PEGeo2001

Engineering Explorers Post
hosted by
Geo/Environmental Associates, Inc.
October 20, 2001

Our kick-off meeting for 2001/2001 was hosted by Geo/Environmental Associates, Inc. (GA). GA provides geotechnical, environmental, and civil engineering, geology, CADD, and soil testing services to industrial and mining clients.

The staff of GA specialize in the design of dams, waste disposal impoundments, landslide repairs, retaining structures, ground improvements, environmental assessments, environmental remediation, landfill services, and foundation design.

Activities included:

	Development of a simple finite element computer model to assess seepage through a dam
	Perform simple testing to assess the engineering characteristics of soil samples and perform soil magic tricks.

Reconvene to participate in a model construction project, eat pizza, socialize and get acquainted with other Explorers Post members.

Here's some photos: (click on image to enlarge)

*Engineering magic tricks being performed in GA's Soils Lab by Laura Thacker and Justin Lanning, UT Engineering students*	*Replicas of soil dams were built to replicate seepage thru dams*
*Roger Cecil, PE, pours blue-dyed water into one of the dams so seepage can be observed*	*Rodney Bazzie, a trained impoundment inspector for GA, explains to the explorers what he observes on his weekly inspections to coal mining sites*
*Explorers Sean and Eric examine the seepage in the mock dams*	*Scott Arwood, PE, works with Eric using SEEP-W engineering software to design his own dam*
Roger Cecil, PE, demonstrates the engineering software to Sean