologic media context. In many cases the geologic setting is quitecomplex and a proper solution cannot be devised without fully charac-terizing and understanding the workings of the geologic framework.Therefore, professional geologists have a great stake in the processof establishing and regulating an environmental remediation licensuresystem. Both as individuals and through professional organizations,we need to actively participate in the stakeholder process to ensurethat proper geologic science considerations are included in regula-tion, guidance and practice. Examples from the New Jersey LSRPexperience will be used to illustrate the discussion.

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Tracers of Ore Fertility & Crustal Signatures: Applying ZirconGeochemistry & Geochronology to Plutons in the Western Cascades, Washington and OregonUtevsky, Elinor S., College of Earth, Ocean, & Atmospheric SciencesOregon State University, [email protected]; John Dilles(Poster)

Plutonic rocks of the western Cascades in Washington and Oregonare the focus of this study. The western Cascades arc extends fromnorthernmost California to southern British Columbia and is ancestralto modern Cascade magmatism, containing volcanic rocks (~45-25Ma) and plutonic rocks (~25-10Ma). The modern Cascades arc liesto the east and was apparently built on Pre- Eocene crust that is seg-mented along the arc from north to south. The ancestral arc overliesthe same crust, and hosts a series of epizonal plutons that arelocally associated with porphyry (Cu-Mo) and epithermal (Au) oredeposits. We present U-Pb zircon ages and trace element composi-tions of plutonic zircons, as well as whole rock geochemistry. NewSHRIMP-RG and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb analyses of zircon from ten samplescollected along strike of the ancestral arc in Washington and Oregonindicate plutons associated with porphyry Cu-Au and epithermal Audeposits were emplaced between 23 and 13 Ma. Zircons from theseintrusions have large negative Eu/Eu* anomalies and differ from thesmall negative Eu/Eu* anomalies of mineralizing plutons in else-where in the Cordillera. Likely, the large negative Eu/Eu* anomaliesreflect thin crust and relatively low water contents of the ancestralCascades arc magmas. We have also identified 23 (inherited) zircongrains from the intrusions that have ages between 63 and 30 Maconsistent with derivation from the Eocene Tyee turbidite sandstonesand older western Cascades volcanic rocks. These inherited grainssuggest the western Cascades in northern Oregon and southernWashington is built on Siletzia oceanic basalts covered by the Tyee.The zircon data suggest that the Miocene ancestral Cascade arcwas built on thin and immature crust, which was locally assimilatedby the arc magmas. Thin crust and low water contents of magmasare globally associated with small magmatic hydrothermal oredeposits, as in the Cascades.

Geologic Evaluation of Battle Creek Debris Basin for Rehabilitation, Utah County, UtahVargo, Ana, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), NaturalResources Conservation Service (NRCS), [email protected];Todd Sieber, [email protected]; Jo Johnson,[email protected] (Poster)

Battle Creek Debris Basin was built for flood control and sedimentretention in the American Fork Watershed under the Small WatershedsProgram in 1962 and is classified as a high hazard dam. Rehabilitationis needed to extend the operational life of the structure and bring itinto compliance with current NRCS and Utah Dam Safety require-ments. The Battle Creek watershed for the debris basin is 5.5 squaremiles. The debris basin is a flood control structure, but is proposed tooperate as an infiltration basin that maintains a pool of four feet ofwater that would recharge the groundwater aquifer. The debris basin isonly 0.13 miles (0.21 km) to the west of the Wasatch Fault which is aHolocene active fault that could generate a greater than 7 magnitudeearthquake. Based on results of the site-specific seismic risk evalua-tion a peak horizontal ground acceleration of 0.51g and a designearthquake of M = 7.4 is recommended. The Battle Creek DebrisBasin was constructed using three zones of material. The dam is onalluvial-fan deposits overlying limestone. The Great Blue Limestone isexposed approximately 150 feet northeast of the reservoir. The dam is

underlain by gravel with large boulders (GP), and silty or clayey gravel(GM-GC) near the surface that grades to a silty, poorly graded gravel(GP-GM) with depth. Materials beneath the debris basin include silty,poorly graded gravel (GM-GP), silty gravel (GM), GM-GC material, andclayey gravel (GC). Cobbles and boulders may be present.

Landslides in the Spectrum of Disasters: Emergency Management Lessons from a Low Landslide Risk State Waage, Eric, Hennepin County Emergency Management,[email protected] (TS #21)

Emergency managers are charged with addressing all types of haz-ards in their jurisdictions, from natural to human-caused, both acci-dental and adversarial. They operate across all phases of emergencymanagement from mitigation and preparation before a disasterstrikes to managing the response upon impact, followed by the longprocess of recovery. Emergency managers coordinate and synchro-nize emergency activities across all responding departments, disci-plines and governmental levels. They often depend on externalexpertise to assess and prepare for hazards and to trigger publicwarning. Some of these hazard information support systems are welldeveloped while others are not. Landslides are often in the latter cat-egory. Particularly in areas that have long intervals between signifi-cant landslides, the potential for slide disasters may be overlooked.In these places, residents and responders alike are surprised whenslides occur. Disaster response and recovery procedures that arefamiliar and effective for floods or severe weather seem complexand confusing for landslides. To properly address the landslide riskto communities, an effective and lasting relationship must be forgedbetween emergency managers and geologists.

The Failure of Camará Dam: Repetition of a Known Failure Modefrom Misinterpretation of a Geologic Vulnerability Wagner, Cassandra, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, [email protected]; Douglas Boyer, [email protected];Pete Shaffner, [email protected] (TS #12)

Camará Dam, constructed in 2002 and located in the northeasternBrazilian state of Paraíba, breached on the 17th of June 2004. Thefailure resulted in the release of nearly 14,000 acre-feet of water alongthe Mamanguape River, and loss of life and property in the down-stream towns of Alagoa Grande and Mulungu. The 200-foot-high con-crete gravity dam was constructed from roller compacted concrete(RCC). An independent technical review of the failure indicated thathigh foundation water pressures initiated erosion of the infilling materialin the foundation stress relief joints. Continued erosion and increasedhigh foundation water pressures then caused instability of a foundationbedrock block in the left abutment below the dam. In this location, themetamorphic bedrock forming the dam foundation was initially consid-ered to be largely fracture-free and favorable to dam construction,aside from documented stress relief fractures approximately parallel tothe topographic surface. During construction of the project, a lowshear zone was discovered in the left abutment. Additional investiga-tion was pursued, but the overall extent of the zone was misinter-preted, as the investigation was unable to capture the naturalvariability of the low shear zone geometry. The resulting mitigation wasineffective to address the ensuing mode of failure. Stress indicatorsduring first-filling may have offered clues to the impending failuremode, but were not realized. The type of failure at Camará Dam is recognized from historical dam failures and better characterization ofthis type of geologic vulnerability is essential to dam safety.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Identification and Evaluation of Seismically Induced Geohazards:A Case Study for a Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline Waterman, Matthew K., Bechtel Nuclear, Safety and [email protected] (TS#13)

Geohazard characterization is a standard component of pre-FEED (FrontEnd Engineering and Design) and FEED level studies for infrastructureprojects, particularly linear projects that traverse variable terrain overlong distances. Although such studies are now routine, historical dataclearly demonstrate higher failure rates for projects where geohazardswere not adequately characterized and mitigated. This is a case study ofthe FEED level geohazard identification and evaluation for a planned1,850 km long natural gas pipeline, which is to extend from EasternEurope to Western Asia across Turkey, one of the most highly seismiccountries in the world. Dominated by an active right lateral, strike-slipfault that has generated seven magnitude 7 earthquakes over the lastapproximately 75 years, the potential for infrastructure damage resultingfrom seismic activity is high. The seismically induced geohazards of con-cern are ground motion, fault displacement and surface rupture, liquefac-tion, co-seismic landslides, and tsunamis. For the FEED level evaluation,a combination of prior studies combined with desktop and field studieswere undertaken to characterize the seismic geohazards. Groundmotion estimates were obtained from work performed by in-countrypublic agencies and these studies were used to determine PGA esti-mates, which were subsequently used as input to design for the above-ground installations. For evaluation of fault displacement and surfacerupture a total of thirteen active fault crossings were identified and clas-sified based on activity and potential surface displacement. Plannedwork subsequent to the FEED stage includes fault trenching and paleo-seismic studies to optimize the pipeline route as it crosses the fault andto characterize the magnitude, timing, and direction of movement forinput to an updated PSHA. Initial estimates of liquefaction potential weredetermined using preliminary PGA and controlling magnitude earthquakeestimates combined with data collected from a geotechnical investiga-tion program. Identification of landslides was accomplished as part of afield mapping program conducted along the entire alignment. This pro-gram built upon prior desktop studies and the data were subsequentlyused to characterize the hazard to the pipeline. These included subma-rine landslides with the potential to cause damage. For an offshore por-tion of the pipeline, tsunamis induced by submarine landslides are apotential concern that will be evaluated at a subsequent stage. The iden-tification, evaluation, and mitigation of these hazards are essential stepsin quantifying and reducing risk to an acceptable level.

