As part of a new 120-mile long transmission line, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) constructed an approximately six-mile, twin circuit 230-kV transmission line, placed underground in the Alpine area of San Diego County, California.
Working with public- and private-sector clients, Geosyntec provides award-winning redevelopment strategies for brownfield sites worldwide. From site identification, investigation, and remediation to design, permitting, and construction management, we provide the services necessary to redevelop an environmentally impacted property to an end use that meets environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder needs. We employ appropriate and efficient geotechnical engineering and environmental remediation services to solve our clients’ brownfield redevelopment challenges. Geosyntec approaches each brownfield site individually by tailoring investigations, risk assessments, and remediation approaches to the client’s planned end use. We work with regulators, developers, and insurance providers to realize the full economic and social value of their sites and develop solutions that are amenable to all parties. We provide stakeholders with start-to-finish consistency and reassurance that the environmental elements of development are being managed by one firm because of our expertise in regulations, risk assessment, groundwater and soil remediation, soil vapor mitigation, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, and solid waste and environmental management.
When a site involves volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil or groundwater, those chemicals can volatilize and migrate into nearby buildings presenting a health hazard to those inside. Not only that, but most buildings also contain other sources of volatile contaminants that are related to ongoing operations or consumer products. Because the same chemicals can be present in the subsurface, in chemicals used on-site, and in other products, investigation and mitigation can become complicated.
Clients turn to Geosyntec's nationally recognized geotechnical and geological engineers to develop projects and services that efficiently use geotechnically challenging sites. We apply advanced technologies and leverage our proven practice leadership to provide clients with dependable, cost-effective solutions and customized services while meeting aggressive construction schedules.
When site conditions such as soft and compressible soils, steep slopes, or seismic activity appear to limit site uses, Geosyntec's geotechnical engineering professionals create foundations and other geostructural solutions that optimize site development potential.
Geosyntec provides nationally recognized expertise and specialized geotechnical and geological engineering (geoengineering) services to evaluate and improve the design and construction engineering properties of soil and rock foundations. Our geoengineering specialists form one of the leading practices in the world. They are recognized for their ability to develop practical guidance, and efficient designs conducive to aggressive construction schedules commonly imposed by project economics. Our geoengineering practice focuses on difficult and challenging sites where the development of dependable, cost-effective foundations, and other geostructural solutions are critical to the success of the project. Our practitioners accomplish this by establishing a thorough understanding of the project site, developing a technical framework for the project, and incorporating the critical, non-engineering drivers such as schedule and project economics into the early stages of our planning. Our geoengineering professionals have responded to the challenges of increasingly unfavorable site conditions by developing and applying sophisticated approaches to investigate and characterize sites; analyzing foundation behavior; altering the engineering characteristics of the soil and rock at a specific site through soil and rock improvement; and environmentally remediating sites. We implement these approaches so foundations and other subsurface structures can be constructed safely, adequately support the built environment, and withstand potential geohazards. Our geotechnical practitioners are fully familiar and experienced with the practical application of these tools. For example, when a client needed to develop a critical structure near Wilmington Harbor in Delaware, the client turned to Geosyntec to geotechnically engineer a practical, cost-effective solution. Our team developed an innovative foundation design and construction methodology for very soft and compressible foundation materials that included wick drains, embankment pre-loading, and mechanically stabilized earthen walls. Our design saved the client nearly $100 million when compared to more traditional approaches proposed by others. Our geoengineering practitioners distinguish themselves by rapid development of an appropriate understanding of the geologic and environmental history of a site, and using this knowledge to screen potential ground improvement and foundation technologies (wick drains, deep soil mixing, deep dynamic compaction, vibro-replacement, and surcharging) to identify the more dependable and cost-effective approaches. These screening-level studies become a basis for gathering optimized geotechnical information based on carefully considered analyses tempered with practical, hands-on experience sufficient to not only characterize the site, but also design dependable foundations. These attributes have been particularly beneficial to our petroleum and chemical industry clients who are currently undertaking large-scale capital projects in undeveloped areas. For example, Geosyntec is working with oil and gas interests on foundation design, offshore reclamation, and underwater slope stability issues related to the development of a liquefied natural gas trans-shipment facility on the coast of southwestern Africa. Our senior practitioners have authored technical design and construction manuals for the Federal Highway Administration focusing on foundation support systems, earth retaining systems, and earthquake engineering. Geosyntec provides lead, geotechnical training instructors for the National Highway Institute and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). We also provide training to state departments of transportation, contractors, and consultants for state-of-the-practice design applications. Our staff members are active contributors and developers of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Load and Resistance Factor Design Specifications for bridge substructures including foundations and retaining wall systems. Several of our practitioners have received ASCE's highest awards for advancing the state of the practice in geoengineering.
Geosyntec has played a leading role in the development of state-of-the-art liquefaction and seismic analyses for more than 20 years and has pioneered designing economical structures that safely resist the loads caused by earthquakes. Geosyntec is recognized nationally and internationally for our capability to analyze the liquefaction potential of dam embankments and their foundations, as well as to assess the impact of liquefaction on bridges, buildings, and other structures. Geosyntec has performed liquefaction evaluations for hundreds of projects, including assessment of the consequences of liquefaction and development of solutions to mitigate concerns. These solutions have included ground improvement designs followed by testing during construction to verify that design objectives were met.
The pressures on manufacturing clients are complex and often involve many interwoven concerns, including meeting sustainability goals, complying with global regulations, bringing products to market, and managing legacy sites, all while remaining profitable.
In its effort to expand and renew its campus facilities and related infrastructure, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) evaluates numerous candidate sites including properties that may have been impacted by contaminants. All properties being considered for a new school are subject to a rigorous Environmental Assessment and Remedial Investigation process. At one site testing indicated that shallow soils were impacted with lead and deep soils were impacted with petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds to such a degree that remediation was required.
McClellan-Palomar Airport is a commercial airport located in Carlsbad, San Diego County, California, serving the general aviation community, corporate aircraft, and commercial services operated by the County of San Diego Department of Public Works. The county proposed numerous improvements to the airport including construction of a new terminal building to replace an existing building, upgrading Taxiway C, adding additional aircraft parking, re-routing the existing drive aisles for the new terminal building, and construction of an elevator and pedestrian bridge from the lower parking area to the upper terminal building.Because the airport was constructed over three unlined, inactive municipal solid waste landfills, ongoing settlement and the potential presence of methane present continuous challenges for expanding the airport's operations. As a result, the geotechnical analysis required for the proposed improvements required the careful characterization of the general nature and extent of existing fill and landfill waste deposits along the lower parking lot perimeter and their effects on geotechnical engineering design recommendations.
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