In order to accomplish the stated goal, 15 highly qualified speakers are selected to give 45 minute presentations during the day and a half conference. The selected speakers have extensive geotechnical experience from around the country and overseas. A variety of project types are selected for the presentations, such as tunnels, soil stabilization and improvement, dams, roads and embankments, landslides, reinforced soils, Panama Canal, excavations and supporting systems, groundwater evaluations and dewatering systems, among others. The presentations also provide an update of soil strength parameters evaluation in terms of selecting appropriate exploration tools and the most reliable parameters.
The first and second GeoVirginia conferences were held the first week of May 2012 and the first week in October 2013. The third conference will be held early spring 2015. There are sponsorship opportunities (Platinum, Gold and Silver) and 30 geotechnical-related exhibitor opportunities. To request information about participating in or sponsoring the next conference, visit http://www.virginiageoinstitute.org/Committee2013.html and contact a committee member for assistance. One evening is typically left free from activities to enable registrants to enjoy historic Williamsburg, which is immediately adjacent to the conference lodge. Average conference registrations are around 120, with people from a variety of backgrounds, including government agencies, consulting firms, universities, and geotechnical suppliers. It is a good opportunity to meet with colleagues, share knowledge, and learn from one another’s experiences.
ECS Virginia Beach Branch Manager Jose N. Gomez, PE, MSc. served as Conference Chair in 2012 and 2013. Approximately 20 ECS employees attended each of the conferences.
Below is a listing of the presentations from 2013:
| Name Affiliation |
Presentation Title |
| Greg Baecher University of Maryland |
Geo-risk management at the Panama Canal |
| Tom Brandon Virginia Tech |
The use and measurement of fully softened shear strength |
| Bill Edgerton Jacobs Associates |
Lessons Learned from Geotechnical Investigations at DC Clean Rivers Tunnel Project |
| David Elton Auburn University (AL) |
Learning from the Mistakes of Others… |
| Gabriel Fernandez-Delgado Consulting Engineer |
Lessons Learned in Tunnel Excavations: Rehabilitation of Machu Picchu Hydroelectric Powerhouse |
| Jose Gomez ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC |
Slide Stabilization with a 17.0-meter Reinforced Earth Fill; Back Analysis, Remediation, and Geotechnical Design and Construction Lessons Learned |
| Robert Holtz University of Washington |
Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil: From the Experimental to the Familiar |
| Suzanne Lacasse Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) |
Lessons Learned from Landslides |
| Gordon Matheson Schnabel Engineering |
Lessons Learned in Groundwater Evaluations |
| Paul Mayne Georgia Tech |
Case Studies Linking Foundation Performance and In-Situ Testing in the Appalachian Piedmont |
| Jim Mitchell Virginia Tech |
Lessons from the Lives of Two Dams |
| Tom O’Rourke Cornell University |
Lessons Learned About Excavations and Their Effects on Adjacent Structures |
| Andrew Noel Schofield University of Cambridge |
Lessons learned from Cambridge (UK) Soil Models: Trench & Tunnel heading damage |
| Al Sehn Hayward Baker |
Ground Improvement for Liquefaction Risk Mitigation – Methods, Verification, and Recent Research |
| Chester Watts Radford University |
Do you need more geo in your geotechnical? Lessons learned from hydrogeology and slope stability |