3D Photogrammetry from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Generating Virtual Rock Slope ModelsWatts, Chester, Radford University, [email protected]; Nirjung Karki,[email protected] (TS #10)

Researchers at Radford University are exploring the use of unmannedaerial vehicles (UAVs) for mapping rock slopes and extracting geologicstructure data from xyz point clouds derived from digital stereo pairs.This is a progress report. Among the topics covered are federal andstate regulatory considerations, types of UAV platforms readily avail-able, and advances in software for processing high-resolution videoimagery. Post processing software for stability analyses will bedescribed and evaluated. Vertical takeoff UAVs provide the ability toimage steep rock slopes. Several test cases will be presentedincluding a natural cliff face, an abandoned highway cut, and an openpit mine. We expect that digital 3D models created in this way mayallow for detailed slope measurements including extents of differentialweathering and undercutting, rock mass volumes, and structure datafor kinematic stereonet stability analyses.

Sandstone Highwall Restoration at Stan Hywet Hall and GardensWeber, Mitchell, Gannett Fleming Engineers and Architects, P.C.,[email protected] (TS #18)

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is the estate of F.A. Seiberling, founderof the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 1898. In 1910,Seiberling began to silently acquire nearly 1,000 acres of landthrough an intermediary. Part of the purchased land contained theWhite Sand and Stone Company’s quarry. The Seiberling’s AmericanCounty Estate was built between 1911 and 1915. The nearly60,000-square-foot Manor House residence was located behind thequarry highwall. The quarry slopes and ponds were integrated intothe Gardens by 1900’s famed landscape architect, Warren Manning.In 1957, the Seiberling descendants gifted the estate to the Akroncommunity and the grounds are now a world-class garden and theManor House a glorious representation of the opulence of the early1900s industrial giants. Over the past 100 years, the 20-foot-high,780-foot-long, quarry sandstone cliff face suffered the effects ofmechanical and chemical deterioration. The areas below the faceare frequented daily by visitors to the gardens. The slope stability isbeing affected by ivy vegetation on the face, root mass and icewedging in joints, run-off from the structures above the face, andfatigue from the sandstone “Tea House” and “Aspect” structuresimmediately atop the face. This paper will describe the means andmethods used to define the types of failures, their contributingcauses, and the mitigation strategies for stabilization. Project mapping of the sandstone face is being accomplished by three-dimensional lidarmapping.

Two Ways to Deal with Combined Sewer Overflow, A Tale of TwoCities, Lafayette and West Lafayette, IndianaWest, Terry, Purdue University, [email protected]; Ashley Murray,[email protected] (TS #4)

Combined sewer overflow occurs when a combined sewer systemreaches its capacity and untreated water is discharged directly intoan open water body. Two types of sewer systems exist in cities, sani-tary sewers, which transport liquid waste, and storm sewers thatcarry runoff from streets following rainfall events. Prior to the 1950sto reduce construction costs, combined sewers were built to carrylow flows of sanitary water plus higher flows of storm water duringrainfall events. All water was sent to a sewage treatment plant forprocessing. However due to high runoff from urban areas, an intensestorm will overfill the system and sewer outflows into a nearby waterbody are necessary to relieve pressure. Combined sewers are nolonger constructed, but in older sections of the city they prevail. Ascities grow, increased volumes of both sanitary and storm wateroccurs. Lafayette has chosen to keep storm water separated and notsend it to the treatment plant as the city expands. West Lafayette, bycontrast, has increased the size of their collection and storagesystem, and treatment plant to accommodate the increased volume.Both cities reduce runoff through the use of portable pavements,green roofs, rain barrels and bioswales.

Rock Block Slide Along Ohio River, Indiana, Causes Damage toResidential BuildingsWest, Terry R., Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Purdue University, [email protected] (TS #16)

The Ohio River, which forms the southern border of Indiana, is deeplyentrenched yielding steep bluffs near the center of the state. Mississip-pian-aged limestones crop out of the valley wall on the north side ofthe river. The small community of Levanworth is located south of I-64,

Crawford County, 35 miles west of Louisville. In a small residentialarea, seven houses sit at the edge of the upland overlooking the OhioRiver. Thin residual soils overly horizontally bedded, fissured limestonewith houses supported on strip footings on residual soil or bedrock.Several houses developed cracked concrete in their garages and wallsat the rear of the structures. Rock slope stability was another concern.The subdivision developer removed support at the base of the slope toprovide an additional flat area. He proposed to add houses at thislower elevation, but was denied by the Zoning Board because of slopestability and erosion control concerns.

Slope Failure Investigation and Mitigation Design, Pine Flat Dam,Piedra, Fresno County, CaliforniaWilhite, Coralie, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, [email protected]; Derek Morley, [email protected]; DavidSchug, [email protected] (TS #11)

Pine Flat Dam is a concrete gravity dam located in Piedra, FresnoCounty, CA. Movement of a slope failure on the downstream right abut-ment was first noted in the winter of 1995 following a large precipita-tion event. USACE became concerned about the failure and itspotential to impact the dam adit #2, toe drain, and penstocks. Thisslope failure appears to be an ancient landslide that was undercutduring excavation of the dam foundation. The landslide occurs withinMesozoic amphibolite bedrock, which displays flow structures, perva-sive joints, and altered dikes. The landslide material is clast supportedand composed of very intensely fractured amphibolite fragments witha clay matrix. Slope movement historically occurs when substantialgroundwater accumulates within the landslide mass. Two previous miti-gation efforts to stabilize the landslide included horizontal drains, sur-face drainage, and regrading. Construction work for the second effortoccurred during the wet winter season of 2013 and had to ceasewhen the landslide reactivated. The most recent (2014) geotechnicalinvestigation expanded on the previous investigations and provides abasis for the current landslide mitigation design. The landslide subsur-face geometry was mapped with trenches, HQ-coring, televiewer sur-veys, and sonic borings. Slope movement data and interpretedsubsurface geologic conditions suggest the landslide is crudelywedge-shaped and can be divided into three geologic domainsbounded by primary joint surfaces, altered dikes, and an internalshear. This presentation will review the landslide history, investigations,geologic characterizations, and previous and current mitigation optionsbeing considered by USACE.

A Study of the Importance of and Trends in Professional Ethicsin the Geosciences by the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG®)Williams, John, National Association of State Boards of Geology(ASBOG®), [email protected]; Jack L. Warner,[email protected] (TS #3)

Since its establishment in 1988, ASBOG® has surveyed licensed geo-science practitioners at five-year intervals to determine the knowledgetopics that should be included on the written licensing examinations.Beginning in 2005, topics on professional ethics were included in addi-tion to the approximately 40 traditional geological subject areas. In2005, practitioners completing the surveys rated the 13 professionalethics issues as highly important. In 2010 and 2015, practitionersrated the same 13 professional ethics issues as to “seriousness” and“frequency with which a particular issue is encountered in practice,” topermit direct comparisons of attitudes across time. Correlations of0.98 and above indicate that the attitudes of practitioners did notchange between 2010 and 2015, and that most of the ethics issues

are viewed as serious. These data are almost identical to the datareflecting very little change in the attitudes toward the more traditionalgeological subject areas between 2010 and 2015. Although there aredifferences in details, the high correlations in the ratings by respon-dents from different practitioner groups (practicing professionals in theUnited States, Canada, and academia) indicate a high degree of simi-larity in the attitudes between these groups.

In-Situ Remediation of Chlorinated Solvents in Low-PermeabilitySoils of the Brevard Fault Zone: Matching Remedial Technologieswith Compatible Geo-Chemical ConditionsWintle, Jack, Clearwater Environmental Resources, LLC,[email protected]; Mike McJilton, [email protected](TS #20)

Beginning in the 1960s and continuing for approximately 15 years,an open waste disposal pit at an auto parts remanufacturing facilitywas used to dispose of waste materials generated in the plant. Sitesoil and groundwater was contaminated with various chlorinated andnon-chlorinated solvents during this time, tetrachloroethene (PCE)being the main constituent of concern (COC). Groundwater at thesite is approximately 43 feet below ground surface (bgs) andbedrock is approximately 70 feet bgs with contamination extendingto and possibly into bedrock. The site is located within the BrevardFault Zone, which represents the suture where Proto-Africa collidedwith Proto-North America to form Pangaea. Site lithology is low per-meability silty sand to sandy silt grading into silty saprolite followedby bedrock. In 1998, the highly impacted soil and groundwater werediscovered during the due diligence process during a routine realestate transaction of a neighboring property and the site was listedwith the Georgia Hazardous Sites Response (HSRA) Program(Georgia’s Superfund Program). Since that time, the site and sur-rounding area has been extensively investigated. Two remedial pilotstudies were conducted to attempt to inject remedial solutions usingeither direct-push equipment with pumps or a sonic drill rig utilizingthe injectate as the drilling solution. Due to the low-permeability ofthe geologic formation, injection was not possible and neither studyaccomplished its goal. In general, liquid injection approaches rely onpressurized flow to distribute the reagent in 3D space throughoutthe remediation zone. In low-permeability conditions, the pressuretends to force the liquid in narrow paths, thus short-circuiting theprocess. Based on the results of our investigation and previous pilotstudy results, an innovative pilot study using Dynamic Diffusion technology was performed for six months with positive results.Dynamic Diffusion is based on continuous gas injection at relativelylow pressure and flow rate, successfully creating diffusion gradientsthrough low permeability environments. Diffusion does not rely onadvective transport as does liquid injection, but rather on concentra-tion gradients. The reagent gas is injected at the rate that the forma-tion can assimilate it. Operation of the Dynamic Diffusion system todate has yielded measurable positive results. Once the initial reme-dial technology is selected, geochemical conditions often change inresponse to the reactions being driven. One of the common phenom-enon in reductive dechlorination projects is the growth ofmethanogenic bacteria, which compete with the dehalococcoides forelectrons. The result is generation of methane gas and low levels ofreductive dechlorination. Operational changes in the gas injectionrecipe are required to reduce the hydrogen concentration and there-fore minimize competition from methanogens.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Rock Slope Remediation Project in Differentially WeatheringRocks: KY-1460 Pikeville, KentuckyWoodard, Martin, Geostabilization International, marty@gismos; PaxtonWeddington (TS #6)

