NEWS 2011

Posted November 10, 2011

Event: December 8-13, 2011

U of A: International Short Course on Permafrost Engineering

Location: University of Alberta, Edmonton

The U of A Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the CGS-Cold Regions Geotechnology Division present this workshop on effective design and construction in permafrost regions. For details, contact Sally Petaske.

Posted November 1, 2011

Event: December 2, 2011

CSCE: Guide to Bridge Hydraulics - An Overview of Hydrotechnical Planning, Design and Operations

Location: Days Inn and Suites West Edmonton (Holiday Inn Express - Linden Room, 10010 - 179A Street)

Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Cost: CSCE Members $420/$472.50, Non-members $525/$577.50, Students $105/$105 (before/after Nov. 1)

This course examines bridge hydraulic considerations from a full lifecycle perspective and within an integrated infrastructure context. Planning and design issues anchor the course as key topics are addressed such as boundary conditions, waterway design, scour protection and channel control as well as hydraulic aspects of construction, inspection and maintenance. Creating awareness of available tools for bridge hydraulics and key resources such as the Transportation Association of Canada's Guide to Bridge Hydraulics.

Posted November 9, 2011

Event: November 24, 2011

GSE: Bryan Watts, President, Canadian Geotechnical Society (2011/12) - Lessons Learned From Two Landslides

Location: Petroleum Club, Edmonton (11110 - 108 St)

Time: 11:45am Registration, 12:10 Lunch, 12:35pm Presentation

Cost: $30 Members, $40 Non-members, $10 Students

The principal features of two landslides will be presented. The first is the Marble Hill landslide which occurred approximately 4000 years ago on the north facing "Eastern Hillsides" of Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley of BC. A subdivision was constructed on this landslide in the mid-1990's. Soon after, movements in the landslide mass caused damage to some houses. The characteristics of the landslide and the resolution of the subdivision owners' claim for compensation will be described. The second slide was a flow slide of tailing at the toe of an inactive tailings dam in Sudbury, Ontario, in February of 2011. There were no injuries nor was the tailing pond breached. The flow slide occurred during the construction of a rockfill buttress to resist liquefaction of tailings during future earthquakes. The cause of the flow slide will be described together with the measures taken to allow the construction works to proceed...more>>

Posted October 12, 2011 (Updated October 21, 2011)

Event: November 2, 2011

GSE/CGS Cross Canada Lecture: Steven G. Vick, Colorado - Geotechnical Risk and Public Policy - The Other Side of the Wall

Location: Petroleum Club, Edmonton (11110 - 108 St)

Time: 6:00pm Registration, 6:20pm Dinner, 6:50 Presentation

Cost: $30 Members, $40 Non-members, $10 Students

Risk assessment for structures like dams and levees is not finished when the analysis is completed. The ultimate goal of risk assessment in a public policy setting is to improve public safety by informing the decisionmaker, who then acts on its findings. But how does this happen? Or for that matter, does it happen at all? This lecture looks beyond procedural mechanics to how geotechnical risk analysis is actually implemented in a public policy setting from two recent examples in the U.S...more>>

The CCLT is organized by the Canadian Geotechnical Society, with funding through the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique.

Sponsorship provided by:

• Klohn Crippen Berger
• BGC Engineering
• EBA Engineering
• Golder Associates

Posted September 26, 2011

Event: October 6, 2011

GSE: Prof. Askar Zhussupbekov - Geotechnical and Construction Considerations of Pile Foundations in Problematical Soils in Kazakhstan

Location: Valley View Room, Petroleum Club, Edmonton (11110 - 108 St)

Time: 11:45am - 1:30pm

Cost: $30 Members, $40 Non-members, $10 Students

To estimate the geotechnical engineering and geological conditions of the ground in the developed area of Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, the first Geoinformation Database in Kazakhstan has been developed which is based information collected in various engineering projects. This database provides information for a preliminary analysis of the regional ground conditions prior to a more detailed site investigation...more>>

Posted August 30, 2011 (September 16, 2011)

Event: September 29, 2011

GSE: Annual Fall Wine & Cheese Event

Location: Faculty Club, University of Alberta (TBC)

Time: 5:30pm Reception, 6:30pm Presentations

Cost: $5 Members, $10 Non-members, $5 Students
(Student cost includes membership for the year)

The 2011/2012 season will begin with the traditional Annual Wine and Cheese event. Come out and connect with students and colleagues in the local geotechnical community!

