Ground improvements using geofoam: A case history
October 14th, 2020
By Javaid M. Alvi, Ph.D., and Jahangir J. Kabir, Ph.D., P.E The project site is a triangular-shaped property located at the intersection of Raleigh Avenue and West Liberty Avenue in the Borough of Dormont, Allegheny County, Pa. (Figure 1). The site housed two Nissan buildings, one with a showroom at the top floor and the […]
PVC sheet piling for cutoff and containment barriers
August 1st, 2020
By Brendan Sheppard and Steve Hargrave FIGURE 1 30-foot (9.1-m) long PVC sheet pile installed with a fixed mast pile driver in August 2015 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet piling (Figure 1) has been used for more than 25 years in bulkheads throughout the United States and beyond as a replacement for steel, concrete and timber […]
Geosynthetic strip MSE wall at Point Defiance Marina
April 1st, 2020
By Paul C. Frankenberger and Robert Lozano This article will focus on a geosynthetic strip mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall case study using discrete geosynthetic strips with large precast facing panels (Figure 1), an innovation of the original MSE invention. The system is the Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center/National Transportation Product Evaluation Program reviewed GeoMega […]
Geosynthetics: An extraordinary handler of water
April 1st, 2020
Most geosynthetics deal with water in some shape or form. Geosynthetics are an extraordinary handler of water, whether the project involves erosion control, water storage, wastewater, stormwater, seawater or mining. This issue of Geosynthetics looks at water applications in several forms. Drainage, leak detection layers, potable water storage, a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall at […]
GSI hosts webinar on MSE wall back drainage design
May 9th, 2018
The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) will sponsor a webinar entitled “MSE Wall Back Drainage Design,” on May 23, 2018, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. Within GSI’s database of 301 failed mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls reinforced with geogrids or geotextiles, 64% have failed due to water. Furthermore, 73% have been constructed with fine-grained silt […]