Pikeville, Kentucky is a location with a long and rich history thatincludes the famous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. Withinthe City limits is the historic Hatfield and McCoy Cemetery wheremembers of both families are laid to rest. Adjacent to this cemeteryis KY-1460, which is a main route within the town. A large rockfall ofnearly 250 tons occurred in a section of the rockslope that is adja-cent to KY-1460 that supports a portion of this cemetery. The rockslope is characterized as an interbedded sequence of sandstones,shales, coals, and siltstones that historically has failures due to differ-ential weathering. Along with the section adjacent to the cemetery, anearly 2,000 lineal foot long stretch of the road with section of theslope reaching nearly 90 feet in height is being remediated to armorthe slope against weathering and erosion and rock failures. This pres-entation will illustrate the failure mechanisms and remediationmethods being utilized.

Telegraph Hill Rock Slope Improvement Project: ConstructionIssues and Value Engineering ProposalsWoodard, Martin, Geostabilization International, marty@gismos (TS#16)

Telegraph Hill is a well-known topographic high located in San Fran-cisco, California and topped by the Coit Tower landmark. The bay sideof Telegraph Hill was historically quarried for rock material between the1800s through early 1900s and was famously used as ballast forships leaving the Golden Gate after unloading cargo. Situated withinthese old quarries is the Telegraph Hill project, which is comprisedgenerally of greywacke sandstone and minor shale interbeds of theFranciscan Assemblage. The project location includes the steepexposed rock faces of these old quarry operations and is approxi-mately 150 feet in height with a condominium complex at the toe ofthe slope that has been impacted by significant rockfall as recently as2012. The rock slope improvement project follows numerous historicattempts to remediate the slope and includes rock scaling, installationof post-tensioned rock anchors, shotcrete, and a dual system pinnedmesh system. This presentation discusses the construction issuesrelated to the project as well as value engineering alternatives,including the use of passive dowel anchors and newly developed corro-sion resistant elements, proposed for the project.

Geologic Factors Influencing the Differential Weathering ofMetasedimentary and Metavolcanic Rock Sequences: Their Controls on Rock Slope Failures in the Blue Ridge and Piedmontof North Carolina Wooten, Richard M., North Carolina Survey, [email protected];Kenneth A. Gillon, [email protected]; Rebecca S. Latham, [email protected]; Timothy W. Clark, [email protected] (TS #10)

Metasedimentary and metavolcanic sequences in the North CarolinaBlue Ridge and Piedmont are complex assemblages of Neoproterozoicto Early Paleozoic rocks that have been subjected to multipletectonothermal events, and subsequent uplift, weathering and erosion.Differential weathering and its controls on the stability of slopes under-lain by these folded, faulted, and fractured rocks are observed atscales ranging from individual layers and discontinuities, to map-scalefeatures. Geologic factors influencing the development of differentialweathering include: 1) primary mineralogic and lithologic differences, 2)the presence of pyrite and pyrrhotite, 3) hydrothermal alteration, and 4)

ductile and brittle structures such as shear and mylonite zones, faults,and fractures. These factors result in zones of preferential weatheringwith decreased strength and increased permeability. In rock slope fail-ures preferentially weathered zones function as sliding and detachmentsurfaces, and preferential pathways for water. Examples of rock slopefailures that illustrate these factors are presented for two settings in themountainous Blue Ridge: 1) metasedimentary rocks of the Ashe and Alli-gator Back Metamorphic Suites, and the Copperhill Formation along theBlue Ridge Parkway; and, 2) metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocksof the Grandfather Mountain Formation where brittle faulting overprintsmylonitic rocks of the Linville Falls fault bordering the Grandfather Moun-tain window near Boone. In the Piedmont, rockslides in an abandonedquarry on Occoneechee Mountain in Eno River State Park near Hillsbor-ough occurred in metatuffs of the Hyco Formation with sericitic andpyrophyllitc hydrothermal alteration overprinted by shearing associatedwith the Cane Creek fault.

Challenges of Grouting and Anchoring an 1880s Masonry DamWullenwaber, Jesse, Schnabel Engineering, jwullenwaber@ schnabel-eng.com; John Harrison, [email protected] (TS #17)

Antietam Dam is a stone masonry dam originally constructed in the1880s in Berks County, PA. The dam has performed well throughoutits long life forming a water supply and recreational reservoir. How-ever, evaluations in 2004 indicated that the structure did not meet cur-rent stability criteria for high hazard dams. The selected upgradingprogram included grouting and anchoring the dam to meet stability cri-teria. This approach was found to be cost effective and also preservedthe appearance of this historic structure. The dam consists of threezones: 1) a downstream shell composed of large cut stone placed inmortar, 2) a central zone consisting of dumped rock fill with pouredgrout infilling at 5-foot increments, and 3) an upstream zone com-prised of an earthfill slope. The grouting program initially called for asanded grout mix, otherwise known as medium-mobility grout (MMG)injected to fill the larger voids in the central portion of the dam, fol-lowed by high-mobility grout (HMG) to fill the smaller voids. The designintended for a small percentage of holes to utilize downstage groutingmethods while the majority of holes would utilize upstage groutingmethods. Following grouting, a heavily reinforced concrete slab wasconstructed across the dam to distribute loads from newly installedpost-tensioned strand anchors. Numerous passive anchors wereincluded to tie the downstream and central zones of the dam together.The presentation will focus on the challenges of this unique groutingand anchoring program.

Time Series Modeling of the Up Coordinates in a SubsidenceZone Yalvac, Sefa, Selcuk University, Faculty of Engineering, Department ofGeomatics, Konya, Turkey, [email protected]; Aydin Ustun,[email protected] (TS #25)

Konya Closed Basin (KCB) is located in the central part of Turkey withan area of 60,000 km2, which is the Turkey’s largest basin. It coversfour cities with a population of five million and it is increasing rapidlybecause of immigration. The basin is a highly productive agriculturalarea with almost half of the total basin area suitable for farming activi-ties. The rapid rises of population in urban centers and increasingindustrial production have caused an extensive use of the groundwater.The water level observations obtained in the last 40 years indicate agroundwater withdrawal of about one meter per year and groundwaterdepletion is able to induce land subsidence in KCB. There have beensome occurrences of land subsidence, sinkhole, earth fissure, etc. inthe southwest part of the basin. Additionally, ten-period of campaigns

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


had revealed 11–90 mm/yr subsidence rates on the network contain28 GNSS site between the years of 2006–15. In this study, it is aimedto summarize the GNSS studies and results between the years of2006 and 2015 in the basin. According to the results, the land subsi-dence magnitude in terms of up coordinates varies between -10mm/year to -90 mm/year and correlated with the rainfall and ground-water level observations. Additionally, the GNSS CORS (ContinuouslyOperating Reference Station) yearly time series data have been gath-ered and analyzed. The time series results have been evaluated withdigital signal processing techniques in order to model the subsidenceand its behavior within the year.

