Geosyntec Consultants Logo

Geotechnical

Construction Inspection Course for Mechanically Stabilized Walls and Reinforced Soil Slopes

2026-04-02T15:50:27-06:00October 22nd, 2009|Tags: |

Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls are rapidly becoming more common than conventional cast-in-place concrete walls for a variety of highway and other civil applications. MSE walls and reinforced soil slopes (RSSs) consist of a geosynthetic material layered with compacted earth. Easily constructed and highly durable, these structures are inexpensive when compared with other more traditional wall or slope-construction methods, and can tolerate large differential settlements.

Geotechnical Oversight and Engineering for Crude Oil Tank Farm (CTF) Expansion

2026-06-16T14:30:08-06:00October 22nd, 2009|

Tengizchevroil (TCO), a joint venture partnership of Chevron, ExxonMobil, KazMunaiGas and LukArco, decided to upgrade and expand the Crude Tank Farm (CTF) at its Tengiz field facilities. The Tengiz field is one of the world's 10 largest oilfields. The existing tank farm is largely composed of decades-old smaller tanks built during the former Soviet era. The proposed CTF facilities consisted of two very large crude oil storage tanks, the largest of which has a diameter of 200 feet and is 60 feet high, two smaller crude tanks, a firewater tank, and associated facilities such as manifolds, pump stations, and piping. The site's major geotechnical challenge was the 10- to 15-foot thick shallow layer of soft, compressible marine deposits that are prone to large settlement under applied load. TCO's goal is to significantly expand its crude exports from the Caspian Sea area by creating a larger, more reliable crude oil storage complex that can be constructed with local expertise.

Innovative Foundation Improvement Technique Supports Massive MSE Wall Construction Initiative

2026-06-16T14:30:07-06:00October 22nd, 2009|Tags: , , |

The Cherry Island Landfill (CIL) is located in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware at the confluence of the Delaware and Christina Rivers. The Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) owns and operates the facility to serve the residential and commercial customers in the County. To meet the growing demands for MSW disposal space and optimize the existing investment in the Cherry Island site, DSWA established the goal of extending the life of the site by making the site foundation performance objectives for a new disposal structure achievable through ground improvement.

Geotechnical Design for Building Construction near Subway Tunnel and Other Subsurface Infrastructure

2026-04-02T15:49:55-06:00October 22nd, 2009|Tags: |

The new Ogden Elementary School is being constructed on the site of an existing elementary school by contractors for the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) near downtown. Geosyntec was retained by the PBC to assist with the design of groundwater control measures and the earth retention structure (ERS) during the site preparation phase of work. Shallow groundwater and silty soil, which make dewatering efforts difficult, were documented as typical of the site. The scheduled opening of the new school was viewed by the client as a firm deadline that would not allow for any significant delay, so any necessary geotechnical design and construction had non-negotiable deadlines associated with them.

SSHAC Level 3 Seismic Hazard Update for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant

2026-04-02T14:31:20-06:00October 21st, 2009|Tags: , |

A seismic hazard update is currently being conducted for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) Site under the Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC) Level 3 process. The SSHAC Level 3 process is a formal, structured procedure for developing Seismic Source Characterizations (SSC) and Ground Motion Characterizations (GMC), and has been identified in Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulatory guidance (RG 1.208) as an acceptable method for use in performing probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) for nuclear sites.

The SSC and GMC for the DCPP site will involve complex assessments due to the location of the site within an active tectonic region of the United States. The seismic safety issues at DCPP will be subject to significant public and regulatory scrutiny. The SSHAC Level 3 update will re-examine parameters of the GMC and SSC in light of recent and ongoing studies with the objective of developing updated models that capture the center, body, and range (CBR) of the technically defensible interpretations (TDI).

Stabilization of Active Landslide

2026-04-02T15:50:53-06:00October 20th, 2009|Tags: , , |

A large landslide occurred at a site under development by a third party in Western Pennsylvania, impacting an adjacent state highway and rail line. After emergency actions were implemented to reopen the highway and rail line, stabilization of the site was to occur under consent order between the state and the third party. With the goal of stabilizing the site as quickly and efficiently as possible, the prospective purchaser assumed the responsibility of responding to the consent order and retained Geosyntec to develop and evaluate options for stabilizing the site.

Geotechnical Engineering Support for LNG Processing and Export Facility

2026-04-02T17:04:38-06:00October 20th, 2009|Tags: , |

Between 2005 and 2011 Geosyntec provided engineering services for a major petrochemical client and other project shareholders in the siting, geohazard assessment, targeted ground improvement, and foundation evaluation for a proposed on-shore liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and marine terminal facility on the western coast of Africa. Our role on behalf of the overall project operator included feasibility assessments for site foundations and, during construction, provision of geotechnical assurance reviews during dredging and filling operations to improve site conditions during foundation construction.

Earthquake, Structural, and Geotechnical Engineering Services for LNG Export Facility

2026-04-02T17:34:53-06:00October 20th, 2009|Tags: |

Geosyntec developed earthquake, structural, and geotechnical engineering recommendations in support of the front end engineering design (FEED) package and invitation to bid for detailed design of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in a seismically active region of Peru. Our engineers also provided technical guidance and recommendations for the successful stabilization of an 18-million-cubic meter mass movement that developed during site preparation.

Geotechnical Engineering Support for New Gas-to-Liquids Plant

2026-04-02T17:04:40-06:00October 20th, 2009|Tags: |

A gas-to-liquids project involved construction of a new facility over a thick, soft clay site in West Africa's Niger Delta region. The facility consists of numerous large diameter tanks, processing facilities, and a wharf area. The project's original geotechnical consultant performed extensive site investigation and laboratory testing, and developed a complex site preparation approach involving tightly spaced wick drains (7,000 km of wick drains), placement of 3 million cubic meters of sand fill surcharge dredged from a source 135 km from the site, and groundwater drawdown for additional temporary surcharge.

Geotechnical and Seismic Engineering Services for Phased Commercial Development Adjacent to San Francisco Bay

2026-06-16T14:30:27-06:00October 20th, 2009|Tags: |

The site is an approximately 23-acre, undeveloped parcel in an area of office buildings, hotels, and the Brisbane Marina. Subsurface conditions include fill and refuse material, thick compressible clay deposits, and underlying alluvium and bedrock. The overall site development plan consists of the construction of five, three- to four-story buildings, a multilevel above-ground parking garage, surface parking, and miscellaneous site improvements, including pavements, landscaping, and utilities.

Geosyntec consultants logo, engineers, scientists, innovators, colorful geometric icon.

Geosyntec is a consulting and engineering firm that works with private and public sector clients to address new ventures and complex problems involving our environment, natural resources, energy, and civil infrastructure.

PRACTICES

MARKETS

ABOUT

© 2026 Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Legal Notices | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

Go to Top