Event
ASCE Seattle Section Geotechnical Group - 21 November 2019 Joint Dinner Meeting with AEG
Where Are the Giants?
Presenter:
Dr. Robert C. Bachus, P.E., D.GE
Geosyntec Consultants
Kennesaw, Georgia
ABSTRACT
In his 1979 Terzaghi Lecture titled There Were Giants on the Earth in Those Days, Professor George Sowers reviewed several projects, some dating back nearly 2,000 years. His message was clear we have a lot to learn from our ancestors with regards to civil and geotechnical engineering. It has been 40 years since the 1979 Terzaghi Lecture. Have we heeded Professor Sowers challenge and have we advanced geotechnical practice? This presentation includes two distinct themes. The first theme will explore some of the notable (i.e., giant) projects that help define the modern geotechnical engineering practice. The second theme takes a step into the future and attempts to identify the giant problems that society and the geotechnical community will be called upon to address. The practice of geotechnical engineering is fascinating. As Professor Sowers indicated in 1979, we owe a lot to our ancestors. This lecture will show that we have also learned a lot from our relatively recent projects. While we have learned much, there is much more that we can do as the geotechnical engineering community to help and contribute to the future generations of geo-practitioners.
PRESENTER BIO
Dr. Bachus is a civil engineer with more than 40 years of experience, with an expertise in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. He started his professional career as a member of the faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology where he taught for 11 years before joining Geosyntec Consultants in 1990, where he is now a Senior Principal. The firm specializes in geotechnical, environmental, and water resource engineering, with >1,200 employees in its 75 offices in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His research and project activities cover a wide range of topics, including dams and levees, landslide assessment, landfill design and performance, soil/rock properties, and forensic engineering. He has worked extensively on the properties and beneficial use of coal combustion residuals (CCRs) and geotechnical data management and visualization. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Georgia Tech and Chairman of the Transportation Research Boards Standing Committee on Soil and Rock Properties.
AEG Speaker Abstract:
Ms. Palomares will be discussing RCRA Requirements for Hazardous Waste Land-based Units. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was passed by Congress in 1976 to regulate hazardous waste from cradle to grave. RCRA requires that all hazardous waste disposed of in land-based units must meet certain criteria to ensure protection of human health and the environment. Land-based units that manage hazardous waste may include landfills, surface impoundments, waste piles and land treatment units. Requirements for land-based units include siting criteria, design, operation and closure requirements. In addition, hazardous waste must be treated to certain standards before disposal in land-based units. As discussed in a case study, proper siting, design and operating standards for a hazardous waste landfill in Texas will help ensure protection of human health and the environment.
AEG Speaker Bio:
Ms. Palomares is currently an Adjunct Instructor for the Texas A&M University Texas Engineering Extension Service in College Station, TX. As an adjunct instructor, Ms. Palomares conducts training courses for environmental professionals for certification of Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. Prior to her work as an adjunct Instructor, Ms. Palomares was a Project Manager for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in Austin Texas from 1993 to her retirement in 2016. As a project manager in the Industrial & Hazardous Waste Permits Section, Ms. Palomares reviewed and evaluated hazardous waste permit applications for both regulatory and technical completeness to ensure compliance with applicable hazardous waste, radioactive waste and Texas Risk Reduction Program rules and regulations. Prior to her position as a project manager in the I&HW Permits Section, Ms. Palomares conducted technical reviews and processed applications for underground injection control (UIC) and insitu leachate uranium mining facilities in the UIC/Radioactive Waste Section of the TCEQ. Prior to employment with the TCEQ, Ms. Palomares was employed as a staff scientist for Westinghouse Hanford Company in Richland, Washington for 3 years.
Ms. Palomares earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Engineering Geology from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. She is both a Licensed Professional Geologist and Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas.
Ms. Palomares joined AEG in 1986 as a student member of the Lone Star student chapter at Texas A&M University. In 1990, she was awarded the Best Student Presentation Award at the Texas Section Spring Meeting. In 2011, she was awarded the Floyd T. Johnston Outstanding Engineering Geologist Award at the Texas Section Fall Meeting. Service to AEG includes the following positions: Lone Star Student Chapter Officer (1986-1990), Washington Section Field Trip Coordinator (1991-1993), Texas Section Treasurer (2001-2003), Texas Section Vice-Chair (2004-2006), Texas Section Chair (2007-2009), Texas Section Past Chair (2010-2012), 2010 Shlemon Specialty Conference Chair on Gulf Coast Subsidence and Sea-level Rise, Governance Committee member (2010-2012), Section/Chapter Support Committee Chair (2012-2016), AEG Strategic Planning Committee Co-Chair (2014 - 2016), AEG Secretary (2016-2017), AEG Treasurer (2017-2018), AEG Vice-President (2018-2019) and President (2019-2020).
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LocationExecutive Inn by the Space Needle (View)
200 Taylor Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98109
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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