GeoPrac.net, llc
Issue 053 - In This Issue:
ISSUE 053: A TIME TO EVERY PURPOSE

Randy Post, PE
President
GeoPrac.net, LLC
NEW FHWA SOIL NAIL MANUAL ADDRESSES LRFD, HOLLOW BARS

Since March of 2003, the FHWA's Geotechnical Engineering Circular Number 7 (GEC No. 7) has been the standard reference document for design and construction of soil nail retaining walls in roadway applications, and really in all applications. The FHWA has released an updated version of this manual as of February of 2015. This new version is still called GEC No. 7, but now titled "Soil Nail Walls Reference Manual." Read more and find the download link for the manual here.
NORTEX AND TERRATHANE STABILIZE HOUSTON AREA HIGHWAYS

Highways around Houston, TX, known as one the nation's worst cities for traffic behind Los Angeles, D.C., and Atlanta, need constant repair, but can't be closed while the work is done. Nortex Concrete Lift and Stabilization, Inc., a Ft. Worth, TX company, recently completed a whirlwind repair project on one of the city's busiest corridors in the NE quadrant where I-10, 610 Loop, I-59, and I-69 feed millions of cars daily to, from, and around Harris County. Find out more about this interesting project!
gINT Software
Moretrench
Nicholson
EDWARD ALEXANDER (ED) NOWATZKI: 1936-2015

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of a mentor and former colleague, Dr. Ed Nowatzki, PE, PhD, D.GE, F. ASCE. His obituary can be found here. I was privileged to work with Ed for several years after school when I was a staff engineer at URS and then again while working for NCS Consultants from 2004 to 2010. He reviewed many of my reports and calculations, and didn't let me slide by on anything but was never harsh or overly critical. The geotechnical community is diminished by his passing. Ed wrote an article for GeoPrac back in 2007 about his experience working for Northrop Grumman on the design of landing pads for the lunar lander. He appropriately titled the article, The Ultimate Geotechnical Engineering Challenge and it is fascinating reading. Read more about the passing of Ed Nowatzki.
URETEK ICR
NCFI / Terra Thane
Keynetix
MOST POPULAR CONTENT

Take a look at what people have been reading lately on GeoPrac! 

  1. Nortex and TerraThane Stabilize Houston Area Highways - Published May 1, 2015 (32.8 hits/day, 998 page impressions total)
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  3. Edward Alexander (Ed) Nowatzki: 1936-2015 - Published May 8, 2015 (29.3 hits/day, 685 page impressions total)
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  12. Free CPT Webinar on February 2 from ISSMGE - Published Jan 27, 2015 (16.8 hits/day, 2,100 page impressions total)
  13. New FHWA Soil Nail Manual Addresses LRFD, Hollow Bars - Published Apr 13, 2015 (16.8 hits/day, 819 page impressions total)
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  19. DFI Announces New Testing and Evaluation Committee Chair - Published Feb 13, 2015 (11.6 hits/day, 1,244 page impressions total)
  20. How to Use Thermal Integrity Profiling to Assess Soil Nail Integrity - Published Feb 19, 2015 (11.5 hits/day, 1,170 page impressions total)
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  22. 40 Foot Sinkhole in Tenn. Stadium Endzone - Published Jan 16, 2015 (10.7 hits/day, 1,455 page impressions total)
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  26. Moretrench V.P. Paul C. Schmall Receives 2015 Wallace Hayward Baker Award - Published Jan 14, 2015 (9.8 hits/day, 1,341 page impressions total)
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  30. 2015-2016 Academic Scholarships from ADSC - Published Jan 20, 2015 (7.6 hits/day, 992 page impressions total)
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Dataforensics
Hayward Baker
DR. FRED H. KULHAWY: 1943 - 2015

During his 40-year academic career, Fred taught a wide range of courses in the field of geotechnical engineering. He has been a prolific researcher, with sponsors ranging from various government agencies to public and private companies. He has supervised 54 M.S. and Ph.D. theses. He has authored/co-authored more than 370 publications. The research done by him and his students has influenced geotechnical practice. His contributions to our profession have been significant. Read the rest of his obituary here.
MAJOR SLOPE FAILURE AT YEAGER AIRPORT IN WEST VIRGINIA

There was a significant slope failure at the Yeager Airport near Charleston, West Virginia recently. A 2005 project to create an Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) at the end of the runway required a massive reinforced soil structure fill slope over 200 feet high since the airport was constructed on top of a hill. So what happened?