Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art (LMNA)
Soft Ground Associates in conjunction with Oracle Group USA assisted in the design of the green roof and landscaping around the LMNA. This included specialized testing and evaluation for the seismic stability of the green roof and surrounding terraces and plazas.
See drone footage of this exciting project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3cnsvYFM00
News article on groundbreaking: https://la.curbed.com/2018/3/14/17120398/george-lucas-museum-la-groundbreaking-exposition-park
Disney Shanghai
Disney engineers adhered to extremely high standards for construction processes, but also seek diversified construction processes using EPS geofoam. During the construction period of Disney project, geofoam blocks were used in creating plazas and landscaping in many of the theme areas of the park. The geofoam was used to prevent large consolidation settlements in these areas.
SGA acted as a consulting engineer to the Disney design team for the geofoam block application areas.
https://www.theb1m.com/video/footage-captures-construction-of-shanghai-disneyland
Mission Rock
Mission Rock is an approved, mixed-use development. The Port’s development partner on the project is a partnership between the San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer (called Mission Rock Partners). Soft Ground Associates assisted the Port and City of San Francisco in the development of the design criteria and design review of this project regarding the use of lightweight cellular concrete (LCC). This included utilities, pavement, buoyancy and seismic considerations, and cellular concrete requirements. LCC was used to effect a 5.5-ft elevation increase across the site to prevent potential future flooding climate change-induced seawater rise and from storm surge. Lightweight materials were required so as not to induce significant and damaging consolidation settlement in the underlying Bay mud.
https://www.cell-crete.com/portfolio/mission-rock-development-site/
Railroad Grade Separation, Colton Crossing, California
Low Density Cellular Concrete (LDCC) was used to construct a 40-ft-high by 50-ft-wide (15-m) freestanding railroad embankment for a flyover railroad bridge in Colton, CA. Site geotechnical investigations indicated that foundation soils consist of loose, sandy fill and loose to dense silty sand to considerable depths. Using compacted soil for the embankment, the maximum estimated ground settlement at the site would be about 15 cm, so a light-weight fill alternative was selected with ground improvement of the foundation soils. This project was the first use of light-weight fill to support a heavy rail system in the U.S., and perhaps the first in the world. The primary designer for this project was HDR. SGA provided assistance to HDR in evaluating the seismic design of the LDCC embankment.
https://www.cell-crete.com/portfolio/mission-rock-development-site/
Manila Metro Rail Transit System
SGA assisted Macro Industrial with the design of a 75 m of rail constructed atop soft ground for the Manila Rail Transit System (MRT). Previous construction in this area had caused unacceptable settlement. The use of lightweight fill mitigated this issue and allow construction to proceed.
Wasatch Fault Crossing, High-Pressure Gas Main, 3300 S. Street
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) geofoam is a lightweight, compressible material that can be used to protect buried infrastructure such as pipelines in areas with high to moderate seismicity. This project developed methods to protect a high-pressure natural gas line from potential damage at a crossing of the Wasatch Fault in South Salt Lake City. The work was completed for Questar Gas Corporation and has been subsequently used at another fault crossing along the Wasatch Front, Utah.
I-15 Reconstruction Project for 2002 Olympic Games
In April 1997, a Kiewit-led joint venture began work on the I-15 Corridor Reconstruction. The $1.3 billion design-build project involved demolishing, designing, and reconstructing more than 16 miles of freeway and 142 bridges.
The joint venture team built three major freeway-to-freeway interchanges and widened the previous six-lane highway to 12 lanes. Crews built 16 miles of retaining walls and 10 miles of sound walls, making them aesthetically pleasing by selecting a design and color scheme evocative of the surrounding mountains.
The project required more than 1 million design hours and more than 12 million hours to complete. The freeway opened for public use in May 2001, well in advance of the 2002 Winter Olympics and several months ahead of the anticipated October 2001 completion date. Project managers credit co-location, over-the-shoulder design reviews, and partnering as key factors in the project's success.
Presented this evening to the Utah Department of Transportation at the Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) gala celebration in Los Angeles, the award recognizes the project for its significant contribution to civil engineering progress and to Salt Lake City's community. I-15 was selected from among six outstanding project finalists throughout the United States. In total, there were 33 entries submitted for consideration.