Influence of Salt Tectonics on Seafloor Morphology from Algeriato Sardinia – SeismicYeakley, Julia, Kent State University Department of Geology,[email protected]; Abdul Shakoor, [email protected]; WilliamJohnson, [email protected] (TS #15)

Marine geophysical data, collected for the proposed Galsi pipeline,was analyzed for salt distribution and associated seafloor deformation.The southern section of the route traverses continental shelves andslopes of Algeria and Sardinia, the Balearic abyssal plain of theWestern Mediterranean, as well as convergent African/Nubian/Euro-pean plate boundary and areas of deeply buried Messinian-age salt.Being unpredictable and non-compressible, salt can flow and formvaguely understood diapiric structures. Since central Mediterraneansalt distribution is not precisely mapped, this research identifies saltdiapirs and locations where seafloor is displaced upward and faultedas a result of salt movement. Bathymetric, seismic and quantitativeanalyses were used to determine distribution and influence of salt tec-tonics (halokinesis) on seafloor morphology and nature of associateddiapiric structures developed in compressive plate boundary as well aspassive margin environments. Seismic reflection sub-bottom profileinterpretations, along with age-dated core samples, quantified amount,timing and style of deformation caused by salt movement. Digital ele-vation maps were used to correlate high and ultrahigh seismic loca-tions, depicting salt-related structures at different resolutions inmultiple dimensions. Measured and plotted offsets, along with pre-dicted sediment age at depth of offset, indicated estimated rates ofsalt-movement as low as two cm per thousand years near the CagliariSlope. Seismic profiles identified features of salt-related structures,including faults, folds, domes, depressions and seafloor features suchas pockmarks and failure deposits caused by doming and diapiricpiercing. Discovered salt-related movement and deformation is alsocompared to offshore Angola.

Thermal Remote Sensing for Moisture Content Characterizationat Mine Tailings Impoundments: a Field StudyZwissler, Bonnie, Michigan Technological University,[email protected]; Thomas Oommen, [email protected]; StanVitton, [email protected]; Eric Seagren, [email protected] (TS #14)

Mine tailings impoundments are among the largest earthen structuresin the world. An important and heavily regulated environmental hazardassociated with tailings impoundments is tailings dust emissions. Inaddition to the problem of dust emissions, trafficability can be a con-cern to tailings impoundment managers trying to monitor/preventdust emissions. Moisture content is one of the controlling factors fortailing strength, and thus dust susceptibility and trafficability. There-fore, understanding the spatial and temporal variations in moisturecontent for the surface tailings is critical for characterizing the sus-ceptibility of tailings to dust emissions and trafficability issues. Thetraditional approach for monitoring the susceptibility of mine tailings

to dust emissions involves collecting dust samples from monitoringstations, which cover a limited sampling area and often leads toareas that are susceptible to dust emissions going unnoticed until adust event occurs. In laboratory testing, thermal remote sensing hasproved useful for monitoring the moisture content of mine tailings.The laboratory relationship between the thermal remote sensing andmoisture content was then applied to tailings impoundment scales byconducting a field study at a North American iron mine tailingsimpoundment. Both ASTER satellite data and UAV-based thermalimaging were used to apply these laboratory relationships to the fieldscale, showing that changes in moisture content can be detected atthe tailings impoundment scale with thermal remote sensing.

Added at Press Time:Modeling Landslide Distribution, Recurrence, and Size in theDrift Creek Watersheds, Lincoln County, OregonKorte, David, Kent State University Department of Geology,[email protected]; Abdul Shakoor, [email protected]

The objective of this study is to determine the variables that have themost influence on landslide distribution and then use these variablesin sensitivity analysis to infer future landslide distribution and suscepti-bilityin two relatively inaccessible and geologically data-poor water-sheds in the Oregon Coastal Range. The areas of study are the Upperand Lower Drift Creek watersheds which are part of the larger LowerSiletz watershed in Lincoln County, Oregon. This research uses a sys-tems approach derived from information theory to model the pres-ence or absence of a landslide in map space (a mapping unit) given aset of environmental variables. This new method models multi-scaleinteractions, feedbacks, and interactions between geophysical andanthropological processes. The Oregon Department of EnvironmentalQuality (DEQ) is interested in this study because unknown sedimentstressors are affecting water quality, water treatment plant opera-tions, and ecology in the Drift Creek watersheds. The DEQ needs toknow if these stressors are the result of natural or anthropologicalphenomena in order to properly plan and direct funding for remedia-tion. The results of this study include environmental variables, land-slide distribution, and landslide susceptibility maps that can be usedas planning tools to ensure both water quality and ecological habitatof the lower Siletz watershed.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


AEG’s Mission:

AEG contributes to its members’ professional success and

the public welfare by providing leadership, advocacy, and

applied research in environmental and

engineering geology.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Notes

Author Title

Abdelmonem, S. M. See Seliem, Gamal

Addison, Priscilla Characterizing the Vulnerable Sections along a Railway Corridor Underlain by Permafrost Using Remote Sensing

Addison, Priscilla See Kern, Ashley

Admassu, Jonathan Multivariate Statistical Approach to Re-Evaluate the Slake Durability Index Test (ASTM 4644 – 08) (1)

Admassu, Yonathan Terrestrial LiDAR-Based Rockfall Hazard Rating for Cut Slopes along Highways: A Case Study from the Afton Mountain Cut along I-64W, VA (2)

Admassu, Yonathan A Multifaceted Approach to Designing Cut Slopes Subjected to Differential Weathering: A Case Study from Ohio (3)

Ahmed, M. Farooq Landslide Inventory Mapping of the Hunza River Watershed in Pakistan

Albaaga, Nour Alden See Khameiss, Belkasim (2)

Ames, Trevor Innovations for Slope Instability

Annandale, George W. Rock, Amanda

Artman, Larry See Tinsley, Ryan

Asif, Mohamed See Shriner, Jason

Auber, Robert J. See Piepenburg, Michael

Awad, Andrew Geotechnical Case Studies of Mitigation of Earthquake Damage to Dwellings in Christchurch, New Zealand - Part 2

Awad, Andrew See Molyneux, Russell

Babineaux-Sabin, Claire E. Incorporating Cullet into Beach Ecosystems: Effects on Biota Health

Bailey, Pamela Huntington District Post Mineral Extraction Reclamation

Bain, Daniel J. See Paulina, Tyler

Bain, Daniel J. See Pfeil-McCullough, Erin

Bair, Jeffrey M. Dam Foundations & Differing Site Conditions - Calaveras Dam Replacement Project

Ball, Brian A Case Study of Ecosystem Restoration along the Reach of South Fork New River in Boone, North Carolina

Banks, Brian K. I-68 “Sideling Hill” Rock Slope Hazards and Mitigation Concepts, Washington County, Maryland

Barbato, Nick A. See Fenster, David

Bardsley, David Soil Sampling Utilizing Horizontal/Directional Drilling Methods

Bateman, Vanessa C. Rockslope Stability in Karst Terrain (1)

Bateman, Vanessa C. The SIMDAMS Project: Bringing Dam Safety into the Information Age (2)

Bauer, Jennifer Time to Face the Landslide Dilemma – A Summary of the First AEG Professional Forum

Beale, Jacob See Chapman, Martin

Bednarz, Sue Fusee, Rebecca

Beird, Maggie Geophysical Mapping of Fracture Flow in a Hard Rock Setting

Bellusci, Chris We Need a Dam Sensor Reading

Bednarz, Sue See Fusee, Rebecca

Bible, Gary Landslide Phenomena of Chimaltenango District, Guatemala

Bohr, Richard D. See Smithmyer, Andrew

Bole, Daniel P. Double Row Grout Curtain Design and Construction for Cedar Creek Dam in Malakoff, Texas

Bouali, El Hachemi Can We Extract Information Regarding Transportation Asset Condition from Satellite-Based Radar Interferometric Data?

Boyer, Douglas See Wagner, Cassandra

Brandon, Steve See Rutledge, Alex

Briggs, Stephanie See Cumbest, Randolph J.

Brown, Hayden See Haugen, Ben

Bruce, Donald See Schmutzler, Wesley

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Author and Title Index

Author Title

Brunkal, Holly Bulking Factors to Predict Debris-Flow Peak Discharge

Buchanan, Susan M. See Rogers, Gary

Budd, Ann See Khameiss, Belkasim (1)

Burns, Scott Site Characterization of Critical Facilities in Oregon on Cascadia Margin

Canavello, Doug See Cross, Eric

Cannon, Robert P. See Rutledge, Alex

Cato, Kerry See Bair, Jeffrey M.

Cato, Kerry See Riley, Donald

Chapman, Martin Mineral, Virginia, 2011 and Charleston, South Carolina, 1886: Results from Some Recent Seismological Investigations

Chigna, Gustavo See Schaefer, Lauren

Clark, Timothy W. See Wooten, Richard M.

Cloud Bible, Rachael See Bible, Gary

Coe, Jeffrey See Smith, Joel

Coffman, Rick See Kern, Ashley

Coffman, Richard See Salazar, Sean

Conway, John Portugués Dam: Challenges and Success in RCC Dam Foundation Documentation and Treatment

Copeland, Erin See Paulina, Tyler

Coppersmith, Kevin The Influence of Tectonic Setting on the Characterization of Seismic Sources for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis

Coppersmith, Ryan Yakima Fold Belt Structures, Eastern WA: Style and Rate of Faulting Based on Structural Analyses and Quaternary Studies (1)

Coppersmith, Ryan Challenges in Characterizing Fault Sources in a Reactivated SCR Environment, Southern South Africa (2)

Coppersmith, Ryan See Hanson, Kathryn

Coyle, Kevin Geohazard Risk Reduction through the Installation of High-Tensile Strength Anchored and Draped Steel Mesh

Crabtree, Brandon Water Supply and Usage: Oktibeha County, Mississippi

Crist, Kristopher “Is the Dam Leaking?” A Study of the Current Status of the Druid Lake Dam in Baltimore, Maryland

Cross, Eric Sinkhole Mapping & Void Detection in Karst - Electrical Resistivity Case Studies at Carlsbad Caverns and in Tennessee

Cumbest, Randolph J. “Correlation of Regional Geologic and Tectonic History with Geologic Mapping of Foundation Excavations at the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station, South Carolina”

Daniel, Joel Evaluation of Subsurface Conditions Using MASW to Support Trenchless Construction Design in an Urban Environment

Daniels, David L. See Hatcher, Robert D. Jr.

