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I've been out of the materials testing business for a few decades now and I am wondering if new research has been done to replace the Proctor lab test for granular soil compaction. I seem to recall a maximum density shake table type test but never saw it widely adopted. Anything new out there...

Be prepared to be flexible about locating the structure on your site. The location with the best view may also have the worst soil conditions. I assume the Ontario government has a soil conservation service like in the US. Get a map of your site from them. Try to get an aerial photo of the...

The contractor should be responsible for the quality of the completed construction. Let him do the quality control testing to prevent production delays. You do the QA testing to verify his results. Florida DOT has been doing this now for about 10 years and it works quite well, especially for...

Most state environmental agencies have requirements for abandoning/closing of water wells. This often includes geotechnical boreholes. Check with them and the municipality that may have jurisdiction. Most holes must be grouted closed and reported as such by the driller. Failure to do so is a...

How will the owner access the heating/cooling system for preventive maintenance or repairs? I'll bet sunny/shady side temperature differentials will cause more stress than the HVAC effects unless there are geothermal temperatures close to the system. Cheers

Pay a local geotechnical engineer his $1000 and get a professional report with boring or test pit logs. Simple situations allow simple designs and conversly... What if the site was a medical waste dump or hazardous material dumping ground? It is called a foundation for a reason. Cheers

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has sampling and lab testing training of PCC and HMA aggregate materials. Your state DOT may also have a certification program for aggregate and base course testing & sampling. Proctor test, Atterberg limits, hydrometer, shrinkage, swell, etc., etc. are...

What is the frost depth at your site? Are there high winds that require uplift resistance? Fill should provide a better "cushion" if seismic activity is a concern. Will high rainfall amounts be an erosion concern? [cheers] Cheers

If you are estimating truck counts, it is the fluff factor you are interested in. The soil will "fluff" as it is being excavated. "Fluff" is very moisture content dependent. It may pay to spread and dry the soil before trucking in order to reduce the fluff and decrease the trucks. If this is...

STRengineer007 See the link below for Florida DOT design standards. I recall that "wings" are added to the shaft to resist torsion rather than resorting to excessive shaft length. I haven't opened the file as it may require microstation which I don't have. See Drilled Shaft Design for Sign...

AlpineEngineer I'd put the dowels in. They can't cost very much and will provide resistance against sliding or uplift if water gets under the slab and freezes. As a guess how about one every 10' along the perimeter and a few in the center (16 + 4 for a 40' x 40' slab = 20). I guess uplift...

If not too high a wall, trailing vines/plants planted at the top would partially cover and "naturalize" the sheet piling. [cheers]

Per Ashereng's comment, many companies use the review for salary evaluation. It is also your opportunity to request/suggest a promotion. Maybe not directly, depends on how your company does it, but while setting your performance goals for the next period. If you are performing at the higher...

I'd suggest getting an in-depth letter of recommendation from each of your relevent past employers to attach to your resume/application. Although I'm terrible at it, one should keep in touch with people who can give good references in order to keep ones's network up and to be able to provide...

It sounds workable to me. A trench box would hold the excavation open better for backfilling but would require a bigger machine to drag it. See if the backfill can be placed as an advancing slope that will push less dense material in front of it. This slow deposition will help eliminate...

Thanks for the responses. blueoak A big portion of the reason for my post was to promote the concept that civil works can have attributes beyond primary function. I realize that attracting wildlife may increase undesirable exposure conditions but I believe they can be mitigated by designing-in...

The rule of thumb in Florida is 100 pounds of "normal" asphaltic concrete will cover one square yard one inch thick.(behind the paver, basically uncompacted) Check your paver pass width and lift thickness, then use conversion factor to compute expected pull length per truckload (net tare on...

Just some thoughts. I think you can separate the gravel from the organics by three methods: Vad's screening, burning or flotation. Screening is probably the cheapest, unless you have fuel resulting from another activity (leaves or mowing). Burning will still require removal of the ash from...

I see WW & W TP design jobs all the time. Ron has valid points. Being a problem solver and innovative are very desirable traits. You don't want to design the same thing 100 times. Many projects are plant expansions where you have to connect and integrate the new with the old, they aren't...

Is salary the reason you are looking to leave, or is/are there other considerations? Pigeon-holed? Boring assignments? No respect? All are valid reasons. You need to try to define what you want to do and then find a way to do it. Maybe your present position's locale is one you can't live...