"The I-15 project has contributed greatly to Salt Lake City's ability to stage the successful Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games, and will continue to serve the area's residents for years to come," said H. Gerard Schwartz, Jr., P.E., ASCE president. "The Interstate exemplifies the ideals of innovation, technical excellence and community benefit."
In announcing the selection of the I-15 project, the jury noted that the project was completed in just four years, half the time that would have been needed using traditional approaches, and came in $32 million under budget. Jurors also noted the innovative use of materials, such as lightweight Styrofoam-known as geofoam-in the embankments. The project was nominated by the Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers on behalf of the Utah Department of Transportation. SGA assisted the design team in the development, design, and construction specifications for this project. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Clairwood Logistic Park, Durban, South Africa
SGA assisted Auercon in developing the geofoam design criteria, specification, and final design for a geofoam fill roadway crossing a 16-inch crude oil pipeline. The design protected the pipeline from consolidation settlement and any potential overstressing of the pipeline from traffic loads.
5600 West Bridge at UPRR, Salt Lake City, Utah
New bridge over the Union Pacific railroad tracks on 5600 West in Salt Lake City under construction at 5600 West bridge under construction over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) near 800 South in Salt Lake City.
“"The real biggest factor on Geofoam is the fact we have a major sewer line that is pretty old, about 17 feet down," Montoya said. "The 27-inch sanitary sewer line goes under the railroad, as well. If we were to build the bridge using traditional methods, we would put a lot of weight on that sewer line and ultimately crush it. To replace the sewer line would have cost $3 million. The Geofoam also saves a significant amount of time in completing the bridge. “
“The entire embankment is probably one of the biggest geofoams UDOT's ever done. I don't know nationwide, but I've never seen this much Geofoam in one place."
https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/crews-turn-to-geofoam-on-railroad-bridge-project/49995
Utah Transit Authority (UTA) - Trax - West Valley Line, Salt Lake City, Utah
UTA has constructed several EPS embankments that support its light-rail (TRAXTM) system in Salt Lake Valley, UT. The UTA West Valley TRAXTM line was the second-largest EPS geofoam usage in the U.S., and the first known application of EPS embankment for a light-rail system. The West Valley line project was awarded in 2008 and was completed in 2011. The total project cost was $350 M, and the project was finished under budget and ahead of schedule. In total, seven EPS geofoam embankments were constructed comprising 65,000 m3 of EPS blocks with the highest embankment measuring approximately 12 m. SGA assisted Oracle Construction in the design and seismic evaluations of the geofoam fills for this project.
Geofoam Wall Design - Mitchell Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
SGA performed geofoam wall, slope, traffic, and foundation stability calculations on the behalf of the Ohio Department of Transportation.
For more information, see
Rail Deflection Monitoring - UTA Frontrunner and Trax lines, Salt Lake City, Utah
SGA deployed accelerometer arrays to measure rail deflection on lightweight embankments constructed for the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) FrontRunner commuter and TRAX light rail systems. The finding of this evaluation provided a better understanding of the vertical deflection behavior of llightweightembankments utilized in railway systems.
Read more at:
Salt Lake County Water Reclamation Facility
The new Water Reclamation Facility, with a $700-million cost, is one of the largest public works projects in Salt Lake City’s history. The project must be completed and online by January 1, 2025. SLCDPU is building the new facility on the site of the current treatment plant, which will continue to operate during construction.
SGA assisted AECOM in the liquefaction evaluations and surcharge design for this project.
SM Santa Rosa - Mamplasan Road Widening
SGA assisted Macro Industrial with the geotechnical and pavement design of a 1.5 km roadway constructed for SM Santa Rosa Mall in the Philippines. The ground conditions were challenging because much of the roadway crossed farmlands and rice fields that were highly susceptible to consolidation settlement.
King Abdul-Azia Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
SGA provided EPS geofoam calculations and design support to the airport designers regarding the use of geofoam for lightweight fill and vegetative roof cover.