There will be two short presentations from current Ph.D. students at the U of A: David Elwood on Ground Characteristics for the Design of the Edmonton North LRT Twin Tunnels and Renato Macciotta on Qualitative Risk Assessment of Natural and Cut Slopes...more>>

Posted September 7, 2011

Event: September 27, 2011

Skyline Steel: Accelerated Construction Solutions for Infrastructure. Bridge & Waterworks Projects

Location: Centennial Room, The Westin Edmonton (10135 - 100 Street)

Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Cost: Free

Skyline Steel's first seminar in Edmonton. The event is complimentary including lunch.

Posted April 26, 2011 (Updated January 12, 2012)

Event: December 1, 2011

GSE 2011 Photo Contest Announcement - CANCELLED

The GSE is proud to announce a Geotechnical Photography Contest to help celebrate the contribution to society by geotechnical engineering. Submitted photos will be grouped and judged in three categories. In addition to bragging rights, valuable prizes will be awarded to the top photo in each category with an additional prize to the overall best photo. Winning submissions and selected runners-up will be unveiled at the upcoming 2011 Fall Wine & Cheese and then posted on the GSE web site. Photos will be judged according to both artistic merit and the geotechnical story told by the photo.

The contest is open to GSE members only and will close on December 1, 2011 (deadline has been extended).

Posted June 27, 2011

Event: July 27, 2011

WISEST 5th Annual Golf Tournament

Location: The Links in Spruce Grove

Play a fun round of golf and support WISEST! This fundraising golf tournament enjoys participation from many local industry, government and academic communities. We request your support and participation in this year's event, and encourage you to golf and network with those who support diversity.

Posted February 28, 2011 (Updated September 6, 2011)

Event: May 25, 2011

GSE 2011 AGM with Dr. Myint Win Bo - Application of Geotechnical Engineering in the Construction Industry and Beyond

Location: University of Alberta Faculty Club (11435 Saskatchewan Drive)

Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Cost: $25 Members, $30 Non-Members, $5 for Students

The 2011 AGM will begin the proceedings with reports from the Executive.

Following the AGM, Dr. Bo will be giving a presentation that will describe services provided by the geotechnical engineering discipline and will introduce some well known case studies of geotechnical engineering services provided during history and demonstrate how geotechnical engineers have been involved around the world; well known construction projects, incidents and operations will be presented and explained...more>>

The 2011 Stan Thomson Award was presented to Bob Coates at the close of this event:

Posted February 28, 2011 (Updated April 1, 2011)

Event: April 15, 2011

GSE/CGS Cross Canada Lecture: Mark Diederichs, Ph.D., P.Eng., Queen's University - Geomechnical Performance of a Deep Geological Repository for Nuclear Waste

Location: Edmonton Petroleum Club (11110 - 108 Street)

Time: 11:45am - 1:30pm

Cost: $30 Members, $35 Non-members, $5 Students

Ontario is in the final stages of licensing for an underground repository for nuclear waste at the Bruce site near Kincardine. An extensive program of investigation and analysis has taken place to determine and ensure that the site adheres to the tenets of selection. The presentation will give a brief project overview including discussion of the investigations related to tenets and in particular to geomechanical stability as there are a number of issues related to stability of the repository at various scales of space and time...more>>

The CCLT is organized by the Canadian Geotechnical Society, with funding through the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique.