Darko-Kagya, Kenneth See Ball, Brian

Delano, Helen L. An Overview of Landslide Mapping in Pennsylvania

Deputy, Kami Rerouting a River - The Carmel River Reroute and Dam Removal

Dharma, Manu See Flewelling, Samuel

DiGiulio, Jennifer Digitization of the 1991 Mount Jefferson Geologic Map: Project Motivation and Applications

Dill, Robin Ground Characterization for the MDC’s South Tunnel Project: “Redefining the Jurassic of the Hartford North Quadrangle”

Dilles, John See Utevsky, Elinor S.

Dirringer, Sebastian Lidar-Based Landslide Inventory and Susceptibility Mapping of the Drift Creek Watershed, Lincoln County, Oregon

Duran, Robert An Integrated Approach for Mapping and Analysis of the Rio Chama Rockslide, Archuleta County, Colorado (1)

Duran, Robert Multivariate Clustering Analysis and 3D Modeling for Rock Mass Characterization in a Hydrothermal Fluid Flow Study (2)

Easson, Greg See Powell, Gabe W.

Easson, Greg See Ricketts, Tyler

El Ebaidi, Saad K. See Khameiss, Belkasim (1)

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Author Title

Elhifnawy, Hassan Urban Feature Extraction Using Sequential Techniques

ElShinawi, Abdelaziz Geotechnical Study of the Dredging Sediment Stabilized with Portland Cement along The Coast of Hurgada City, Red Sea, Egypt

Enzweiler, Kristen M. See Gault, Howard

Epstein, Olga Modeling the Pollution Prevention Benefits of Adding Biochar to Erosion-Prone Agricultural Soils

Esubalew, Adem Analysis of the Inter-Dyking Deformation Pattern at the Ongoing Dabbahu-Manda Hararo (Afar) Rift, Ethiopia Using GPS and InSAR Techniques

Evans, Stephen Shafting the Lahars - Rebuilding the DNR Rd.1 Bridge over the Nisqually River

Fandray, Ryan Summary of Pittsburgh Geology

Farny, Nicholas J. Innovative Methods of Measuring Discontinuities: Utilizing Lidar and Smart Phone Applications for Rock Slope Stability on Price Mountain, VA

Farough, Aida Evolution of Physical Properties of Ultramafic Rocks at Hydrothermal Conditions: an Experimental Study on Serpentinization Reactions

Fenster, David F. “Borehole Data Interpretation vs Excavation Mapping – We Might Be Surprised, or Not!”

Fenster, David F. See Stirewalt, Gerry L.

Flewelling, Samuel Assessing Potential Upward Migration of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid and Brine through Fractures, Faults, and Intact Rock

Flangas, Lindsay See Bellusci, Chris

Foote, Jeremy Changes in the Hydrological Environment in Choctaw County Mississippi since 1995

Freitag, George South River Road – A 25 Year Rockfall Case Study on a Weathered Basalt Slope, Salem, Oregon

Friede, Erik Sustainability Implications of Excessive Conservatism in Concrete Footing-Rock Foundation Friction

Fritz, Brian Avoiding Archaeological Pitfalls

Fusee, Rebecca The New Irvington Tunnel Excavation and Geologic Documentation

Garner, Cyrus See Salazar, Sean

Garsjo, Marie Marshall Improving Your Technical Writing to Make Yourself Heard

Gath, Eldon Cocos Ridge Indenter Provides a Regional Understanding for the Seismic Hazard of the North Panama Deformed Belt, Caribbean Coast, Costa Rica

Gault, Howard Barrier Wall Verticality and Overlap Approval at Five US Army Corps of Engineers Dams

Gautam, Tej Influence of Geologic and Index Engineering Properties on Disintegration Behavior of Clay-Bearing Rocks under Natural Climatic Conditions

George, Michael 3D Block Erodibility: Experimental Results and Application

German, Madeline Field VOC Analysis – When the Numbers Don’t Match

Gillon, Kenneth A. See Wooten, Richard M.

Gomez, Francisco Measuring Spatial and Temporal Variations in Rates of Landsliding Using Ground-Based Radar Interferometry

Gonzalez, Tania See Gath, Eldon

Gray, Richard E. Impacts of Coal Mining on Structures in Western Pennsylvania

Greene, Brian H. Impacts of Geology on Dam Design in Western Pennsylvania

Gutta, Suresh See Hajdarwish, Ala (2)

Guy, Erich See Keffer, Andrew

Hajdarwish, Ala Geologic Factors Controlling Cut Slope Design; Case Studies: S.R. 0322, Potters Mill Gap, Centre County and Turnpike Total Reconstruction Project, Mile Post 124.5 to 133.8, Pennsylvania (1)

Hajdarwish, Ala Impact of Mudstone and Groundwater on Structurally Oriented Cut Slope Design, Case Study; Pennsylvania Turnpike Roadway Total Reconstruction, Somerset, Pennsylvania (2)

Halden, Rolf U. See Epstein, Olga

Hamdan, Hassan See Admassu, Jonathan (1)

Hamed, Abdelfattah See Khameiss, Belkasim (2)

Hamel, James Geotechnical Framework of Slopes in Flat-Lying Sedimentary Rocks of the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau

Hamel, James Three Fatal Rockfalls in the Pittsburgh Area

Hamel, James Alluvial Bank Instability along the Monongahela River, Southwestern Pennsylvania

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Author Title

Hanson, Kathryn Paleoseismicity of the Kango Fault, South Africa: Addressing Fault Characterization Issues in Stable Continental Regions

Hanson, Kathryn See Coppersmith, Ryan (1) and (2)

Hardy, Anna See Chapman, Martin

Harmon, Matthew Hydraulic Properties of the Stratigraphic Interval Separating Natural Gas Bearing Black Shales and Fresh-Water Aquifers in the Appalachian Basin

Harounian , Alek See Perry, David

Harris, Mark See Schmutzler, Wesley

Harrison, John See Wullenwaber, Jesse

Harro, David Improved Imaging of Covered Karst Using the Multi-Electrode Resistivity Implant Technique (MERIT) Case Studies

Hart, Steven G. See Epstein, Olga

Haskin, Jesse Data Acquisition and Processing Using Freely Available Software and Inexpensive Remote Controlled Aircraft

Hatcher, Robert D. Jr. The Need to Understand Crustal Structure and Regional Geology in Siting Critical Structures

Hatfield, Phillip See Ball, Brian

Hatheway, Allen W. Derelict Manufactured Gas, Coke, and Tar Sites of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Hatheway, Allen W. Derelict Manufactured Gas, Coke, and Tar Sites of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Hatheway, Allen W. Reflection on Some of the Remaining Outstanding Environmental Threats of Pennsylvania’s “Remediated” and Unremediated Coal-Tar Sites

Hatheway, Allen W. History of Manufactured Gas and Coal Tar of Pennsylvania

Hatheway, Allen W. Pennsylvania’s Derelict Coke Oven Sites: Beehives, Beehive Block Ovens, and Coke-Oven By-Product Plants

Haugen, Ben Efficient Identification of Potential Settlement Causes Using the Rapid Settlement Diagnostic System (RSDS)

Hdhireia, Al Zubir See Khameiss, Belkasim (2)

Headland, Paul See Daniel, Joel

Hedin, Benjamin C. Use of Small Limestone Incubation Devices to Elucidate Factors Affecting the Dissolution of Calcite by Acid Mine Drainage

Hedin, Robert S. See Hedin, Benjamin C.

Hernandez, Luis E. See Lomoschitz, Alejandro (1) and (2)

Higgins, Jerry D. Rock, Amanda

Higgs, Travis See Tinsley, Ryan

Hilton, Bruce See Riley, Donald

Holderbaum, Rodney E. Dissecting the Catastrophic Foundation Failure of a Newly-Constructed Dam

Hopkins Krissy M. See Paulina, Tyler

Horton Jr., Wright See Hatcher, Robert D. Jr.

Hou, Susan See Bair, Jeffrey M.

Hoyt, William See Khameiss, Belkasim (1)

Huber, Robert Mountain Lake Alternative Water Source Feasibility Study

Hutchinson, Peter See Beird, Maggie

Hutchinson, Peter See Krivos, Heather

Illman, Walter See Mok, Chin Man (2)

Isphording, Wayne Pratfalls and Pitfalls in Environmental Litigation

Jacklitch, Carl A Geotechnical Investigation of the 2013 Fatal Rockfall in Rockvile, Utah

Johnson, Jo Vargo, Ana

Johnson, Robert E. See Roman, William

Johnson, William See Yeakley, Julia

Johnston, Timothy W. See Holderbaum, Rodney E.