Probabilistic Liquefaction Maps Salt Lake, Weber, Davis and Utah Counties, Utah
This project was joint research between Oregon State University, Brigham Young University, and the University of Utah. Dr. Bartlett of SGA was a co-Principal Investigator. This team developed an improved, fully-probabilistic procedure for mapping liquefaction triggering and lateral spread displacements at multiple return periods. The procedure is applied to develop liquefaction triggering and lateral spread displacement hazard maps for Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah Counties, Utah at return periods of 475, 1033, and 2475 years.
This report can be downloaded at:
https://my.civil.utah.edu/~bartlett/ULAG/USGS%20Liquefaction%20Map%20Urban%20Wasatch%20Counties.pdf
Liquefaction Hazard Mapping - Salt Lake County
Mapping of earthquake and liquefaction hazards in urban counties along the Wasatch Front, Utah, has been ongoing since 2003. Dr. Bartlett of SGA has partnered with several federal, state, local, and private agencies to complete liquefaction hazard mapping of Salt Lake, Weber, Utah, and Davis Counties. Maps like those presented above have been used in planning, municipality hazard ordinance development, and risk assessment modeling to define and reduce the liquefaction risk in the State of Utah In addition, state-of-the-art techniques developed by Dr. Bartlett’s team have been used in other locales to perform similar mapping and evaluations.
DMAD and Gunnison Bend Dams, Delta, Utah
Dr. Bartlett performed the geotechnical and liquefaction evaluations for these two earthen dams in southwestern Utah for investigations requested by Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, Dam Safety group.
Seismic Investigations - DOE Savannah River Site
Dr. Bartlett participated on a multi-disciplinary team of seismologists geologists, geotechnical engineers, structural engineers, and risk assessors to evaluate the seismic resistance of several facilities at the Savannah River Site. These include the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) (i.e., vitrification building), In-Tank Precipitation Facility (ITP), and the H-Area Tank Farm.
Complete Listing of Projects
Consultant to Layton Construction, Rice-Ecceles Stadium, North End Zone Expansion, Geofoam Design, 2021.
Consultant to Macro Industrial, MRT 7, Metro Manila Lightrail System, Geofoam Embankment Design, 2021.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, 5600 W. Geofoam Embankment, Salt Lake, City, Utah. 2020.
Consultant to AECOM, Gordie How International Bridge Project, I-75 Interchange, Michigan, 2019-2020.
Consultant to Auercon, Geofoam Cover System for Liquid Gas Pipeline, Lynnwood Ridge, South Africa, 2020.
Technical Advisory Panel Member for Port of San Francisco, Mission Rock Development Project, Light-weight Cellular Concrete Design Review, San Francisco, California, 2019.
Consultant to Stantec, Seismic Evaluations of George Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts, Los Angles, California, 2018 to 2019.
Consultant to Stantec, Seismic Stability Evaluations for Design Study Report, Geofoam Cover System for WMU32 Closure, Tesoro Martinez Refinery, Marinez, California, 2019-2020.
Consultant to AECOM, Engineering Design, and Construction Services, New Water Reclamation Facility, Salt Lake County, Utah, 2018 to 2019.
Consultant to Covintec, Design of bridge approach replacement and reconstruction with EPS Geofoam, Lerma, Mexico, 2017.
Consultant to Maltani Global Korea Limited, Evaluation of EPS geofoam use for Steel Building Erection Facility, Gusan City, South Korea, 2016.
Consultant to AFM Corporation, Simplified Vertical Stress Calculations in Geofoam Roadway Systems, Minnesota, U.S., 2015.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, P-8 Aircraft Stress Distribution Calculations for Airport Taxiway Constructed Atop EPS Geofoam, Maryland, U.S., 2015
Consultant to Supreme Petrochem Ltd., Mumbai, India, Calculation for the use of EPS-block under airport runway, 2015.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, Seismic Calculations for EPS geofoam used for the rooftop of the residential complex, 625 W. 57th St. NY, NY, 2015.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, EPS Stress Calculations, Paseo Del Norte Interchange, 2014.
Consultant to Mega Packaging, Design of EPS roadway widening project, Santa Rosa, Philippines, 2014.