Sponsorship provided by:

• Geo-Slope International
• BGC Engineering
• EBA
• Reinforced Earth Company Ltd.

Posted February 28, 2011 (Updated March 29, 2011)

Event: April 7, 2011

GSE/U of A: 9th Annual Applied Geotechnical Engineering Design Contest: Reinforced Soil Wall

Location: L2, NREF, University of Alberta

Time: 4:30pm Construction (L2-110); 6pm Testing (L2-020)

Cost: Free

Walls will be constructed using only 5 sheets of Newsprint, 2 sheets of 15 cm x 30 cm geotextile, a box of 100 paper clips, and 20 popsicle sticks. The students have 1 hour to construct the wall. Prizes will be awarded for the Strongest Wall, the Best Prediction of Wall Strength, and for the Most Innovative Design.

Posted February 28, 2011 (Updated March 15, 2011)

Event: March 22, 2011

GSE: Jeff Grieder, P.Eng., North American Construction Group - Application and Use of Continuous Flight Auger Piles in Western Canada

Location: 10240 Princess Elizabeth Avenue, NAIT Main Campus, Engineering Technologies Annex Room L036

Time: 11:45am - 1:00pm

Cost: $10 Members, $15 Non-members, $5 Students

Continuous Fight Auger (CFA) piles were first used in Europe over 25 years ago. Similar technology has been used in the United States under the product name Auger Cast-in-Place (ACIP) Piling. The introduction of CFA piling to Western Canada began over 5 years ago and they have been used on a variety of commercial and industrial structures. Numerous load tests have been conducted in soft marginal soils, weak rock, and dense glacial tills common to Western Canada. CFA piles are an excellent alternative for sites where other deep foundation methods would either be too costly or take too long to construct...more>>

Posted January 4, 2011

Event: February 24, 2011

GSE/DFI Seminar: Current Topics in Soil Nailing/Tiebacks and Landslide Stabilization Practices

Location: The Westin, Edmonton

Time: 8:00am - 6:00pm

Cost: $345 Members, $375 Non-Members, $50 Students (limited seats for students)

Room for exhibits. See link above for details. Exhibit fee includes one registration for seminar.

Registration fee includes seminar attendance, breakfast, breaks, lunch, reception, registration materials and flash drive

This one-day seminar is jointly presented by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Committees on Soil Nails and Tiebacks, and Landslide and Slope Stabilization. Geotechnical specialists from academia and industry will present the fundamentals of design and construction for soil nail/tiebacks and landslide/slope stabilization practices and case histories and advances in construction methods. Fundamentals will cover an overview of the appropriate geotechnical site conditions where these techniques are typically used, basic design approaches, materials and methods, limitations and references for additional learning. Presentations will highlight specialty design and construction solutions using a strength reduction design method, hollow bars as soil nails and micropiles, launched soil nails, drainage combined with platypus anchors, jet grouting with micropiles, Platepiles and deep mixing. A panel discussion will follow the presentations allowing time for questions and answers and interaction between speakers and attendees.

Posted January 14, 2011

Event: January 27-28, 2011

GIC Course: Dr. Bengt H. Fellenius - Basics of Design of Piled Foundations

Location: Calgary

Posted January 4, 2011

Event: January 20, 2011

GSE/CSCE: Dr. Gord McKenna, P.Eng., P.Geo and Brad Russell, M.Sc., E.I.T., BGC Engineering Ltd. - Landform Design for Oil Sands Reclamation

Location: University of Alberta Faculty Club (11435 Saskatchewan Drive)

Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Cost: $25/$12 Regular/Student Members, $35/$17 Regular/Student Non-Members; $5 additional for walk-ins

Register Online (By Jan. 18) - Payment can be made at the door

Posted January 4, 2011

Event: October 18-21, 2011

Call for Abstracts: DFI 36th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations - Foundations for Our Future

Location: The Seaport Hotel and World Trade Centre, Boston, Massachusetts

Link for online abstract submission