NEWS 2018

Posted November 20, 2018 (Updated November 25, 2018)

Event: December 5, 2018

GSE/U of A Graduate Student Seminar: Don Proudfoot, Thurber Engineering Ltd. - Geotechnical considerations related to the design and performance of landfills: a study of industrial Class 1 and Class 2 Landfills in Alberta

Location: 8900 114 St NW, Room O-31, Students' Union Building (SUB), University of Alberta

Time: 11:30am Registration, 12:00pm Lunch, 12:20pm Presentation

Cost: $15 Members/Non-Members, $0 Students (sponsored by Thurber)
An additional $5 will be charged for payments made at the door.

Mr. Proudfoot will speaking regarding landfill design and construction.

Posted November 8, 2018

Event: November 20, 2018

GSE Annual Fall Mixer Event

Location: Blue Chair Cafe (9624 - 76 Avenue NW)

Time: 5:30 Registration, 6:00pm Appetizers, 6:30pm Presentation

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

The Annual Fall Mixer event (previously the Wine and Cheese event) is an opportunity to connect with students and colleagues in the local geotechnical community and to hear results of the latest research occurring at the U of A.

There will be a presentation from each of two U of A students: Ms. Umme Rima (2018 Morgenstern Award receipent) and Mr. Tony Zheng (2018 CGS Conference presentation).

Posted October 3, 2018

Event: October 12, 2018

GSE/CGS CCLT: Dr. Alex Sy, P.Eng.,FEIC, Vice President, Technical, Klohn Cripper Berger Ltd. - Lessons Learned from Geotechnical Failures

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

Time: 11:30am Registration, 12:00pm Lunch, 12:30pm Presentation

Cost: $30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $10 Students
(At the door) $35 Members, $45 Non-Members, $15 Students

Despite advances in geotechnical engineering, failures do occasionally occur because of unknowns, uncertainties, inexperience, miscommunications, etc. However, failures do provide valuable lessons for the profession that can be learned to minimize future failures. This lecture will present three examples of geotechnical failures in British Columbia, in which the author was engaged to carry out forensic engineering...more>>

Posted April 19, 2018 (Updated May 2, 2018)

Event: May 23, 2018

GSE 2018 AGM: Dr. Gregory Baecher, University of Maryland - Geotechnical Risk Analysis and its History in Four Case Stories

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

Time: 5:30pm Registration, 6:00pm Dinner, 6:45pm AGM and Presentation

Cost: $40 Members, $50 Non-Members, $20 Students
An additional $5 will be charged for payments made at the door.

The quantitative analysis of risk in geotechnical engineering traces its roots to the early 1970s. Since then, the concept has evolved considerably. What began as a simple consideration of statistical variability in engineering parameters and models has evolved into a complex evaluation of the nature of uncertainty, the interplay of data and engineering judgment, and the tolerability of risk. Today, the evaluation of quantitative risk in so-called probabilistic risk assessments (PRA) has begun to drive geotechnical decisions in large projects...more>>

Posted March 28, 2018

Event: April 5, 2018

GSE/U of A: 16th Annual Applied Geotechnical Engineering Design Contest: Reinforced Soil Wall

Location: L2-040 and L2-020, NREF, University of Alberta

Time: 5:00pm Construction (L2-040); 6:00pm Testing (L2-020)

Cost: Free

Registration: Please email Vivian Gang to register (by April 3).

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. This year, there will be 29 students from the U of A and NAIT completing.

Posted January 18, 2018

Event: January 29, 2018

GSE: Mr. Pete Barlow, M.Sc., P.Eng., BGC Engineering - Reactivation of an Ancient Landslide Pipeline Rupture and Mitigation

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

Time: 5:30pm Registration, 6:00pm Dinner, 6:30pm Presentation

Cost: $30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $10 Students
(At the door) $35 Members, $45 Non-Members, $15 Students

Land disturbance associated with the progressive expansion of a major pipeline and power corridor, and extensive timber harvesting triggered the reactivation of ground movement of a massive, ancient deep-seated landslide that threatened six major transmission pipelines, including a loss of containment in one of the pipelines...more>>