Consultant to Oracle Construction and FFKR Architects, 3D Stress Distribution Calculations for Truck Loadings, Provo, LDS Temple, Provo, Utah, 2014.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, U.S., 3D Stress Distribution Calculations for Truck and Tire loadings to EPS Geofoam Embankment, Truck On-Ramp, Ohio, 2014.
Consultant to Insulation Factory Ltd. Industrial City, EPS Cover System, and Design, Phase #3 Road No. 311, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2014.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, U.S., EPS Stress Distribution Calculations for Bridge Approach, Route 49, New Jersey, 2014.
Consultant to ACH Foam, Evaluation of EPS Cover System to protect the subsiding pipeline, Brian Head Ski Resort, Cedar City, Utah, 2013.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, U.S., 3D Stress Distribution Calculations for Truck and Tire loadings to EPS Geofoam Embankment, I-15 Brigham City, Utah, Interchange, 2013.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, U.S., Repair of EPS Block Wall, Quantico, Virginia, 2013.
Consultant to Macro Industrial, Design of EPS, Avida Cenetra Project, Manila, Philippines, 2013.
Consultant to Broadway Industrial Group Limited, Singapore, EPS Geofoam Application for Soft Ground Site, Disney Shanghai, China, 2012.
Consultant to Résonance Ingénieurs-Conseils, Carouge, Switzerland, Liquefaction and Lateral Spread Evaluation of an Industrial Complex Lonza, Visp, Switzerland, 2012.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, U.S., EPS Geofoam Ramp for Sufco Mine Car, Salina, Utah, 2012.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, Philippines, Consolidation and EPS Settlement Calculations for El Nido Airport Expansion, El Nido Philippines, 2012.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, U.S., EPS Geofoam Stress Distribution Analysis for Airport Bridge Approach Fill, Gary, Indiana, 2012.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, U.S., Settlement and Earth Pressure Analysis of EPS/MSE Wall System for Mitchell Ave., Ohio, 2012.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, Philippines, EPS Geofoam Placement at Capistrano Pump Station, Capistrano Road, Taguig, Philippines, 2012.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, Philippines, Use of EPS Geofoam to Remediate Roadway Damage, South Luzon Expressway, Philippines, 2012.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, Philippines, Design of EPS Geofoam Access and Perimeter Roads for Manila Sanitary Landfill, Manila Philippines, 2012.
Consultant to Tikalsky Engineering, Concrete Block Wall Investigations, Saint George, Utah, Oct. 2011.
Consultant to Gerhart-Cole, Ferron Dam Remediation, Ferron, Utah, Oct. 2011.
Consultant to Advanced Engineering Solutions, EPS Geofoam Design for Utah Transit Authority, West Valley Line, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 2011.
Consultant to Advanced Engineering Solutions, Settlement Evaluations, Fairlane Green Mall, Allen Park Michigan, Target Superstore, Detroit Michigan, May 2011.
Consultant to HDR, Seismic Design of Cellular Concrete Embankment for the Colton, Ca. Crossing, 2010-1011.
Consultant to Oregon Dept of Geology and Mineral Industries, Portland, Oregon, 2010.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, Geofoam Design for AWH Spine Road, Philippines, 2010.
Consultant to Oracle Construction, Geofoam Design for Santa Rosa Road access to SM Mall, Philippines, 2010.
Consultant to Oracle Construction USA and Scarsella Brothers Inc., Geofoam Approach Fill, Topaz Bridge, Idaho, 2010.
Consultant to HDR, St. Louis BPS-Tucker Boulevard Phase 2, Geofoam Embankment Design, St. Louis Missouri, 2009.
Consultant to Oracle Construction Philippines, Tagatay Highlands Development, Geofoam Stabilization of Landslides at Woodridge Development, Luzon, Philippines, 2009.
Consultant to Oracle Construction Philippines, Philkoi Development, Geofoam Roadway Evaluations, Manila Bay Philippines, 2009
Consultant to Oracle Construction Philippines, Pagcor Development, Geofoam Landscaping, and Seismic Evaluations, Manila Bay, Philippines, 2009.