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Author Title

Juergens, Brandon See Shriner, Jason

Justice, Samantha Application of a Hazard Rating System for Rock Slopes Along a Transportation Corridor Using Remote Sensing

Kaen, Jason See Smith, Joel

Karki, Nirjung See Watts, Chester

Kavazanjian, Edward See Epstein, Olga

Kays, Adam See Nield, Michael

Kean, Jason See Smith, Joel

Keating, Rebecca Developing a Customized Rock Slope Inspection and Hazard Rating System

Keaton, Jeffrey R. See Friede, Erik

Keaton, Jeffrey Landslide Inventory Maps: Every Square Meter Matters

Kee, Michael Analyzing Contact Metamorphism of the Stanley Shale in the Igneous Intrusive Complex at Magnet Cove, Arkansas

Keffer, Andrew Geotechnical Challenges for Streambank Protection Projects

Keffer, Andrew See Ball, Brian

Kelly, Christopher J. See Bateman, Vanessa C. (2)

Kelson, Keith I. An Engineering Geologist’s Role in Risk-Informed Decision-Making for USACE Dam and Levee Safety

Kelson, Keith I. See Serafini, David C.

Kendrick, Jackie E. See Schaefer, Lauren

Kern, Ashley Predictive Modeling of Debris Flows Probabilities Following Wild Fire in the Intermountain Western United States

Khameiss, Belkasim A Preliminary Documentation of the Coral Reefs from Libya (1)

Khameiss, Belkasim Geological Tourism Northeast Libya (2)

Khameiss, Belkasim Karastic Distribution Between Wadi Aljubiah and Wadi Al Bakur Area (3)

Kiflu, Henok See Harro, David

King, Phillips See Ricketts, Tyler

Kirkland, Brenda L. See Babineaux-Sabin, Claire E.

Kitschy, Clint See Perry, David

Klaus, James See Khameiss, Belkasim (1)

Knott, David L. See Awad, Andrew

Knott, David L. See Molyneux, Russell

Korte, David Modeling Landslide Distribution, Recurrence, and Size in the Drift Creek Watersheds, Lincoln County, Oregon

Kramarenko, Viealeta See ElShinawi, Abdelaziz

Krippner, Janine Quantitative Mapping of Granular Flows Using <1 m Resolution Satellite Data: Pyroclastic Density Currents in Kamchatka

Krivos, Heather Electrical Resistivity Imaging of Karst Topography in the Arbuckle Mountains

Kruse, Sarah See Harro, David

Kumar, Santdeep Well Logging in Ground Water Hydrology

Landis, Mark See Rogers, Gary

Lane, Stephen D. See Stokowski, Steven J.

Latham, Rebecca S. See Wooten, Richard M.

Lautala, Pasi See Addison, Priscilla

LavallÈe, Yan See Schaefer, Lauren

Lavin, Sarah M. See Paulina, Tyler

Lenz, Richard See Shriner, Jason

Leone, Matt See Crist, Kristopher


2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Author Title

Lewi, Elias See Esubalew, Adem

Li, Zhao See Liang, Robert (1) and (2)

Liang, Robert Reliability Based Slope Stability Evaluation Using Stochastic Geological Modeling Techniques and FEM Simulations (1)

Liang, Robert Analysis of Flexural Toppling of an Anti-Dip Slope in Fushun Open Pit in China (2)

Liang, Robert Development of UASLOPE Method for Evaluating Slope Stabilization Using a Single Row of Drilled Shafts (3)

Liang, Robert See Marchetty, Srikanth (1) and (2)

Lindenbach, Evan J. Proposed Temperance Flat Dam - Bureau of Reclamation Rock Mechanics Testing and Reporting

Linsenbigler, Rochelle Northern Pennsylvania Groundwater Well Mapping and the Identification of Contaminate Sources

Loar, Todd N. Qualitative Foundation Rock Block Stability Evaluation Performed for Green Peter Dam, Oregon

Lobo-Guerrero, Sebastian Pile Setup Effect in Driven Friction Piles in Western Pennsylvania: Case Studies

Lockner, David See Farough, Aida

Lomoschitz, Alejandro Site Investigation in Volcanic Terrains for Building Projects (1)

Lomoschitz, Alejandro Geotechnical Units and Associated Problems in Volcanic Terrains: Canary Islands, Spain (2)

Lomoschitz, Alejandro The Pico de Navas Slump (Burgos, Spain): A Large Rotational Rocky Landslide Caused by Underlying Clayey Sand Layers (3)

Lord, Jacques Low-Threat Closure of a UST Release Site in California; Would the Sierra Club Be Happy?

Lord, Jacques California Mandates 25% Water Use Reduction; Are Cisterns the New Solar Panel Industry?

Lowell, Robert See Farough, Aida

Lowry, Benjamin See Gomez, Francisco

Lukkarila, Chad Lessons Learned from the Review and Assessment of a Cut Slope for a Water Tank Reservoir

Lutz, Andrew T. See Serafini, David C.

Lyle, Seth See Nield, Michael

Lyne, Bob Full Scale Mechanics of Surficial Slope Stabilization

Ma, Baosong See Shu, Biao

Malizia, John The Effect of Water Content and Density on Strength and Deformation Behavior of Clay Soils

Mandal, Arpita See Nandi, Arpita (2)

Marchetty, Srikanth Influence of Slope Characteristics on Rockfall Velocities and Bounce Heights (1)

Marchetty, Srikanth Investigation of Rockfall Characteristics Using Full-Scale Rollout Tests (2)

Marinelli, Matthew Debris Flow Inventory and Susceptibility of West Prong Little Pigeon River Watershed, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Martin, Leo See Dill, Robin

Marinos, Paul G. The Highest Dam of the World in a Challenging Geological Environment (1)

Marinos, Paul G. Deep Seated landslides in Greece: Cases Associated with Infrastructure Works (2)

Marinos, Paul G. Tunneling in Difficult Ground - Geological Uncertainties and Decisions (3)

Marinos, Vassilis P. See Marinos, Paul G. (2)

Martin, Leo See Dill, Robin

Martt, Daniel See Hajdarwish, Ala (1)

Martt, Daniel F. See Lobo-Guerrero, Sebastian

Maynard, Jeff See Nield, Michael

McCalpin, James Holocene Surface Faulting in High-Latitude Glaciated Shields

McJilton, Mike See Wintle, Jack

McWilliams, Scott See Seidel, Darren S.

Menendez-Pidal, Ignacio See Lomoschitz, Alejandro (3)


2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Author Title

Miller, Marc T. See Bole, Daniel P.

Mlinarevic, Ante See Nichols, Holly J.

Mok, Chin Man Risk Analysis of Dam Erodibility (1)

Mok, Chin Man Cost-Effective and High-Resolution Hydrogeologic Characterization Using Hydraulic Tomography (2)

Molinari, Mark Managing Recognized Landslide Hazards: Land Use Planning and Zoning, Strategies and Public Education/Notification

Molyneux, Russell The Assessment and Mitigation of Earthquake Damage to Dwellings in Christchurch, New Zealand - Part 1

Molyneux, Russell See Awad, Andrew

Montero Walter See Gath, Eldon

Monaco, Thomas Uplift Results in a Sliding Bridge Abutment

Moore, Diane See Farough, Aida

Morley, Derek Those Who Forget the Past, Lessons Learned from Wrangling Landslides in the West

Morley, Derek See Wilhite, Coralie

Muftah, Ahmed See Khameiss, Belkasim (1)

Mullins, Steven See Sheahan, James

Murphy, Paul J. See Keating, Rebecca

Murray, Ashley See West, Terry

Musa, Abdisa See Marchetty, Srikanth (1) and (2)

Namatka, Frank P. See Smithmyer, Andrew

Nandi, Arpita Channel Adjustments Associated with Dam Removal: How Important is the Scale of Study? (1)

Nandi, Arpita Debris Flow Potential Estimation using Hydrological Modelling, a Watershed Scale Case Study from Great Smoky Mountains National Park (2)

Nandi, Arpita See Marinelli, Matthew

Negri, Jacquelyn See Haugen, Ben

Neveling, Johann See Coppersmith, Ryan (2)

Nichols, Holly J. The Value of Geologic Services during Construction of Crafton Hills Enlargement Dam, San Bernardino County, California

Nield, Michael A Tale of Three Projects: Addressing Dam Safety Concerns within the Muskingum River Basin, Ohio

Niemann, William L. See Harmon, Matthew

Niemi, Tina See Preisberga, Anniya

Nuhfer, Michael See Daniel, Joel

Olalla, Claudio See Lomoschitz, Alejandro (1) and (2)

Ombalski, Dan See Bardsley, David

Oommen, Thomas See Addison, Priscilla

Oommen, Thomas See Justice, Samantha

Oommen, Thomas See Kern, Ashley

Oommen, Thomas See Salazar, Sean

Oommen; Thomas See Schaefer, Lauren

Oommen, Thomas See Zwissler, Bonnie

Painter, Paul P. Rock Slope Stabilization Using Pinned Slope Drape and Cellular Wall

