Reimagine the Possible is a series that highlights innovation by Geosyntec practitioners, in their own words. In this question and answer, Thierno Kane shares the personal and professional experiences that led him to Geosyntec, from finding inspiration in his childhood and learning from his mentors to working on challenging projects and creating ground-breaking solutions.

Thierno is a Project Engineer based in Illinois whose expertise in geotechnical engineering includes landslide movement and slope stability, consolidation and shear strength of soft grounds, and geotechnical site characterization

Q&A

Can you tell us about your journey to joining Geosyntec?

I was a few months away from graduating, and a senior geotechnical engineer at Geosyntec, came to deliver a geotechnical student seminar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He provided an insightful overview of Geosyntec, highlighting the firm’s diverse projects, technical backgrounds, and geographic locations, and I knew then that Geosyntec would be a great fit for me.

I contacted the speaker shortly after his talk to inquire about open positions at Geosyntec and met up with him and another practice leader, and the rest is history. Interestingly, I had unknowingly been carrying a Geosyntec keychain during my graduate school years and didn’t realize it until I returned my office keys.

Who or what has been a significant influence on your professional growth?

I wish I could pinpoint a single person or event that had a pivotal influence on my professional growth. I could go as far back as my childhood, because growing up in a developing country highlighted the significance of structures and infrastructure in people’s daily lives.

But to be concise and without naming names, I would attribute those influences to my mom and sister for their never-ending support and unshakable work ethic, my education, and mentors at UIUC who taught me the importance of life-long learning and the value of geotechnical engineering in all facets of civil engineering. (After all, you can’t build without dealing with soils or rocks.)

I also credit my incredibly talented colleagues at Geosyntec, who inspire and encourage me daily to continue growing and learning.

Can you share an example of a project where you introduced a groundbreaking solution?

While I can’t share specifics due to confidentiality, one notable project involved using cement kiln dust (CKD) for moisture conditioning of embankment material prior to placement. Initially, there were no procedural limits on CKD use, which significantly increased project costs.

Fortunately, our field team had been diligently collecting valuable data during construction. By analyzing the data and working closely with them, I identified that additional CKD beyond a certain quantity had no added benefit. I further correlated the rate of successfully placed lifts with the moisture content of the CKD-conditioned material, which allowed us to establish an acceptable CKD range, resulting in significant cost savings and streamlining embankment placement.

What role does collaboration play in fostering innovation within your team?

Collaboration is essential for fostering innovation within our team. By working together, we combine diverse skills and perspectives, leading to more creative solutions.

The Waterfront Toronto project is a perfect example of how many large redevelopment projects benefit from the collaborative spirit at Geosyntec. We had a diverse group of individuals from different geographic locations and technical backgrounds working together to meet the project’s needs and schedule. This widespread collaboration resulted in creative solutions, such as reinforcing certain secant piles with glass fiber-reinforced polymers to allow microtunneling through River Parks North and South and strategically using geofoam and lightweight aggregates in environmentally impacted ground in settlement-sensitive park areas without compromising long-term performance.

How do you envision your role evolving over the next five years?

In the next five years, I envision my role to evolve further up the ladder of Geosyntec’s sell-manage-do model. I aim to take on more leadership responsibilities and mentor junior engineers while managing and driving innovative projects.

I plan to leverage my expertise in soft grounds to get involved in more ground improvement projects and build a stronger internal and external network, while staying abreast of the latest advancements and integrating cutting-edge technologies into our projects.

More Information

Contact Thierno at Thierno.Kane@Geosytnec.com to learn more about geotechnical engineering support for large and complex projects.
Learn more about Thierno: Thierno Kane | LinkedIn