Consultant to Oracle Construction Philippines, North Luzon Elevated Expressway Geofoam Evaluations and Seismic Stability, Manila, Philippines, 2009.
Consultant to Timpanogos Constructors, Seismic and Liquefaction Evaluations, I-15 Core Project, Utah Co., Utah, 2009.
Consultant to Kiewit, SR519 Project, Geofoam Design and Construction, Seattle, Washington, 2009.
Consultant to Parson/Kiewit, Beck Street Project, Seismic and Liquefaction Evaluations, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2008-2009.
Consultant to URS Corporation, Seismic Evaluations for LDS Church Temples in Utah, 2008-2009.
Consultant to URS Corporation, Development of Site-specific Response Spectra, I-80 Reconstruction, State Street to 1300 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2007.
Consultant to Draper City, Development of Geohazard Ordinance, 2007.
Consultant to Questar Gas, Seismic design of high-pressure gas line at Wasatch Fault crossing, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2007.
Consultant to Walker and Monitz, Evaluation of Pavement Failure at Hershey Distribution Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2006.
Design Development and Review of Geofoam Slope for SR 264 at Second Mesa for Advanced Engineering Solutions, Second Mesa, Arizona, 2006.
Design Review of Geofoam Remediation of an MSE wall failure for Advanced Engineering Solutions, Mescalero, New Mexico, 2005.
Conceptual Design, Altinova, Turkey Naval Facility, review and modeling of ground improvement to mitigate liquefaction and seismic ground deformation for Geopier International Corporation, 2005.
Consultant to Simon-Bymaster Inc., assessment and foundation underpinning of LDS Church, Stockton, Utah, 2005.
Consultant to Applied Engineering Solutions, Instrumentation of geofoam embankment over the municipal waste landfill, Target Store, Detroit Michigan, 2004.
Utah Division of Water Quality, Review of Site Requirements for Septic Tanks and Drain Fields, November 2004.
Expert Witness, H-K Contractors versus North Davis Sewer District, Davis Co., Utah, 2004.
Senior Consultant, Central Weber Sewer, and Water Improvement District, Weber Co., Utah, Review of Ground Response Analysis Performed by Terracon Consultants Inc., 2003.
Design Review, Arizona Department of Transportation, Geofoam Landslide Stabilization, State Route 264 at Second Mesa, October 2003.
Expert Witness for the State of Utah in litigation and hearings before the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board for the License Application of the Private Fuel Storage Facility, Skull Valley Utah, 1999 to 2002.
Reviewer, Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy, Utah, Review of Seismic Design Policy, 2003
Geotechnical Designer, I-15 Reconstruction Design-Build Team, Geotechnical Design Engineer, Woodward Clyde Consultants, 1997 - 1998.
Designer, Kennecott Utah Copper Tailing Impoundment Modernization Project, Geotechnical Design Engineer, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1997.
Consultant, Salt Lake City Airport, Reliability Analysis of Control Two Foundation Excavation Failure, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1997.
Designer, Wasatch County Water Efficiency Project, Geological and Geotechnical Investigations, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1997-1998.
Designer, Bear River Pipeline Alignment Study, Geological and Geotechnical Investigations for the Salt Lake Water Conservancy District, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1997.
Investigator, Delta, and Gunnison Bend Dam Seismic Stability Investigations for the State of Utah, Dam Safety Program, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1997.
Designer, Seismic Retrofit of Salt Lake City Waste Water Treatment Plant Effluent Pump Building, Geotechnical Design Engineer, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1996.
Investigator, Cainville Dam, Wayne County Utah, Geological and Geotechnical Investigations of Proposed Reservoir and Dam Site, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1996.
Investigator, Hurricane Bridge Foundation Investigation, Geological and Foundation Investigations for the Utah Department of Transportation, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, 1996.
Designer, ITP/H-Area Tank Farm Geotechnical Investigations and Seismic Qualification, Department of Energy, Savannah River Site, Principal Investigator for Westinghouse Savannah River Company, 1993-1995.
Designer, CERCLA and RCRA Hazardous Waste Landfill Investigations and Closure Design, Department of Energy, Savannah River Site, Project Manager, Westinghouse Savannah River Company, 1991-1992.