Painter, Paul P. OH SR (JEF)-7-5.0: Slope Instability Due to Abandoned Mine Workings

Painter, Paul P. OH SR (JEF)-7-34.2 Emergency Response to Rock Slope Failure

Painter, Paul P. OH SR (WAS) 7-18.10: Differential Weathering Failure Innovative Remediation

Painter, Paul P. Mine Remediation under a Major Transportation Corridor

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Author Title

Parks, David Bluff and Beach Sediment Dynamics in the Elwha and Dungeness Drift Cells before, during and after Elwha River Dam Removals

Parks, David Changes to Washington Forest Practices Rules and Unstable Landform Identification Processes following the 2014 SR530 (Oso) Landslide

Palmer, Alessandro See Marinos, Paul G. (1)

Patnaik, Anil See Marchetty, Srikanth (1) and (2)

Paulina, Tyler Analyzing Surface Water-Ground Water Interactions in a Pittsburgh Stream

Pence, Wade See Tinsley, Ryan

Perham, Andrew See Dill, Robin

Perlow, Max William Development of Unmanned Vehicles for Geo-Environmental Hazard Assessment

Perlow Jr., Michael See Perlow, Max William

Perry, Eric Groundwater Management in a Closed Flooded Coal Mine-Pool

Perry, David Subsurface Characterization at LADWP Headworks West Reservoir (HWR) Site, City of Los Angeles

Peterson, Ryan See Shriner, Jason

Pfeil-McCullough, Erin Soil Disturbance via Longwall Coal Mining: Subsidence Impacts to Forests in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Piepenburg, Michael Use of Pre-Cast Concrete Segments in Rock Tunnels for Risk Control

Poluga, S. Lindsay Rock Mass Characterization and Stability Evaluation of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, South Dakota

Powell, Gabe W. Predictive Modeling of Sinkhole Hazards through Correlation of InSAR Subsidence Measurements and Local Geology

Preisberga, Anniya 3D Digital Imaging of Boleo Copper Mine Outcrops with a Quadcopter UAV

Prvanovic, Alex Field and Laboratory Investigations of the Time-Dependent Behavior of Permeability of Jointed Glacial Till

Puente Querejazu, Alvaro Assessment of the Progression of Coal Mine Subsidence in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, Using InSAR

Quadric, Talha See Rehman, Khaista

Ramsey, Michael S. See Krippner, Janine

Raymer, Jack Avoiding Karst by Getting under It: Jefferson Barracks Tunnel, St. Louis

Rehman, Khaista Analysis of the Devastating Kashmir Earthquake 2005 Aftershocks

Richards, Kevin Narora Weir – A Historical Perspective of Piping Theory

Richcreek, Jennifer See Rutledge, Alex

Ricketts, Tyler Economic Salt Dome Development

Riley, Donald RCC Gravity Dam Replacement for the Wohlford Dam, Escondido, CA

Rinehart, Robert V. See Lindenbach, Evan J.

Robison, David M. Successful Foundation Preparations in Karst Bedrock of the Masonry Section of Wolf Creek Dam

Rock, Amanda Two-Dimensional Application of Annandale’s Erodibility Index Method to Estimate Plunge Pool Scour

Rodriguez-Losada, Jose A. See Lomoschitz, Alejandro (1) and (2)

Rogers, David J. Influence of Geology on Construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Rogers, J. David Various Techniques for Stabilization of Deteriorating Cut Slopes in Sedimentary Strata

Rogers, J. David The Gatun Dam – Megastructure of 100 Years Ago

Rogers, J. David See Ahmed, M. Farooq

Rogers, Gary RCC Dam Foundation Preparation and Cleaning – A Photographic Tour of Hard Rock Bottoms

Rogers, Gary See Rutledge, Alex

Roman, William State Route 87 Rockslide Mitigation near Forksville, Pennsylvania

Rose, Ronn S. See Serafini, David C.

Russo, Tess See Linsenbigler, Rochelle

Rutledge, Alex Diverting Water from the Upper Hidden Basin to Terror Lake, Kodiak, Alaska

Sadagah, Bahaaeldin Debris Flows and Rockfall Case History along Mountainous Roads, Western Saudi Arabia


2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Author Title

Saindon, Rosanna The Clock is Ticking - EPA Coal Ash Rule - Summary and Impacts to the Profession

Salazar, Sean Ultra-Violet Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy for Remote Measurement of Soil Water Potential

Sanders, James See Schmutzler, Wesley

Santi, Paul See Brunkal, Holly

Santi, Paul See Haugen, Ben

Santi, Paul See Duran, Robert

Santi, Paul See Stewart, Joshua

Sanz, Eugenio See Lomoschitz, Alejandro (3)

Saxon, Aniket See Kumar, Santdeep

Scarpato, David Accounting for Icefall Hazards during Rockfall Catchment Ditch Design

Schaefer, Lauren High-Velocity Frictional Properties of Basalt: Implications for Landslides, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes

Schaeffer, Malcolm F. Tectonic History of the Western Sierra Nevada, CA: Implications for Seismic Design of a Proposed Hydroelectric Facility

Schmitz, Darrel See Crabtree, Brandon

Schmitz, Darrel See Foote, Jeremy

Schug, David See Wilhite, Coralie

Schwering, Paul Got Groundwater?

Seadler, Abigail Messaging and Momentum: The Potential for Comprehensive Landslide Legislation in the 114th Congres

Seagren, Eric See Zwissler, Bonnie

Seidel, Darren S. Using Areas of Concentrated Fecal Coliform Bacteria to Identify Specie Specific Sources in Urbanized Sections of the Concho River, Tom Green County, Texas

Seliem, Gamal Geophsical Studies in Some Areas in Egypt

Semmens, Stephen N. Evaluation of Earth Dam and Levee Sustainability through Assessment of the Surrounding Environments

Serafini, David C. Characterization and Mitigation of Fault Rupture Hazard: Engineering Basis of Design for Isabella Auxiliary Dam, California

Shaffner, Pete T. Dr. Ralph Peck Warned Us that Risk Assessment was Likely not a Sustainable Approach for Assuring the Safety of Our Dams. Was He Correct, and What Are We Doing to Resolve His Concerns?

Shaffner, Pete T. See Kelson, Keith I.

Shaffner, Pete T. Wagner, Cassandra

Shakoor, Abdul Stabilization Methods for Cut Slopes Subject to Differential Weathering: Some Examples from Ohio and Pennsylvania

Shakoor, Abdul See Admassu, Jonathan (2) and (3)

Shakoor, Abdul See Dirringer, Sebastian

Shakoor, Abdul See Gautam, Tej

Shakoor, Abdul See Jacklitch, Carl

Shakoor, Abdul See Korte, David

Shakoor, Abdul See Malizia, John

Shakoor, Abdul See Marinelli, Matthew

Shakoor, Abdul See Poluga, S. Lindsay

Shakoor, Abdul See Prvanovic, Alex

Shakoor, Abdul See Yeakley, Julia

Sharma, Manu See Flewelling, Samuel

Sheahan, James A 20-Year Performance Review of Major Cut Slopes on US460 in Rock from the Appalachian Plateau of Virginia

Shevlin, Tim See Lyne, Bob

Shlemon, Roy J. Tectonic Setting for Critical Facilities: A Hundred Years of Lessons Learned in California

Author Title

Shriner, Jason Petroleum Release Investigation and Remediation Overview – Newberry, Indiana

Shu, Biao Study of Ground Collapse Induced by Large Diameter Horizontal Directional Drilling in Sand Layer Using Numerical Modeling

Sieber, Todd See Vargo, Ana

Simpson, Bryan Geologic Discontinuity Mapping, Difference Modeling and Rock Scour Delineation Using Photogrammetric Methods

Sirles, Phil See Schwering, Paul

Sitar, Nicholas See George, Michael

Slack, Christopher See Coppersmith, Ryan (1)

Slack, Christopher See Hanson, Kathryn

Smith, Joel Advances in Landslide Monitoring through Video and Time-Lapse Photography: Examples from USGS Landslide Research Sites

Smithmyer, Andrew The Importance of Residual Shear Testing in Evaluation of Landslides in Glaciolacustrine Deposits

Smithmyer, Andrew J. See Roman, William

Snyder, Stephen L. See Hatcher, Robert D. Jr.

Spoor, Michael F. See Keffer, Andrew

Spoor, Michael F. See Bailey, Pamela

Spoor, Michael F. See Ball, Brian

Steckel, Phyllis Advocacy and Geoscience: Leveraging Traditional Media for Awareness, Support, and a Wiser Public

Steckel, Phyllis See Steckel, Richard

Steckel, Richard How to Operate Drones in the United States and Not Get Busted by the FAA!

Stirewalt, Gerry L Symposium on Importance of Tectonic Setting and History in Characterization of Sites for Critical Facilities – A Topical Summary

Stewart, Joshua Developing Remote Sensing Methods for Bedrock Mapping of the Front Range Mountains, Colorado

Stokowski, Steven J. Application of Petrography to Highways

Sturman, John Collapse Risk Management in an Arid Alluvial Environment

Sullivan, Ryan P. See Piepenburg, Michael

Syms, Frank H. See Cumbest, Randolph J.

Syms, Frank See Fenster, David

Tallman, Dakota J. See Epstein, Olga

Tinsley, Ryan Prioritization of Aging Rock Slopes on I-77 in Virginia

Toskos, Theodoros Balancing Professional Judgment and the Risk of Decision (1)

Toskos, Theodoros Professional Geologists and Contaminated Site Remediation Licensure (2)

Truini, Margot See Schwering, Paul

Tymchak, Matt See Flewelling, Samuel

Unruh, Jeffrey See Coppersmith, Ryan (1)

Ustun, Aydin See Yalvac, Sefa

Utevsky, Elinor S. Tracers of Ore Fertility & Crustal Signatures: Applying Zircon Geochemistry & Geochronology to Plutons in the Western Cascades, WA & OR

Vargo, Ana Geologic Evaluation of Battle Creek Debris Basin for Rehabilitation, Utah County, Utah

Vitale, Michael G. See Piepenburg, Michael

Vitton, Stan See Justice, Samantha

Vitton, Stan See Zwissler, Bonnie

Waage, Eric Landslides in the Spectrum of Disasters: Emergency Management Lessons from a Low Landslide Risk State

Wagner, Cassandra The Failure of Camará Dam: Repetition of a Known Failure Mode from Misinterpretation of a Geologic Vulnerability

Wagner, Joshua See Perlow, Max William

Walker Jr., William G. See Bateman, Vanessa C. (2)

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Author Title

Wang, Hui See Liang, Robert

Wang, Jin-An See Liang, Robert (2)

Wang, Xiangrong See Liang, Robert

Ward, James W. See Seidel, Darren S.

Warner, Jack L. See Williams, John

Waterman, Matthew K. Identification and Evaluation of Seismically Induced Geohazards: A Case Study for a Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline

Watts, Chester 3D Photogrammetry from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Generating Virtual Rock Slope Models

Weber, Mitchell Sandstone Highwall Restoration at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

Weber, Mitchell See Monaco, Thomas

Weikel, Nicholas See Evans, Stephen

Wesling, John See Morley, Derek

West, Terry Rock Block Slide Along Ohio River, Indiana, Causes Damage to Residential Buildings

West, Terry Two Ways to Deal with Combined Sewer Overflow, A Tale of Two Cities, Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana

Whitt, James See Daniel, Joel

Whittle, Joseph Jr. See Crist, Kristopher

Wiles, Sarah See Bateman, Vanessa C. (2)

Wilhite, Coralie Slope Failure Investigation and Mitigation Design, Pine Flat Dam, Piedra, Fresno County, California

Williams, John A Study of the Importance of and Trends in Professional Ethics in the Geosciences by the National Association of State Boards of Geology(ASBOG®)

Wintle, Jack In-Situ Remediation of Chlorinated Solvents in Low-Permeability Soils of the Brevard Fault Zone: Matching Remedial Technologies with Compatible Geo-Chemical Conditions

Woodard, Martin Telegraph Hill Rock Slope Improvement Project: Construction Issues and Value Engineering Proposals

Woodard, Marty See Ames, Trevor

Wooten, Richard M. Geologic Factors Influencing the Differential Weathering of Metasedimentary and Metavolcanic Rock Sequences: Their Controls on RockSlope Failures in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont of North Carolina

Worden, Brian See Toskos, Theodoros (1) and (2)

Worsham, Baron See Bateman, Vanessa C. (2)

Wright, James E. See Kelson, Keith I.

Wright, Robert See Mok, Chin Man (1)

Wu, Qimin See Chapman, Martin

Wullenwaber, Jesse Challenges of Grouting and Anchoring an 1880’s Masonry Dam

Wygonik, Meghann See Bateman, Vanessa C. (2)

Yalvac, Sefa Time Series Modeling of the Up Coordinates in a Subsidence Zone

Yeakley, Julia Influence of Salt Tectonics on Seafloor Morphology from Algeria to Sardinia – Seismic

Yeh, T.C. See Mok, Chin Man (2)

Zachos, Louis See Powell, Gabe

Zamensky, Greg See Riley, Donald

Zhou, Wendy See Duran, Robert (1) and (2)

Zhou, Wendy See Puente Querejazu, Alvaro

Zhou, Wendy See Semmens, Stephen N.

Zhou, Wendy See Stewart, Joshua

Zimmerman, Michael See Freitag, George

Zwissler, Bonnie Thermal Remote Sensing for Moisture Content Characterization at Mine Tailings Impoundments: a Field Study

2015 ANNUAL MEETING


2015 ANNUAL MEETING


Notes

2015 ANNUAL MEETING

Corporate Sponsors

President’sClubCreek Run Environmental Jason LenzPO Box 114Montpelier, IN 47359765-728-8051www.CreekRun.com

PlatinumKleinfelder, Inc. Chad Lukkarila550 West C Street, #1200San Diego, CA [email protected]

Ruen Drilling, Inc. Arlan Ruen2320 River RoadClark Fork, ID [email protected]

GoldParratt-Wolff, Inc.Gary Ellingworth501 Millstone Dr.Hillsborough, NC [email protected]

SilverEarth Consultants International, Inc. Tania Gonzalez 1642 East Fourth StreetSanta Ana, CA 92701714-544-5321tgonzalez@earthconsultants.comwww.earthconsultants.com

Exponent Betsy Mathieson475 14th St., Suite 400Oakland, CA [email protected]

Gregg Drilling & Testing, Inc.Patrick Keating2726 Walnut Ave.Signal Hill, CA [email protected]

Michael F. Hoover ConsultingMichael F. HooverPO Box 30860 Santa Barbara, CA 93130805-569-9670www.hoovergeo.com

Robertson Geotechnical, Inc.Hugh S. Robertson2500 Townsgate Road, Suite EWestlake Village, CA [email protected] www.robertsongeotechnical.com

Sage Engineers, Inc. Ara Sanjideh2251 Douglas Blvd., Suite 200Roseville, CA 95661916-677-4800asanjideh@sageengineers.comwww.sageengineers.com

Shannon & Wilson, IncBill Laprade400 N 34th St Seattle, WA [email protected]

BronzeEnviro-Equipment, Inc. Denise Chew11180 Downs Rd Pineville, NC [email protected]

Feffer Geological Consulting Josh Feffer 1990 S Bundy Dr, Suite 400Los Angeles, CA 90025310-207-5048www.feffergeo.com

Geodynamics Consulting Group, Inc.Harry Audell33282 Golden Lantern StreetDana Point, CA 92629949-493-1352www.geodynamicsinc.com

Corporate SponsorsAEG is grateful to the corporations and individuals who contribute to our operating fund through their sponsorship.

ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS LIST OF SUPPORTERS.See the ad on the inside back cover to learn about the benefits that come with AEGSponsorship.


For more information about advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please contact AEG at [email protected] or 844-331-7867.

AEG 59th Annual Meeting – September 18–25, 2016

Kona – Island of HawaiiWaikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa – Group Rate Only $185

Located beachfront along the sun-splashed Kohala Coast, the luxuriousWaikoloa Beach Marriott Resort welcomes guests with gracious style andHawaiian service. With the bounty of land and sea captured in stunning views,this Big Island Hawaii hotel and resort is the perfect place for a memorablemeeting with colleagues. Experience an authentic Polynesian show at theSunset Luau as our Special Event. Set upon 15 acres of oceanfront splendor,the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa offers a truly magical setting.

Planned SymposiaRock Engineering-Rock Mechanics SymposiumEngineering Geology for Tunnels and Underground ConstructionReaching the Last Mile: Our responsibility to effectively communicate to those in harmsway what geohazards they face and implement disaster mitigation strategies Environmental Impacts and Cleanup for Military Bases Application of Geophysics to Geotechnical InvestigationsCoastal and Harbor ProjectsArcheology and Engineering GeologyDam Safety Projects

Additional Possible Symposia for 2016:Volcanic Hazards in Hawaii and Elsewhere, convener from HVOpossible tie-in with a field trip. Shoreline Processes and Climate Change Impacts A Landslide Symposium

Join us on one or more of these great field trips and guest tours.FIELD TRIPSThe Big Island: Volcanoes, Geohazards & Active Structural Geology

The Hāmākua CoastKīlauea Volcano and Hawaii Volcanoes National ParkEvening Stargazing at Ozinuka Center for International Astronomy – Mauna Kea Volcano

Ka Lea (South Point) and Papakōlea Green Sand Beach

Guest ToursVolcanoes National Park & S. Island TourTraditional Hawaiian Culture & Gourd ArtMacadamia Nut Co & Parker RanchDowntown Kona Historic Walking Tour

Experience the magic!

aeg 2015 program with abstracts

Documents